The critic compelled to find fault might notice that none of the short par 4s turns right, or that fairway shaping on a few holes is too “perfect”—good tee shots result in agreeable lies more often than randomly expected.
This strikes me as some sort of litmus test for a critical eye. If one believes short par 4's need to turn right, or, good drives that find agreeable conditions for their next, is a source of criticism, then we might as well add the fact that there are no trees, to the list of inherent flaws at Ballyneal.
Jeff, As for the greens being too contoured, that is relative to the speed, and, apparently, the critics ability to putt. There are creative ways to utilize other slopes to get the ball close, or at least into a reasonable position. From a poor positioned approach, these contours can, and do, act as air breaking opportunities. In the case of a difficult pin position, only the most astute of golfer will be able to figure out the prudent (or creative) play. That implies that sometimes playing away from the hole is required to complete the task at hand.
One needs to be open to the opportunity to be creative with how they play the game at Ballyneal. It's not like anything else generations of golfers have ever seen.
Ballyneal wasn't designed for the typical Country Club golfer. (Thank the Lord) It was designed for those of us who were sick of the status quo of products coming online (Jammed down our throats) for far too long. Think Decades.
From my perspective, the freedom Tom was given, on one of the finest mediums, led to maximizing the ground for golf in a way usually associated with Links golf. The principles found at The Old Course and those originally designed in at Augusta Nat'l are alive and well in the most unlikely of places. Farthest from, but surrounded by, Oceans..
Garland, Actually we break it down into tenths (0.10) using a complex set of equations that factors in the temperature, wind speed and direction, and the thump caused by the lack of rain or when the last time the Super turned on the system. The funny thing is that Par still works out to be 71 and is completely irrelevant compared to the enjoyment of the shots attempted.