Based on what JB was saying thinking bogey and move on. Driver off the tee as distance would not be an issue and then mid iron in and hopefully it stays on the green or just off then either 3 putt or chip on and two putt.
Breaking Down Ballyhack Hole #1
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For shorter hitters driver can be in play but in the times I played Ballyhack it was 3w off the tee. The second shot was the more difficult because if you did not choose the right club or get deep enough on the green your ball was going to find the false front. Of the three rounds two pars and one bogey.
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- #80
I believe there have been more experiences at Bally thusfar, so it makes sense.
This hole definitely has the potential for being a very harsh introduction to a beautiful but challenging course. Honestly it's not really the tee shot either - once you're standing on the tee box you realize that the fairway is more generous in width than most of the photographs would suggest. At least that's how I felt.
The challenge starts with your approach (second) shot. The green is well above you, so you can't see the surface. You haven't played the hole before so you don't know the green complex or how they hold. Clearly the skilled players will take the advice of the forecaddie and likely fire a dart somewhere within 20-30 feet of the stick. Us mortals will be fortunate to find and hold the putting surface, which leads to the next phase of the challenge - experiencing Ballyhack's awesome green complexes.
The challenge starts with your approach (second) shot. The green is well above you, so you can't see the surface. You haven't played the hole before so you don't know the green complex or how they hold. Clearly the skilled players will take the advice of the forecaddie and likely fire a dart somewhere within 20-30 feet of the stick. Us mortals will be fortunate to find and hold the putting surface, which leads to the next phase of the challenge - experiencing Ballyhack's awesome green complexes.
I was thinking that as well. It seems to have become the unofficial mascot course of THP! Lol
Forced carries, especially off the first tee, always intimidates me, I would expect a rocky start to the day, but a cool hole for sure
I played this hole really poorly days. The fairway is wider than it looks and the ravine really got in my head. We were playing the combined tees (which I think put us on white on #1) so the forecaddies said about 230 was about all you could do. Really anything in the fairway should be the main goal (although you can leave a long difficult shot if you just barely get to the fairway).
Although not as severe as some other holes coming up, the elevation change from fairway to green was also more substantial than I was expecting. The forecaddies did a pretty good job though giving you actual and adjusted numbers, then giving you a target/yardage they would recommend. Whether this golfer could execute that was certainly hit or miss.
The green here is the hard part to me, as it seemed smaller than many others. The hole on the left keeps you away from the false front, but brings a couple of nasty bunkers into play (our day 1 pin was on the left and those bunkers were my downfall). The hole on the right changes the challenge to be the false front...this side LOOKS less menacing, but the false front got me on day 2.
We played the White tee here at 321 yards on the card.
Although not as severe as some other holes coming up, the elevation change from fairway to green was also more substantial than I was expecting. The forecaddies did a pretty good job though giving you actual and adjusted numbers, then giving you a target/yardage they would recommend. Whether this golfer could execute that was certainly hit or miss.
The green here is the hard part to me, as it seemed smaller than many others. The hole on the left keeps you away from the false front, but brings a couple of nasty bunkers into play (our day 1 pin was on the left and those bunkers were my downfall). The hole on the right changes the challenge to be the false front...this side LOOKS less menacing, but the false front got me on day 2.
We played the White tee here at 321 yards on the card.
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- #86
Played this hole twice when I was at the Hack and parred it once, bogeyed it the other. No issues off the tee, just hit a long iron or hybrid and then short iron in. As with pretty much every green at Ballyhack, it has a lot of slope, but unlike the other holes, it isn't big. And missing it is going to be tough. I was unable to scramble for par when I missed it.
It's a great hole visually off the tee cause it looks scary as sh*t, but the tee shot really isn't a problem unless you cold top one or hit a big hook. The 2nd shot is really the crux here.
It's a great hole visually off the tee cause it looks scary as sh*t, but the tee shot really isn't a problem unless you cold top one or hit a big hook. The 2nd shot is really the crux here.
These threads were so great during the lead-up...and I know several of us talked of reading them. So thank you for posting them, and thought that posting the thoughts after playing them in these threads would be more useful to the next (and later) Ballyhack event goers than putting thoughts in our event thread.
Really appreciate you posting these threads @Daluteh
Opening tee shot too short for my liking with driver. Would probably being playing something that would leave me further out for my second swing then I would like to be. Most likely result would be a missed green and unless I made a great chip, bogey.
Two quick things that are not hole specific, but I assume that most people would start with the Hole #1 thread.
Not sure when this color change happened compared to other documentation, but as far as tee boxes/colors...Red tees were the tips, Black tees were next, then White tees. For the Vokey Experience, we played a predefined Black/White combination that I think on the scorecard was called the Appalachian Tees. I forgot to take a picture or bring home a scorecard, so quoting the photo from @Trmpt98.
Not sure when this color change happened compared to other documentation, but as far as tee boxes/colors...Red tees were the tips, Black tees were next, then White tees. For the Vokey Experience, we played a predefined Black/White combination that I think on the scorecard was called the Appalachian Tees. I forgot to take a picture or bring home a scorecard, so quoting the photo from @Trmpt98.
Correct, we played the Appalachian Tees
Second thing is a bit more of an aside...but if anyone plays PGA2K23 on Xbox or Playstation, there is a user created course you can play by searching Ballyhack (L) that is pretty darn good to show you the elevations and general green slopes. I played that a few times before I got there and found it pretty accurate to give a feel for the place.