Friday was a special day for me! I received an invite to play Ballyhack Golf Club, which always gets ranked among the top golf courses in Virginia. What made the experience extra special for me is that Ballyhack is a private club!

Before I get into the review I’ll say that a lot has been written about Ballyhack and my intent isn’t for this post to be comprehensive. There are plenty of reviews out there that analyze the details of the course, if that is your thing. Knowing that, read on if you wish!

Ballyhack is a Lester George creation that is on the outskirts of Roanoke. I got a bit lost once I got off the I-581 and ended up taking some tiny twisting road (with what felt like 100 turns) to get to the course. I’m sure there was a quicker way!

Lester George is probably a familiar name to many Virginia golfers, but if you don’t follow the private clubs much then he may not be as recognizable. I’d say he is best known for designing Kinloch Golf Club over in the Richmond area but he has done a few smaller projects, which seem to have a focus on growing the game. I didn’t know that he designed a six hole course I played recently until someone from Instagram mentioned it!

I’ll admit that after just one round at Ballyhack there is lots of genius that I’m missing. However, there is plenty that I can share. First, as you’ll see in the pictures, the course presents very well! Ballyhack looks pretty incredible, there is no denying that.

The course is laid out over now mostly treeless land that has plenty of elevation change. With so many trees in Virginia the openness of Ballyhack was a nice change. While driving to the 1st tee you can see almost all of the front nine!

Another thing that adds to the look of Ballyhack are the rugged bunkers. The bunkers have jagged edges and swirl in many directions, sometimes with fescue covered tongues! Ballyhack almost looked like a links course to me. While playing here I was reminded (at least visually) of the Dunes Course at The Prairie Club in Nebraska. Both look a bit raw and exciting.

When it comes to playability you get a few inland links elements at Ballyhack (like wider fairways, plenty of roll and various lines you can pick), but I found the course to have the personality of a target golf course. If you aren’t careful your ball will go careening down a slope that you never knew was there! Also, you’ll have to consider natural areas and narrow necks of the fairway when deciding where to play.

With all the undulation, massive and wild greens, some semi-blind shots and a double fairway/double green combo I wouldn’t have been surprised if you told me that Mike Strantz designed the course! I found Ballyhack to be a bit wacky and crazy to play – which I don’t mean in a disrespectful way as I enjoy Strantz’s work. We played the “Ballyhack” tees which are 73.5/152/6753 so Ballyhack has a lot of bite!

The gigantic double green is found on the 13th and 15th holes which makes them unique. The 13th is a 214 par-3 that can play probably three clubs different depending on the pin location! The 15th is a risk/reward par-5 with endless lines to pick depending on how aggressive you want to be. I thinned a short iron on the 15th and ended up maybe 150 feet away, closer to the 13th flag. Doh! I was very happy with my three putt up a huge slope, that’s for sure!

My favorite hole was the short 17th. The 17th is a 126 par-3 and there was just something about how the hole blended into the surrounding hillside that made me love it. Plus, it was a bit of a breather!

As you’d expect from a premium club the conditions were beautiful! There isn’t much else to say in that regards. The course played firm and fast which resulted in plenty of roll.

If you get the chance to play Ballyhack I’d encourage you to check it out! The course is tough but it is one of a kind in this region and worth pulling a few strings (if you can) to get out here. Also, my host and the staff were great.

Course Pictures (click any picture to scroll through the gallery):