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Mt. Juliet Estate Golf Club
near Thomastown, County Kilkenny, Ireland
—————————
Ireland’s Only Jack Nicklaus Designed Course Is Proof That Great Golf Can Be Played
Inland in Ireland.
You may think that Ireland’s best golf comes with lots of sand, sea breezes and
gales, and nary a tree. But if you watch golf on TV, you may have seen the 2004 World Golf
Championships American Express Championship played out on a beautiful inland course near
Kilkenny, Ireland. That course, Mt. Juliet Estate Golf Club (also called Mt. Juliet
Conrad), is one of a growing number of quality inland courses that now challenge the best
seaside links of the Emerald Isle for top course in Ireland.
Like most of these upstart parkland courses,
Mt. Juliet is of recent vintage and grand design. It first opened in 1991—purpose
built as a top course to attract touring pros and high rolling duffers. In the hands of
resort developers the old Mt. Juliet Estate—for centuries the private domain of
Anglo-Irish patricians—convinced Jack Nicklaus himself to design the championship Mt.
Juliet course. In the short time since opening, Mt. Juliet has already hosted three Irish
Opens (1993-5) and two AMEX World Golf Championships (2002 & 2004). History has been
made here, and the Mt. Juliet Estate certainly enjoys having its name linked to modern
golf’s patricians: Nicklaus (designer), Tiger Woods (2002 AMEX champion), and Ernie
Els (2004 AMEX champion).
Mt. Juliet, the only Nicklaus-designed course
in Ireland, is a rolling 7,300-yard, par-72 track with lots of water, undulating greens,
and trees, trees, trees. Mt. Juliet is a full resort complex, offering much more than its
numerous golf facilities (it features a unique 18-hole, par 53 putting course!), including
riding, fishing, shooting, spa-ing, tennis-ing, and the usual litany of comforts for the
excessively well-to-do.
The estate is located in rural County Kilkenny,
some 12 miles south of Kilkenny town, which, until Nicklaus built his Irish golf course,
was best known for its huge, well-preserved medieval castle. Kilkenny is a little more
than half-way between Nenagh and Waterford, and about 2-hours drive southeast from Home at
First’s Central Ireland cottages in County Tipperary.
So, the development of excellent inland courses
in Ireland continues. Even the Irish pros agree:
Padraig Harrington calls the Mt. Juliet course:
"…a tremendous layout and one of the best conditioned courses in the whole of
Great Britain and Ireland."
Northern Ireland’s Darren Clarke dittoes
that, saying: "It’s a fantastic venue and always prepared to the highest level
of conditioning."
LOCATION:
Mt. Juliet Estate Golf Club
Thomastown, County Kilkenny, Central Ireland
Tel: (+353) (0) 56 7773064
Fax: (+353) (0) 56 7773078
e-mail: golfinfo@mountjuliet.ie
web site: www.mountjuliet.com
Open & Playable Year Round.
LENGTH & PAR: 18
Holes, Par 72
Blue (championship) Tees: 7112 yards, SSS 74
White Tees: 6683 yards, SSS 72
Red Tees: 5554 yards, SSS 73
FACILITIES:
• Clubhouse
• Pro Shop
• Driving Range
• Practice Greens
• Restaurant: Kendal’s on the estate
• Bars: Spike Bar (clubhouse), Presidents Bar (by the practice area)
• 18-Hole, Par-53 Putting Course: constructed to the same high
standard as those on the Jack Nicklaus course with lakes and mini-bunkers. Ireland’s
national putting championships held here. Putting course fee: €10.
GREENS FEES (2004):
May-Sep: Mo-Th—€140; Fr-Su—€155
Apr & Oct: Mo-Th—€115;
Fr-Su—€125
Nov-Mar: Mo-Th—€75; Fr-Su—€90
Currency Converter: http://www.xe.com/ucc/
Visitors Welcome: advance tee times required
BOOKING OF TEE TIMES (required
in advance):
Reservations of Tee Times: Tel: (+353) (0) 56 7773064,
or e-mail: golfinfo@mountjuliet.ie
NOTES:
• All players must have official golf handicap.
• Credit Card information must be supplied at time of booking.
• Cancellations made within 2 days in advance of date of play: full
greens fees will be charged.
• No Shows: full greens fees will be charged.
LOCATION: Mt. Juliet Estate Golf Club is located just south of Thomastown, County Kilkenny, Ireland, about 12 miles southeast of Kilkenny town.
NEAREST HOME AT FIRST LODGINGS:
• In Central Ireland approximately 120 minutes west.
See: HOME
AT FIRST in CENTRAL IRELAND
Driving Directions:
• To Mount Juliet from Home at First’s Central Ireland cottages:
Drive from your cottage into Nenagh. Take the R498 from Nenagh east to Thurles; then the
N75 east to the N8 (direction Dublin). Follow the N8 15 minutes north; then take the R693
southeast to Kilkenny. At Kilkenney take the N10 south to the junction with the N9. Take
the N9 north toward Thomastown and the Mt. Juliet estate.
SOME NOTABLE HOLES AT MT. JULIET:
• The par-3 3rd hole provides the intimidation of shooting from an
elevated tee to a green protected by a stream and a lake.
• The par-5 10th hole isn’t only long, it’s heavily wooded
and bunkered.
• The par-4 13th requires a long tee shot to set up a second shot
over a lake in front of a sloped green above a stone wall ringed by trees.
• The very long par-4 18th is bordered along the left by a lake, and
provides only a narrow neck opening to the green made more challenging by several bunkers
and mounds.
THE REGION:
There’s plenty of golf and lots more to do
in Central Ireland. There are other top-rated Irish inland golf courses within reach at
Kildare (K-Club), Adare (Adare Manor),
and excellent regional courses at Nenagh, Limerick, Thurles, among others. Within reach are greater and lesser links
courses on Ireland’s West Coast, including Ballybunion, Lahinch, and Doonbeg. Besides golf,
there are lots of local pursuits, including fishing, touring, exploring castles, strolling
through charming villages, and shopping for Irish woolens and other crafts that are
excellent in this region. Walkers will enjoy walking in great scenery among the lakes,
streams, and mountains in the area.
More information about travel with HOME AT FIRST to CENTRAL IRELAND.
More information about GOLF IN IRELAND.