Carton House Trip

bailey99

I'm looking to travel to play Carton House maybe end of April 2013 and play both the Monty and O'Meara courses.

As the Irish Open is scheduled for the Monty course 27th - 30th June, I'm wondering do any Carton House members on here know if some holes will be closed in the run up for the Irish Open or will there be a lot of work done on the course.

I'm looking at playing there in april and again in early september I think next year.

I don't want to travel up there however if the course isn't fully open or if greens etc are in poor condition in advance of the open there end of june? Thanks for any information in advance!

big_drive

Thought date for Irish open was not announced yet?

ShriekingSheet

The plan is very much to host the Open on the O'Meara course, not Monty. That's pending the completion of 2 new holes (1 and 18), for which work is well underway.

No one, especially on this board, can tell you for sure. I'm no course designer or land-scape architect, but the holes look pretty well on the way to me.

I'd say in April, you've no chance of playing the new holes. I would guess they'll be kept until the Open, maybe bar one or two days.

However, the current 1st and 18th are undisturbed by the new holes, so the course is worth playing as is, and as it has been since inception. It's all about 14, 15 and 16 anyway.

In September, you'll probably get to play the new 1st and 18th, whether it was ready for the Open or not.

The greens are good year-round.

bailey99

The Open is on 27th - 30th June I believe. I thought it was on the Monty course though, thought I read that somewhere.

Carton House told me that the O'Meara course will be closed from 13th June but I'd thought that was for setting up the hospitality tents etc.

I'll go back and see which course the Irish open is on as this is the course we want to play twice outta the three rounds as a lot of work will have gone into the course and it should in theory I think be in better knick that the other.

I played the Monty three times in the MajorsTour competition earlier this year and found is a great track once you stay out of them brutal bunkers!

IanPoulter

I've been told by a member that they are way behind schedule with the 2 new holes on the O'Meara and it's now most unlikely that they will be ready in time for the Irish Open. I've no doubt that the course will be open in April and in it's usual excellent condition.

spacecoyote

Yeah, from what I understand, they laid the new grass for the holes, but with the atrocious weather we've had this year the ground never settled so the holes wouldn't be ready in time.

ShriekingSheet

IanPoulter wrote: »

I've been told by a member that they are way behind schedule with the 2 new holes on the O'Meara and it's now most unlikely that they will be ready in time for the Irish Open. I've no doubt that the course will be open in April and in it's usual excellent condition.

spacecoyote wrote: »

Yeah, from what I understand, they laid the new grass for the holes, but with the atrocious weather we've had this year the ground never settled so the holes wouldn't be ready in time.

I heard that they're in NAMA so the Irish Open is being moved to Corballis.

Johnny_Fontane

slightly disappointed that its on the o'meara, i thought the montgomery would be a much better and stiffer test.....let the rough grow and speed up the greens and it would be carnage if there was any wind.

TrapperChamonix

ShriekingSheet wrote: »

The plan is very much to host the Open on the O'Meara course, not Monty. That's pending the completion of 2 new holes (1 and 18), for which work is well underway.

No one, especially on this board, can tell you for sure. I'm no course designer or land-scape architect, but the holes look pretty well on the way to me.

I'd say in April, you've no chance of playing the new holes. I would guess they'll be kept until the Open, maybe bar one or two days.

However, the current 1st and 18th are undisturbed by the new holes, so the course is worth playing as is, and as it has been since inception. It's all about 14, 15 and 16 anyway.

In September, you'll probably get to play the new 1st and 18th, whether it was ready for the Open or not.

The greens are good year-round.

What are they doing to the 1st and 18th?
I seem to remember they always wanted to put the 18th green on the far side of the river, though its a pretty wide stretch of water at that point.

IanPoulter

TrapperChamonix wrote: »

What are they doing to the 1st and 18th?
I seem to remember they always wanted to put the 18th green on the far side of the river, though its a pretty wide stretch of water at that point.

I think you're referring to the Monty where the 18th runs along the river. The changes are being made to the O'Meara. The opening hole will be changed to a par 3. The 7th (par 3) will be removed. The 18th will be replaced so that the approach to the green will bring Carton house (the big mansion) as the backdrop to the green.

saintastic

Johnny_Fontane wrote: »

slightly disappointed that its on the o'meara, i thought the montgomery would be a much better and stiffer test.....let the rough grow and speed up the greens and it would be carnage if there was any wind.

Apparently it was Shane Lowry's idea to put it in the O'Meara. Get the greens running at 12/12.5 on the stimpmeter, make them really firm, tighten the fairways and add a bit of length to the course and it may not be too easy for the pros.

One of the criticisms of the Monty is that it apparently didn't look great on tv. The O'Meara has some very nice feature holes which would look good on tv and provide some drama.

saintastic

IanPoulter wrote: »

The opening hole will be changed to a par 3.

Is this because the new 1st hole isn't ready yet?

IanPoulter

saintastic wrote: »

Is this because the new 1st hole isn't ready yet?

