Carton House (Montgomerie)

Located a mere 15 miles to the west of Dublin city centre, Carton House is a popular golfing destination. The 1,100-acre walled Carton Estate dates back to Norman times and it's complemented by a luxury hotel built in harmony with Carton House, the existing ancient mansion. Carton House is not only located in a beautiful setting, but it's also easily accessible.

There are two courses, the more senior O’Meara, which opened for play in 2002 and the Montgomerie, which debuted the following year. Both are contrasting in style: the O’Meara is park-like and the Montgomerie links-like. This is the second course designed by “Monty” and he was helped and guided by Stan Eby of European Golf Design. It’s an interesting sculptured layout that stretches out to a massive 7,300 yards from the championship tees.

Without huge defining sand dunes, links-type courses can be flat and featureless. The Montgomerie course gets its definition from manufactured undulations; swaying fescue grass, clear definition between the cuts of grass and the many deep pot bunkers. It clearly has a modern look and feel but it’s an honest an unpretentious driver’s course which hangs together rather well. There is no signature hole to speak of, just one good hole after another, and the par threes are especially noteworthy.

Clearly delighted with his creation, Colin Montgomerie said: “This is a unique project and I am privileged to be associated with it. You can’t call it a links course, but it plays like a links and has all the characteristics of a links. In designing this course, I attempted to go back to a more traditional course. I looked at the great courses around the world – Royal Melbourne, Troon, Turnberry – and worked out what is so good about them. One thing that springs to mind – bunkering. They are hazards and they work with the prevailing wind. Few holes are straight up and down the wind but tend to be across, which brings the bunkering into play. This is the kind of course where the best players would always come out on top”.

In May 2005, for the first time, the Irish Open was held on Monty’s new creation. Wales’s Stephen Dodd emerged victorious after beating England’s David Howell in a playoff. This was to be Howell's second shootout disappointment after losing in the previous week to Thomas Björn in a tense three-way playoff at the Forest of Arden in the Daily Telegraph Dunlop Masters. Despite six birdies in the final round, Monty couldn’t recover from a third-round 75 and he ended on his own course tied for 28th place.

The Irish Open remained at the Montgomerie course in 2006 (when Thomas Bjørn won by one shot from Paul Casey) then the event returned to Maynooth in 2013, with Paul Casey getting his hands on the trophy this time after posting a 4-round total of 274 to win by three shots from his nearest rivals.