Golfadelphia

5,210 – 7,147 yards, Slope N/A

The awards dinner for the swim team went swimmingly. Afterwards, we sat out on the balcony overlooking the Eighteenth as a pack of kids roamed about. The summer night wore on, even though I knew I would be in the middle of Nebraska the same time the next night. I wasn’t even packed. But it was too nice a night and it would all get done. Some how. A few hours later, I was at Chickie and Pete’s in one of the airport terminals, wolfing down some kind of omelette while rap music blared way too loud for so early in the morning. A few hours after that, I was convincing my friend to pull in to some gas station in the middle of no where, telling him how we needed provisions in case the car broke down. Man I’m getting old. And a few hours and a couple sour patch kid packets after that, we found ourselves in the Chop Hills of Colorado. Far removed from the comfort and ease of the summer night prior, we trudged up the dusty road to the clubhouse while the sun made sure we stayed plenty warm. The first stage of a trip I had been waiting to take for over a decade was here and I was in one piece. It was playing with house money from here on out.

We reached the putting green, where signs of civilization finally came to be. Music was prominent and it was a social scene. I eventually walked past it to where the barren horizon of wilderness sprawled out in every direction, reminding us of its vastness. The sun baked all of it into an almost blank quietude, which finally pervaded my senses the longer I stood there watching over it. Maybe it was all those drives through the Mojave to and from Tahoe growing up, or maybe it’s just some primitive side that finally gets to come out a little, maybe I was some cowboy or farmer out in it in another life but it’s comforting watching over it. It feels a little like coming home. It was time to get further in.

The Chop Hills comprise a small area of eastern Colorado just before the Nebraska state line. The biggest town nearby is Holyoke, which has a population over a little over 2,000. The land is too steep and rugged for livestock or crops, so it remained unused and unattended until the O’Neal brothers came along. Rupert and Jim had a vision after seeing the rise to prominence of Sand Hills and smartly, called in Renaissance Golf. Jim Urbina first visited the site in 2001 and recognized all kinds of character in the land, which then got Doak out there and so on. Save for a one page rough construction plan, the Renaissance team spent most time out in the land to allow the design to evolve naturally, which was then refined with the collective talent of the designers, which included Doak, Urbina and Hepner, as well well Kye Goalby and even designers from other firms, Coore and Crenshaw associates among them. Locals were used as the irrigation crew, rounding out a commune effort that took a mere 21 weeks to put in place. If earth was moved, it was generally so that the ball would eventually stop instead of continuing on to Denver.

The course is an impressive display of raw naturalism. It it a fairly pure links round where the golfer has no choice but to look to the land in deciding how to go about it. Nothing stops the wind from whipping in as it pleases over the hills and through the soft canyons and the ball has nothing stopping it from rolling off the edge of earth. This is a stronger design and much much more unique with its unbounded natural character than I was expecting. There is a very thin line transitioning the fairway from the off fairway and to the green, all placed on the rugged craggy moonscape. The ground game is heart pounding while the aerial is pulsing with risk reward. If I’m being honest, I don’t remember many of the holes distinctly but rather, it is the terrain, the shots, the creativity needed, that stood out. I mean that as a compliment. The holes don’t impose themselves in any manner whatsoever. Instead, they meld right in to the turbulent land, settling as if they’ve been there all along. The greens are one of the best sets you’ll come across, all of it reacting to the tectonics underneath and showcasing the type of wild movement that comes naturally here. The minimalism here is an example of the style’s rising trend in course design that began to expand strongly in the 2000’s and at the other end of the spectrum to courses such as recently reviewed Shelter Harbor, in some ways. Yet it should be noted that despite these contrasting styles, they both emphasize a firm and fast playing structure. How Ballyneal goes about the firm and fast is unique and special for entirely different sets of reasons. Earth moving and shaping are replaced by study of the land as is and how best to conjure strategic, engaging golf within it in contrast to being imposed on it. While there were differing styles of course architecture in this era, they were beginning to search for similar end products; engaging, versatile and thought provoking golf. This end product would begin to resonate more and more while varying styles of getting there continue to this day. With respect to Ballyneal, there in no doubt it is one of the best minimalist courses out there, one of the best links in North America and my favorite course designed by Doak and his team.

