After three days at Ballyneal,
documented here, fellow GCA'er Harris Nepon accompanied me on the three hour trip north into Nebraska for a date with the truly exquisite Sand Hills Golf Club.
The club had been inundated with rain over the previous week, taking in as much as 5 inches in a one or two hour span at one point but the course played impeccably, with all credit due to the tremendous grounds crew who worked all hours of the day getting the water off the course and tidying up the bunkers.
We were able to fit in 54 a day during our two-day stay and got blessed with ideal weather and sunlight on our last day, giving me the opportunity to get some pretty spectacular photos.
This course is obviously worthy of great discussion so I'll post a couple holes a day in hopes of stimulating some conversation.
1st Hole: 549 Yards Par 5Perhaps one of the best opening holes in golf and certainly the best that I've played. The tee shot must be played over the native area to an inviting fairway but the average player likely hits it left more often than not, which is dead here. The ideal tee shot is hit toward the right fairway bunker which sets up a tough layup shot to a fairway that pinches in around 150 yards or so. Unless it's howling downwind, I really think laying up to wedge distance is the play, as fairway metals will only hit into the slope and fall back down the hill to a tough pitch distance.
The approach makes the hole - it is played well uphill to a green with a significant false front. And I mean significant - shots that come up short or spin back will roll all the way back down the hill, leaving the most awkward of pitch shots, the 40 yarder straight back uphill. I found out the hard way on my first go-around, when my wedge approach spun back down the hill twice on my way to a opening triple bogey. However, I'd learn enough from that to ensure all my approaches went to the middle of the green and I'd end up making three birdies on this hole over the rest of our stay. Just a wonderful par five.
View of 1st Hole at Sunset from Ben's Porch
View from Back Tee
View from Left Fairway Bunker
View from Right Side of Landing Area
View from Middle of Fairway
View from 90 Yards
View from Left Side of Approach Area
View from Right Side of Green, with 18th Hole in Background
View of Green from the 6th Tee