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Kyle Henderson

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: Ballyneal: In Words And Pictures (First 3 Holes now posted)
« Reply #25 on: July 03, 2008, 07:19:17 PM »
Kyle,

Thanks for the terrific photos.  The course has browned considerably in the last two weeks; it was playing hot and fast a few days ago.  Everyone concerned had a nice time.

My pleasure. I was sorry I couldn't connect with the you and the rest of the treehouse. I'm headed out of town for the next few days, but I'll continue with the rest of the course starting next week. Happy 4th, all!
"I always knew terrorists hated us for our freedom. Now they love us for our bondage." -- Stephen T. Colbert discusses the popularity of '50 Shades of Grey' at Gitmo

RJ_Daley

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Re: Ballyneal: In Words And Pictures (First 3 Holes now posted)
« Reply #26 on: July 04, 2008, 01:53:19 PM »
Those photos of the 2nd depicting the burst of spring color in the sand hill prairie are extraordinary.  I can see how a guy like Adam living there would be inspired to make his home there in order to experience this sort of spring burst, even if it only lasts a few weeks a year.

It is quite evident that despite the burst of vegitation bloom, the lies in the native are reasonably textured that one can reasonably extracate the ball and get back in the game.  That is the thing that I think separates many of these newer courses that are designed around a native prairie land vegitative theme popping up around the country.  The weather/sand conditions at BallyNeal are seemingly perfect to keep the native in check, while adding the texture and beauty that is unparalleled, IMHO. 
No actual golf rounds were ruined or delayed, nor golf rules broken, in the taking of any photographs that may be displayed by the above forum user.

Tim Bert

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: Ballyneal: In Words And Pictures (First 3 Holes now posted)
« Reply #27 on: July 04, 2008, 02:25:35 PM »
Kyle - I hope you don't mind if I pile on with two more of #3.  I love the contrast of the "in front of" and " from behind" photos of this par 3.  The bunkering is wild, fierce, and plentiful.  From behind, it all disappears and looks like smooth, rolling terrain all the way back to the tee.




Dan Herrmann

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: Ballyneal: In Words And Pictures (First 3 Holes now posted)
« Reply #28 on: July 04, 2008, 06:46:31 PM »
It must really stink to be Tom Doak and produce courses like this.  Wow!

My god - is it REALLY that beautiful in person?

Daryl David

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: Ballyneal: In Words And Pictures (First 3 Holes now posted)
« Reply #29 on: July 04, 2008, 07:01:44 PM »
Much better in person

John Mayhugh

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: Ballyneal: In Words And Pictures (First 3 Holes now posted)
« Reply #30 on: July 04, 2008, 08:19:00 PM »
It must really stink to be Tom Doak and produce courses like this.  Wow!

My god - is it REALLY that beautiful in person?
Photos don't do Ballyneal justice at all.  While they convey some of the beauty, it's hard for photos to show just how big & brawny the course is.  It wouldn't look out of place at all in Ireland. 

I was fortunate enough to play several rounds there this week.  While my game was pretty poor, I  cannot overstate the fun factor.  There is so much movement on each of the holes, a player is able to use many different shots. I had the most fun trying the ground game, but it's difficult to be very good when I'm not used to playing that way.  My highlight was hitting a 220 yard draw with a five iron that landed 40-50 yards short of the green and chased up to a nice birdie opportunity. 

There is also a lot of width to all of the holes.  Played from the right set of tees, Ballyneal is very manageable tee to green.  The firmness of the fairways, short grass around the greens, bunkering, green contours, and wind offer plenty of a challenge.  All I wanted to do after putting out on 18 was head back to the first tee.  The only shortcoming I found with Ballyneal is that it's in Colorado & not Kentucky.   

Ballyneal should be in Golfweek's top 5 modern courses.

