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4.9
16 Reviews (16)
5 Stars
13
4 Stars
1
3 Stars
0
2 Stars
0
1 Stars
2
Conditions
5.0
Value
4.8
Layout
5.0
Friendliness
5.0
Pace
4.9
Amenities
5.0
97.8%
Recommend this course
14 out of 16 reviews
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About

Holes 18
Type Private/Resort
Par 72
Length 7294 yards
Slope 155
Rating 76.1

Course Details

Year Built 2009
Architect Lester George (2009) Bill Kubly (2009)

Rentals/Services

Carts Yes
GPS No

Practice/Instruction

Driving Range Yes
Teaching Pro Yes
Putting Green Yes

Policies

Metal Spikes Allowed No

Lodging

Lodging Available

Accolades

Reviews

4.9
16 Reviews (16)

What Golfers Are Saying

Course Challenges Include:
Bunkers 7
Elevation Changes 7
Forced Carries 7
This course/club is great for:
A Bucket list/Top 100 Pick 6
Advanced Golfers 6

Numbers based on reviews tagged with attribute.

Reviewer Photos

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Overall Rating
Recommended
Handicap
Age
Type of Golfer
Gender
Played On
Reviews 734
Skill Advanced
Plays Once a week
I Recommend This Course
5.0
Michigan Advisor
Top 10 Contributor
First Time Playing

Must Play in Virginia

If you can get access do not pass up a chance to play this Lester George gem! The course can be difficult if you are having an off day. I found the course forgiving off the tee, but much more difficult around the greens. The views and large elevation changes are stunning.

Conditions Excellent
Value Excellent
Layout Excellent
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Excellent
Amenities Excellent
Played On
Reviews 310
Handicap 5-9
Skill Advanced
Plays A few times a week
I Recommend This Course
5.0
Birmingham Advisor
Top 10 Contributor
First Time Playing
Hot weather
Used cart

Ballyhack provides a style of golf uncommon to this region. Here, the ball moves along the ground - both after it hits the fairway and the green.

Set in dramatic topography, the holes rise and fall with spectacular elevation changes. It has immense scale. That combined with the rugged, rough-ringed blowout bunkers reminded me a lot of Erin Hills. Some players will find the course overwhelming and penal. I found it exciting and the holes possessed a rhythm that unfolds with each new teeing ground. The strategy that is involved takes advantage of this topography. If you are a “see pin, aim to carry ball to pin” player, you will likely be frustrated after a round here. Architect Lester George asks you to look at all aspects of the hole in order to find alternate routes to the flag. Managing the ravines and brooks that permeate the course sometimes require creativity.

There aren’t many trees that come into play on the course. The ones George decided to leave, however, are used brilliantly to influence the strategy of the hole. This occurs notably on the eighth (which is my favorite hole on the property due to the options offered in getting to the green), 15th and 18th holes.

Panoramic views abound due to the mostly open nature of the course, particularly the front nine, which lies across the road.

The green complexes utilize a lot of slope and prominently feature shelves with distinct tiering. Several false fronts, particularly the one guarding the first green, can be maddening.

We played 36 holes per day over two days. If you are staying on property and entertaining a similarly ambitious schedule, I would highly recommend playing your own ball the first round of the day and playing an alternate format in the afternoon. This is a taxing golf course to traverse, even with carts, and you will likely be tired. The first day we played the new Goat Trak in the evening. The GT utilizes all 18 greens of the regulation course, but is played from its own set of tees ranging from 60-165 yards. It is immense fun and allows players who have played well in the morning to loosen up and just play golf shots instead of grinding over score. Likewise, a player that has struggled earlier has a chance to re-discover his game by playing some fun golf shots.

Ballyhack’s staff is top-notch and will stop at nothing to insure their guests are satisfied.

