Golf Club Atlas
GolfClubAtlas.com => Golf Course Architecture => Topic started by: Roger Tufts on October 05, 2010, 04:57:18 PM
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This may have been posted before...
I am off to Bandon for the first time this weekend. I will be arriving Saturday afternoon and leaving Tuesday night.
I already have tee times for Sunday (On Bandon Dunes and Pacific Dunes) and Monday (On Bandon Trails and Old MacDonald). I am also planning to play a 9 hole round with the 1880 hickory sticks at Old Bandon Golf Links for fun the day I land, as time did not permit a full 18 hole round and I think it will be a blast.
My question more pertains to my schedule on Tuesday. Origionally, I was going to have to fly out of Eugene or somewhere far away, but I found a flight out at 8pm out of North Bend. Based on the original travel plans, I was going to play Bandon Crossings in the morning to save a little money and drive to the airport afterwards, and I currently hold a tee time there. However now, with my new travel plans, I am pondering trying to play 36 at the Resort again.
Would anyone care to offer a 10 round analysis between Bandon Trails, Bandon Dunes, Pacific Dunes, Old MacDonald, and Bandon Crossings?
Keep in mind this is my first trip to the area, and I have not played any of the courses. My original intent was to play all 5 once each, but now I may be able to fit in 2 of them for a second time and skip Bandon Crossings. I also realize Crossings is not at the direct resort, but that is not an issue. What I expect to see is something along the lines of 3 PD, 3 OM, 2 BD, 1 BT, 1 BC... But I am curious. I also tend to be the type to explore what there is instead of playing something twice, but my brother Brad who has been out there before seemed to believe BC was worth skipping for a 2nd tour around PD and OM. I also realize this depends on availability, but I am curious..........
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Listen to your brother. I can't provide a fair and balanced opinion since I haven't been to Bandon Crossings but I've played over 25 rounds at the resort now on four trips and I can't recall once being slightly concerned that I had missed out on Crossings.
2nd round at OM and PD would be a no brainer for me but I tend to be more of a guy that values repeated plays at my favorites as opposed to a guy intent on playing a new course just for the sake of variety. If you are more of a "quantity of courses" guy then go for Crossings, or better yet try to get on Sheep Ranch.
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I haven't played OM, but I think my advice is still worthy because I did play Bandon Crossings one afternoon during my visit.
With time for 10 rounds assuming it's my first visit I would personally go with 3 OM, 3 PD, 2 BT, 2 BD. If I did want to save money or my legs one afternoon (Bandon Crossings has carts, as well they should for some parts of that course) I would take a round at BD away. I think once you play the courses you'll see that BD while a great course, has perhaps less interest architecturally than the other 3 and a second play there may not be as illuminating as other replays will be. Also know that I love to try different courses as much as I can and Bandon Crossings is a good course and without the resort down the road worth a look anyways.
Also, if you're like me, being able to play greenside wedges without the fear of chunks is nice sometimes too ;)
Something tells me you'll end up playing OM twice though. I would.
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Why not play the Crossings? Does every round of golf have to be magical? Why not play the Crossings!
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You could consider the Sheep Ranch.
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Why not play the Crossings? Does every round of golf have to be magical? Why not play the Crossings!
I am leaning more and more to the model that each round should be magical. I get to play a limited number of days per year, and that number is decreasing. This will be the first year I've played more than 75% of my rounds of golf outside of my home town.
On those rare days when golf is on the agenda, I want to play as many rounds as possible and I not only want every round to be magical, I want every moment of every round to be magical. I guess I'm greedy.
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Bandon Crossing is a nice course, but not worth traveling for. Something to think about, your third round is FREE! I would play my first two rounds and then play your hickory round at Bandon, that comes back to the club house. Are you also flying into Coos Bay? If you are flying into Eugene, I would play Ocean Dunes in Florence. It is on the way and a course like no other. I play the resort and Ocean Dunes when I am in the area. Some of the other courses are fine, Bandon Crossing, Sandpines, and a few others, but they are no different than a course you can find at home.
