Mount Juliet Estate was a family home up until 1989, and the Manor House remains one of Ireland’s most elegant country houses as well as offering a refined accommodation offering. Built in the 18th Century, the Manor House has thirty-two beautifully refurbished bedrooms to provide guests with, the fabulous Lady Helen Restaurant and the Major’s Bar. For a slightly more contemporary experience, though no less impressive, the Hunter’s Yard Hotel is onsite and offers fabulous rooms, The Hound Restaurant and The Saddle Bar for guests to enjoy. On property, guests will also be treated to the option of numerous activities with one of the main attractions being the Jack Nicklaus designed golf course.
The Mount Juliet course is a parkland gem situated in Thomastown, Co. Kilkenny in the southeast of Ireland, and is part of an overall 1,500acre estate. Although only twenty minutes from the mesmerizing medieval town of Kilkenny, you will feel a world away from anywhere. The course was built by Jack Nicklaus and Ron Kirby and is one of only two Jack Nicklaus’ signature courses in Ireland. It was opened in 1991 when the Golden Bear himself cut the tape on the course, with an exhibition match against Christy O’Connor Senior.
Mount Juliet benefits from magnificent mature beech and oak tree-lined fairways. The River Nore cuts through the course and is a very popular stop-off for salmon fishing. It has a distinctly American feel with plenty of strategically placed bunkers, and water hazards throughout, and it takes absolute advantage of the natural beauty of the mature landscape. The course also features some of the best-contoured greens in Ireland.
Three of the worlds best have won the Irish Open here including Nick Faldo, Bernhard Langer, and Sam Torrance. Tiger Woods won the WGC – American Express Championship here in September of 2002 seeing off Retief Goosen and Vijay Singh on the final day to win by one-shot, and two years later, Ernie Els lifted the title, beating Thomas Bjørn by one-shot also.
The Clubhouse is located in a stunning 18th-century mansion house and has a lovely relaxed atmosphere. Jack’s Bar is unquestionably an ideal location for watching golf on TV and for soaking up the atmosphere with a beverage post-round.
Mount Juliet now has the first Paul McGinley Academy in Ireland on the property and the facilities to hone your game have certainly gone up a notch. Mount Juliet was one of the first golf courses in Ireland to use the ‘Trackman’ technology for coaching, and it is only one of the numerous tools at the disposal of the experienced coaches at the course that can help you while you are there. Custom fitting is a large part of the offering with Mount Juliet where they use three of the leading club manufacturers in the world, Callaway, Taylormade and Vega products.
Mount Juliet is Irish parkland golf at its best with beautifully framed holes in a tranquil and beautiful setting; your time at this property will be exceptionally well spent.