Conditions Excellent
Value Excellent
Layout Excellent
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Excellent
Amenities Excellent
Difficulty Extremely Challenging
Played On
Reviews 11
Handicap 0-4
Skill Advanced
Plays A few times a week
I Recommend This Course
5.0
First Time Playing
Perfect weather
Used cart

Tour Quality Conditions and Hospitality

If you are looking for a pure golf experience, Ballyhack is the place to go. I can not say enough good things about the staff, course, amenities, caddies, you name it.

First off, we were greeted by the Head Pro, Matt, who gave us a tour of the entire facility and made us feel very welcome. The clubhouse is great with a lot of good merchandise in the pro shop to choose from.

The practice range has Titleist practice balls and is in great shape. The course is also in pristine condition. I have been to multiple PGA Tour events and this course could host a tour event tomorrow without having to change a single thing.

In terms of the actual golf course, I would certainly say this is one of the more challenging courses I have played. Just about every green has a forced carry to get onto the green.The fairways are generous, but once you get up and around the green, you better be able to chip off some tight lies and be prepared for multiple 3 putts. The superintendent told us the greens were rolling a 12 the day we played, and I believe it.

On top of the great course layout and conditions, the views are spectacular as well. If you ever get the chance to play Ballyhack, I would certainly not pass up the opportunity.

Conditions Excellent
Value Good
Layout Excellent
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Excellent
Amenities Excellent
Difficulty Extremely Challenging
Played On
Reviews 14
Handicap 10-14
Skill Intermediate
Plays Once every three months
I Recommend This Course
5.0
Nebraska Advisor
First Time Playing
Perfect weather
Used cart

Wonderful Course

New Dormie Network member. What a treat to get to play this layout! A very challenging but fair course. Many of the fairways are very wide, but some are tighter than they appear. Balls in the rough will generally not be found and if they are they won't be playable. I lost several balls. Multiple plays will really help a person out on this course after you know where you're hitting.

That brings up the minor downsides - the GPS unit on the carts is very limited. Would be nice to have more detail than just yardage to the hole. Also would've made the first round "easier." I gave conditioning 4* just due to a few minor places that need repair. They certainly aren't in the line of play in the least. Honestly, I'm just trying to come up with stuff now. The routing of the holes was great but was just a touch confusing in places. Again, after playing once I knew exactly where I was going.

The cottages are great and there's complimentary water and apples all over the course. The food was great as well. This is a first class place. All of the servers and golf assistants I spoke with were really nice and accommodating. A nice laid back yet upscale vibe going on here. Go out of your way to play this if you can!

Conditions Good
Value Excellent
Layout Excellent
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Excellent
Amenities Excellent
Difficulty Extremely Challenging
Played On
Reviews 222
Handicap 5-9
Skill Intermediate
Plays A few times a week
I Recommend This Course
5.0
Top 25 Contributor
Virginia Advisor
First Time Playing
Perfect weather
Used cart

Simply Stunning

While many private clubs focus on providing immaculate course conditions or world-class service and hospitality, Ballyhack’s attention to detail in every aspect is unrivaled. It is, simply, the highest-quality golfing experience I’ve ever had. A stunning and challenging layout, tour-level conditions, a wonderful staff, and world-class facilities make Ballyhack a must-play for every Dormie Network member and those guests fortunate enough to be invited to play it.

The weakest aspect of the club is on the course itself, with several of the greens presenting a challenge many players might find unfair. Depending on the pin location, there are at least a few holes where two putts is the absolute best you can hope for, and 4 putts are uncomfortably common. The 18 putting surfaces are all unique and extremely dynamic, with drastic slope on many of them and a speed that more than matches it. While few approach shots will fully roll off the green, even a shot that lands within 12 feet of some pins won’t be anywhere near that close by the time you arrive.

Many players can find frustration in these situations but this course is an extremely challenging one and if you go into your round here with that mindset, you can actually have a lot of fun. There are options off the tee on a majority of the holes and plenty of closely-mowed grass and slopes near a lot of the greens to encourage creativity in your short game. Add in some awesomely undulating fairways and epic bunkering and Ballyhack serves up an aesthetic appeal few courses in the country can match.

