Ballyneal and Dismal River

[John Kavanaugh]

Is Dismal any harder to walk than Sand Hills...With a caddie or member that is..

[RJ_Daley]

Cary, Jerry, Mike, it is a pity you weren't able to delay your visits by a week.  Watching the weather out there and it seems the heat wave took the break today.  Down to a perfect 80 and breezes.  

Can anyone make a comment on the staffing levels at the two clubs, particularly in relation to the multi purpose rec center they seem to be offering at DR?

[Jerry Kluger]

Dismal River will be a very tough walk while Sand Hills and Ballyneal are an easy walk.  At DR they were just finishing the clubhouse and had a whole bunch of people working there trying to get things done for when Jack arrived in about a week.  A portion of the lodge was open but we ate in the maintenance building - the food was pretty good and the staff was helpful - there were around 20 golfers on the property.  Ballyneal just opened their lodge and there were six golfers on the property.  There were far fewer people working there as they had time until the Renaissance Cup to be completely ready.  

[Adam Clayman]

Dick, it is amazing how many people it requires to pull off these projects.

Ballyneal is very fortunate to have Rich. A renaisance man if ever there is was one. Rich has been Rupert's partner in the hunt club, and together they own 27 dogs. He not only is a top notch chef, when I left the clubhouse today he was moving the sprinklers. He hydro-seeded the entire course, after getting his feet wet at Sebonack. He always seems to be doing something, making Ballyneal as great a place as it can be. He's a guy who could tell you construction stories till the cows come home, if'n he had the time. People like that, money just cannot buy.

[John Kavanaugh]

Dismal River will be a very tough walk while Sand Hills and Ballyneal are an easy walk.

I have never hear Sand Hills called an easy walk...Off of this board it is known as a cart ball course...

[DMoriarty]

I have never hear Sand Hills called an easy walk...Off of this board it is known as a cart ball course...

Off this site just about every course is known as a cart ball course.

With or without a caddy, Sand Hills is a very comfortable walk, not as easy as flat farmland, but not at all strenuous in good weather.  
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Is Dismal River realistically walkable?  I dont mean walkable only for mountain goats or those who will walk anything.  Rather, I mean to ask whether Dismal River would be a comfortable, enjoyable walk for regular but not rabid walkers?   How about for regular walkers who enjoy walking 36?

[Jerry Kluger]

I don't mean to throw names around but I would not view Sand Hills to be any tougher of a walk than say Shinnecock or NGLA.  The walks from green to tee are very short and the course has comfortable elevation changes - nothing overly difficult.  With the elevated greens at DR and overall elevation changes you can go up to a green and then walk down and back up to the next tee, and that walk can be over a sandy path which is not like firm grass. What should be mentioned is that Sand Hills uses gas carts while DR uses electric carts which are not nearly as annoying.

But people should not dwell on the walking aspect of DR as in my view it is perhaps Jack's best work to date.  I don't think he would have considered this result a number of years ago and people should not have tunnel vision concerning what is good architecture.  I think the Treehouse will absolutely fall in love in Ballyneal and be gushing it's praises for years to come because of what it is and what it is not; and I would agree.   However, that should not mean that quality is limited to a very particular style and a very particular author.  

[Gene Greco]

Patrick Mucci:

    Based on the above posts of Mr. Moriarty and Mr.Kluger.....
I rest my case.


Cary L:

    Though I don't agree with all your assessments of the golf courses you and Bette play I find your golf version of the late Charles Kuralt's "On The Road" to be amusing and entertaining (intentional or not I don't know) and quite informative. Thank you for your contributions.




 

[George Pazin]

Is Dismal River realistically walkable?  I dont mean walkable only for mountain goats or those who will walk anything.  Rather, I mean to ask whether Dismal River would be a comfortable, enjoyable walk for regular but not rabid walkers?   How about for regular walkers who enjoy walking 36?

Dave, I don't know if you've missed it, but there is a gentleman involved in the DR project who has generously shared much info on the course (unfortunately I'm blanking on his name), but he has said he and others walk the course all the time. I'll try to find some of his posts.

One of the saddest things about carts is just how low they've pushed the threshold for walking. A slippery slope if there ever was one. Just look at JakaB's sentiments re: the walkability of SH.

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Here's something found by John Kirk (the kinder, gentler JK ):

Here is one of Tim Kratz's original posts about Dismal River several months ago:

I am one of the principals in the Dismal River project and have some comments regarding the interesting posts on this thread.

First, I am a passionate walker, to the point where I frequently try to obtain exceptions to allow me to walk courses with mandatory cart rules.  I have walked Dismal several times, and I believe it is a very walkable layout.  Of course, I also believe Sand Hills is very walkable, an opinion that may not be shared by others in this discussion group.  (I've played at least 50 rounds at Sand Hills, and I've walked it the majority of those times; the only exceptions being second and third rounds played in one day).  Tee to green distances generally are short at Dismal, but there are a few significant climbs to tee boxes, particularly the back tees on numbers 7 and 18.  One of the few absolute instructions we gave the Nicklaus design team, and something they wanted to do anyway, was make this a walkable golf course.

Another thread on Dismal River

Try to ignore the invective and just concentrate on the facts....