Mount Juliet Estate

Thomastown, Co. Kilkenny · Designed by Jack Nicklaus (1991) · Est. 1991

8.8/10Edge Score

€€€€Green fee

72Par

7,200Yards

18Holes

Why this Edge Score: Jack Nicklaus's parkland on the Mount Juliet Estate in Kilkenny has hosted the Irish Open five times and the WGC twice. Widely rated the finest parkland course in Ireland, its polish and pedigree earn it a place in our Irish top twenty.

Mount Juliet is widely regarded as the finest parkland course in Ireland. Jack Nicklaus designed it across the 1,500-acre Mount Juliet Estate in Thomastown, County Kilkenny, and opened it in 1991 with an exhibition match against Christy O'Connor Snr. It plays to par 72 over more than 7,200 yards through mature woodland and along the River Nore, defined by Nicklaus's trademark large, contoured greens, bold bunkering and water in play at the key moments.

Few Irish courses can match its tournament record. Mount Juliet hosted the Irish Open five times — three years running in 1993, 1994 and 1995, then again in 2021 and 2022 — and staged the WGC-American Express Championship in 2002 and 2004, bringing the world's leading players to rural Kilkenny for one of golf's global titles. The par-3 3rd, played over water to a shallow, well-guarded green, is the hole most often singled out.

The 18th-century Mount Juliet House is now a five-star hotel at the centre of the estate, an hour and a half from both Dublin and Cork and forty-five minutes from Waterford.

Holes worth knowing

13rd (par-3) — played over water to a shallow, heavily bunkered green. The most photographed hole on the course and a classic Nicklaus one-shotter.

Highlights

Jack Nicklaus design — rated Ireland's finest parkland
Five-time Irish Open host (1993–95, 2021–22)
WGC-American Express Championship 2002 & 2004

Good to know

→Mount Juliet is a five-star estate hotel as well as a golf course — staying on site gives the best tee-time access and turns it into a proper destination round.
→Kilkenny city is 20 minutes north: the medieval mile, the castle, and one of the best small-city food and pub scenes in Ireland make an ideal non-golf evening.
→The estate runs to 1,500 acres along the River Nore, with walking, fishing and an equestrian centre — good for non-golfing partners.
→Waterford Airport is the closest at 45 minutes; Dublin and Cork are both about 90 minutes, so Mount Juliet works as a midpoint between the two coasts.

Visitor Information

Getting There

45min drive

1h 30min drive

Common questions

Is Mount Juliet the best parkland course in Ireland?

It is widely regarded as exactly that. Jack Nicklaus designed it across the 1,500-acre Mount Juliet Estate in Kilkenny, and its tournament record — five Irish Opens and two World Golf Championships — backs up the reputation. The conditioning and the large, contoured Nicklaus greens are the standouts.

How many Irish Opens has Mount Juliet hosted?

Five — three years running in 1993, 1994 and 1995, then again in 2021 and 2022. It also staged the WGC-American Express Championship in 2002 and 2004, bringing the world's leading players to rural Kilkenny.

Who designed Mount Juliet and when did it open?

Jack Nicklaus designed it, and it opened in 1991 with an exhibition match between Nicklaus and Christy O'Connor Snr. It plays to par 72 over more than 7,200 yards through mature woodland and along the River Nore.

Where is Mount Juliet and what is nearby?

It is at Thomastown in County Kilkenny. Kilkenny city — with its medieval mile, castle and excellent food and pub scene — is 20 minutes north. Waterford Airport is the closest at 45 minutes, while Dublin and Cork are both about 90 minutes, making Mount Juliet a natural midpoint between the coasts.