Bala Golf Club - Short and Sweet
"The ardent golfer would play Mount Everest if somebody put a flagstick on top." - Pete Dye
(Played on May 28th, 2019)
"The ardent golfer would play Mount Everest if somebody put a flagstick on top." - Pete Dye
(Played on May 28th, 2019)
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| Bala Golf Club |
Founded over 115 years ago and only a short drive from downtown Philadelphia, Bala Golf Club, simply put, is not your typical private golf course. It plays to a par 68. Most of the par fours are relatively short (under 400 yards), the longest of its 5 par threes is less than 200 yards from the tips, and it only has one par five. The best part about the course is that it does not need length to make it difficult. The difficulty lies in the ultra-tiny greens, deep bunkers, and small fairways.
Although the course is private, we were lucky enough to charm our way inside with a certificate one of us won at a basket auction. After much planning, we were finally able to find a day where we all were free to play and made the short-trek over to Bala. Accompanying us, once again, was our good friend Jaden. Last summer, he helped us shoot 60 in a scramble at Blue Heron Pines and is usually always smiling.
The opening hole is pretty easy par four to show you how the round is going to go, but we thought that the par four 2nd hole was where you actually see how quirky this golf course is going to be.
At the 2nd, a blind tee shot plays to a narrow fairway, and the approach plays to one of the smallest greens on the course. It is probably the size of a bedroom, and oddly enough, has some pretty significant break to it. The rock wall behind the green is in play, and if you are lucky enough, you may be able to actually play a shot off the wall. Like we said, Bala is quirky. Together as a group, we played this hole 6 over par. Not a single one of a us hit the fairway or the green.
After the 2nd, you cross a non-busy road to get to the par four 3rd hole. One of our favorites on the course. This hole plays slightly uphill, and then abruptly downhill. You can't really tell from the photo below, but you do have a creek to carry for your approach shot into the green.
Skipping ahead a couple holes, we are introduced to an absolute beauty of a hole, the par four 7th. It plays over a lake, with a stream running down the right side and out of bounds on the left. The green, perched up on a hill, plays like a reverse redan. Thomas Pusey was the lucky one you got to hit it out of the deep bunker on the right that day.
After the short par four 8th hole, the first nine ends with a stellar uphill par three, back over the lake we crossed on the 7th.
One of the highlights from the round was after making the turn and teeing off the par five 10th, the only one on the course, our buddy Jaden hit a drive 330 yards uphill. It gave him a great opportunity at going for the green in two. Unfortunately, he was unable to capitalize on it, and was only able to make a par from less than 200 yards away.
Although holes 11-14 are great holes, 15-18 are four great finishing holes that a perfect for this course. Not long by any stretch, but require well-struck shots to be able to score. The 15th hole is a par four that dog-legs slightly left, but the green is well-protected by a deep wooden-faced bunker in front. The photo below does not do the bunker justice to show how deep it truly is.
Our absolute favorite hole at Bala had to be the par three 16th. Less than 100 yards from the back tees, it is really do-or-die on this hole. Four bunkers surround every side of the green, and the bunkers are deep. If you have your wedges dialed in, it is a very possible hole-in-one chance. None in our group, but three out of the four of us hit the green, and Thomas actually made a birdie on the hole. Scroll down to see who was not dialed in.
The par four 17th is a tough driving hole that sets up well for a draw. We did not get the best photo of it, but it has another well-protected green that none of us hit anyway.
The home hole is a downhill par four, where you can possibly is the drive of your life if you really get a hold of a shot, like our friend Jaden did. He nearly drove it into the stream in front of the green some 350 or so odd yards, and finally made a birdie to cap off his up-and-down round.
Here are some more photos from our day at Bala Golf Club:
Overall Bala may be short, but that does not always mean easy. The course is less than 6000 yards from the tips but it still requires good shots to play well. We absolutely hope to play this course again soon because of how much fun we had out there. For being in a city where a lot of the private golf courses are very well-known, Bala flies under the radar. We would recommend anyone who
We have plenty of more courses to play before the summer ends, but fortunately we have a lot of time to do it. Thank you for reading.