No - that was the plan - replacing the 7th par 3

spacecoyote

Johnny_Fontane wrote: »

slightly disappointed that its on the o'meara, i thought the montgomery would be a much better and stiffer test.....let the rough grow and speed up the greens and it would be carnage if there was any wind.

Was chatting with some of the staff when we were up there playing previously and they were saying that the 1st time they hosted the Irish Open there on the Monty they really let the rough grow out & a lot of the Pros went bananas as they'd made the place too tough to score on.

Golfgraffix

New 1st - https://vimeo.com/54100317

New 18th - https://vimeo.com/54100316

I should say that the holes may end up looking different, bunkers green shape etc

IanPoulter

Golfgraffix wrote: »

New 1st - https://vimeo.com/54100317

New 18th - https://vimeo.com/54100316

I should say that the holes may end up looking different, bunkers green shape etc

I was told the 1st was to be a par 3? If it's a par 5 that will make it a par 74!

Golfgraffix

IanPoulter wrote: »

I was told the 1st was to be a par 3? If it's a par 5 that will make it a par 74!

4th is going and the old 1st will change from a par 4 to a par 3.

It's been a year since we worked on it, so things may have changed.

J

ShriekingSheet

IanPoulter wrote: »

I think you're referring to the Monty where the 18th runs along the river. The changes are being made to the O'Meara. The opening hole will be changed to a par 3. The 7th (par 3) will be removed. The 18th will be replaced so that the approach to the green will bring Carton house (the big mansion) as the backdrop to the green.

IanPoulter wrote: »

I was told the 1st was to be a par 3? If it's a par 5 that will make it a par 74!

No wonder your mate thought they were way behind schedule. He was looking at the wrong holes.

The 4th par 3 and 18th par 4 are being taken out altogether.
The current 1st par 4 is being cut to a par 3, but will be played as the new 2nd hole.
A brand new 1st par 5 will go in, and an 18th par 4.

I make that par 73. Wouldn't be surprised if they made the 3rd or 6th into a long par 4 (from a par 5) for the Open, to increase the challenge and make it 72.

The idea is that the 1st tee and 18th green are now near the club house and old mansion. Currently you have to drive or take a lift to the tee. 1, 18 and to a lesser extent 4 were also weak holes IMO, so the change should bump up the quality of the lay-out too.

saintastic

ShriekingSheet wrote: »

No wonder your mate thought they were way behind schedule. He was looking at the wrong holes.

The 4th par 3 and 18th par 4 are being taken out altogether.
The current 1st par 4 is being cut to a par 3, but will be played as the new 2nd hole.
A brand new 1st par 5 will go in, and an 18th par 4.

I make that par 73. Wouldn't be surprised if they made the 3rd or 6th into a long par 4 (from a par 5) for the Open, to increase the challenge and make it 72.

The idea is that the 1st tee and 18th green are now near the club house and old mansion. Currently you have to drive or take a lift to the tee. 1, 18 and to a lesser extent 4 were also weak holes IMO, so the change should bump up the quality of the lay-out too.

Ah this makes a lot more sense. I saw the new 1st and I thought it looked quite long, assumed it was either a long par 4 or else a par 5, couldn't see how it was going to be a par 3.

From the vimeo links, both greens seem to be a bit elevated, is that right? I like them, seems like they are using contours well.

Seves Three Iron

Irish Open to be played on the Monty next year. Looks like construction work on O'Meara won't be completed in time due to bad weather. Pity, played the Monty a good few times and bar a few interesting holes on the back 9 I always find it a forgettable enough experience.

ShriekingSheet

Seves Three Iron wrote: »

Irish Open to be played on the Monty next year. Looks like construction work on O'Meara won't be completed in time due to bad weather. Pity, played the Monty a good few times and bar a few interesting holes on the back 9 I always find it a forgettable enough experience.

That's a shame. What's your source?

I'm not a massive fan of the Monty myself. It is a great course, but it just looks quite bland.

Seves Three Iron

ShriekingSheet wrote: »

That's a shame. What's your source

As a journo I never reveal my sources!! However on this one rare occasion I can confirm that my top secret mole is Brian Keogh who printed it in today's Irish Sun!

thewobbler

Seves Three Iron wrote: »

Irish Open to be played on the Monty next year. Looks like construction work on O'Meara won't be completed in time due to bad weather. Pity, played the Monty a good few times and bar a few interesting holes on the back 9 I always find it a forgettable enough experience.

The O Meara is, in my opinion, a standard parkland course with very little of note happening on it, save for 3 very good holes jammed together on the back nine. It's good, but there are potentially even 100 better tracks than it in Ireland. If we reckon the Irish Open is a shop window for golf tourism, it's just not the right course for the job.

The Monty is a much more intriguing and unique course. It will though look a little bit too same-y on TV, as apart from the backdrop of the boathouse on 18, its holes are not framed.

bailey99

Any one played either of the courses recently? What condition are they in?

bailey99

Are the new holes open on the O'Meara yet?

mags1962

There next week on the O'Meara but from looking at the first when the Open was on I doubt that the new holes are ready.

pinkdoubleeagle

They are not in play yet

bailey99

Is the place in good condition though?