Just my two cents, and have a great time,
Chris
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CS~ I am flying in and out of North Bend.
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Roger
Since you itinerary is 3 days - I'd limit my stay to the resort.
I'd play OMx2 & PDx2 and one each on BT and BD + your hickory round.
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Roger,
Do you plan on returning to Bandon in the future? If you're dfinite;y returning I'd brnch ou this trip to see all that's available. returningI'd keep the Bandon Crossings tee time open until the last minute depending on your constitution and the weather.
Is any aeration scheduled? We are doing it in Portland this week and next.
The Sheep Ranch is a really good suggestion, contact Bandon Golf Supply which handles the traffic.
Pass on Sandpines. It's at least an hour out of the way one-way.
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Ronald:
Life's too short for mediocre beer or golf courses. (In fairness, haven't played Crossings, but I've never heard anyone say it's in the same league as the courses at the resort.)
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My debate over golf on Tuesday just got even more interesting, as there are no openings on Pacific Dunes at all on Tuesday. Old MacDonald is open in the afternoon, and Bandon Trails is open in the morning.
So now I could possibly try to play Bandon Crossings early in the morning and play Old Mac in the afternoon, or play Trails and Old Mac...
And theres always Sheep Ranch...
Seeing as Crossings is about $60 and I would be paying $330 anyways to play 36 at the resort, theres not a very big difference price-wise.
As of right now, I took the Old MacDonald tee time in the afternoon, and am just debating between Bandon Crossings, Bandon Trails, and Sheep Ranch in the morning on Tuesday. Any thoughts (other than what we have so far)?
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I haven't played OM, but I think my advice is still worthy because I did play Bandon Crossings one afternoon during my visit.
With time for 10 rounds assuming it's my first visit I would personally go with 3 OM, 3 PD, 2 BT, 2 BD.
i agree with Alex's split
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I haven't played OM, but I think my advice is still worthy because I did play Bandon Crossings one afternoon during my visit.
With time for 10 rounds assuming it's my first visit I would personally go with 3 OM, 3 PD, 2 BT, 2 BD.
i agree with Alex's split
Well thank you.
Roger, do you still have a play on PD? I sure hope so because that would be a shame otherwise...
As for that morning round, I think you should take a break from the resort and checkout Crossings. I think we have the same level of interest in new courses and while not as good as BT PD or OM (it's closer to BD IMO, though much different), it's a good break.
Another reason I think you should play Crossings is that going back to OM for your last round might feel a bit more special after Crossings than playing BD, BT, or Sheeps. Completely different experiences and you'll probably be able to appreciate the wonderful links golf that OM offers (again I haven't played it, but we all know it to be true). In my visit to Bandon we played BD/BT, PD/Crossings, and BT before leaving. I actually think PD and BT are much closer than everyone here says and would split them evenly by my own tastes. We only played Crossings because our caddy invited us to join him and it was very fun. A pleasant surprise that was well worth it.
No matter what you do, try to let it all soak in so you can remember everything as vividly as possible until your next visit!
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You know... There are nice trails out there that go through the dunesland. Many start from the hotels on property.
I've never used them, but I'll bet they give unique views of the courses.
If you want a complete change of pace, try Old Bandon Golf Links/ Face Rock Golf Course. :)
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Roger,
You may want to ask Crossings about there greens. I heard just yesterday at the caddie shack that BC had aerified their greens recently.
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Only play at the resort.
Always fly to North Bend.
Always play 36
Enjoy
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8) We drove around Bandon Crossings to check it out and thought it had some nice holes and settings, but its just not what you're travelling all that way to experience at the resort, by a long shot..
..but two caddies we met thought it was a great place to have fun carrying beer in a cart and relaxing the hoofs..
try shorty's the par three at the range if its open
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Love to help, I live in Eugene and love Bandon, played there a ton.
