Mount Juliet Key Information
Jack Nicklaus’ masterpiece, laid out over a vast 500-acre Kilkenny estate, has matured beautifully over the course of three decades. Magnificent beech and oak line the fairways with water a regular feature and challenge.
Despite this, there is also a feeling of great space at Mount Juliet. Few modern Irish parkland courses can rival Mount Juliet for setting and strength of test.
REASONS TO PLAY MOUNT JULIET
- One of the very finest parkland courses in the UK&I
- A real feeling of tranquility and space when you're out on the course
- Enough water to keep you on your toes and a number of truly memorable holes
RANKINGS
UK & Ireland Top 100 Golf Courses 2025/26 - 99
The magnificent course that the Golden Bear built on the Mount Juliet Estate in quiet County Kilkenny during Ireland’s 1990s top-end course-building frenzy is now over 30 years old. It has long been one of the highest-ranked Irish parkland courses in our Top 100 Golf Courses UK & Ireland and provides a truly majestic setting for the game.
When I first played this Nicklaus design a few years ago on a trip to pick off Golf Monthly Irish Top 100 courses that I had not yet played, I really did think it was parkland golf at its finest - tranquil and beautiful and more open-feeling than the K Club, but with holes that are still beautifully framed individually.
I still feel it is one of the UK&I’s very best modern parkland layouts and it remains a personal inland favourite of mine in Ireland… despite losing a ball up a tree on the 1st hole all those years ago.
Many professional events have visited Mount Juliet, including the Irish Open three times in the 1990s and the WGC–American Express Championship twice, with Tiger and Ernie the victors. The Irish Open returned in 2021 for the first time in 26 years.
Magnificent beech trees and oak line the perfectly manicured fairways, and as is so often the case at a Nicklaus course, water is a regular feature and, indeed, challenge. It's undoubtedly one of the best golf courses in Ireland.
Yet despite its tree-lined nature, there is also a great feeling of space at Mount Juliet where the course occupies part of a vast 500-acre estate.
Standout holes include the short 3rd, which is protected by both a natural stream and a lake, the long 10th, where a copse of trees gives golfers two distinct choices for their route to the green, and the 16th, where the unusual walled green is almost entirely encircled by sand.
The closing pair bring water to the fore once more, especially if your miss is left, which fortunately mine doesn't tend to be these days, as the 17th and 18th – a sizable par 5 and more-than-sizable par 4 respectively – play either side of the same large lake.
Many fine parkland courses were created in Ireland shortly before and during the time of the Celtic Tiger boom, but few can rival Mount Juliet for both setting and strength of test.
What's new for 2025/26? What our panellists said…
There is a nice feeling of serenity as you golf your ball around Mount Juliet. The property is big and each holes occupies its own space. You’d really have to be spraying the ball to find yourself on another hole than the one you’re playing. This adds to the experience. The welcome is warm and you get the feeling that they take great pride in their golf course here,
The best course in the area and among the best parkland courses in the country – a wonderful secluded experience in the best of Ireland's countryside. The trees offer a bucolic delight and the routing is generous in terms of its land use, so one does not meet other groups on the loop.
Mount Juliet location
Book tee-times at Mount Juliet direct
Best Courses Near Mount Juliet
Best Places To Stay Near Mount Juliet
Mount Juliet Estate - Book now at Booking.com
The whole estate at Mount Juliet covers a vast 500 acres in Thomastown, Co. Kilkenny. The historic Georgian Manor House and chic, sophisticated Hunters Yard both offer luxurious five-star accommodation on site. There are two fine restaurants too - the Michelin-starred Lady Helen in the Manor House, geared up for fine dining, and the Hound Restaurant in Hunters Yard, which offers quality dining in a relaxed setting.
Newpark Hotel, Kilkenny - Book now at Booking.com
Newpark Hotel is is ten-minute walk from the centre of Kilkenny and about 11 miles from Mount Juliet. The house is set in 40 acres of parkland and beautiful gardens, with a stunning outdoor infinity pool, a hot tub and an Aveda spa. The leisure club offers an indoor pool, a spacious sauna, and a steam room.
Mount Juliet Gallery
MOUNT JULIET HISTORICAL TOP 100 RANKING UK&I
- 2025/26 - 99
- 2023/24 - 95
- 2021/22 - 88
- 2019/20 - 81
- 2017/18 - 77
- 2015/16 - 82
- 2013/14 - 83
- 2011/12 - 82
- 2009/10 - 71
Frequently Asked Questions
What big events has Mount Juliet hosted?
Jack Nicklaus' Irish parkland masterpiece has staged several important professional events. It played host to the Irish Open three times shortly after opening in 1993, 1994 and 1995, and again more recently in 2021 and 2022, with Pole, Adrian Meronk, the most recent champion. It also famously hosted the World Golf Championship in 2002 and 2004, with Tiger and Ernie Els the respective winners, and the Irish Seniors Open in 1999.
Are there any other good golf courses in County Kilkenny?
This isn't one of Ireland's most golf-rich counties, with just six clubs affiliated to Golf Ireland. Kilkenny Golf Club is one of the oldest in the country, dating back to 1896 and playing over a fine parkland course in the city of Kilkenny. Gowran Park (of horse-racing fame) is a much younger affair, a 2001 creation from the Jeff Howes Golf Design team. Howes would later go on to design The Heritage in County Laois with Seve Ballesteros.
