[Scott Szabo]

This is great news...assuming the finances make sense.  

Agreed!  As long as the finances make sense, and I wouldn't think they would go forward if they didn't.  I am assuming the course will be laid out to the north of the current course?  I think this was the initial plan and it made sense, although I'm wondering a bit about getting out to the second course.  It would seem to be quite a trek out that way not unlike that at Sand Hills.  I'm sure it will all come together and make a find addition.

[Michael Whitaker]

The blog states that carts will be available for the second course, but on limited basis. 

It's a slippery slope.  Up next will be island greens, containment mounding, beer cart girls and 5pm "after work" 9-hole leagues.

JC - I'm not a fan of most of these items you mention, but a beer cart girl ain't all bad!!! There have been MANY times I would have given anything to see a cart girl coming over the next ridge. 

[Tom_Doak]

 I am assuming the course will be laid out to the north of the current course?  I think this was the initial plan and it made sense, although I'm wondering a bit about getting out to the second course.  It would seem to be quite a trek out that way not unlike that at Sand Hills.  I'm sure it will all come together and make a find addition.

Scott,

I have not been out there to walk the proposed routing, but I am pretty sure the land they are using for this course is to the left of #18 as you look out from the clubhouse and cottages [or player's right of #18] ... then out behind the dunes to the right of #17, and on from there.  I looked at that land a bit with Rupert and with Bruce three years ago, when the idea first came up.  The idea then was to build a course on gentler ground so that it would be an easy walk or easy to get carts around, and convenient to the hub of activity as opposed to the more dramatic but more severe site to the north of hole #2.

We are all happy for Bruce getting this contract and look forward to seeing what he can do out there.

P.S. to Jim Nelson:  Bruce is an artist as a designer, but if he actually minored in art at college, that would be news to all of us at Renaissance Golf Design! 

[Terry Lavin]

Congratulations to Bruce.  He's a natural choice and I'm sure he'll do a great job.  Here's hoping that they get enough members to make it all work!

[Ben Sims]

I think the question on most everyone's mind is...

...what movie is going to replace Napoleon Dynamite as the official "crew comedy" of this project?

And apart from that, how in the hell are we all going to rhyme Hepner?  "I'm on a Hepner" just doesn't have the right je ne sais quoi about it.

[Richard Choi]

Silly Ben, that is easy...

"Hangover 2" has to be it. C'mon Wolfpack? It is natural.

"I'm on a Hep" has a nice ring to it...

[JC Jones]

I think the question on most everyone's mind is...

...what movie is going to replace Napoleon Dynamite as the official "crew comedy" of this project?

And apart from that, how in the hell are we all going to rhyme Hepner?  "I'm on a Hepner" just doesn't have the right je ne sais quoi about it.

Napoleon Dynamite being the "crew comedy" for the building of Ballyneal makes complete sense after hearing some funny stories last week from a couple members of the crew.

I listen to some of these guys talk about their time out building courses and it makes me think it is the ultimate mancation.

[Mike Policano]

Ben,

How's it going?

I am sure BN's resident songwriter/poet Dr. Colton will come up with something apropos such as, "I am on a Bruce, playing the Deuce!"

But, I will leave it up to Jim, my fellow lefty.

Cheers

[Tom_Doak]

Napoleon Dynamite being the "crew comedy" for the building of Ballyneal makes complete sense after hearing some funny stories last week from a couple members of the crew.

I listen to some of these guys talk about their time out building courses and it makes me think it is the ultimate mancation.

I am not sure how widespread the viewing of the movie was with the crew.  Brian Schneider was the one who suggested they rent it; he and Bruce and Kye Goalby were all living in a small rental house, and when I went over there one night they were watching the movie for like the fifth time.  I had never heard of it before that; I went back home and asked my kids if they knew it, and they rolled their eyes in disbelief that I was not familiar with it already.  [Dadgum teenagers!]

For sure, having a tight-knit crew that have fun with each other is a big help in running a successful project -- especially in places like Holyoke or Deer Lodge MT [or Bridport, Tasmania] where there is not much else to do in the evenings or on the rare day off.  George Waters inaugurated a regular Wednesday bowling night for the crew at Rock Creek which was a big hit after a long week of picking rocks in alternating hot and cold temps.

[Steve Lang]

  That location for the 2nd course makes sense also for access from the range,... which you need a cart to get to anyway...

does this also mean more accomodations?

