Full Answer
Why play golf at Ballyneal?
Ballyneal Golf Club, located in Holyoke, Colo., is ranked 44th on Golf Digest's America's 100 Greatest Courses of 2021-2022. ... The variety of holes, alternative ways …
How do you score well at Ballyneal?
The player who can control the flight of his ball and who has the imagination to use the force of the wind and the contours of the ground to stop his ball where he wants to – in Scottish terms, the player who knows how to play real golf – will usually prevail.” –Tom Doak. “Ballyneal is a match play course with serious distance ...
How many days do you need to play Ballyneal?
Jun 06, 2017 · A very short three with the green in a natural bowl. Green tilts away to the back right, so hedge to the left of the hole, and stay out of that back bunker at all costs. The first one-shot hole on the course is a fun one. Playing it off of …
Is Ballyneal the best course in the world?
Sep 30, 2021 · My advice for playing the course is take the sign that is indicated by the lack of tee markers or a course rating: don't keep score. Play a match. You're gonna have a four putt and some shots you've never even fathomed before, and I feel like keeping score can distract too much from the beauty of the design.
How much does it cost to play ballyneal?
Can non members play ballyneal?
How much does TPC Colorado cost?
How much is a membership at Applewood golf course in Colorado?
Only $29.95 per year! This is good for Seniors, Men, Women, and Juniors! With the membership you get: Discounted Green Fees.
Who owns TPC Colorado?
Can I play TPC Colorado?
How long is TPC Colorado?
While the course can be stretched out to over 7,991 yards long to provide a challenging round of golf to the TOUR players, multiple large tees on each hole will give recreational golfers an opportunity to play the course at any length they find enjoyable, ranging from 4,157 yards.
Is Applewood Colorado a city?
Where to put a safe tee shot on a golf course?
A safe tee shot to the right lets you use the bank at the left side of the green to contain your second shot and bank it back close to the hole. The bank can also come in handy on recovery shots from anywhere to the right of the green.
Where is the hidden fairway on the golf course?
There is a hidden bit of fairway on the upper right for aggressive drivers, but be sure you’re on the right tee to make that carry! Many players will have a blind or semi-blind second shot from the hollow on the left; keep the shot on line and you’ll be fine.
Why is it important to be on the correct side of the fairway?
Like the 10th hole, it's important to be on the correct side of the fairway to avoid a hollow that makes the approach blind. Missing the bunker in front of the green is key on the approach.
Which side of the fairway is the approach shot on?
The approach shot should be played to the left front, so it can take the slope at the front of the green just as it expires.
How to get a good view of the green on the 9th hole?
Keeping it on the right side is the only way to have much of a view of the green. From the blind side of the fairway, you need to just trust your distance and make a good swing. After walking up the hill on the ninth hole, the tenth offers a commanding view to begin the second nine.
Is Ballyneal a destination golf course?
As said above, Ballyneal is a destination club. The only likely reason a golfer would pass by it is en route to another destination club ( Sand Hills or Dismal River). Otherwise, you need to make a point to get out there. However, once you're there, you're rewarded with a tremendous golfing oasis. Members and their guests often spent many nights in the club's onsite housing and play golf from dawn to dusk. There are 56 rooms in the club's cabins, and around 75 people can be housed at a time. The fun includes the big golf course, plus a brand new short course called The Mulligan Course. Moreover, there is a huge putting course right in the middle of it all where bets can be settled and matches played with cocktails in hand. It's rustic, but for a serious golfer, it's a slice of heaven.
How many acres are there in Ballyneal?
Ballyneal is set upon a thousand acres of such dunes, and our goal has been to take them as we found them and build a course which is a product of the land, rather than forced upon it.
What is the toughest hole in golf?
The back starts with one of the toughest holes on the course. A long downhill par 4 with a long narrow multi-tiered green. The 11th is mid-length uphill par 3. Several bunkers front right and left, whatever you do not miss left. There is a steep dropoff and making a par is extremely unlikely. The 12th is an adventure. It looks pretty benign on the scorecard and on the tee. It leans left a scattering of bunkers on the left side. If you can carry the corner bunker you will have a flip wedge to the green. However, off the tee, there is a lot more room right, albeit, that will leave you with a blind approach. The green is a roller coaster and putting options can vary from traditional to turning your back to the hole. The 13th is my favorite hole, yes, I know, my only birdie of the day. Long downhill then uphill tilting left. There is a lot of room right but the hole will play a lot longer and you will need to contend with a front right bunker. Left off the tee is better, although, you may end up with a blind approach shot. Another multi-tiered green. The 14th is a short uphill dogleg left and an excellent birdie oppty. Big hitters will go left of the fairway pot bunker. I think this just increase the margin of error. Lot of room right and you will still have an attack wedge in your hands. Perhaps the smallest green on the course. The 15th is a long par three between two dunes. While the green appears to be right behind a ridge that has bunkers on each side, it is an optical illusion. A large multi-tiered green with multiple moguls. The tee shot is almost a hit and hope that the contours will be user friendly that particular day. The last par 5 is an uphill dogleg left that can be reachable. The green sits on a ledge with a large deep center bunker in front. Long is death, the green slops hard back to front. My chip from behind the green ended up in the bunker. The 17th is a long, tough dogleg right. Off the tee you can chose the high road left or the low road right. Either way, you will have a long approach to a redan green. The 18th is another left leaning hole. A generous driving landing area, although, the further right the drive, the longer the approach shot. The holes plays uphill so you may want consider an extra club on the approach, especially with the two front center bunkers.
What is the back 9 of golf?
