Photo by Channing Benjamin
LC Lambrecht
Evan Schiller
Channing Benjamin/Courtesy of Ballyneal GC
Channing Benjamin/Courtesy of Ballyneal GC
Channing Benjamin/Courtesy of Ballyneal GC
Overview
If No. 8 Sand Hills Golf Club stands for the notion that there’s nothing more glorious than a round of golf beyond the range of cell phone reception, then Ballyneal (Tom Doak’s northeast Colorado answer to Nebraska’s Sand Hills) proves that isolated golf is even better when Spartan in nature. With no carts and with dry, tan fescue turf on fairways and greens, Ballyneal is even more austere than Sand Hills. It provides absolutely firm and fast conditions, and with many greens perched on hilltops, the effect of wind on putts must be considered. The rolling landforms, topsy-turvy greens and half-par holes make playing here feel like a joyride, and that sense of exuberance has catapulted Ballyneal from an original ranking of no. 95 in 2011 to its highest ranking to date at no. 36.
About
Awards
Ranking history:
100 Greatest: Ranked since 2011.
2023-'24 ranking: 36th (highest).
Previous ranking: 44th.
Best in State: Ranked since 2007.
Current ranking: First.
Panelists
Ratings from our panel of 1,900 course-ranking panelists
100 GREATEST/BEST IN STATE SCORES
Shot Options
Character
Challenge
Layout Variety
Fun
Aesthetics
Conditioning
Reviews
Review
“Great course that moves through an incredible landscape providing wonderful golf. The course is extremely fun and provides a great challenge."
Read More2024
Review
“A course every fan of architecture should see, Ballyneal utilizes every significant tenet of architecture. Thanks to wind conditions and teeing ground elasticity, one could play it dozens of times without ever facing the same shot. Many features on the course are gargantuan and the player becomes completely immersed in the experience. A sublime golf experience from start to finish."
Read More2024
Review
“Incredible layout variety and shot options. No two holes are alike. A lot of fun opportunities to use firm turf and play the contours around and on the greens. Outstanding greens conditioning but the fairways were inconsistent and at times patchy."
Read More2024
Review
“Ballyneal is an authentic true links course in the Colorado prairie. It almost feels like you are in Ireland."
Read More2023
Review
“Ballyneal is a piece of Ireland transplanted into the North American prairie, resembling Ballybunion or Waterville (without the ocean). The turf runs firm and fast as a links course should. The course layout is outstanding, particularly the green sites, which are as natural as any I've seen. Shot Options are the strength of the course. You are forced to play a wide variety of shots. There aren't a lot of bunkers, but it's a good idea to stay out of them because they are irregular and rugged. Ballyneal is one of the best true links courses in the U.S."
Read More2023
Review
“True Gem of the US Golf World. A Must play course."
Read More2023
Review
“Brilliant layout with fairways reminiscent of Scotland and outstanding greens"
Read More2023
Review
“A three or four day stay at Ballyneal represents one of the golf's greatest experiences. The vibe of the club is laid back, unpretentious and welcoming. The cabins and lodges on site are comfortable and just want is needed after a day of 36 holes. The course is unquestionably one of the best courses in the country and in the world. The fairways are wide but placing your tee ball in the correction section of the fairway is critical to gain the correct angle into the green for the second shot. The greens and their surrounds offer many slopes that allow the player to feed the ball to hole locations. Ballyneal is one of the few pure links golf experiences in the United States. The entire ethos of the club centers around golf."
Read More2023
Review
“You'd be hard pressed to find a more fun round of golf than Ballyneal"
Read More2022
Review
“Very good prairie style golf course worth the time and effort to travel to northeast Colorado."
Read More2022
