"Ballantyne Resort is a fine, and in many ways, amazing golf course. Its owner, real estate developer Smoky Bissell, decided that his Ballantyne office development needed some sizzle, so he took the land he could not use immediately for offices and built an award-winning golf course, without the assistance (and fee) of an architect.
While members of the American Society of Golf Course Architects might not like people like Smoky Bissell, the public does. Ballantyne Resort is one of the busiest courses in the Charlotte area, and it's by no means the least expensive. Several local courses offer serious competition, yet Ballantyne Resort gets the most play.
So why has Ballantyne Resort been so successful? Is it a big marketing and PR budget? Is it the hotdogs at the turn? Is it the cadre of cart girls?
Regulars will tell you that it's the course--built on one of the best natural sites in the area.
The design committee, which included expert and non-expert golfers, produced several interesting strategic holes on a routing that makes excellent use of a relatively tight space.
The green complexes at Ballantyne Resort are the meat of Ballantyne's challenge. Small but shapely mounds and tricky bunkers flank greens that are among the most undulating in the area. Scoring is not easy at Ballantyne Resort."
http://www.insiders.com/carolina-golf/main-nccharlotte2.htmEvidently designed by committee and built by the developer's crews.