From tee to green, the course conditions at Ballyhack are superior to every other course I’ve played. The fairways are impossibly lush and smooth, the greens are blemish-free and the rest of the course is just so, so good. I doubt an Augusta National greenskeeper could find fault here.

The staff here is so friendly and professional, they make you feel at home right away and are perfectly attentive, thoughtful, and accommodating. I don’t often mention food in a course review but theirs is better than anywhere else.

It’s the smallest details that make the big difference to me here. The individual stacks of Titleist practice balls at the practice putting green, the Dormie bag tag they attach to your golf bag upon arrival, the delicious honeycrisp apples available on-course (though not during my round due to COVID-19 restrictions), all of these things add up to an exceptional experience.

I loved every minute of my time at Ballyhack and I can’t wait to go back and take in the beauty of the club and take on the beast of the course that offers so many opportunities for bravery and strategy.

Conditions Excellent
Layout Excellent
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Excellent
Amenities Excellent
Difficulty Extremely Challenging
Played On
Reviews 4
Skill Advanced
Plays A few times a week
I Recommend This Course
Incentivized Review
5.0
First Time Playing

Great layout with almost perfect conditions considering the rain!

Ballyhack is a wonderful golf club. The course layout is tough but fair. It’s definitely a second shot golf course. The conditions were fantastic even with substantial rain the day before. However it is not a “walkers” course. It is definitely a must play in Roanoke.

Conditions Good
Value Good
Layout Excellent
Friendliness Good
Pace Excellent
Amenities Good
Played On
Reviews 52
Handicap 5-9
Skill Intermediate
Plays A few times a week
I Recommend This Course
5.0
Virginia Advisor
Top 1000 Contributor
First Time Playing
Perfect weather
Used cart

Exceptional Course!!!

By far one of the most unique layouts I have ever played. A really enjoyable American Links style course with plenty of elevation change throughout.

The course conditions were top notch throughout the course. Tee boxes, fairways and rough were all in amazing shape for late July and considering the fairways are Bent grass. There are plenty of bunkers and they are all well maintained. The greens here are large and have a lot of undulation throughout. I would suggest buying a yardage book and paying close attention to the provided information. You need to put the ball on the right level of every green or you will be staring at a for sure 2 and most likely a 3 putt. The greens were smooth and rolled true all day, both days I played.

The practice facility is top notch. Multi-tiered grass driving range, large true practice green and Pro V1's to hit on the range.

The clubhouse is gorgeous. The locker room has anything you could need pre- or post round. Fully stocked pro shop with plenty to choose from for anyone. Full bar and restaurant with very good food at more than a reasonable price. The staff here is more than accommodating all the way around.

This course being a part of the Dormie Network does make it private but give them a call and ask about playing. Ballyhack is worth the effort to play in my humble opinion. Plus inquire about the cottages they have on property for a stay and play feel.

Conditions Excellent
Value Good
Layout Excellent
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Good
Amenities Excellent
Difficulty Extremely Challenging
Played On
Reviews 1
Handicap 15-19
Skill Intermediate
Plays Once a week
I Recommend This Course
5.0
First Time Playing
Windy weather
Used cart

Check out @theweekendgolfwarrior Instagram for videos/pictures of this course

This course was fantastic! Check out my instagram account @theweekendgolfwarrior for actual videos and pictures of my round. On Saturday we played the tips which is ~7200 yards and it is very very long. This course really makes you think about your shot. You have to be intentional about club selection and where you want to fly the ball. I personally can crank my drive with the best of them and the fairways are huge. Unfortunately if you are like me and can get a little wonky with your drive you will probably loose some balls in the tall grass. The greens are very fast but if you can spin the ball and/or get height on your approach they are manageable OR putt or chip uphill. The biggest thing is getting on the right section (I call shelf) of the green. If you find yourself on a lower/upper section it will be a difficult 2 putt. The second day the wind was kicking around 20 MPH. We moved up two tee boxes (orange tees) to make the course manageable and glad we did. I had to tee the ball no higher than my driver head and just play a very low roller. I shot within 1 stroke of my first day play. We stayed overnight at the cottages and they are extremely nice. The food at the club house was excellent. Make sure you buy the caddie cheat sheet and ask the pro shop for their cheat sheet. Overall a great experience.

