Ballyneal course profile is posted...

[Ran Morrissett]

...under Architecture Timeline and Courses by Country.

I am continually amazed at GCA.com's growth and its ever expanding readership. For example, the site has had nearly a 50% bump in page views since just last August. Fueling the growth is obviously people's passion for golf course architecture. And the more there is to be passionate about, the better.

In particular, courses in the past decade that have been built in the Midwest of the U.S. have re-acquainted people with just how much fun the game can be. In recent times, a man in Green Bay bought property in Gothenburg to be near Wild Horse and a man from New Mexico moved to northwest Nebraska to be near Ballyneal - talk about passion! Conversely, if Firestone and Colonial were still held as being supreme examples of great design, this site simply wouldn't exist.

Fortunately, this is a great, great time for architecture. Just as Pete Dye raised the bar in the 1960s, his own high standard is now being passed, as anyone who gets to Ballyneal will appreciate. Thousands of more posts will be made on Ballyneal in the coming weeks and years after its official opening later this week. Is it Renaissance's best property and/or their finest design? How about Ballyneal vs. PacDunes hole for hole? Does Ballyneal possess their best finishing stretch? Based on their work with the dunes, is there any better example in modern times of man working with nature? What courses have a better blend of 3 1/2 and 4 1/2 par holes? What makes it so different to Sand Hills?  What about the use of the ground contours? What's your least favorite hole (ala Sand Hills it's hard to pick)?

The topics within this Discussion Group that this design will render are endless. In short, Ballyneal will be great for its members, great for golf, and great for the study of golf course architecture.

Warning before seeing the course profile: Ballyneal with two 100 yard wide fairways will not exactly remind one of Winged Foot with its tournament tight 24 yard wide fairways. This is an altogether different form of golf and some may join me in concluding that it is golf at the very highest level possible.

Cheers,

[Tom Huckaby]

Another fantastic effort, Ran.  Great pics, great descriptions.

THis is a great time for architecture, without a doubt.  But you know what?  It's also a great time to be alive and playing the game.  Looking at those pics, I could give a rat's ass about studying it... but dammit I am investigating flights to Denver and creating excuses for the wife RIGHT NOW so that I can play it!  Good lord does it look like fun....

Well done, once again.  You are the man.

TH

[Craig Van Egmond]

Wow! Simply stunning.  Another great write-up by Ran and another fantastic looking course by Tom Doak and crew.

[Scott Szabo]

I recently had the opportunity to play Ballyneal and the course is as good as advertised.  One thing the profile fails to mention is the variety in length of the holes.  The par threes ranged in length from about 145 yards all the way up to 235 yards.  There were about as many par fours under 400 yards as there were over 450 yards.  The par fives were all distinctively different, with number four playing dramatically downhill, while number eight and sixteen played uphill.

The views are spectacular, and anyone getting the chance to play it should definitely do it!

As a very young course, the conditioning of the fairways and greens are not yet as planned.  When I played, the greens were quite shaggy and slow, which is to be expected during the grow in phase.  I certainly hope to get the chance to play the course and become a member once the conditions are as Doak planned them!

I am a new member to the discussion group and have enjoyed reading the debates the past few days.  Thanks for allowing me to be part of the group!

[Evan Fleisher]

Another fine effort, Ran!

Wow...stunning views, great looks, can't wait for my turn!

[Dan Kelly]

Ballyneal looks like more fun than a man should be allowed to have.

A pitching, chipping and putting paradise.

Look at those contours! In two-dimensional photographs!

[Craig Sweet]

Wow! Nice job Ran!

Now I'm all excited to see what Doak will come up with for the Rock Creek Cattle Co. site!

[Mark_F]

Who needs ocean views?

[Matt_Ward]

Enjoyed the narrative and photos Ran of Ballyneal. Be curious as to how you would stack the course up against the other Doak courses you have played thus far?

Thanks ...

[RJ_Daley]

If that write-up gets to mainstream golf pub.s, I'm thinking they are going to have a traffic jam in Holyoke...

[Jonathan McCord]

Ran, what an outstanding piece of work.  Great profile of an equally great course.  I love this final quote as I think it is so true!!

"Alister MacKenzie is the only other golf course architect to have built five courses of such world class quality in such a short period of time."

AWESOME

[Mike Nuzzo]

Very cool Ran and Tom.
The tees look great.
The greens look even better.

