Concra Wood

Not long into the new millennium, some members of Castleblayney Golf Club approached Coillte, the Irish Foresty Commission, with a view to securing 240 acres of woodland beside Lough Muckno for a new golf course.

The estate was purchased through the sale of shares in the development then Christy O'Connor Jnr – now an established architect with an impressive portfolio – was asked to collaborate with his uncle Christy Snr in bringing to life a tract of land that was full of potential.

“The first time I saw the site it was a bit of a mess,” recalled O'Connor Jnr. “There were a lot of tree stumps and ditches covered with briars, but the views were extraordinary. It's one of the finest natural sites I've seen and presented a great opportunity to create a course with such magnificent lake views.”

The O'Connor partnership carefully routed the Concra Wood layout so that holes only reveal themselves as the golfer stands on the tee, a clever design ploy that adds both excitement and anticipation to a game here.

Lough Muckno is visited twice during the round, the first time between holes 4 and 6 – where water runs left of the fairways – and the second time between the 12th and 16th, when wayward shots to the right of these holes will end up wet.

The signature hole occurs when golfers are initially introduced to the water at the par five 4th hole. The fairway veers sharply to the right at the landing area then runs along the side of the lough before dipping wickedly down to the left to a shore side green perched just above the waterline.