Conditions Excellent
Value Excellent
Layout Excellent
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Excellent
Amenities Excellent
Difficulty Extremely Challenging
Played On
Reviews 2
Handicap 10-14
Skill Intermediate
Plays Once a week
I Recommend This Course
5.0
First Time Playing
Perfect weather
Used cart

Most Fun I've ever had on a course

Despite what some reviewers have wrote, although demanding this course is not the contrived "tricked out" behemoth you expect. If you play from the correct tees every hole is a very good chance of par or better. The vistas are phenomenal and the 4 bedroom cabins quite comfortable (Go to the website and take advantage of their stay and play while you have a chance as I've heard this will no longer be an option soon and the course will revert back to it's previous exclusivity). Despite carding a 12 on the front 9 and 10 on the back I scored quite well here. The greens are expansive and undulating so while a GIR is easy enough to come by, finding yourself on the correct tier can take a few rounds to figure out. There are some blind shots but I didn't find them unfair (Unlike a certain layout by a prominent multiple major winner in Middlefield, CT). The weather was perfect, the course was in great shape and my fiancé and I had the course to ourselves. While not the course for a beginner or a younger player, there are tee boxes for almost every distance level and I highly recommend giving this track a go. Oh, and a shout out to Joe Z, the general manager who was incredibly friendly and accommodating. The ONLY issue, is that I forgot my golf shoes (or thought I did they ended up being under my fiancé's hiking pack in the bed of her truck) and they didn't rent nor have my size to purchase. Oh well. My fault anyway.
I have to go back here soon

Conditions Excellent
Value Excellent
Layout Excellent
Friendliness Good
Pace Excellent
Amenities Good
Difficulty Extremely Challenging
d184b637-9e39-516d-b298-c2dcbdea3c79
Commented on 07/28/2017

Shared on Twitter, do you have a handle? THanks!

Played On
Reviews 12
Handicap 0-4
Skill Advanced
Plays A few times a week
I Recommend This Course
5.0
First Time Playing
Good weather
Used cart

Golf Elevated

Played this course 3 times over 2 days as we stayed in the cottages for nights. This without a doubt a very difficult course and for the average hacker maybe a bit too much but if you like to challenge your game then this is your course. The first 2 holes are fairly easy and gives a good warmup before the fun begins. I found #12 to be the most difficult with 16 a close second due to the approach to a narrow target. The staff could not have been nicer, even staff working on the course would ask how we were enjoying our stay and seemed happy to have us. My wife only rode along and she also found the course to be quite attractive and everyone very nice. If you get a chance to play, do it. The previous reviewer must have been a poor golfer or had a bad day as each hole is well thought out, but if bring your A game and think about position you will be able to score. We have played the greatest courses in Ireland/Scotland and New Zealand/Australia and this ranks right up there. The closest comparison in the states would be Ballyneal in Colorado. Loved it!

Conditions Excellent
Value Excellent
Layout Excellent
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Excellent
Amenities Excellent
Difficulty Extremely Challenging
Played On
Reviews 1
Handicap 0-4
Skill Advanced
Plays A few times a week
1.0
First Time Playing
Good weather
Used cart

Tricked up. Stupid Design. Ruined a good piece farm land.

Let me put this in context. Didn't lose a ball, and there was a steady 15mph wind. The worst design EVER. Where is the windmills & clown mouth. Terrible green complexes. Ex: 215 yd par 3's & greens have 5 foot elevation changes. Why? 6' off greens- unplayable lies. Severely sloped greens. Pristine conditions & a cool membership roster, but overall the course playability is a horrible. A theme park nightmare.

