Dooks Golf Club

Golf has been played on the magnificent Dooks turf since 1885 and it's one of the most scenic spots you'll find on a golf break in Ireland. Set across three sand dunes at the head of Dingle Bay, Dooks is a charming, proper links where the rugged edges are softened by the backdrop, with the Slieve Mish and Dingle mountains sitting proudly across the water.

Dooks Golf Club is rightly rated one of the prettiest golf courses in South West Ireland. The views do a lot of the talking, but the fast-running seaside turf gives you that authentic links bounce you just don't get inland. This is a layout with over a century of history, and you can feel it in the way the course sits in the dunes.

You won't need to lash driver on every tee here. The best scores come from keeping the ball in play, using the contours and picking the right side of the fairway to open up the greens. When the coastal breeze gets up, it can feel like a different course from one hole to the next, so take a minute on the tee, choose your line and commit. The greens are beautifully shaped and can be deceptively quick, with plenty of subtle movement, so it pays to stay below the hole where you can.

If you're building a South West swing, it pairs brilliantly with nearby favourites like Dingle Golf Club, Killarney Golf and Fishing and Ring of Kerry. Include Dooks on your next Ireland golf break and you'll get a proper links day without the fuss.

Who is this for?
Anyone who wants a traditional links round in a postcard setting, especially if you're basing yourself around Killarney or heading towards Dingle.

Who is it best for?
Golfers who enjoy shaping shots, flighting it down in the wind and plotting their way round, rather than relying on length. Great shout for mixed-ability groups because it rewards brains as much as brawn.