The Montgomerie Links is the showpiece course at the Carton House Resort, and designed by eight-time European Tour Order of Merit winner Colin Montgomerie. 

 

The course, which opened in 2003, has gone on to host the Irish Open on the DP World Tour on three occasions, most recently in 2013. 

 

Carton House is also home to the O’Meara Course, which opened a year earlier than the Montgomerie Links, and was designed by 1998 Masters Champion Mark O’Meara. 

 

 

You can read our full review of the Carton House Resort here.  

Visit the Carton House (Montgomerie) website here.  

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The estate has been around for almost a millennium, dating back to the 12th Century. Cart House itself was built at the end of the 17th Century. 

 

It would be another 300 years before golf came to be at Carton House, though. Mark O’Meara designed the first course, which opened in 2002, while the Montgomerie Links (designed by Colin Montgomerie), was opened a year later. 

 

The course has played host to the Irish Open on three occasions, with Thomas Bjorn and Paul Casey among the winners. The Englishman was victorious in the last Irish Open to be hosted at Carton House, back in 2013. 

As its name suggests, the Montgomerie Links is a links course, despite it being inland. The layout features pot bunkers, thick rough and cavernous swales, and sits to the south of the River Rye. It is the longer of the two layouts at Carton House, measuring 7,300 yards from the championship tees. There are plenty of teeing options, though, allowing golfers of all abilities to enjoy a round on the Montgomerie Links.   

 

Only the tee box on the opening hole sits across the north side of the river, as you get your round on the Montgomerie Links underway. The first two holes are lengthy par 4s, the 2nd of which plays as a dog-leg right. The links feel comes across early, and once you get past the par 3 3rd hole, you find that there are 14 bunkers that you must avoid as you make your way down the par 5 4th. The 5th – another long par 4 – also has 12 bunkers. 

 

The stretch that takes you to the turn allows for a few birdie opportunities. Both the 6th and the 9th are par 4s of less than 400 yards, with the latter having one of the wider fairways on the course. The par 3 7th has a large green with four bunkers, but at 190 yards, it remains a challenge. 8 is the second par 5 on the course, and at just 540 yards, it is possible to reach in two with a good drive. Nine bunkers are in the last 100 yards of the hole, including five around the green.  

 

The scoring needs to be done on the front nine, as the back nine starts in a very tough manner. Both the 10th and 11th are par 4s of over 460 yards in length, and there are 20 bunkers across the two holes. The 12th is a long par 3, with five sand traps surrounding the green, with the par 4 13th being a great risk-reward hole. At 339 yards from the back tees, and around 300 from the yellows, this could be seen as a drivable green. However, there are five deep bunkers awaiting anything errant.  

 

14 is another mid-length par 4, before you come to the dog-leg right 15th. Again, there are nine bunkers dotted throughout the hole, but if you can miss them, then a birdie, or even possibly eagle, is a possibility. The 16th is a tough dog-leg right par 4, before the river comes back into view on the final two holes, with the Rye running down the right side of the 18th as you end your round on the Montgomerie Links. 

Where is Carton House located?  
Carton House is one of Ireland’s best golfing venues, and it sits just outside the town of Maynooth in County Kildare, on the border with County Meath. The nation’s capital, Dublin, is less than 20 miles to the east by road.  

  

The neighbouring town of Maynooth houses the nearest train station to Carton House. It is based on one of the main western lines from Dublin and sits no more than three miles by road from the entrance to Carton House. Thanks to its proximity to the nation’s capital, Dublin Airport is the closest international airport to Carton House. It is just 20 miles from the resort and a base for Aer Lingus, Ryanair, and TUI Airways. Dublin Airport is the busiest airport in Ireland, with more than 25 million passengers travelling through each year.   

What golf facilities does Carton House offer? Along with two championship golf courses, Carton House is also home to a great practice area, which sits in between the first and last holes of the O’Meara Course. There is also a warm-up area for those playing on the Montgomerie Links, although that is only open between the months of April and October.   

  

Carton House has a pro shop that is filled with the newest equipment, clothing, and apparel. There is also plenty of Carton House branded gear, for guests to take home as a souvenir. 

What are the green fees at Carton House (Montgomerie)?  
The price of a green fee at Carton House (Montgomerie) changes throughout the year, depending on the season. It is also different depending on whether it is a weekday or weekend. There are also stay & play packages available at the resort.  

 

For more information on current green fees at Carton House (Montgomerie), visit their website here. 

 

  

Visit the Carton House (Montgomerie) website here. 

Go Back To NCG's Top 100s Homepage.