Conditions Good
Value Average
Friendliness Good
Pace Excellent
Amenities Good
Difficulty Extremely Challenging
Default User Avatar
Commented on 08/07/2018

Highly Disagree.....The designer knows what he is doing. He designed the best course in VA kinloch.....There's places to miss and all pins have flat around them. If you miss in the wrong place you are screwed even if on the green. That's the beauty of this place. Seems to me you just got beat by the course and couldn't handle it. There's a reason the State open is played here...I played this year and i promise the championship conditions were way tougher then the day you played. 15 players under pay and 7 over thru 2 days was the cut line. You can play this course well if you have patients. Trust me.

Default User Avatar
Commented on 03/02/2017

To be certain Ballyhack is not for the below average to average golfer if you are expecting your run of the mill hack and chase or pitch and putt go elsewhere, golf is taken seriously at Ballyhack, the greens are fast, lots of undulations and false fronts, difficult but fair, the state open is held here yearly, why? Because it's challenging and a serious endeavor to beat this course! Brush up your game or stay at the municipal course if you want to not be demoralized because you have no game.

Played On
Reviews 5
Handicap 15-19
Skill Intermediate
Plays Once a week
I Recommend This Course
4.0
Previously Played
Good weather
Used cart

Best Course in Roanoke Area

For a private club - management needs to enforce speed of play better. Was behind a Fivesome for most of the day. That should NEVER be allowed. Made our 4 hour round into a 5 hour round Other than that, the course is spectacular - tough as nails if the wind is blowing. The greens were crazy difficult.

Conditions Excellent
Value Average
Friendliness Good
Pace Fair
Amenities Good
Difficulty Extremely Challenging
Played On
Reviews 16
Handicap 15-19
Plays Once a week
I Recommend This Course
5.0
First Time Playing
Used cart

Bucket list

This course is beautiful. I was lucky enough to play and stay at the cottages as a guest. I felt like I was not worthy.
The course is very challenging and intimidating off many of the tees. You will need every club in your bag. Avoid the rough if you can-it's very thick. Uneven lies throughout the fairways. Great elevation changes and tricky greens.
The course is kind of in the middle of nowhere and maybe this is why it does not get more recognition but it should be rated higher by golf digest. Ranked number 7 in the state is a joke. This course is spectacular.
For higher handicappers you have to temper expectations. I am a 16 handicap so I understood to play the right tees from the start...

Conditions Excellent
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Excellent
Amenities Excellent
Difficulty Extremely Challenging
Played On
Reviews 1
Skill Advanced
Plays A few times a week
I Recommend This Course
5.0
Previously Played

This course is great

The course can be very difficult from the back tees. The slope is 155. However you have multiple tees to choice from to make play very fun. This course is very different from other courses in area due to being links course. You need to play a couple of times to learn the lines for both tee shots and putting. Very fun course that is challenging.

Conditions Excellent
Value Excellent
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Excellent
Amenities Excellent
Played On
Reviews 16
Handicap 5-9
Skill Advanced
Plays A few times a week
I Recommend This Course
5.0
First Time Playing
Excellent weather
Used cart

Eureka

Why Eureka: the ultimate in golf course challenge and experience. This Lester George design is to be rated on the top ten of any golf enthusiast's bucket list. Yes, it is a fantastic challenge but the rewards after hitting good shots are impressive and memorable. 18 (signature) holes on 250 acres allow for creating unparalleled scenes and impressions.
Here more than ever, select the correct tee box, starting right at the beginning. The course is fair, the conditions perfect. Use of the (available) tips sheet and GPS distance finder are essential to success. Elevation changes throughout the course. Staff is friendly and helpful. Course is strictly private.

Conditions Excellent
Value Good
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Good
Amenities Excellent
Difficulty Extremely Challenging
Played On
Reviews 3
Handicap 10-14
Skill Advanced
Plays A few times a week
1.0
First Time Playing
Excellent weather
Used cart

immaculate condition

don't know of any course with a higher slope rating. You'd have to be a pro to enjoy playing here. It takes the difficulty rating to a new level.

Conditions Excellent
Value Poor
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Poor
Amenities Excellent
Difficulty Extremely Challenging
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