Northeastern Colorado’s Ballyneal continues to ascend national/international course rankings lists with this month’s additions
By Gary Baines – 11/25/2024
Another one of this country’s most prominent golf publications released some course rankings this month. And though there are all sorts of course rankings these days — the way things are going, perhaps next up will be “best courses to play with a blue moon over your left shoulder” — this was one of the more notables ones. There weren’t any qualifying adjectives involved; it was simply just limited to the U.S.
When that level of course rankings is published — or, to take it another notch up, a worldwide list — it’s fun to note the Colorado-based facilities that are included.
For observers of such things, it’s been remarkable to see the ever-increasing prominence on those rankings played by a course located in one of the least-populated areas of Colorado.
Ballyneal Golf Club — a private facility just south of Holyoke in northeastern Colorado, not far from either Nebraska or northwest Kansas — has very much captured the fancy of those who rank courses over its 18 years of existence. The minimalist Tom Doak design based in Colorado’s high plains has much the same look as some alluring links courses in Scotland or Ireland.
This month, Golf.com’s “Top 100 Courses in the U.S. for 2024-25” placed Ballyneal at No. 35. A year ago, “Bally” checked in at No. 51 in Golf.com’s “Top 100 Courses in the World for 2023-24”.
And those are by no means anomalies. Last year, Golf Digest placed Ballyneal at No. 36 among its “America’s 100 Greatest Golf Courses”. Top100GolfCourses.com has Ballyneal No. 52 on its “World Top 100”. And Golfweek’s “Top 200 Modern Courses in the U.S.” from June placed Ballyneal No. 4 on that list of layouts that were built since 1960.
As to the point of continually ascending such lists, Ballyneal first appeared at No. 95 among “America’s 100 Greatest” — in 2011 — and has since risen 59 spots in the rankings.
And, for what it’s worth, Ballyneal also features a highly regarded short course — the 12-hole Mulligan layout — that was ranked 10th by Golfweek among its “Top 25 private short, par-3 and non-traditional courses this month.
While we’re at it, here are other Colorado-based courses that have been included in national/international rankings by prominent publications this month:
GOLF.COM’S TOP 100 COURSES IN THE U.S. FOR 2024-25
91. Cherry Hills Country Club in Cherry Hills Village
GOLF.COM’S TOP 100 COURSES YOU CAN PLAY IN THE U.S.
97. East Course at Broadmoor Golf Club in Colorado Springs
GOLFWEEK’S TOP 25 PRIVATE SHORT, PAR-3 AND NON-TRADITIONAL COURSES
15. Colorado Golf Club’s Short Course in Parker
About the Writer: Gary Baines has covered golf in Colorado continuously since 1983. He was a sports writer at the Daily Camera newspaper in Boulder, then the sports editor there, and has written regularly for ColoradoGolf.org since 2009. The University of Colorado Evans Scholar alum was inducted into the Colorado Golf Hall of Fame in 2022. He owns and operates ColoradoGolfJournal.com