Killeen Castle at Killeen Castle Golf Club

Killeen Castle occupies a historic estate in County Meath, roughly thirty miles northwest of Dublin. Jack Nicklaus designed the course, which opened in 2008 on parkland that surrounds the nineteenth-century Gothic Revival castle. The property includes mature woodland, rolling terrain, and several water features that Nicklaus incorporated into the routing. The layout measures over 7,700 yards from the championship tees and presents a modern championship test with wide fairways, strategic bunkering, and large undulating greens characteristic of Nicklaus designs from this period.

The course gained immediate prominence when it hosted the Solheim Cup in 2011, marking the first time the biennial women's team competition between Europe and the United States was held in Ireland. That event brought significant international attention to the venue and established its credentials as a tournament-capable facility. The routing takes advantage of elevation changes across the property, with several holes playing through wooded corridors and others opening to broader parkland vistas.

Killeen Castle represents a departure from Ireland's traditional links golf, offering instead a heavily conditioned parkland experience with American design influences. The course features extensive water hazards, including lakes and streams that come into play on multiple holes, and the bunkering style reflects Nicklaus's preference for deep, sculpted sand complexes. The estate setting provides a distinctive backdrop, with views of the castle visible from various points on the course.