Carton Montgomerie Golf Course
Maynooth, County Kildare
Golf World awarded the Montgomerie Course the accolade of "Best New Design" for 2004. While you are waiting for your partners to extricate themselves from the many bunkers, take a look around - it is easy to see why. The land must have been flat and uninteresting, but the eight-time winner of the European Order of Merit has created a golf course like no other. Bunkers everywhere demand strategic planning and shot execution of the highest quality. Nearly every long hole has a tee that is slightly angular to the fairway and requires a line to be picked across a line of bunkers. Too brave means sandy lies, too conservative means long approach.
Carton Montgomerie Course Description
And the bunkers don't stop there. The greens are large, undulating, slightly elevated and yes, surrounded by bunkers. A Swedish lady told us she had no problem on the Montgomerie course - she just used her 'hand wedge'!
Chris Smith of Wales won the Irish Amateur Championship here in 2004 with a four round score of 289 (+1). His round of 68 on Saturday was the only sub-70 round. We await with interest how the European professionals manage, meanwhile if the starter tells you to play from the green markers he is worth listening to!