[Brad Isaacs]

Ben,

How's it going?

I am sure BN's resident songwriter/poet Dr. Colton will come up with something apropos such as, "I am on a Bruce, playing the Deuce!"

But, I will leave it up to Jim, my fellow lefty.

Cheers

Mike,
That is just tooo funny.

Brad I.

[Wyatt Halliday]

I'm glad someone beat me to it. Before Mike's suggestion, my mind was drifting toward "It's my Hep in a box!" which is wrong on about 43 different levels.

[Jim Colton]

Wyatt, with that name and Texas drawl, I think you're in the wrong genre.


My name is Hep B: infectious like a virus.

[Ben Sims]

Mike,

It goes well.  I'm in a pax terminal in Qatar, about to get on a flight to the United States of America.  It's a good day.  

Jim does have some sick rhyming skills.  Maybe he needs to parody the latest Lonely Island song and call it, "I just played Golf".   

I'm just juiced about a new project getting announced.  Ballyneal #2 is bound to be very good with the equation they'll have out there.  Expectations are obviously high.  

[JC Jones]

I'm in a pax terminal in Qatar, about to get on a flight to the United States of America.  It's a good day.  

Best news of the day.

[Mike Policano]

Ben, great news! If you are stationed in NJ at all, let me know.

Cheers

[Larry_Keltto]

A few years ago I played the Ballyneal back nine with Bruce Hepner -- we both used a 7 iron and a putter. Yeah, we had fun.

IMO, Bruce is a great choice for extending the Ballyneal ethos, the "Down With Brown" vibe.

[Wyatt Halliday]

I'm in a pax terminal in Qatar, about to get on a flight to the United States of America.  It's a good day.  

Best news of the day.

Agreed, he's coming home folks!

[Kirk Gill]

Ben - a good day indeed. Welcome home !


And congratulations to Bruce Hepner, and to Ballyneal.


And to Colorado !!

I wonder when Mr. Iverson will get such an opportunity...........(forgive me if he already has !)

[Ian Andrew]

Congratulations to Bruce - I know he'll do a great job.


and it's nice to see Tom's support - that's not easy to do - and impressive when sincere

[Rob Rigg]

Congrats to Hep. B, the 'nizzle and all who have a chance to tee it on what will likely be 2 class courses of the highest "fun" order.

There is some pure golf in the chop hills - GD need to fix their rating system . . .

[Tom_Doak]

I wonder when Mr. Iverson will get such an opportunity...........(forgive me if he already has !)

Kirk:

Eric has designed one course on his own already -- Staley Farms in Kansas City.  He was working for a contractor who took on a design-build contract there and Eric did the design.  It's very good, though I thought a couple of the greens were over the top!

He's not going to get another opportunity until after he builds a course for me in China, though.

[Jud_T]

Soon we'll have a thread about how TD/Rennaisance is the Art Blakey and the Jazz Messsengers of GCA (Wise mentor of a host of next-gen stars)...Congrats to all involved and welcome back to the good 'ole US of A Ben! Now you can cash in those Amazon millions!! 

[Jim Nelson]

I'm glad someone beat me to it. Before Mike's suggestion, my mind was drifting toward "It's my Hep in a box!" which is wrong on about 43 different levels.

I really did LOL when I read this.  Thanks.  Now I can't get it out of my head.

I walked the new routing back in February and was impressed.  It wraps around Ballyneal from the Southeast to the West and back again.  Interesting in that it is an out and back again routing, something you don't see too often in new courses. (Probably been done, but good topic for a thread).  The land is certainly softer than the original, but has a significant ridge running north/south (I may be a little off on the compass, but it's close) bisecting the routing.  This is the same ridge-line that #16 cuts through which continues to the south.  From the top of the ridge, you actually look down on #16 which is a pretty cool vista. 

The new routing ends out to the West at #12 and turns back.  Whether by plan or accident, I'm not quite sure, but the greens of #13 of Ballyneal and #13 of the new routing are within about 100 yards of each other.  Everyone got pretty excited discussing how this provides a natural crossover between the two courses for those walking.  Opens up a bunch of possibilities in keeping with the free form spirit which Tom created at Ballyneal.

   

[Tony Weiler]

This is great news, and for many an opportunity to ride the second or third 18 will be welcome.  I am in fairly good shape, but after 36 plus a day at BN, my dogs were barking.  This will give many golfers an opportunity to walk and then ride, and that seems fine to me. 

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