FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Golf Digest Honors Montgomerie Course at Carton House

MAYNOOTH, COUNTY KILDARE, Ireland – May 17, 2005 – The Montgomerie at Carton House Golf Club, host to this week's Nissan Irish Open on the European PGA Tour, continues to receive accolades from the international golf community. Just two years after opening, The Montgomerie ranks 10th on the recently announced Golf Digest list of top courses in Ireland. The high ranking is the latest honor bestowed on Carton House Golf Club. American golf viewers can get their first look at The Montgomerie at Carton House Golf Club by tuning into the tournament action this week on The Golf Channel. Television times are 10:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m. EDT on Thursday, Friday and Saturday (May 19, 20 and 21) and 4:00 p.m. - 6:00 p.m. on Sunday, May 22.

“We're absolutely thrilled to have the world's top golf publication recognize the special work Colin Montgomerie and his design team have done here," said Conor Mallaghan, Managing Director of Carton House. “Our goal from the outset was to create a world-class golf facility that complements the rich history of The Carton Estate. To have such success so quickly is very exciting and gratifying. The future of Carton House Golf Club is only getting brighter. We are committed to serving the Irish golf community and to helping lead the game in the 21st century."

The Montgomerie at Carton House Golf Club
When European Ryder Cup hero Colin Montgomerie saw the exposed meadows available to him at Carton House, he saw the same features and elements that define the great links courses of Ireland and of his native Scotland. Borrowing from those historic layouts, he incorporated intelligent and strategic bunker complexes, fast and firm playing surfaces and rolls and undulations that encourage golfers to utilize the ground game. The course debuted to rave reviews in 2004 when it hosted the AIB Irish Amateur Open.

“I'm humbled by the kind reception that The Montgomerie at Carton House has received in the golf media," Montgomerie said. "There are some who believed it impossible to produce an inland course that plays like a true links. But we have done that here.”

Golf Digest magazine is the world's largest golf publication, with a paid circulation of more the 1.6 million. This year, the magazine introduced its Planet Golf rankings in which it lists the top courses 184 countries. The magazine develops its rankings through a panel of more than 800 raters, evaluating categories including shot values, resistance to scoring, design variety, conditioning and aesthetics.

Montgomerie paid special attention to the style and placement of bunkers on the course. Working with Stan Eby of European Golf Design, Montgomerie placed deep, sod-faced bunkers in relation to the roll of the terrain in order to disturb depth perception and create illusions from both the tee and the fairway. While most of the greens on The Montgomerie feature manageable contours, the shoulders and run-offs that tie the greensites into their surroundings place a premium on good approach shots, chips and pitches.

"It's going to be very exciting for me to be at Carton House for the 2005 Nissan Irish Open," Montgomerie said. "I'll be waiting, anxiously, to hear my colleagues' views."

About Carton House
Located just fourteen miles west of Dublin’s city center, the 1,100-acre walled Carton House estate is rich in history, beauty and leisure pursuits. The ancestral home of the Earls of Kildare boasts rolling woodlands, exquisite gardens and the tranquil waters of the River Rye. Carton House itself, built in 1739, is a showcase of history and elegance. Visitors to the grounds can also explore the famous Shell Cottage, decorated in the 18th Century with thousands of shells from shores around the world. Carton is a true storybook setting.

Members at Carton House Golf Club can also test their games on the O'Meara, a beautiful parkland course that plays over wooded hillsides and along the River Rye. The Golfing Union of Ireland has announced plans to move its headquarters to Carton House Golf Club, including all administrative offices, a state-of-the-art museum and a world-class training academy.

In addition to golf, Carton House offers fly fishing for brown trout and salmon (in season) on the River Rye. A network of equestrian trails winds over the estate, and horseback programs cater to all, from novices to expert riders.

The Carton House Hotel, complete with a modern spa and business conference center, will open in mid 2006. Carton House has also begun construction of 33 golf villas, part of a master plan incorporating 140 residences located in woodlands set back from the golf courses. Three styles of attached and detached dwellings, named after prominent figures in the property’s history, are available for purchase. A limited number of international memberships are also available to U.S. residents. Contact the club for details.

For more information about Carton House Golf Club, please contact Vari McGreevy, Director of Sales and Marketing, at 011-353-(0) 1-5052000 or via
e-mail at vari@carton.ie. Visit Carton House on the web at www.carton.ie.