Bob Jenkins

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: Ballyneal: In Words And Pictures (First 3 Holes now posted)
« Reply #31 on: July 05, 2008, 12:19:22 AM »

Dan,

I fully agree Ballyneal is better in person. I am searching for a chance to go back. It is a very, very special place.

Bob Jenkins

Matt Kardash

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: Ballyneal: In Words And Pictures (First 3 Holes now posted)
« Reply #32 on: July 05, 2008, 01:08:30 AM »
I am amazed at the properties Tom Doak gets to work on. Has any designer ever had the chance to work on as many world class properties as he has? It seems like 75% of the properties he has worked on in the past 7 or 8 years have been jaw droppingly beautiful. As talented as he is, an amazing canvas on which to paint is always a great start. Tom probably sold his soul to the devil in exchange for these grounds  :P
the interviewer asked beck how he felt "being the bob dylan of the 90's" and beck quitely responded "i actually feel more like the bon jovi of the 60's"

Dan Herrmann

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: Ballyneal: In Words And Pictures (First 3 Holes now posted)
« Reply #33 on: July 05, 2008, 07:14:39 AM »
Here's an admittedly gauche question - how restricted is access?

Tim Bert

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Re: Ballyneal: In Words And Pictures (First 3 Holes now posted)
« Reply #34 on: July 05, 2008, 10:22:42 AM »

Dan,

I fully agree Ballyneal is better in person. I am searching for a chance to go back. It is a very, very special place.

Bob Jenkins

I echo Bob's (and others comments.)  There are some places where photos do a better job of capturing the essence of a course.  This is usually true at courses with the normally accepted definition of surrounding beauty (mountains, lakes, oceans, etc.)  It would be hard for more than a small minority to call the natural chop hills in Colorado beautiful based on photos alone.  Those really into golf course design can probably see it.  Many others probably can't.  But jump into the setting live and you get so much more appreciation for both the surroundings and what was done with the golf course there.

Anyone with an opportunity to see this property simply MUST do so.

Joey Smith

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: Ballyneal: In Words And Pictures (First 3 Holes now posted)
« Reply #35 on: July 05, 2008, 11:28:10 AM »
Kyle, WOW great thread and photos.  I'll be on #3 this very hour next week.  I can't wait.  I look forward to your future post.

I  haven't seen this place yet.  From what I gather, Ballyneal should not only special to the O'Neals, the members and Tom Doak, this Country should be proud to have the fine facility.

JS
I've only seen one that really stinks...but I seen a lot of really good ones...

John Mayhugh

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: Ballyneal: In Words And Pictures (First 3 Holes now posted)
« Reply #36 on: July 05, 2008, 04:16:13 PM »
My photos didn't turn out nearly as green as Kyle's.  I think part of this had to do with camera settings, but my overall visual impression was more links-like.  This photo was taken from the back of the second green looking back up towards the fairway.  The fairway moves downhill and transitions smoothly into the green.  You cannot see the bunkers that flank the front of the hole from this angle, but they certainly affect your approach.


Kyle Henderson

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: Ballyneal: In Words And Pictures (First 4 Holes now posted)
« Reply #37 on: July 06, 2008, 11:36:02 PM »
Hole #4: 573 yards.

The view from the 4th tee is significantly elevated, yielding expansive views of the surroundings. As a result, the 4th hole seems much less intimate than its predecessors. Wild undulations within the fairway connect the hole with its bordering environment – it’s as though the landscape was melted down just a hair to allow one the possibility of navigating through safely. The scale of this hole is impossible to convey in a two-dimensional format. By the scorecard, the total yardage of the hole can range between 573 and 465 yards, though the elevation drop and variety of winds one might face will most likely render those numbers moot. Even the free-form nature of the tee boxes (the forward tees are in the foreground) are impressive.


From closer in, the magnitude of the fairway ripples are more discernible. The bunker complex at the right begins around 210 yards from the green (right edge) and ends around 130 yards from the green (left edge). I would guess the fairway is probably around 80 yards wide, maybe more in spots. Translation: Big.