As we were in the car and darkness descended on us in the back roads to North Platte, it began to seem like the whole affair was something I dreamt as I sat in passenger seat. Maybe, who can say. The Chop eventually dimmed and faded in the rear view mirror as the road ahead continued. The headlights illuminated the way in the darkness, the only sure thing is always just ahead.

The First is a 320 – 382 yard par 4. Paces off the putting green, the opening tee shot moves uphill to a nice wide landing area. The green is up ahead, bunkers to the right higher up and to the left down below. Save for a couple pesky bunkers on the left, the green and immediate surrounds consist of gently rocking contours that encompass a general suggestion of right to left. The ball will roll and synchronizing the mood of the ball to the land is a big part of the fun out here.

The Second is a 360 – 490 yard par 4. The thing about the Chop is it’s not terribly grandiose in terms of towering mountainous monuments for marveling. Instead, they’re almost like a series of jutting landforms all over that leave a lot of jagged ledges and hollows in the space from top to bottom. It is this space where most of the course resides. The tee shot is blind so we took our lines from clouds in the sky or a nearby bunker that I suspect was put there for that very purpose. Moving up and over the ridge that blocked our view from the tee, we head down the first half of the fairway before gently ascending to the green. The fairway has areas of sand accumulation more than it has true to form bunkers; those are further up near the green at each corner. Leading up to the green and the green itself is what grabbed attention. A leaning valley feels like an off kilter vortex to the green where a pull to the left seems inevitable. The interior contours might have some say in that and like most every green, it takes a lot of study to figure out which way is up when addressing your ball with the flat stick.

The Third is a 90 – 145 yard par 3. The green is below the tee and Chop to the left is enough to tell us the ball will want to light speed to the back right so fast it might go back in time. There is room short of the green to use for coaxing the ball a bit slower on. Of course, I hit a well intended shot that landed close to the pin and then darted to that back right area off the green. While my mind understood the ball needed to land away from the pin, getting my instincts to cooperate was another matter. The green has an upper tier at the front left and lower at the back right. The movement generally traces this but there are anomalies.

The Fourth is a 360 – 573 yard par 5. We start heading further down the valley floor from the perched tee looking down on it all. The fairway dog legs right so starting the opener to the left will account for all the roll down and right. The bunkers on the right are no where anyone wants to be, again impressing upon the golfer the virtues of the left side. The green is positioned slightly above the fairway on a ridge, feeding right in but bunkers below on the sides. The general movement of the terrain is notable and shows us just how powerful it can be as it influences every shot through the green.

The Fifth is a 110 – 165 yard par 3. Snug against the base of a couple hills, the tee shot is a bit uphill to it, which must carry some native shrub and sand on the right with a small pot bunker at the front right. The green and surrounding short grass are quite immense, inviting most shots so long as they get up the hill. Unfortunately for me, my swing decided to kill me and it took a few shots just to get to the green. The things I do for these reviews. I really got in to some of the weeds and bunkers, all for the sake of posterity. The green is an example of the subtlety seen throughout, as the large gentle swales look simplistic enough but the movement of the ball runs contrary to them at times.

The Sixth is a 370 – 480 yard par 4. Rage from the prior hole temporarily blinded me but the bunker in front of us on the tee was doing that already. The tee is positioned to the left of the fairway, so taking off some part of the right side of the bunker is a good line. We begin climbing further up the Chop, a relatively wide fairway mostly unencumbered. The green and its surrounding contours are at the top, generally moving front to back.

The Seventh is a 285 – 352 yard par 4. A short par 4 with a fat landing area before things narrow up to the green. A jagged bunker complex is at the left center of the fairway, which must be dealt with off the tee. The green is saddled on a ridge with the sides ramping down to its center and nothing stopping shots from moving back down the front or off the rear. It’s a fun short par 4 where even using the ground on approach demands use of the contours.

The Eighth is a 340 – 515 yard par 5. The fairway is uphill all the way and there’s a gathering of bunkers on the right that intrudes towards the center that needs to be addressed off the tee or second shot. Once past it, the fairway broadens to the green, which sits at an angle from front left to rear right. The front half moves towards the front and the bunker on the left side while the rear half moves towards the left rear. It’s a great example of navigating the terrain as the golfer would like or needs to while most attention should be on the swirling pull of the terrain.

