[Ajay Yadav]

From the east coast (nyc in particular)... getting to Ballyneal, Co is more or less the same time as getting to Ballybunion, Ireland.... Sand Hills is a bit further... So one can go either east or west to play great links courses

That got me thinking....  How does Ballyneal fare against Ballybunion? In fact, how do the following fare against each other in terms of shot values,  strategy, a contest against risks and rewards and the sheer joy of playing a great course? 

A) Ballyneal vs Ballybunion
B) Ballyneal vs Lahinch
C) Sand Hills vs Ballybunion
D) Sand Hills vs Lahinch

And since I am not a big fan of deciding between courses by dividing 10 potential rounds among them (leads to too many 50: 50 or 60:40 answers)....

1) Which course will you play if you could only play only one round between the two courses?

2) If you had 3 rounds to play between the two courses, how will you divide between the two courses?

[Jason Topp]

Take 2 trips!

I have not played Ballyneal, but have played the other 3.  While Sand Hills is my favorite course it is by such a razor thin margin compared to the other two I would not make the decision based on the quality of the courses.  I would make the decision based on whether you want to go to the middle of nowhere to a special place or go to ireland.  I would then go to the other destination on my next trip.

[Chip Gaskins]

its hard to compare if you put any value at all, as i assume most do in sitting a 150 year old pub in the village of ballybunion having 4 pints versus having a beer on the deck at ben's porch. 

both very cool, but very different. 

as for the golf, how can you go wrong?

the dollar is very weak, stay here, fly to denver, drive to mullen via holyoke and talk about your future trip to ireland is my call.

[Kyle Henderson]

I've only played Sand Hills and Ballyneal, nothing in the U.K.

Ballyneal is my favorite course, period.

If getting there is an option, take advantage.

[Ajay Yadav]

its hard to compare if you put any value at all, as i assume most do in sitting a 150 year old pub in the village of ballybunion having 4 pints versus having a beer on the deck at ben's porch. 

both very cool, but very different. 

as for the golf, how can you go wrong?

the dollar is very weak, stay here, fly to denver, drive to mullen via holyoke and talk about your future trip to ireland is my call.

My question was less about deciding between two trips (as it always makes sense to do both trips even if the courses were not on par with each other) but more about how the courses compare in terms of shot values, strategy involved, the nature of the contest between the risks and rewards that need to be evaluated before a shot etc etc.  How do our best links offering compare to timeless masterpieces of Ireland (I deliberately did not include Royal county down into the mix)

[Adam Clayman]

From the east coast (nyc in particular)... getting to Ballyneal, Co is more or less the same time as getting to Ballybunion, Ireland....

Hello and welcome.
 I have never been to Ireland, but somehow this premise of yours does not ring true.
 Could you please elaborate on the actual time it takes to fly and drive. Ballyneal is 2 1/2 hours from the Denver airport. Assuming it's a 3 hour flight, one could leave NYC by 7 am and be teeing it up in Co. by noon mst. Can you actually do that to Ireland?

And please, define shot values?

[Tom Huckaby]

I've played all except Ballyneal.

And I will just say this:

I find Sand Hills to be superior to each of Ballybunion Old (by a little) and Lahinch (by a little more).  And I mean that by any possible measure or definition. 

That being said, there is only one Ireland, so those do NEED to be experienced.  But there is also only one Sand Hills.

TH

[Kalen Braley]

Ayaj,

I think you're going to have to clarify time to equate delta time differential on this one!! 

[Michael Wharton-Palmer]

let you know in two weeks as I make the pilgrimage to Ballyneal/Sand Hills and Dismal River later this month.....
needless to say very excited about the prospect of playing these courses.

[Ajay Yadav]

From the east coast (nyc in particular)... getting to Ballyneal, Co is more or less the same time as getting to Ballybunion, Ireland....

Hello and welcome.
 I have never been to Ireland, but somehow this premise of yours does not ring true.
 Could you please elaborate on the actual time it takes to fly and drive. Ballyneal is 2 1/2 hours from the Denver airport. Assuming it's a 3 hour flight, one could leave NYC by 7 am and be teeing it up in Co. by noon mst. Can you actually do that to Ireland?

And please, define shot values?

Taking into account Flight time + driving time

Ballyneal - 7.25 hrs ( average flight time of 4.5 hrs for eg. United flight 403 flying time is listed at 4 hr 37 mins dep 7:52 AM: landing 10.29 AM MST (12.29 AM NYC time)  + Google maps driving time of 2 hr 43 mins)

Lahinch - ~7 hrs, Ballybunion - 8hrs
Flight time of 6 hrs 15 mins to Shannon (Aer lingus EI 110 dep: 1830 hrs, landing 5:45 hrs (12:45 am nyc time)) + Google maps driving time - Lahinch 50 mins, Ballybunion -2 hrs)

So in essence, the trip time is more or less the same.... and one can land in shannon and tee off the same morning and play 36 holes the same day.

So essentially the same time...


By shot values I meant (loosely) that how it : tests the player on a variety of skills including, but not limited to, length, accuracy, finesse, course management, decision making between different shots etc, and how good is the balance between risk and reward.