- The Sunday Golfers
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| The opening tee shot, practically in the parking lot. |
Although the course is private, we were lucky enough to charm our way inside with a certificate one of us won at a basket auction. After much planning, we were finally able to find a day where we all were free to play and made the short-trek over to Bala. Accompanying us, once again, was our good friend Jaden. Last summer, he helped us shoot 60 in a scramble at Blue Heron Pines and is usually always smiling.
The opening hole is pretty easy par four to show you how the round is going to go, but we thought that the par four 2nd hole was where you actually see how quirky this golf course is going to be.
 |
| The small green on the par four 2nd. |
At the 2nd, a blind tee shot plays to a narrow fairway, and the approach plays to one of the smallest greens on the course. It is probably the size of a bedroom, and oddly enough, has some pretty significant break to it. The rock wall behind the green is in play, and if you are lucky enough, you may be able to actually play a shot off the wall. Like we said, Bala is quirky. Together as a group, we played this hole 6 over par. Not a single one of a us hit the fairway or the green.
 |
| Chris Pusey playing for position on the par four 3rd. |
After the 2nd, you cross a non-busy road to get to the par four 3rd hole. One of our favorites on the course. This hole plays slightly uphill, and then abruptly downhill. You can't really tell from the photo below, but you do have a creek to carry for your approach shot into the green.
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| Colman's impact. |
Skipping ahead a couple holes, we are introduced to an absolute beauty of a hole, the par four 7th. It plays over a lake, with a stream running down the right side and out of bounds on the left. The green, perched up on a hill, plays like a reverse redan. Thomas Pusey was the lucky one you got to hit it out of the deep bunker on the right that day.
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| The reverse Redan green on the par four 7th. |
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| Thomas's exceptional bunker play. |
After the short par four 8th hole, the first nine ends with a stellar uphill par three, back over the lake we crossed on the 7th.
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| Our buddy Jaden teeing off the par three 9th. |
One of the highlights from the round was after making the turn and teeing off the par five 10th, the only one on the course, our buddy Jaden hit a drive 330 yards uphill. It gave him a great opportunity at going for the green in two. Unfortunately, he was unable to capitalize on it, and was only able to make a par from less than 200 yards away.
 |
| Jaden going for the green in two on the 10th. |
Although holes 11-14 are great holes, 15-18 are four great finishing holes that a perfect for this course. Not long by any stretch, but require well-struck shots to be able to score. The 15th hole is a par four that dog-legs slightly left, but the green is well-protected by a deep wooden-faced bunker in front. The photo below does not do the bunker justice to show how deep it truly is.
 |
| The small par four 15th green with the huge wooden-face bunker in front. |
Our absolute favorite hole at Bala had to be the par three 16th. Less than 100 yards from the back tees, it is really do-or-die on this hole. Four bunkers surround every side of the green, and the bunkers are deep. If you have your wedges dialed in, it is a very possible hole-in-one chance. None in our group, but three out of the four of us hit the green, and Thomas actually made a birdie on the hole. Scroll down to see who was not dialed in.
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| Short, but sweet. |
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| Colman's not so exceptional bunker play. |
The par four 17th is a tough driving hole that sets up well for a draw. We did not get the best photo of it, but it has another well-protected green that none of us hit anyway.
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| The Chris Pusey pose on the par four 18th. |
The home hole is a downhill par four, where you can possibly is the drive of your life if you really get a hold of a shot, like our friend Jaden did. He nearly drove it into the stream in front of the green some 350 or so odd yards, and finally made a birdie to cap off his up-and-down round.
Here are some more photos from our day at Bala Golf Club:
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| Thomas on the par four 3rd. |
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| Jaden on the par three 4th. |
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| Jaden out of the green-side bunker on 4. |
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| The beautiful 7th. |
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| Chris Pusey on 9. |
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| Colman nearly topping his tee shot on 17. |
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| Jaden from the trees. |
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| Chris Pusey playing from across the driveway. |
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| The par four 15th looking back. |
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| Colmans tee shot on 9. |
Overall Bala may be short, but that does not always mean easy. The course is less than 6000 yards from the tips but it still requires good shots to play well. We absolutely hope to play this course again soon because of how much fun we had out there. For being in a city where a lot of the private golf courses are very well-known, Bala flies under the radar. We would recommend anyone who
We have plenty of more courses to play before the summer ends, but fortunately we have a lot of time to do it. Thank you for reading.
- The Sunday Golfers
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