Ballamor Golf Club
7,098 yards, Par 72 (74.2 course rating, 136 slope)
Reviewed Distance (Blue Tees - 6,681 yards, 72.4, 130)
Phone: 609-601-6220
Web: http://www.ballamor.com/
PhillyGolfGuide.com Ranking: 2nd - Jersey Shore Top 10
Architect: Dan Schlegel (Ault, Clark and Associates)

Par 3’s: 4/5
Par 4’s: 4.5/5
Par 5’s: 4/5
Conditioning: 5/5
Variety: 4/5
Memorability: 4.5/5
Aesthetics: 4.5/5
Walkability: 1/5

Overall: 4.5/5

Summary: Ballamor Golf Club shines as a star amongst a very competitive crop of daily-fee Jersey Shore golf courses.  This once upscale private club has transitioned nicely into one of the best values in all of New Jersey, offering an aesthetically beautiful and well-manicured course that is challenging but very playable for all skill of golfer.  While Ballamor is not quite at the same level as PhillyGolfGuide’s top ranked daily-fee Atlantic City Country Club, it is a strong second on the list and is a must play on your next trip down the shore.

You are initially greeted with the sense of seclusion when you arrive through the gates of Ballamor off of English Creek Avenue.  Twisting through a long and winding driveway carved into the dense woodlands you realize that Ballamor is all about golf - you won’t find any houses cramped into the layout or the relentless sounds of traffic along each hole.  The tranquility is a welcome break from the bright lights of Atlantic City.

The 10-year old Ballamor Golf Club opened in 2001 to much fanfare as one of New Jersey’s Best Private Courses by NJ Golf Magazine, however it failed to blossom into the upscale private club that was originally envisioned, suffering to attract enough members to sustain membership.  While the economic downturn was a huge factor in the demise of the club’s private standing, the 2002 opening of the highly acclaimed Coore/Crenshaw designed Hidden Creek Golf Club, just down the road from Ballamor, certainly didn’t help.  

By the start of 2010 Ballamor had been sold and was now positioned as a daily-fee facility, marking a big victory for all golfers in the area.  Fast forward to mid-2011 and Ballamor is thriving in its role as one of the area’s best public facilities.  Signange has been added to help navigate the tricky routing, the fescue has been cut back to promote better playability and the green speeds have been throttled back to help the average golfer better handle the many undulations and tiers on Ballamor’s massive greens.

The green complexes at Ballamor are wonderfully constructed with a number of holes featuring challenging (but fun) tightly-mowed collection areas that will test your short game.  While the many tiers and undulations offer your short game a stern test, none of the putting surfaces come off as unfair or out of place.  My favorite green was the par-3 12th that features three distinct sections of a nearly 9,000 square foot green, making club selection and direction extremely important on the short one-shotter.

One of the most enjoyable things about Ballamor is how fair the course plays.  Despite playing nearly 6,700 yards from the blue tees with a formidable 72.4/130 rating, there was never a point in the round where the course became unplayable or you felt a resonably-well played shot wouldn’t be rewarded.  Despite every hole being framed by beautiful mature trees, the golfer is given generous corridors off the tee with fairways that mostly measure 35-45 yards wide with ample room on each side.  We lost very few balls during the day even with a 24 handicapper in the group and most errant shots were able to be located and advanced back in to play without too much trouble.  As mentioned, the Superintendent has done a wonderful job in trimming back the fescue, leaving enough to maintain the overall aesthetics while at the same time taking it mostly out of play except for the most errant shots.

Compared to the rough and tumble appearance of the “natural” Hidden Creek GC down the road, Ballamor is much more manicured with well-defined, classical bunkering and stunning stone work outlining a number of water hazards.  The mature pines, footed by eye-popping auburn fescue, helps to beautifully frame each hole.  The conditioning is superb from tee to green with lush fairways and perfectly manicured greens and tee boxes.  The conditions at Ballamor can stand up to any course in the area, including Hidden Creek and Galloway National.  The one area though that doesn’t stack up to the rest of the course is the practice range field, which is mostly brown and under-grown with poorly defined target greens, although the turf on teeing area itself is very good.  With the practice range being the first thing you see when you pull into Ballamor, the initial impression is a bit underwhelming and not at all representative of what you will find once you are on the course.  The practice area as a whole however is solid, featuring a nice short game area with several bunkers and a large putting green by the first tee.

If there’s a downfall in the design most would probably point to the course’s routing, which is essentially four separate collections of golf holes (that they refer to as “pods”) carved out of dense woodlands, each connected by lengthy drives making Ballamor completely unfriendly to those who prefer to walk the course.  The ninth green and tenth tee are also the furthest point from the clubhouse - some 3.5 miles we were told.  While it’s not ideal, we don’t stick to the belief that the ninth hole must return to the clubhouse, especially at the sacrifice of the design.  The ninth hole, by the way, is a beautiful golf hole that plays naturally over a pond, down into a valley and then back up to the green.  Nevertheless, it’s worth noting that you will have a lengthy drive home if you only want to play just nine holes.

Another minor sticking point is in how the holes were layed out, with 16 of the holes running in a similar north/south orientation, with only hole #6 and 14 (both par 3’s) going against the grain in opposing directions.  With that said though, the site is so mature and each “pod” is so secluded that its far from your typical “up and back, up and back” monotony, making it hardly noticeable during a round.

