Carton House, a Fairmont Managed Hotel, have welcomed Ireland rugby player James Lowe as Ambassador of Golf for their beautiful five star resort. Originally from Nelson, New Zealand, James arrived in Ireland aged 24 when he had the opportunity to play rugby professionally. James has played at club level for Leinster since 2017 and internationally for Ireland since 2020.

While James has been a regular at Carton House, Fairmont training on-site alongside his team-mates on the Ireland rugby team, he didn’t take up golf until the pandemic started. At the time it was one of the only sports allowed to continue, so James, a self-confessed sports addict, decided to give it a go and quickly fell in love with the sport. The Irish team spend around four months of the year training at Carton House, Fairmont so between training sessions ahead of the Rugby World Cup starting in September, James has been enjoying working towards his golf goal – to be a scratch golfer.

James favourite course to play at Carton House, Fairmont is The O’Meara and he reckons the most challenging tee is the 16th. “I love golfing at Carton House, Fairmont both the sporting and the social aspects of it. When I started playing a few years ago, I was a beginner who really didn’t know what I was doing, but with the help of some of Carton Houses’ pro golfers, in particular Liam McCool, my handicap has reduced significantly. Whether I’m fitting in a short practice on the driving range or a day out on the course with some friends, the facilities and the staff here make the whole experience so enjoyable, so I jumped at the opportunity to be their Golf Ambassador. I am really delighted for the whole team after announcing Carton House, Fairmont will be the venue of the KPMG Women’s Irish Open in August 2024, exciting times ahead”

In his role as Golf Ambassador, James will be sharing his golfing experiences at Carton House, Fairmont with his followers, and will also be hosting and speaking at some exciting golf events planned for Carton House later this year.

James tried to squeeze in some more golf before the Rugby World Cup kicked off and is looking forward to unwinding in Carton House, Fairmont after the competition.

Carton House, Fairmont will be hosting their outdoor Rugby Fanzone throughout the World Cup, a place where fans can enjoy watching the key games on the large screen with plenty of food and drink options. The Rugby Fanzone kicks off from the 23rd of September for the Ireland v South Africa Game at the Carriage House Courtyard.