The Ninth is a 315 – 362 yard par 4. Still moving uphill with the clubhouse in sight, sand is at both sides of the fairway, which bottlenecks closer to the green before expending again at the green complex. The climb makes for a blind approach for many tee shots, which moves downhill before the green, so the wily golfer can use the slope before the green in all kinds of way depending on their position for the second shot. The greens are mainly about the outskirts of play, leaving the golfer with freedom to move about the Chop as mood or playing style dictates.

The front nine is a wonderful combination of variety and facilitation of creativity as the Chop creaks this way and that. The raw landscape is presented not as a survival seeking gauntlet but rather the strategy of the roll, which is complicated by the approach angles, pin positions and wind, are what is emphasized, taking full advantage of the brilliant potential of the untapped land. I would rank them 7, 3, 4, 2, 8, 9, 1, 6, 5.

The back nine starts with the 380 – 509 yard par 4 Tenth. Floating down the hill from the clubhouse, the fairway bends right and narrows a little to the green. The approach also changes course and moves uphill. Bunkers lurk off to the sides and while they appear harmless enough, are easily in play. The golfer should know by now that the ball is inclined to bounce and roll all over, so every feature, no matter how seemingly far off, can find you. The green is deep and appreciates this concept, allowing enough room for the motion of the ball before finally settling near the hole.

The Eleventh is a 125 – 200 yard par 3. An uphill affair with a deep center bunker demanding attention, the ball needs to be well on to the green to avoid falling back down into it or down the entirety of the hill at the front or right side. The left levels out more while the ripples and frumps seem to originate on that side.

The Twelfth is a 240 – 375 yard par 4. A short par 4 that hitches to the left of the tee. Bunkers at the short left of the fairway then further down on the right, both in play off the tee. There’s a wide landing area off the tee and then things start getting rambunctious leading up to the green. A large hump acts like a hog’s back and eschews shots to the outer limits of the fairway while the green leans to the left, away from the crowd of bunkers beyond. The green stretches around a center line bunker at the front, so ending up to the left of it means an uphill putt and vice versa. It’s a great short par 4 for how it makes the golfer strategize by directing their thought to the dynamics of the land.

The Thirteenth is a 330 – 510 yard 4. Back down the Chop, the tee shot is elevated to the floor below that moves out to the left with all of it exposed to the fury of the wind. Bunkers scatter shot down the fairway and gather with more volume at the left side before the green. The fairway rumples move like waves towards the green. The green is set well off the hills and bunkers on ample contours much calmer yet subtle than the tumultuous fairway. It’s a beautiful hole in both looks and how it plays.

The Fourteenth is a 300 – 362 yard par 4. A true dog leg left moving back uphill with similar fairway undulations we encountered at the hole prior. There’s sand at the inside of the turn and a small bunker at the fairway on the left side but otherwise the rises and fall of the terrain is allowed in full bloom, heaving and bowing towards the green. The lies and ball movement change every half second based on how they contact the swales while the more cunning and experiences golfer may develop a general idea of where the shots settle in which hollows and preferred angles in depending on how the ball runs out. It’s yet another delightfully fun hole.

The Fifteenth is a 135 – 237 yard par 3. I actually noticed the sinewy tee before anything else, which snakes along between a couple hills. All kinds of different angles in depending on where the tee shot is from. The green is above with sand all around. The sides of the green are pulled up giving a punchbowl effect yet the contours ensure more random movement than simply towards the middle, with the rear moving back and to the left and another collection at the front right. It’s a great green site, using the upper reaches of the Chop.

The Sixteenth is a 410 – 546 yard par 5. A furtive par 5 that’s shy about its length, so reveals its paths to the green shot by shot. It starts with an uphill tee shot that then dives down before moving back up and to the left between a couple hills relatively close together. The swales close to the green are reminiscent of what we saw at the Fourteenth while the green sits on a shelf above. The approach needs to reach a healthy part of the green to ensure it stays there. The golfer must decide between shorter shots with fewer view of what’s ahead to the left or longer shots with clearer views to the right. It’s yet another spectacular hole used within the canyons of the Chop, rich with character.

