Carton House Golf ☆ Follow

Carton House Golf is a two-course resort located on a 1,100-acre estate near Maynooth in County Kildare, Ireland, approximately 30 minutes west of Dublin. The estate dates to 1739 and was historically the seat of the FitzGerald family, Earls of Kildare. Both championship courses take their names from their respective designers and present contrasting styles of golf.

The O'Meara Course, designed by Mark O'Meara in conjunction with Tim Lobb of European Golf Design and opening in May 2002, is the older of the two layouts. It is a classical parkland course routed over gently undulating ground through ancient woodland, incorporating a wide variety of mature trees — including Blue cedars, Lebanese cedars, and Copper beeches — planted by Lady Emily FitzGerald in the 18th century. The course's most celebrated stretch runs from the 14th to the 16th, where a pair of par 3s frames a heroic par 5 that crosses the River Rye twice between tee and green. The course measures in excess of 7,000 yards from the back tees.

The Montgomerie Course, designed by Colin Montgomerie with Stan Eby of European Golf Design and opening in 2003, takes a contrasting inland links approach, stretching to 7,300 yards from the championship tees. Its character comes from manufactured undulations, swaying fescue grasses, and numerous deep pot bunkers, creating a course that plays with the wind in the manner of a traditional links. The Irish Open was hosted on the Montgomerie in 2005 and 2006, and the course has continued to host high-profile professional and amateur events. Carton House is also home to the Golf Union of Ireland's National Golf Academy.