The 13th hole at Ballyneal typically plays 430 yards, from the tee box next to the 12th green. There is a seldom used back tee at 510 yards; the tee shot from there is the longest forced carry on the course.
Here is a picture of the 13th hole in 2004, before construction. Photo courtesy of Dick Durrance. I hope he doesn't mind.
And the finished product is here.
The fairway is perhaps 90-100 yards across at its widest point. I generally try to play down the center, a few yards right of the small pot bunker. The left side tends to yield flatter lies, appears to give the best angle of attack for right side hole locations behind that big greenside bunker, but I'm not so sure. The two big bunkers on the right side of the fairway are about 300 yards away from the 430 yard tee. The approach shot from there to right side pins may be shorter and more reliable, though one has to carry the large greenside hazard. Once again, the green is wild, with a broad ridge separating the left and right sides of the green. Your approach shot should be past the hole for most right side hole locations.
There's a trough that traverses the center of the fairway in my typical landing zone. More than half of the time I have a significant uphill lie for my second shot, which makes right side hole locations tougher to access.
This ends an amazing streak of golf holes where a player can drive it into the wrong part of the fairway and have a blind approach shot. This can happen on holes 7, 8, 9, 10, 12 and 13.
The front left pin location is much easier than the others. My friend Ryan Beaty once made an eagle here, from the 430 yard tee box. He drove the green, with very little wind assistance, and made a 20 footer for a 2. That's just crazy.
I'm going to let the Dismal River guys handle most of the discussion of their 13th hole. It's 496 yards from the back tee, and the cross bunkers at the dogleg are too far for old John to carry. It is an exceptionally beautiful golf hole. I would guess it is among the most difficult holes on the course.
The tee shot, courtesy of Jimmy Muratt:
The following photo is a closeup of Dismal River's 13th green, courtesy of L.C. Lambrecht. I do not believe this hole is well suited to a low, running approach. A high soft approach should always be attempted, if possible. A ridge extends across the fairway off the short right bunker, pushing balls left and slowing them down. In addition, the fairway beyond that point, between the ridge and the green, falls away from the green in both directions.
The green is wonderful, not so much an upside down bowl, but more an upside down plate. It looks benign, but I found it to be quite intimidating.
Finally, here is a glamorous photo of Dismal River's 13th hole, with the late summer sunflowers in full bloom, and the buffalo run framed behind the green.
One final architecture comment. This hole is significantly downhill, but here and everywhere else on Dismal, I never felt like I was walking up or down a steep grade. For all the elevation changes, the walking grades are as gentle as could be hoped for.
I think it's fair to say that Dismal River's 500 yard par 4 is more spectacular looking. I am not convinced that it has the flexibility nor the variety that Ballyneal's 13th hole provides. Therefore, I believe it is a draw.
Draw (10-10).