Having not played either, I wonder how many people here just ASSUME that Balleyneal is better because of who's name is on the course.
We've seen lots of GCA threads on Ballyneal. Tons of pictures. Everyone who has played it seems to think it's fantastic.
Many posters have also played lots of Jack's courses. They usually find them not quite at the same high level as the top courses in the world. This is not just a GCA bias. Most raters and magazines agree. Jack has no courses in GM's U.S. top 90, at least, no courses his team designed alone. Only one of his courses breaks the top 100, at #98.
So it seems like Jack designs and builds lots of real good courses. Few truly memorable ones, though, and none usually counted among the world's best.
Ballyneal unfolds over beautiful sandy dunes, reminiscent of the finest links courses. The
Concession plays over mostly flat Florida land. Ballyneal sounds like fun for everyone. The Concession sounds like a beast that only scratch golfers are likely to enjoy. e.g. GCA poster Andy Troeger the other day said:
"The course is very difficult in just about every aspect for anyone short of a professional. I found the individual holes to be very well considered and designed in most aspects, but there does become a redundancy with the course as a hole when you have one tough hole after another with water features and difficult greens."
Actually, Andy was talking there about Old Corksrew. He said same points apply to The Concession, but the Concession is even harder.
Doesn't surprise me in the least that many here expect Ballyneal to be a better course. Lots of non-GCA'ers agree.