Shot selection is fun at Ballyneal's 5th hole. The small pot bunker in front of the green often dictates how the shot should be attempted. If wind is present, it plays downwind about 65-75% of the time. For me, it's 7-8-9 iron, unless it's into the wind, when it's typically 5-6-7 iron.
It's a cool green, the first one with a "pipe" shaped trough. Middle and back right hole locations often yield a second shot where playing it "off the backstop", the slope right of the green, is a legitimate choice. Back left pins generally require that you are at or near the back of the green. On downwind or calm wind shots to the front half of the green, I often take less club and try to hit it high to avoid the pot bunker. Middle left pins are for suckers; pull it left into the giant bunker and bogey will be the typical score. It's not a hard hole, but one where hole location means a lot.
At Dismal River, I played all back tees that day, in my effort to understand what I could and could not do. On the 5th hole, I had 261 yards to the center, with maybe a 5-7 mph down breeze and a half club downhill. I decided the carry over the bunker was maybe 230, so I hit 5-wood. I blocked it right again, a solid, high block, and couldn't see whether I carried the bunker. I didn't; the ball was in the native next to a yucca, about 3-4 yards short of the carry distance. A rare play opportunity. I hacked with all my might, and it barely made it over the edge, onto the grass, and it proceeded to trickle slowly down to the green.
The green is steeply sloped from back to front. Larry's picture illustrates a primary playing difference between the two courses. Dismal River's greens are gentler, but with lots of "micro" contours. Ballyneal's greens have big contours and big backstops, and often offer an alternate route of attack for the short game. Short game play may be more straightforward at Dismal River, but I had trouble reading short putts all day, which I would attribute to subtle green contours. Putts at Ballyneal are among the easiest to read in my golf universe.
Looking at Don's diagram, all of the teeing areas would have charm for me. Into the wind I can imagine trying a hit low driver at the opening. Long iron from 219 or even 235 yards would work under the right circumstances. Fast and firm turf adds immensely to holes like these. Even driver from 160-170 yards works well for my wife's length and ball trajectory.
I was trying to decide yesterday whether this should be considered a Punchbowl hole, comparing it to others I knew. This morning I realized the green is like the 16th hole at National Golf Links, a big gentle smooth bowl.
After the complex 4th hole comes this big, simple par 3. It should play a bit easier than the length, as long as you can either get it airborne, or have a reliable fade with the long club. What a great golf hole.
Dismal River, 10-9. I'm back to even.