Par 4’s

The variety of the layout is most notably found in the design’s par 4’s.  With holes ranging from 299-438 yards (from the Blue tees), there is a wonderful mix of short, mid and long par 4’s that require every club in the bag.  Each par four at Ballamor is unique and well thought out, without a bad hole in the mix.  My personal favorites are the aforementioned 9th hole, a beautiful brute playing all of its blue tee yardage of 438 and then some.  

The 7th is a mid-length par-4 in which you stare down the length of a pond that requires a 220-yard carry to reach the ideal spot in the fairway.  Ballamor, as it does on almost every hole, offers an alternate route if you’re not up the task of carrying the water - a layup down the left side, short of the large fairway bunker that forces the fairway to wiggle to the right and then straighten out to a well-protected green.

The 17th, at only 312 yards from the Blues, visually suggests the golfer take his tee ball on a direct line to the elevated green over an expansive fairway bunker that pinches the hole’s right side.  In firm conditions, a well-struck tee ball might find the front of the green, but more than likely this route will leave the golfer a half-swing wedge to a green that angles away from him.  A steep runoff along the entire left and back of the hole will eat up any loose approaches, leaving a delicate third to a green well above you.  The best play is a fairway wood to the left off of the tee, away from the green, to leave more of a full wedge and provide the best angle to attack.

One of the signature holes at Ballamor, the potentially drivable par-4 3rd, plays 299 yards from the Blue tee, but this is hardly a grip-it and rip-it hole where you can let loose with reckless abandon.  With water up the entire right side and the fairway serpentining around three well-placed fairway bunkers, the golfer has to give careful thought to which of the three distinct layup lines to play - and what club is appropriate for each line.  The fourth option, of course, is to try and drive the green but it’s all carry - nearly 270 yards over water.  From the tips the carry is about 295 and from the White tees it’s about 245-250.  Assuming players are playing the appropriate tees, I don’t really see going for the green as a reasonable option off the tee.  I’d love to see the tees pushed up one set here to really give the golfer something to think about, but even as is, this is a beautiful hole, both visually and strategically.

Par 3’s

As a group, the par 3’s are strong but not spectacular, with the the pair on the front side, 6 and 8, being the best of the bunch.  Variety is found in the four distinct directions that each hole plays.  Six is another signature hole (148 from the Blue tees) that plays partially over water to a massive, slightly elevated green, that is surrounded by water - to some degree - on three sides.  Although the golfer is very aware of the water, there’s a significant buffer of rough and bunkers between the water and the green on all sides.  It would take a pretty big miss for the water to actually come into play.  

The eighth, a 202-yard test, is a beautiful hole that offers a great view of the ninth hole running in the same direction in the background.  The green complex is superb here, featuring a two-tier green that sits in a small bowl with a collection area to the golfer’s left.  

The twelfth, playing 150 yards, features a carry over wetlands but 135 yards will easily carry the trouble and the hole’s lone bunker on the front left corner.  The fun multi-sectioned green will yield a lot of three-putts and act as the hole’s primary defense.  

Fourteen is probably the least interesting hole on the course, a non-descript 167 yards whose primary purpose is to return the golfer back to the bridge that will transport them to the next pod of holes.

I would have loved to have seen the green on six pushed up and to the edge of the water, bringing the water short and left directly into play and making the hole around 125 yards from the blue tees.  That would give four distinctly different yardages on your par 3’s and since six is the only par 3 featuring water, I don’t think it would be an issue bringing that hazard more into play. 

Par 5’s

The par-5 first hole eases you into the round with a relatively benign and straightforward hole.  Number one offers a great chance to start your round with a birdie but be sure to leave a comfortable distance for your third shot in as the large, multi-tiered green will give you a lot of trouble if you’re in the wrong section.  

The long 5th lacks any dramatic features but the beauty lies in the 2nd shot layup on this true 3-shotter where the landing area dog legs to the left leaving a diagonal fairway target that is protected by a perfectly placed bunker at the inside corner of the dog leg.  A second, shorter bunker pinches the right side of the fairway making a bail out layup to the right side of the fairway just as tricky.  As is often the case at Ballamor, the player is faced with a shot that requires just as much thought as it does execution.  

The tenth features an elevated tee shot over a valley to an uphill fairway that eventually crests and falls off leaving a blind 2nd shot.  As the hole disappears out of sight it bends gently to the right so aim further right than you think. 

Number 18 is the star of the par-fives and is a great closing hole and a fitting end to a wonderful design.  Water guards the entire right side on this reachable-in-two finisher but you will need a lot of nerve to carry the water to safely reach the green that bends to the right, tucked dangerously behind the water.  Ample bail-out is given to the left though, providing a safe-haven of fairway that will leave a straightforward pitch to the green without having to worry about the water.  If you can avoid water off the tee then there is a great opportunity for birdie to finish your round.

Located about 20 minutes from Atlantic City, Ballamor Golf Club is a must play course at the Jersey Shore.  With summer pricing between $79-105, Ballamor, ranked in 2010 by Golf Magazine as New Jersey’s 4th best public facility, is a good value and a ton of fun to play.  The golf course is fair and very playable for all skill levels and the golf holes are loaded with variety and memorability.  The overwhelming feeling when leaving Ballamor is one of satisfaction and anticipation for a return trip.  Ballamor Golf Club is extremely deserving of its PhillyGolfGuide.com #2 ranking for daily-fee courses at the Jersey Shore.

Also be sure to check out Scotland Run Golf Club, the sister facility of Ballamor, located 20 minutes from downtown Philadelphia in Williamstown, NJ.  Scotland Run is ranked #2 in the PhillyGolfGuide.com Top 20 Public courses in the Greater Philadelphia area.