Hi Mike,
After a recent visit to Ballyneal I was thinking about the same basic thing. Particularly with regards to maintenance of the rough The rough as it blends into the native is similar to the rough at Greywalls up at Marquette in spots in that you could get a lie in long grass, on hardpan, or in something in between (which is usually the worst. This type of rough appears to be very low maintenance, inflicts a penalty (with an element of randomness that some might not like), and also lets the really poorly played shot bounce off to areas and hazards that long, lush rough would prevent. I like it. It can bey a bit easier to find your ball in this type of rough too, speeding up play.
Cheers,
Brad