The golf at the four courses at the resort are all great, you will not be disappointed. Most of my friends say that we under-exaggerate how wonderful Bandon golf is and will continue to be. The resort is only 11 years old!
Smart flying in and out of North Bend for times sake, otherwise fly to Eugene and play Eugene Country Club.
Having played both Old Bandon Links (9 holes) and Crossings, I would recommend you play them both if you had the time, just 1.5 hours for Old Bandon, otherwise skip them both until another time. Both are nice layouts and the Hickory Sticks are a nice idea as Old Bandon was built in 1927...but......
And it should be said that Troy russell and his wife Kim have done an outstanding job over the last few years renovating a long neglected facility at Old Bandon! :)
Play the 9 hole course at the range...Shorty's, usually open Saturday afternoons. A great par three course on the south side of the range.
Definitely have dinner in town at Alloro Wine Bar..ph.541.347.1850. And if you get into town check out the beach at Face Rock...its pretty incredible that we just recently evicted the Native Americans from this area around 1855.
Definitely check out the Labyrinth at the resort...a tribute to Howard Mckee based on the Labyrinth at Chartes, France.
And most definitely read (Dream Golf the 2nd edition 2010) before you leave! 8)
By the time its Monday PM you can probably decide where you want to play and adjust your tee times according to your preferences.
Caddie request yet?
If you like red/white wine, UPS it there before you leave to save money on the wine list.
Hope you have shorts weather! 8)
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Roger,
You may want to ask Crossings about there greens. I heard just yesterday at the caddie shack that BC had aerified their greens recently.
Found an article online that says they were aerated at the beginning of last week. Probably will be OK by next Tuesday I think.
Thanks for the input, AM~ I do still have a round on PD. I have one round on all 4, and currently have a 2nd tee time on OM. I have a tee time at BC as well, but that morning there are open times on BT too.
Getting excited 8)
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Jeff Wallach has a nice piece about Old Bandon on his blog - see http://jeffwallach.com/golf/1209/golf-as-it-really-was (http://jeffwallach.com/golf/1209/golf-as-it-really-was)
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Adam - thanks for that article.
I'm telling you - Old Bandon is really not to be missed. No - it's not great, and it's not in anybody's Top 500 list, but it's worth a visit - even if you don't play. Plus the beach at Face Rock is amazing - agates everywhere and it'll clear your head to get you ready to tackle another BD course.
To quote from Jeff's piece:
"The motto of Bandon Dunes Resort in Southern Oregon– my favorite golf resort on the planet– is “Golf as it was meant to be.” But now a humble, earnest nine-holer just down the road could claim to offer “Golf as it actually was.” The Old Bandon Golf Links is the only public course in the US offering rentals of pre-1900 and 1920s equipment, including authentic hand-made gutta percha golf balls. Anybody serious enough about golf to visit the Bandon Dunes Resort should carve out two hours to play Old Bandon Links. It’s the golfers version of a writer appreciating that Shakespeare wrote his plays with a sharpened bird feather and a pot of ink on parchment—and all the more remarkable when you try it yourself.
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To quote from Jeff's piece:
"The motto of Bandon Dunes Resort in Southern Oregon– my favorite golf resort on the planet– is “Golf as it was meant to be.” But now a humble, earnest nine-holer just down the road could claim to offer “Golf as it actually was.” The Old Bandon Golf Links is the only public course in the US offering rentals of pre-1900 and 1920s equipment, including authentic hand-made gutta percha golf balls. Anybody serious enough about golf to visit the Bandon Dunes Resort should carve out two hours to play Old Bandon Links. It’s the golfers version of a writer appreciating that Shakespeare wrote his plays with a sharpened bird feather and a pot of ink on parchment—and all the more remarkable when you try it yourself.