The Seventeenth is a 365 – 481 yard par 4. A hole careening to the right the entire time, the left side banking like a race track. We could see the storm coming in from hundreds of miles away but it still seemed to come out of no where. The unforgiving, dry sun left, replaced by an imposing floating largesse. At first, the sun was able to show through in spots like a kaleidoscope and the different plays of light were nicely toned while everything seemed too cool considerably. But then, the clouds were done with their show and wanted to get on with it. It was touch and go since we heard thunder, but managed to finish and slip inside the clubhouse before the rain came down in sheets. A half hour later, it was done and the sky was once again clear. The only sign that anything had happened was the ponds of water here and there, which were quickly sacrificed to the Chop and its heat, disappearing into the ether. The tee shot is partially blind and set to the left of the fairway, again setting up the prevalence of movement to the right. The fairway eventually bumps up to the green then levels out, yet the left side is pulled up enough so that movement to the right prevails even there. The closing sequence is really coming on.

The Eighteenth is a 375 – 463 yard par 4. The final hole unabashedly in clear view turns the opposite of the hole prior and climbs to the green. Bunkers on the left side challenge the golfer and urge him to stay off to the right, yet that side yields much longer approach shots. The left side is even more complicated than just those gathering of bunkers; the fairway on that side lowers significantly from the rest of it, which leaves obscured views. Approaches from center or the right may need to even carry this depressed area and while there is plenty of room middle and right of the green to ensure the approach does not fall back in to any hills or bunkers, this will leave the golfer with a delicate putt or chip across the green where the whole ordeal may happen anyways. After quick handshakes as we briskly walked in the throes of descending thunder and lightning, the Chop spared us from the torrents just barely.

The back nine has a great flow and the closing series are among some of my favorite holes of the course. The placement of the holes is impressive, which frees up the structure of play for varied strategic fun among the natural landscape. As mentioned before, the playing experience unifies which encapsulates the holes into a single experience, making them all very strong and almost impossible to sort out or rank. Regardless, if pressed I would rank them 16, 12, 15, 14, 13, 17, 18, 11, 10.

Generally, Ballyneal is a tremendous accomplishment of minimalism along the lines of Sand Hills. The differences in the land dictate their character and here, the land is more jutty and jagged, which Doak and crew used advantageously in routing through canyons between them and in the hills, as opposed to trying to stay on top and over them. The terrain movement within those areas is more volatile and exciting, which enables a canvas for the ball to roll at will while off fairway areas had a full range of measures of recovery. There are shades of Irish links within the Chop, the dunes rising on both sides at times but for the most part, Ballyneal is a links experience unique of its own. The greens are cradled in hollows and ridges while the holes are situated on what seems to be impervious paths on occasion that reveal themselves slowly as the mood hits. It’s all about the atypical character of the land and how it was used. The design embraces the land as opposed to ignoring and trying to conquer it with self-imposed identity. In turn, the uncanny use of the land liberates its potential. Spectacular playing structure in a rather straightforward presentation that allows the golfer to interact with the Chop profoundly. While there is inspiration and majesty at Sand Hills with its grand scale, there is none here. That makes the place even more endearing. Here, there golfer remains grounded, anchored to the moods of the terrain with its brutal honesty. Niceties such as exuberance are for after the round. The Chop is for grinding and constant thought. As it should be.

Ballyneal also significantly dispels that minimalism needs spectacular land in order to produce spectacular golf. Like some where such as Talking Stick North, the right design team is able to seek out the playing structure in the land, regardless of perceived potential at first glance. The craggy, rocky and sporadic unevenness of the terrain had to be studied and part of the brilliance was in configuring it all in a way where its potential was unlocked. Not just anyone can do it. It takes talent, vision, skill, as well as love. Love of the game, love of nature and love of whatever it is that makes us go out there. We may not know what to call it, but we all sure as hell know what it is. And it is here.

Clubhouse/Pro Shop: One of the direct contrasts with Sand Hills is the luxury and gregariousness of the clubhouse. Music pervades the putting green area, which is set up as a communal hub of sorts where groups can congregate with a few cocktails or what have you. There’s a pool table and video game in the bar area and a large dining area upstairs with various rooms, all of it providing a good deal of bells and whistles to the guests. There’s a quite impressive par 3 course as well, the Mulligan, laid out for this very reason as well. For hundreds of years, most that came across the Chop were probably inclined to move away from it as quickly as practicable. No more.

Practice area: The putting green (called, “The Commons”) obviously. There’s also a driving range down the road.