Dooks: 100 Years of Golf.

Dooks Golf Club was founded in 1889, making it one of the ten oldest golf clubs in Ireland. Originally laid out as a nine-hole course by members of the Royal Horse Artillery who were deployed from the Curragh to nearby Glenbeigh for artillery practice, Dooks has a rich history. The Great Southern Railway Hotel at Caragh Lake was, in 1895, advertising a nine-hole course as part of the attractions and had Anthony Brown of Dollymount redesign the existing course to an acceptable standard and within three years had added an additional nine holes. The club appears to have had various names Caragh and Dooks, Caragh Lake and Glenbeigh and Dooks.

Although the course was extended to 18 holes prior to 1900 it reverted, due to costs, to nine holes until 1967-1970 when members voluntarily built the additional nine holes which was officially opened by Cecil Ewing. The course has been designed and redesigned by several architects over the years. In 1965, the club purchased the land from the Beresford McGregor Estate for £7,000, a significant amount at the time and needed a 25 year development bond scheme, repayable in 1989, to fund almost 60% of it. This purchase was part of the “Save Dooks Campaign” to prevent the club from losing its land. In 1962 the club had been given notice to quit the land by the absentee landlord. Even George Houghton got in on the act in his book ‘Golf Addicts amongst the Irish’. In 1978 Eddie Hackett was invited to draw up a long term course plan. Notably, Martin Hawtree was responsible for a significant redesign in 2006, adding 500 yards and renovating all bunkers and greens. The course is known for its stunning views of Dingle Bay and the McGillycuddy Reeks mountains.

While Dooks may not be as famous as some other Irish courses, it has had some notable members which included Florence Walker-Leigh, Elisabeth Purcell and Tracy Eakin. Lady Edith Gordon, the first-ever Lady Captain of a golf club, was elected Captain of Dooks in 1921. Dr. Billy O’Sullivan, a former president of the Golfing Union of Ireland and accomplished golfer, played golf here is his early years as his family had a home beside the second green since 1917. In fact Billy had responsibility for one of the holes that the club constructed for the course extension to 18 holes. Dooks Golf Club is a true gem of Irish golf, offering a challenging yet picturesque experience for golfers of all levels.