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+1
Old Bandon is quite unique, and again kudos to Troy and Kim for the great job with a course built in 1927 that was long neglected.
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I just returned from Bandon. It was a return visit for me but my last visit was before Bandon Trails and Old MacDonald opened. Two others with me were first time visitors. We played Old Mac 3 times, Pacific Dunes and Bandon Dunes 2 times each and Bandon Trails once. We were scheduled to play Bandon Trails a second time but we were so blown away by Old Mac that we played a third round at Old Mac instead. Bandon Trails is a really fine course for 13 holes, but we started losing interest after playing the controversial 14th and slogging up 16. I think our group thought the allocation for the 8 rounds was just right.
I haven't played Old Bandon or Bandon Crossings so can't comment on them.
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Tim and Carl...I'm sorry that you fellows feel that way. There is much good in all that is human...I'm not saying that "absolute suck" should be on someone's list, but I find it hard to believe that non-resort courses should be avoided. I sometimes get the sense that folks on this forum kow-tow to the resort in the same way the do to the esteemed Mr. Doak.
I remember a quote from D.A. Weibring on religion that went something like this: "I was raised Catholic and we didn't talk about our religion, we just practiced it." The quote referenced the zealots on tour who were equally bent on soul and birdie conversion. I love that many on this forum are over-the-top ga ga over BD Resort and that I get to play devil's advocate/contrarian.
The resort is a wonderful place; if I get there again, I'll certainly see all four courses, but I'll make an effort to see baaahhh, Crossings and Old Bandon.
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Ronald - Don't be sorry. We all have different tastes and different opinions. I'm completely comfortable in my skin. Hopefully you are as well, so it is all good. My take isn't intended as a slight to Crossings. I've never played it, so I don't have a bad thing to say about it. It's just not in the bag for me. I disclosed openly that I hadn't been there when I provided my opinion. Honestly, I'm pretty close to skipping out on Trails in future trips out there as well, so it isn't simply resort / non-resort for me. It is a simple matter of limited rounds to play and Pacific Dunes and Old Macdonald are so high up on the fun factor / enjoyment scale for me that I see no reason to go somewhere else. I would probably skip Spyglass Hill and Spanish Bay if they were next door to Bandon as well, and I think those are both good courses.
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Ronald,
I haven't played the Crossings either, but I can tell you that unless I'm out there for 2 or 3 weeks someday, I probably never will. When you have some of the best courses in the world at your doorstep and you've travelled all the way there and have limited time, I can't inderstand forsaking even 1 round to play elsewhere. To me this smacks of the Ballybunion Old/Cashen debate. Even with a free second round offered at the Cashen and no replay available on the old I'd still choose to get a massage and save my strength for bigger game. To each his own I guess.
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Ronald,
Last time Laura and I were playing Bandon (2005) we (gasp!) took an afternoon off, drove an hour south to Gold Beach, and took the jet boat trip up the Rogue River. We saw elk. bear, bald eagles, river otters, golden seals, and a ton of other neat stuff.
The Southern OR Coast has a lot to offer. Much of it compliments the world-class golf at Bandon very well.
We played 5 rounds in 3 days, and that afternoon as a really nice break and a ton of fun.
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Ronald,
Last time Laura and I were playing Bandon (2005) we (gasp!) took an afternoon off, drove an hour south to Gold Beach, and took the jet boat trip up the Rogue River. We saw elk. bear, bald eagles, river otters, golden seals, and a ton of other neat stuff.
The Southern OR Coast has a lot to offer. Much of it compliments the world-class golf at Bandon very well.
We played 5 rounds in 3 days, and that afternoon as a really nice break and a ton of fun.
Well, at least you didn't use that time to play Crossings! ;)
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Tim,
Crossings wasn't there in 2005, but Old Bandon looked kinda cool from my hotel room at the Inn at Face Rock.
I did look at Crossings when I was driving through the area last year on vacation (no golf due to the bad economy). Looked OK, but it was certainly no Bandon. Not even close.
