Developed in 2008 under the expertise of 18-time major championship winner, Jack Nicklaus, the world-class Signature golf course at Killeen Castle, Co. Meath is one of Ireland’s premier golf destinations. Covering over 350 acres of luscious woodland located in the heart of Ireland’s Ancient East, the first-class golf course boasts numerous accolades including hosting the 2025 edition of the HotelPlanner Tour, which recently took place at the 600-acre estate from the 7-10th of August.
After a successful 4 days of competitive golf in Dunsany, Killeen Castle is thrilled to announce that they will remain the location for the Irish Challenge HotelPlanner Tour for 2026, further cementing its reputation as one of Ireland’s leading golf destinations. The announcement sees the Co. Meath course hosting three successive years of the Irish Challenge, after it was initially named as the venue for the 2025 and 2027 editions last September.
Last week, the castle venue hosted its first men’s professional event, with Frenchman Oihan Guillamoundeguy overturning a three-shot deficit on the final day to secure a maiden HotelPlanner Tour victory. The 20-year-old carded rounds of 71-67-69-70 to end the week on 11 under par. The Christy O’Connor Jr Memorial Trophy was awarded to Irishman Robert Moran on Sunday after his impressive weekend on the world-class course, Moran also received an invitation to the Amgen Open in September.
The official tournament course record off the tips is 71 - one-under-par - and the honour was previously held by an amateur. Over the course of the tournament last week, we saw this record shattered by Denmark’s Jeppe Kristian Andersen, who now holds the record of 65, on what the players consider to be “the best course of the tournament”. Andersen was awarded a €1,000 voucher for Killeen Castle for setting their new course record.
Philip Rock, General Manager of Killeen Castle, said: “We’re delighted to see the Irish Challenge return to us here at Killeen Castle in 2026, especially after a brilliant debut in the HotelPlanner Tour schedule last week. The estate offers one of the finest golfing experiences in Ireland and we have received great feedback from all of the competitors, so we are sure that they will relish the opportunity to once again compete on the magnificent Jack Nicklaus Signature Course. We are grateful to all of our team that were involved and we’re incredibly excited to host the tournament round over the next two years.”
Over the course of 4 days, Killeen Castle welcomed a record-breaking number of visitors to the HotelPlanner Tour with 7,500 tickets sold. Golf enthusiasts young and old turned up to the sprawling estate for a fun family day out- with the fan zone overlooking the final hole, local exhibitors and caterers from the Harvest Festival from Dunshaughlin kept the crowd fed, watered and entertained. As part of their sustainability initiatives, Killeen Castle used the plastic bottle returns from their Deposit Return Scheme (DRS) to raise money for the Harvest Festival, which takes place from 26th-28th September.
Located just 30-minutes from Dublin Airport, in the heart of Boyne Valley, Killeen Castle is the top golf trip destination for any golfing enthusiast or group. Plan a superb stay and rest up in one of our 26 guestrooms in our new luxury lodges. Opened in 2024, the luxury lodges are the perfect location to rest up after a long day of golfing. Join us for dinner in Sixteen Restaurant or sit out on the terrace and have a few cold ones with your golf buddies, whilst overlooking the championship golf-course where all the action happens.
Experience the ultimate golf break with our Stay, Play & Dine package at Killeen Castle, with prices starting from just €395. Enjoy a round of championship golf, savour a delicious meal, breakfast each morning and unwind in style in our luxury lodge guestrooms - the perfect way to relax after a day on this stunning course.
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