To me good golf  (and having fun at it) is all about deciding between choices (so they have to be available) taking into account one's own skill level and then executing the decision as accurately as possible.  its as much about strategy as its about physical prowess (although sometimes one can compensate for the other to an extent).

How do these courses compare against each other on this basis?

Two responses seem to indicate Sand Hills measures up and perhaps is even better.  thats interesting.

[Tom Huckaby]

Ajay:

You sound as if you are surprised at that assessment of Sand Hills.

It is rather highly regarded, and not only in this forum.

And I believe rightly so.  It is a great, great golf course.

In any case by your definitions it is VERY strong.  It is rife with strategic choices and one's mental game must be very strong to achieve success there.  The same can be said for the two Irish courses for sure... in fact, it is very very close.  But I will stand by Sand Hills being the superior of the other two.

Ballyneal by many accounts is right there with Sand Hills and yes, some do find it superior.  That is a huge statement given the high regard in which Sand Hills is generally held.  So you are talking four great ones here... I have to believe the similarities in terms of overall quality will greatly outweigh the differences, and in the end it will just be splitting hairs.  All four are truly great - I say from experience re the first three, and from what I hear about Ballyneal.

TH

[Daryl David]

I have played them all.  Getting back to your question, answers below.

A) Ballyneal vs Ballybunion
B) Ballyneal vs Lahinch
C) Sand Hills vs Ballybunion
D) Sand Hills vs Lahinch

1) Which course will you play if you could only play one round between the two courses?

A) Ballyneal
B) Ballyneal
C) Sand Hills
D) Lahinch

2) If you had 3 rounds to play between the two courses, how will you divide between the two courses?

A) Ballyneal 2, Ballybunion 1
B) Ballyneal 2, Lahinch 1
C) Sandhills 2, Ballybunion 1
D) Lahinch 2, Sand Hills

[Tom Huckaby]

Daryl:

Interesting... it would seem your rankings of the four then go:

Ballyneal
Lahinch
Sand Hills
Ballybunion

Which is pretty much the opposite of I'd put them (minus Ballyneal, of course, which I can't include)... But I have Sand Hills pretty clearly better than either Irish course.

Which just goes to show, to each his own - especially when we are talking great courses like this, it's gonna come down to personal preferences.

Good stuff.

TH

[Ajay Yadav]

Ajay:

You sound as if you are surprised at that assessment of Sand Hills.

TH

I just noted that it was interesting. The purpose was not to sound surprised. But I can see now why I may have given that impression.

The four courses are all highly regarded. But wanted to see how they stand head-to-head (on the basis I mentioned) by those who have played 2 or more of these courses

[Daryl David]

Daryl:

Interesting... it would seem your rankings of the four then go:

Ballyneal
Lahinch
Sand Hills
Ballybunion

Which is pretty much the opposite of I'd put them (minus Ballyneal, of course, which I can't include)... But I have Sand Hills pretty clearly better than either Irish course.

Which just goes to show, to each his own - especially when we are talking great courses like this, it's gonna come down to personal preferences.

Good stuff.

TH

It is really splitting hairs.  I wouldn't read too much into it.  The gradations are pretty small between Lahinch and Sand Hills so call it a toss up.  It is much clearer to me between the two Ballys.

[Steve Lapper]

Having played all four (Ballyneal only once  ) and multiple times on the others, I'd add that I definitely prefer Ballyneal over Lahinch and call it near tied with Ballybunion (save for the cozy setting of Ballyneal...well preferable to the town/graveside along Ballybunion's Western & Southern flanks).

While my personal taste favors Sand Hills over the other three, the shot values at Ballyneal are certainly equal to, or better, than those at Ballybunion and way ahead of Lahinch. Here's why:

Ballyneal (BN) has far wider driving lanes than Ballybunion and Lahinch. It's greens are vastly more strategic than Lahinch's and certainly more interesting than Ballybunion's. They have so many tiers and humps and bumps that simply aren't as evident at the other three. The bunkering, while dramatically different, is strategic at all, but BN and SH's are aesthetically more interesting to my eye. The wind, present at both and no less than influential on most every shot, plays to all the sites. To score well at either BN or BB, you need to be able to work the ball and, at BN, find the right tier of green for your approach. I think Lahinch is interesting and fun, but certainly not equal to or superior to any of the others.

As always (and as Tom Huckaby said so well) it boils down to personal taste, and mine favors the expanses of Mullen over the others....so much so, that I"ve never missed spying an ocean nearby to question any assertion of perfect links golf!

[Adam Clayman]

Ajay, Your definition of shot values is certainly one of the best I've ever heard. You clearly have a much deeper understanding and sensitivity to this stuff than most who have spent a lifetime making a career out of golf. Well done, sir.

I'd suggest you hop on a plane and give Holyoke a try. You seem like someone who would appreciate the choices. You have an open invite. I might add that right now, the plains are alive with flora. The typical browned out high desert is just teaming with color. It's rather magical. The golf, on the firmer surface, is all one could ask from nature. Human and Mother.

[Tommy Williamsen]

Ballybuniion and Lahinch are wilder rides.  ou are up and over dunes with an abundance of blind shots.

Ballyneal and Sand Hills have a wilder look. 

I had to choose which is better golf, I couldn't.  If I had to choose where to play I'd choose Ireland.

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