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In the spirit of this thread, I have a question about Bandon. I intend to play the King's Putter rounds, but due to my schedule, I won't be able to play Bandon Dunes on Friday. For the best experience, should I attempt to wiggle my way onto Sheep Ranch, play Bandon Links with hickory clubs or play Bandon Dunes that Sunday afternoon? Or, do any of the KP participants, or any others familiar with weather and sunlight in Bandon in March think there will be time for 9 holes at Bandon Links after the KP rounds are over on Saturday?
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To follow up a little, I'll give some notes from day 2 from my laptop at the resort.
Old Bandon Golf Links was a lot of fun. A really fun track for such a small property, and whacking around the gutties with the old clubs is just awesome. We hung around for a little bit afterwards too to have a couple beers with Troy, who is an awesome guy and a wonderful host. Given our circumstances, flying into Coos Bay at 1pm and only being able to play like 9 holes, it was perfect. Nice day, as the showers from the morning cleared. We also jetted up to shorties and played in about 40 minutes and finished just about in the dark. It was a blast, not another soul up there.
This morning we woke up, it was clear, and the radar showed no rain. We had the first time off of BD @ 740, and it started to rain steadily. The other 2 for our group decided not to play, so me and my friend played as a twosome through the rain. The course was a blast, and aside from teeing off from the wrong tee of the two on #2, it went pretty good. The rain cleared around the 7th hole, then started again on the 11th. By the 12th it was absolutely dumping on us and we were soaked, but still enjoyed it. The stretch of #4-6 are awesome, and for being away from the ocean I also enjoyed 7-10. #12 is also sweet, and #16 was spectacular. Rain cleared right after we finished, and I was praying during lunch that it would stay clear for our PD round in the afternoon.
While we were eating, the wind changed, and kept the rest of the storm away for the rest of the day. We had an ABSOLUTE BLAST on PD in the afternoon, going off as a twosome with caddy "Brett" in perfect weather. We had sun by the 7th hole. The course just absolutely blew us away, and both of us really liked that we played BD first, because we would have not been so wowed by BD if we had played it after PD. Just spectacular. Our caddie also told us that some of the "secret (re: Tom Watson) tees" were no longer in existence because it was too annoying to keep them in good condition when nobody almost ever used them. He also told us that the Sheep Ranch has lost their watering privileges, so he said nobody has played over there in quite some time... interesting.
I was sooooooo happy the rain stayed away for PD, but if at all possible I may try to see if a time has opened for Tuesday morning on BD because I would love another crack at BD. It was a fun track and seems like you can almost hit the ball anywhere, save for #4 and #5.
More to come tomorrow... BT @ 8:10, and OM @ 1:20! Got the same caddy for tomorrow as well.
Moral here: If you have some time, really try to go over and whack some hickories around at OBGL. Was a blast. Maybe not if you have time to play a full round at the resort and your hell-bent on it, but I would definitely get back there again given the same circumstances or if I was super golfed out. Just chatting with Troy afterwards was worth the trip over there too, and seeing Face Rock Beach and the road back to Bandon Resort along the water.
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I really think it should be based on what you enjoy the most. I have friends that like Bandon Dunes best and others that are partial to Pacific. I have only done the 10 hole at Old Mac and thought it was great fun. Not partial to Trails and would forget it. Bandon Crossings is not what you go to Bandon for.
I would do Trails once and the others each 3 times for a total of ten!
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Roger - thanks for that post.
Playing Old Bandon gets you into the Bandon town itself. Throwing a few bucks into the locally owned economy is always a good thing when you're on vacation. Plus, the halibut fish and chips down at the Bandon waterfront are unforgettable.
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Roger - thanks for that post.
Playing Old Bandon gets you into the Bandon town itself. Throwing a few bucks into the locally owned economy is always a good thing when you're on vacation. Plus, the halibut fish and chips down at the Bandon waterfront are unforgettable.
