What could we do to make Ballyneal a more compelling place, with enough water for seven more acres of turf? Much more than we thought, actually. The new Mulligan course consists of twelve par-3 holes, the perfect option for those who don’t have the energy to walk a second eighteen.
With an informal course like this, a designer can throw all the rules out the window: golfers don’t worry about their score, so concerns about fairness can be muted. The ninth green is the smallest we have ever built; the seventh one of the biggest and wildest, unless the fourth or fifth greens are wilder. But most greens are situated in bowls, and golfers can use the high grass lines to the sides and back to corral their shots and bring them back toward a possible hole in one. It’s the rare course where even the high handicapper has a chance to compete with those more skilled.