The back 9 starts with a long par 4 that demands a big drive, favoring the right side of the fairway. My caddie told me the left side of the fairway is named the "pit of mediocrity" as it leaves the golfer with a blind/poor angle to the green. I was happy to stay out of it. The back 9 really weaves its way out into the chop hills more than the compact front 9. Standing on hole 16 green, you feel as if the clubhouse/cabin area is miles and miles away. While I loved the compact routing on the front 9, being isolated in what felt like the middle of nowhere on the back 9 was equally, if not more, peaceful. The back 9 wraps up with a long-ish par 4 that works back towards the pro shop. As is custom at Ballyneal, the losers of the match must carry the winners bags up the hill back to the putting green area.
Do pins change each day at the golf course?
The pins change each day, having a big impact on how the holes played. The course was in wonderful condition, so we could have happily played there for weeks... The accommodation, restaurant, and bar are all very cosy and welcoming, and with so few people about it was very relaxing.
Is Ballyneal a links course?
Ballyneal - Colorado - USA. Ballyneal sounds Irish so it’s fitting that this is a links course albeit an inland links. The dream of Rupert and Jim O’Neal has become a reality and we think that this course, which is located in the middle of a huge Colorado dunescape, will eventually rival Sand Hills. Even the address – Holyoke – sounds like ...
What is Ballyneal Golf Club?
Ballyneal Golf Club is one of those “middle of nowhere” clubs that no one in the world would have ever heard of if not for the fact that they have a golf course that has been critically acclaimed by all of the major golf publications.
What golf course is Itinerant Golfer's take on?
The Itinerant Golfer's Take on Ballyneal Golf Club
What is the 16th hole?
The 16th hole is a three shot hole that plays uphill and doglegs to the left. The best line from the tee is the right most bunker on the hill in the distance. My caddie said it was shaped like a W, but I still think that is a bit of a stretch.
Which approach shot plays uphill?
The approach shot into the green which also plays uphill.
Is the first one shot hole on the golf course short?
Here is a look at the first one shot hole on the course. It’s a fairly short one and when the wind is favorable it’s even shorter.
Is there room on the right side of the golf course?
There is room on the right side of the hole, but it is way down in a valley. There is still a clear shot to the green from down there though.
Is Ballyneal a walking facility?
Ballyneal is a walking only facility and we were each assigned a caddie to carry our bag. Our caddies, Zander and Kade, were high school kids who were probably between 15 and 17. It always makes me feel good giving a bag fee to a young kid who is trying to earn a buck and has enough hustle to find himself a job.
How many yards is the 3rd hole at Ballyneal?
Signature Hole: 3rd Hole – 145 Yard Par 3 – This is the postcard hole at Ballyneal and shows how attractive a short one-shotter can be at an inland links course. Being less than 150 yards, most pin locations can be attacked by taking dead aim, but there is an argument for feeding the ball into the green off the left side contours or by attacking the right side which features tamer contours and easier two-putts. The undulated green is a lot of fun to play, especially since the grass length is such that you can confidently play the undulations without great fear of blowing your putt by.
What side of the fairway should you play tee shots on?
Tee shots played up the left side of the fairway will be in a position to cut off a small corner of the sand dune and go after this green, while tee shots up the right will likely have the golfer considering laying up beyond the tight neck and hitting a 50-80 yard chip shot.
How many yards is the 7th hole in golf?
Birdie Time: 7th Hole – 352 Yard Par 4 – As can often be the case in golf, the best chance for birdie is at the funnest hole on the course and Ballyneal is no exception. I consider #7 Ballyneal's most memorable hole and one that everyone I talk to seems to appreciate. At just 352 yards and an extremely wide fairway, the 7th is plenty playable for everyone and delivers some nifty options. If you want to take a crack at the green, your tee shot needs to carry the bunker on the left side of the fairway that is in line with the green while avoiding the natural foliage left of the short grass. If you put enough on it then your tee shot can ride the land contours onto the putting surface. If you didn't quite get enough of it or your shot tailed to the right then your ball will find a large swell to pitch from (70-100 yards from the green). Taking an iron off the tee will still leave a comfortable distance into the green and take the bunker out of play and bring in the widest part of the fairway. From the fairway or the chipping swell, golfers can let their creativity ooze out with a plethora of options of how to attack one of the finest green sites in the world. Shots can come in high, skip in low, be played off the side hill, spun back off the ridge in the middle of the green, or caromed off the backstop; and that is just with your wedge - the options are endless with 14 sticks to pick from in your bag! With the hole being short, extremely playable, and affording plenty of options; the 7th is a great chance to card a birdie.
Day 1: Mountain golf
The 13th hole is a short par 4 that goes straight downhill but is guarded by a pond in front. Brandon Tucker/Golf Advisor
Day 2: A century of luxury
Another look at the finishing hole of Broadmoor East. Jason Scott Deegan/GolfPass
Day 3: A mulligan at Ballyneal
Checking out of the Broadmoor is always depressing, especially when you've got a four-hour drive ahead of you. When the destination is the ballyhooed Ballyneal, though, it's motivation to leave. We actually drove past Ballyneal without even realizing it to find lunch at Happy Jacks Barbeque in tiny Holyoke.
Day 4: An inland links
With no tee markers, firm conditions and gusty winds, Ballyneal's big course delivers links style golf in its purist form. The sweeping landscape provides uninterrupted views for miles. It's a demanding walk through this wild dunescape, although Doak made it remarkably fun with serious shaping around the greens.
Day 5: A shiny new toy near Denver
Having played my fair share of TPCs over the years, I admittedly had low expectations for the new TPC Colorado, the first new course built in the state in nearly a decade. I was expecting another cookie-cutter, real-estate course with mounding, soul-less par 4s of 460 yards and lots of bunkers.