Not to mention a view of one of Clint Eastwood's houses, and the caddy-owned-and-operated bar!
Great trip. Old Mac blew me away--I've never had so many putts in my life, but it was spectacular. I wish I had more time to get into it, but Cornell tends to give me work in large bursts, and I am in the middle of one right now. All I can say is get out there as soon as you can! Also, apparently my caddie out there caddied for Ran and Tom when Ran did his course profile of Old Mac. Some funny coincidences!
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Not to mention a view of one of Clint Eastwood's houses, and the caddy-owned-and-operated bar!
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Expand, please on the caddie owned and operated bar.
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Ronald,
I haven't played the Crossings either, but I can tell you that unless I'm out there for 2 or 3 weeks someday, I probably never will. When you have some of the best courses in the world at your doorstep and you've travelled all the way there and have limited time, I can't inderstand forsaking even 1 round to play elsewhere. To me this smacks of the Ballybunion Old/Cashen debate. Even with a free second round offered at the Cashen and no replay available on the old I'd still choose to get a massage and save my strength for bigger game. To each his own I guess.
The first time I played Ballybunion Old, I played 36/18 all on the old, the last time, I split my 36, 18 Old and 18 Cashen. I must tell you, not to play Cashen is a mistake. It is way too hard, the dunes are enormous, just enormous, but the uniqueness and challenges made it a very memorable, worthwhile round.
Would I play it again? Not sure, very difficult walk.
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Roger look at your finish in your photo,your spine must be made of rubber.I agrre with a poster earlier,go downtown by the pier and get some fresh seafood,it is part of the Bandon experience.
Anthony
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@PP ~ The caddie owned and operated bar is called "The Arcade" if I am not mistaken. It is in Old Town Bandon. Our caddie explained to us that there were 3 caddies at Bandon who grew up there and had always wanted to have their own bar. Apparently they looped their butts off for a few years and saved every bit of money, and bought the bar for $300,000 cash. Pretty cool story, now they operate it and its the town hangout for all the caddies. All of the Bandon caddies apparently play at Bandon Crossings a lot too.
On that note, I am glad that I got off of the property for both the Old Bandon Golf Links round and the Bandon Crossings round. Both were fun tracks. OBGL is this tiny course stuck in a little valley between dunes, and it was really fun. There is a creek that runs through the center of the course, and it comes into play on 7 out of 9 holes on the out-and-back layout. Just a fun place to be with the Hickories especially.
Crossings was a nice break from the intense rounds at Bandon, especially playing it between my two rounds at Old MacDonald. It is a fun little course with some fun forced carries and some really interesting par 5s that are a blast to play! A couple of really pretty par 3s as well, and every hole seems vastly different than another you have played out there. For its price, it is also a nice breather on the wallet. I think the course would stand out more if it was away from the sanctuary of golf just down the road... Holes to note are #4, #5, #14, #16, #17, #18. 17 is a beautiful short par 3, and the carries on 4, 5, and 18 are a blast. 14 is a fun drop shot par 3, and 16 is a driveable par 4 with trouble everywhere if you miss.
@ AG ~ That picture is from a singles championship tournament my senior year of high school, 4 years ago. I don't know if my spine can still do that, but I don't think I finish that high behind the ball anymore, otherwise I would hit it sky-high!
And some more notes about my Bandon Adventure:
Day 2 of Resort golf commenced with an early morning round at Bandon Trails. I really enjoyed the layout, and it is MUCH more a test of accuracy compared to the others. I found it somewhat of a tough walk compared to the others, and my feet felt it especially after the end of a 43 hole day. The uphill par 5 16th to me seemed a little out of place, and it is an absolute monster into the wind. 17 and 18 are a brilliant finish though, ending back up in the dunes. The view from the black tees on #1 did however leave me wondering what else could have / would have been in store had the routing winded through the dunes between BT and BD.