Taken from just past the massive fairway bunker, this shot shows the slope leading up to the green complex. It also shows that, while challenging the right-hand hazards will shorten the hole, the best angle for those hoping to reach the green in two is actually from the left side. Any shot hit over the right, greenside bunker with more than a mid-iron is unlikely to hold the putting surface without a hurting wind, even though the green is 36 yards deep.


Looking back towards the tees, which are found just above and to the left of the dry patch seen in the distance over the (viewer’s left) edge of the fairway. There is quite bit of movement in the 4th green, though this  photo fails to capture it. The Tiger tee for hole #5 is directly adjacent to the green, just left of the top of the flag, from this vantage point.

« Last Edit: July 10, 2008, 03:16:26 AM by Kyle Henderson »
"I always knew terrorists hated us for our freedom. Now they love us for our bondage." -- Stephen T. Colbert discusses the popularity of '50 Shades of Grey' at Gitmo

Scott Szabo

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: BALLYNEAL: IN WORDS AND PICTURES (First 4 Holes now posted)
« Reply #38 on: July 07, 2008, 10:24:44 AM »
Kyle,

The native sure looks green for Ballyneal.  You must have been there shortly after a few good rains that Holyoke had.

As for #4, the false front of the green has given me fits.  I have had second shots get to the green, only to come back down the hill another 20 - 30 yards.  It also is something that must be contended with for your third shot - depending on where the pin is placed.

I look forward to the rest of your thread.

Scott
"So your man hit it into a fairway bunker, hit the wrong side of the green, and couldn't hit a hybrid off a sidehill lie to take advantage of his length? We apologize for testing him so thoroughly." - Tom Doak, 6/29/10

Adam Clayman

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: BALLYNEAL: IN WORDS AND PICTURES (First 4 Holes now posted)
« Reply #39 on: July 07, 2008, 10:29:15 AM »
Scott, I was there on the fourth of July and was struck by how little of the fairways popped out because the surrounds are so green.
"It's unbelievable how much you don't know about the game you've been playing your whole life." - Mickey Mantle

Scott Szabo

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: BALLYNEAL: IN WORDS AND PICTURES (First 4 Holes now posted)
« Reply #40 on: July 07, 2008, 10:34:35 AM »
Adam,

Here in Sterling, everything is so dry - we have had less than 3 inches of rain this year from what I read in the newspaper.  Holyoke must be getting the rain that we are missing!

Scott
"So your man hit it into a fairway bunker, hit the wrong side of the green, and couldn't hit a hybrid off a sidehill lie to take advantage of his length? We apologize for testing him so thoroughly." - Tom Doak, 6/29/10

Kyle Henderson

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: BALLYNEAL: IN WORDS AND PICTURES (First 4 Holes now posted)
« Reply #41 on: July 07, 2008, 03:21:30 PM »
Kyle,

The native sure looks green for Ballyneal.  You must have been there shortly after a few good rains that Holyoke had.


Scott

As I said before, I boosted the color saturations a bit in photo shop. It wasn't quite as verdant as my images (taken on June 24th and 25th) suggest.
"I always knew terrorists hated us for our freedom. Now they love us for our bondage." -- Stephen T. Colbert discusses the popularity of '50 Shades of Grey' at Gitmo

Jim Colton

Re: BALLYNEAL: IN WORDS AND PICTURES (First 4 Holes now posted)
« Reply #42 on: July 07, 2008, 05:41:28 PM »
Ran's course profile of Ballyneal said that 4-7 were the last to come together in the routing.  I wonder if they had the 4th tee pegged in the beginning and it was a question of the greensite, or if the whole thing just came together in the end.  Hopefully Tommy D can shed some light.  It certainly is awe inspiring the first time (and every subsequent time) you climb the ridge from the 3rd green and set sight on the 4th hole.