Tom - do you also think this review should have been shortened?  

I did see some clutter however... that red cooler sticks out like a sore thumb...  

[Mike_Sweeney]

Is that the clubhouse in the picture of #17? Are the cabins located nearby if they are yet built?

This place has looked awesome from the first pictures.

Clearly Ran should be given credit for not posting and actually getting to and playing these remote courses such as Sutton Bay and Ballyneal.

Thanks

By the way, does anyone (maybe his wife) think Tom Doak is smiling a little too much in this picture!?  

[cary lichtenstein]

Wow, all I can say, Wow!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Paul Jones]

Ran,  

Great review.  It is your reviews that first attracted me to this website.  Keep up the great work.

Paul

[Smokey_Pot_Bunker]

Ran,

Thanks for the tour of Ballyneal.  

I had the pleasure of seeing this course during it's construction and was blown away by the setting and the craftmanship displayed by Mr. Doak and his trusted staff.

Seeing Tom and his team in action the day I was there will always be a great day in my love of architecture as was playing Pac Dunes for the first time.

Not that rankings truly matter to me (it's about the golf)
but this course IMHO was a without a doubt a top ten modern course the day I was there during constuction, only to become a top five course just by seeing Ran's photos and closing my eyes and remembering it from the day I was there.

I can only hope I have an opportunity to play it in the future.

Thanks again.

Carmen

[Tom_Doak]

Mike N:  I knew Ran was trying to write up Ballyneal when I made that comment the other day, and yes, it would have been shorter if he hadn't tried to write it while still excited over what he'd seen.  He wrote up all 18 holes, which either means he loves them all, or he couldn't decide which to keep out.  He did short #17 for space as I think it's one of the best on the course.

As it happens, I'm at Sebonack yesterday and today on my way to Scotland.  It's more fun to play than I thought, though my first-round score was a dozen shots higher than at Ballyneal (90 to 78).  Still, it's a good week for me.

[John Kirk]

As it happens, I'm at Sebonack yesterday and today on my way to Scotland.  It's more fun to play than I thought, though my first-round score was a dozen shots higher than at Ballyneal (90 to 78).  Still, it's a good week for me.

Perhaps you were inspired to play well at Ballyneal.  See photo above.

[Gene Greco]

Is that the clubhouse in the picture of #17? Are the cabins located nearby if they are yet built?

This place has looked awesome from the first pictures.

Clearly Ran should be given credit for not posting and actually getting to and playing these remote courses such as Sutton Bay and Ballyneal.

Thanks

By the way, does anyone (maybe his wife) think Tom Doak is smiling a little too much in this picture!?  

BUMP.

We musn't let this one get away!

Oh, and the course looks great as well!

[PThomas]

Is that the clubhouse in the picture of #17? Are the cabins located nearby if they are yet built?

This place has looked awesome from the first pictures.

Clearly Ran should be given credit for not posting and actually getting to and playing these remote courses such as Sutton Bay and Ballyneal.

Thanks

By the way, does anyone (maybe his wife) think Tom Doak is smiling a little too much in this picture!?  

BUMP.

We musn't let this one get away!

Oh, and the course looks great as well!

I'd be smiling a lot in that situation too!!

[Tom Huckaby]

The smile might come from the fact I'm secure enough to wear dark socks and brown shoes with shorts and still have that babe dig me.

 

[Kirk Gill]

Ran,  

Great review.  It is your reviews that first attracted me to this website.  Keep up the great work.

I echo this sentiment. I almost consider Mr. Morrissett's reviews to be my chance to "play" all of these courses that I will likely never see in person. The sense of place is palpable, and there is a  genuine appreciation for the work performed by those who created the courses.

And Ballyneal is just a few hours up the road.....perhaps someday.........

[George Pazin]

Thanks for another wonderful writeup, hope I get there sooner rather than later.

And I hope Adam comes back and shares some thoughts, I miss the big red head.

[PThomas]

The smile might come from the fact I'm secure enough to wear dark socks and brown shoes with shorts and still have that babe dig me.

 

who's digging who ?

[Mike Nuzzo]

Tom Doak,
I noticed very little walk way mowing.  Some of the par 3 pictures don't even show an entrance walk.

Is there a dew walk from the tee to the fairway or is Ran a great photographer?

How much teeing area did you build?

Thanks

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