The afternoon was our first round on Old Mac. When asked what tees we had wanted to play, my playing partner and I saw that the back tees were ~ 6940 and thought it was somewhat within our reach, and the starter cautioned us. We figured that we wanted to see the whole course and that we could move up the following afternoon if we chose to. Boy were we in for a battle... By the 4th tee we started to realize just how long the course actually is from back there. #4 played over 500 yards, but downwind so it wasnt too bad. The green at the 5th is easily the biggest green I have ever seen, and I was lucky enough to birdie the hole in both rounds. I wasn't so lucky on #6, as I don't think I even made a bogey in either round. The hole from the back tees just plays SOOOOO long! The 2ish club wind combined with my somewhat out-of-season fade swing created a tough series of events to reach that green in three. I consider myself a fairly long hitter, and I hit driver-driver-3wood just to be pin high. #7 is an absolutely wonderful hole, and interesting that it is one of the true originals on the course. I was lucky enough to birdie it the 2nd of our two rounds on Old Mac. The greensite just couldn't be passed upon, and leaves you licking your chops heading down to the Biarritz. I also found it cool and congruent with Ran's thoughts in his profile, as it seems the Biarritz and Redan are almost switched in terms of yardage, but you almost don't even notice given the wind and elevation change.
The one hole out there that I felt was a little strange was the 10th. I understand the strategic value of the "Bottle" design, and how it is supposed to be played, however as the caddie agreed with me, it is almost too penal. Laying back behind the bunkers leaves a REALLY long shot to be played into that wind. Our caddie informed me that the hole was meant to be played from left-center so I attempted to risk the deep bunkers and found one of them. He after told me that he had begin lining people up outside of the fairway on the right side, as it offers no trouble, but that he knew I was a student of course-architecture and that the architect would roll over in his grave to hear such a thing! It just seemed slightly out of place in a sense of unwarranted penalty. The road hole 11th plays as an absolute beast into the wind. The following day, from the green tees (up 25~yards) my playing partner crushed a driver and a 4 wood to reach in two and walked away with par. I also really enjoyed the finish of 15-18. 15 is a very wonderful par 5 with another breathtaking greensite. Another par 5 that required a driver-driver approach, but this time I just had a short pitch to the back pin locations. The Alps 16th is an incredible design. The bunkers protecting the green are simply awesome, and the dangerous depth of the railroad tie-sided short bunker isn't understood until you are looking down upon it. Even walking up to the green you think it is maybe 6 feet deep, not the actual 15 or so that it is! I found that #17 played better from the green tees the following round. From the black tees you can't really take the bunkers into play, but rather must lay back leaving 260 downwind into the green. While this shot is in my bag, clearing a bunker 40 yards short and stopping the ball off links-land downslope all the way to the pin is not. With a 4 iron, however, as is the case of taking the bunkers right into play from the green tees, it is a far more fun option. Finally, the 18th was simply awesome. The 2nd round offered my best shot of the trip. I hit my drive around ~310 downwind, and was left with just a PW. I hit it slightly thin, and left, but watched it ride the punchbowl contours all the way back to the pin. Near the pin it hit a tuft of rough, stopped dead, and rolled down the bowl and lipped out for a 2. I walked up and tapped in the 1 footer shortly after, walking away with a 79 -- satisfied, but hungry for my return to Bandon.
Following the first round at Old Mac, we had time to fit the first 7 holes of PD in again before dark (for freeeee!). Both my friend Chris and I teed off from the "Tom Watson tee" at #4. Took a beautiful picture (attached below) from the tee during sunset. Both of us hit our drives around 320, and had 5irons in to the hole that played ~530 from all the way back. Unfortunately we both hit poor irons and chips, and both lipped out for par. Was fun to get those 7 holes in before dark, but my feet were paying for it while we watched Monday Night Football from the deck of the Pacific Grill with beer-in-hand.
