Carton House

There is a sleek, exposed beauty to the Montgomerie course here that is hypnotic. You see so much of it as the resort’s driveway glides between holes. Long before you reach the vast 1739 Palladianstyle mansion that is now Carton House’s five-star luxury hotel, you will brush alongside the charming River Rye, with the imposing par-5 18th bounding along between you and the water.

The famous boathouse built for Queen Victoria lies beyond. It’s quite the arrival… and the golf course is quite the occasion. It requires your very best because this unique beast has been designed to look and play like a links.

There are two 18-hole courses. The O’meara is a classy, modern, tree-drenched parkland but the Montgomerie is open, rolling, rhythmic, and rarely forgiving. It wouldn’t be unfair to say it’s a love/hate affair: play well, stay focused, avoid the 127 bunkers and you will love it because you’ve tamed a monster; find too much sand or ignore the course’s strategic demands and you will buckle. Any fairway bunker that snatches your ball will not give it up

without a fight and while the big, bulging greens make superb targets they are heavily defended.

Still, the Montgomerie’s rolling plains possess an elusive beauty sweetly enhanced by the tall wispy rough which glows golden in summer. The closing trio forms the signature stretch – the par-3 17th down towards the river is a beauty. But the course’s dominant signatures are its relentless rhythm and glorious greens.

Horses for courses

There are various stories about why Colin Montgomerie sprinkled bunkers so freely and so deep, but either way, his course is one of the toughest propositions in Ireland. The resort has never been shy about how challenging it is and high-handicappers may well be directed to the more forgiving O’meara. For those who want a test of their accuracy and strategy, and who can remain patient and focused for 18 holes, the Montgomerie is a masterclass.

Major recent investment

In recent years the hotel has enjoyed a multimillion euro refurbishment while, in 2021, the resort became part of the Fairmont family of luxury hotels. Carton House now sits at the top table of grand hotels in Ireland, and with its two courses and proximity to Dublin, it is a very attractive proposition for travelling golfers.