Course Review: Ballyneal Golf & Hunt Club

Posted by Rob Rigg
July 2010

Ballyneal Golf & Hunt Club, Holyoke, CO

Par 71

7,147 Yards

Architect: Tom Doak (Renaissance Golf Design)

Private – Opened in 2006

Few courses in North America can stir a walking golfer’s soul like Ballyneal, which boasts golf that is so pure and natural that Old Tom Morris would approve wholeheartedly.

Ballyneal is still somewhat of a hidden gem that is slowly being discovered as golfers venture into the chop hills of North Eastern Colorado, about 3 hours from Denver International Airport. The club is private, laid back and only reached after driving several miles along a dirt road located a few minutes south of Holyoke.  While you may be “in the middle of nowhere”, the passionate walking golfer will feel very much “at home”.

Ballyneal was carefully routed over and around the chop hills by Tom Doak – and this could very well be his masterpiece. It is probably the most natural course I have ever played in North America because it melds seamlessly with the environment as the golfer journeys through a unique and beautiful landscape. Dave Hensley and his team keep Ballyneal playing firm, fast and fun by using very little water and only managing the fescue as necessary on fairways and greens. The experience at Ballyneal is heightened by an excellent staff that create a laid back and welcoming atmosphere at the club. It is, absolutely, inland dream golf on a course that changes day to day and hour to hour as wind and weather move through the property.

Ballyneal is so pure that there are no yardage or tee markers. It is a match play course with serious distance elasticity depending on the wind and where you happen to put your peg in the ground. Creativity abounds at every green and many approaches can be played along the ground or through the air. While Ballyneal is not a “true seaside links” it certainly plays like one.

For a walking golfer, there can be only be a handful of experiences that rival time spent at Ballyneal – especially if you are on the property with friends.

Please enjoy the photo tour below.

Hole #1 – Par4 (382 – 320 yards)

A straight-forward opener with a long carry from the back tees that can be avoided from the front tees located adjacent to the Turtle Bar (off photo on the right). The left side of the fairway leaves a better angle but you have to take on the trouble.

Hole #2 – Par 4 (490 – 360 yards)

The second plays very long into the wind and much shorter downwind as the drive can get quite a bit of roll out.  There is plenty of room to run the ball on to the front of the deep green.

Hole #3 – Par 3 (145 – 90 yards)

A thoroughly enjoyable short one shotter into a green that sits in a natural bowl.

Hole #4 – Par 5 (573 – 360 yards)

An all-world tee shot to a strip of fairway running off into the distance below. With a kind wind the green is reachable in two for the long hitter. Otherwise lay up to the left and give yourself a full wedge to the elevated green.

Hole #5 – Par 3 (165 – 100 yards)

The pot bunker dominates play into a green that has a steep bank on the front left and back right.

Hole #6 – Par 4 (480 – 370 yards)

A challenging two shotter, especially into the wind from the back tees. The green is on a plateau that falls off to the right side but there is room to miss on the left. An up and down for par is no easy task.

Hole #7 – Par 4 (352 – 285 yards)

Perhaps one of the most “fun” holes in golf – the 7th at Ballyneal is an absolute gem. The reachable two shotter has one of the most interesting greens I have ever seen. One could spend hours hitting different shots in and around the green complex.

Hole #8 – Par 5 (515 – 340 yards)

The fairway funnels about 300 yards off the tee with safety on the left and daunting bunkers on the right. The terraced green is reachable with two well struck shots, and that is where the real fun begins.

Hole #9 – Par 4 (362 – 315 yards)

The 9th is driveable with the “right” wind but two large dunes pinch the landing area about 285 yards off the tee so a precise strike is necessary to run the gauntlet. A hybrid or fairway wood is usually a good play, leaving a short iron into another challenging green.

Hole #10 – Par 4 (509 – 380 yards)

A hollow on the left collects all but the longest and straightest drives that successfully challenge the huge bunker on the right side of the fairway. Note that the green cants sharply from left to right.

Hole #11 – Par 3 (200 – 125 yards)

A very elastic one shotter than can play slightly uphill from the back tees or severely uphill from the front tees. Missing left is a huge mistake, as is going in the bunkers on the right. Thump, thump – thump, thump.

Hole #12 – Par 4 (375 – 240 yards)

The hole may be drivable with a tailwind if you can hug the left side and run it onto the green. Anything leaking right will find a hollow and a blind approach over bunkers to a very undulating green. This is a great match play hole.

Hole #13 – Par 4 (510 – 330 yards)

Another all world tee shot, especially from the tips where only a sliver of fairway is visible.

The play is usually down the left even if its means accepting a blind approach. The front right bunker and a huge swale effectively prohibit a shot into that side of the green from anywhere but the left side of the fairway.

Hole #14 – Par 4 (362 – 300 yards)

A real thinker’s hole that is short on distance but puts a premium on accuracy and strategy.

Hole #15 – Par 3 (237 – 135 yards)

Another super elastic one shotter that is a joy to play. If you get it in the bowl you will, in theory, have a chance at birdie, but three putts are also very common on this wildly undulating green.

Hole #16 – Par 5 (546 – 410 yards)

The finishing stretch starts with a three shotter that can be reached in two from the mid and forward tees with a helping wind. The hole doglegs sharply to the left between two fabulous dunes – and the green is no pushover.

Hole #17 – Par 4 (481 – 365 yards)

The penultimate hole is probably one of the best on course, which is a high compliment. A big drive can split the upper and lower terraces of the fairway and leave a short to mid-iron approach. Anything that kicks to the right will be blind and/or in the fairway bunker visible off the tee. The best play is often to the left side of the green on the approach.

Hole #18 – Par 4 (463 – 375 yards)

Perhaps Doak’s finest finishing hole? The 18th is a fantastic finale for a close match. The drive has some “cape” qualities as the golfer is rewarded for biting off more of the waste area to get a shorter iron into the green. However, the right side of the fairway leaves a better angle, especially to a front pin, provided you do not push the drive too far. Two deep bunkers front the green which slopes quite steeply from the back. Depending on pin position, the approach shot can be an all or nothing last gasp to halve the match.

Having finished a round at Ballyneal there is nothing a walking golfer would rather do than walk right back to the first and tee it immediately. Ballyneal receives a 3.5 out of 4 for walkability, because the routing is so strong that elevation changes are barely noticed. Most of the green to tee transfers are very short – in fact – you can often tee it a few club lengths from the hole. 54 holes a day at Ballyneal should not be a problem for the fit walking golfer.

The Architecture and Aesthetics at Ballyneal are world class. While there are no ocean holes, the chop hills provide a spectacular setting for the game. As mentioned, the course is routed seamlessly over the terrain and paced wonderfully. A more fun or interesting set of green complexes may not exist anywhere else in the country. Ballyneal is an easy 4.0 out of 4 for Architecture and Aesthetics.

In terms of Strategy and Playability, Ballyneal receives full marks. The fairways are wide enough to handle strong winds, but strategy is always important off the tee as ball placement provides a significant advantage on most holes. Ballyneal is the type of course where the stick will have to work to score well, because it is tough to get the ball close to the hole on approaches, but the bogey golfer, if he plays smart, can navigate the course while playing to his handicap.

Ballyneal is The Walking Golfer’s Top Modern Golf Course in the United States. It is a walk that should not be missed if you ever have the chance to play there.

TWG Rating for Ballyneal:

3.5 / 4 – Walkability

4.0 / 4 – Architecture and Aesthetics

2.0 / 2 – Strategy and Playability

9.5 / 10 – Total

All Photos by Rob Rigg (2010)
Review by Rob Rigg (2010)