All-in-all, I will be back to this place as soon as I can.
#4 at Pacific Dunes @ Sunset, from the back tee.
(http://i51.tinypic.com/a1hd3b.jpg)
#10 upper tee at Pacific Dunes, with me in my follow through.
(http://i56.tinypic.com/10e347n.jpg)
#2 at Old Bandon Golf Links with Hickory Sticks. Chris @ Impact. Kudos to the person who made the stands for these bags...
(http://i53.tinypic.com/smqf15.jpg)
#1 at Bandon Trails, on a cloudless day @ 8am.
(http://i52.tinypic.com/wu3409.jpg)
#17 at Bandon Crossings (booo cartpaths...)
(http://i51.tinypic.com/x2jdaf.jpg)
#5 at Old MacDonald on a cloudless day...
(http://i55.tinypic.com/ay1pfr.jpg)
Looking up the coast North at the Sheep Ranch! From around the turnstand.
(http://i55.tinypic.com/5zk6x0.jpg)
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Roger
Glad you enjoyed your trip. How would you now schedule your courses on a return visit ?
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Kevin, I think a return trip would look something like this...
1 BC 1 BT 2 BD 3 PD 3 OM
Though given the time limitation for only a half round, definitely include OBGL. Also, given that I have now played Bandon Crossings, on a return trip I would be tempted to skip it. It really was a fun course, but just given that I have seen the whole track I may be tempted to not play it each time I am out there, as it was kind of a hassle to get there (the transportation company tried to screw us...).
Note that my original post did not include OBGL in a 10 round split, as it was already going to be a part of my trip.
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Roger,
Love the pic of #1 at Trails!
Thanks
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Just a few more pictures for your viewing pleasures:
The look from the tee @ #14 at Bandon Trails (on a cloudless day, again.)
(http://i52.tinypic.com/106agk6.jpg)
The 17th at Bandon Trails
(http://i51.tinypic.com/1z4fxnt.jpg)
Looking back from the 3rd Green at Old Bandon Golf Links. The hole is only about ~180 yards, but plays as a par 4 with the hickory clubs and gutties, as the average hitter hits the ball around 160 with the Play club (~driver) and you have to carry a creek at exactly 160 yards. The hole played downwind the day I played it, and I smoked one to the back of the green on one. The other ball you see is my playing partner about to lip out his chip for birdie. The 3rd is nestled nicely at the base of a dune, and the player who lays up has to clear a creek also. The creek crosses the hole twice, but it plays as a nice hole for 2 mid-iron shots too with the gutta perchas. The 3rd green is the first point of turnaround for the out-and-back layout.
(http://i56.tinypic.com/xliip3.jpg)
A look at #11 at Pacific Dunes. The clouds that brought driving and drenching rain for the morning round at BD cleared in time for the afternoon round at PD, but some of their fog was lingering.
(http://i52.tinypic.com/n2khp3.jpg)
#13 at Pacific Dunes. In my opinion, #13 at PD and #5 at BD, and #7 at OM are the best holes at the resort. Just spectacular holes, all tough par 4s but in the most supreme of settings.
(http://i52.tinypic.com/2utmh37.jpg)
Enjoy!
@WG~ Thanks, it is a classic picture, but the early morning cloudless sky makes the green out there just pop out of the dunes.
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#13 at Pacific Dunes. In my opinion, #13 at PD and #5 at BD, and #7 at OM are the best holes at the resort. Just spectacular holes, all tough par 4s but in the most supreme of settings.
(http://i52.tinypic.com/2utmh37.jpg)
Enjoy!
@WG~ Thanks, it is a classic picture, but the early morning cloudless sky makes the green out there just pop out of the dunes.
Awesome pics Roger! Glad you had a good time and enjoyed Bandon Crossings.
Interesting that what seem to be if not the three best holes at the resort, probably top 5 at worst, all play to the north with green sites adjacent to the coast. Just saying!