Kyle Henderson

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: BALLYNEAL: IN WORDS AND PICTURES (First 4 Holes now posted)
« Reply #43 on: July 07, 2008, 05:47:01 PM »
Ran's course profile of Ballyneal said that 4-7 were the last to come together in the routing.  I wonder if they had the 4th tee pegged in the beginning and it was a question of the greensite, or if the whole thing just came together in the end.  Hopefully Tommy D can shed some light.  It certainly is awe inspiring the first time (and every subsequent time) you climb the ridge from the 3rd green and set sight on the 4th hole.

I also love how you can see the 7th flag dancing just at the edge of the 4th fairway, but little else of that hole. A small taste of what's to come.
"I always knew terrorists hated us for our freedom. Now they love us for our bondage." -- Stephen T. Colbert discusses the popularity of '50 Shades of Grey' at Gitmo

Tom_Doak

  • Karma: +2/-1
Re: BALLYNEAL: IN WORDS AND PICTURES (First 4 Holes now posted)
« Reply #44 on: July 07, 2008, 06:02:04 PM »
Actually everything from #2 to #7 came together last.

The second green, third hole and fourth tee are all off the map that we had to work with at the start.  We spent a fair amount of time looking for a shorter way down from #1 green, but didn't find anything that worked well ... the other options were either too steep or too drawn out or not enough good landing area for a golf hole.  Eventually we explored further out, and found #2 green and #3, putting the fourth tee up on high to play to a green site we had previously discovered.

At the start of construction I decided to move the green on #7 from a location up near #8 tee to its present spot; and then during construction we decided to move #5 green to the right and put #6 tee where #5 green was originally planned, instead of up on the dune behind it.  By that time I thought we had enough uphill walks from green to tee and we could sacrifice a bit of length on this hole and keep the tee low.

Michael Blake

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: BALLYNEAL: IN WORDS AND PICTURES (First 4 Holes now posted)
« Reply #45 on: July 07, 2008, 06:04:04 PM »
They let you on the course wearing those cargo shorts?

What's the world coming to?

 ;)

Chip Gaskins

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: BALLYNEAL: IN WORDS AND PICTURES (First 4 Holes now posted)
« Reply #46 on: July 07, 2008, 06:08:36 PM »
Hopefully Tommy D can shed some light.

Who is "Tommy D"  ;D


One of my favorite photos I have taken on a golf course...


Sean Leary

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: BALLYNEAL: IN WORDS AND PICTURES (First 4 Holes now posted)
« Reply #47 on: July 07, 2008, 06:18:46 PM »
Hopefully Tommy D can shed some light.

Who is "Tommy D"  ;D


One of my favorite photos I have taken on a golf course...



Always amazes me how narrow pics make holes seem.  This fairway is unbelievable wide and it doesn't show here at all...

Can't wait to go back..

Jim Colton

Re: BALLYNEAL: IN WORDS AND PICTURES (First 4 Holes now posted)
« Reply #48 on: July 07, 2008, 06:43:16 PM »
I absolutely love the preview of the 7th green, because that green is blind from off the tee and the strategy on that hole is greatly dictated by the hole location.  It rewards the player who has the foresight to peak ahead.  Unfortunately, I hit my drive left everytime so I got lots of free previews.

This is completely OT, but we call him Tommy D which is short for Tommy Deez, as in Deez Nuts, because just like Ron Burgundy in Anchorman, Tommy D is 'The Balls'.  Too much information, I know.
« Last Edit: July 07, 2008, 06:54:16 PM by Jim Colton »

Adam Clayman

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: BALLYNEAL: IN WORDS AND PICTURES (First 4 Holes now posted)
« Reply #49 on: July 07, 2008, 06:50:50 PM »
Tom, Isn't there a story about moving the seventh green? You and Brian(?) had the wrong piece of equipment (too small) but it allowed you to make the sharp cuts of the "E"?
"It's unbelievable how much you don't know about the game you've been playing your whole life." - Mickey Mantle

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