Bandon Poll

[Mike Nuzzo]

I tried ... but, I couldn't resist.  Here is yet another Bandon thread.  I just returned from an awsome 3 day 6 round visit.  2-2-2 for those counting.  We were rained out the fourth day - it was raining very, very, very hard.  We played every round in well under 4 hours - a foursome of 10-16 handicappers - except for the round where we were slowed up by the Cobra group...    But it is impossible to complain about spending extra time on the Dunes course.

The trip easily lived up to my expectations, which were that it would be the greatest single facility of public or private courses in the US.
On an individual note Pacific and Trails met expectations, it was Bandon that exceeded them - I do have a favorite but it was a closer match than I was expecting.

Here is the reason for this thread.
I've tried for years to get a group to go - to no avail - no one wanted to go???  I've even tried to go alone - also to no avail - not enough tee times.  
Is it a Yogism?  No one goes there, yet there are never any tee times available?

What percentage of avid golfers have gone to Bandon?
What percentage of the treehouse has gone?
Who in the treehouse hasn't gone - if you are brave enough to admit - which was me prior to this week...  

To the thread a few weeks ago about less clubs in play....
I played every round with 9 clubs one was an old persimmon driver.  I was only between clubs twice.

What a thing of beauty and joy to see balls bouncing all over the place, even in the rain.

Cheers

[rjsimper]

Have not been, but have a 7 round - 5 night excursion planned for April 11-16 with three others

[Ted Kramer]

I went last April.
Great trip!

-Ted

[Patrick_Mucci]

Mike,

With respect to Bandon, my expectations were also exceeded by the experience.

Getting there seems to be THE problem.

The golf courses, accomodations, food and service are terrific.

This is a self contained golf destination that should only get better.  For most, it's not a one day trip, and as such, the greater the number of very good golf courses, the more likely golfers are to commit to spending 3-5 days on site.

I"m anxious to know if and when a fourth course will be commissioned and who the architect will be.

[PThomas]

been there twice - but not since Trails opened

[Bill Gayne]

One time two years ago. The closest in character and play to the British Isles as there is in the USA. It pretty much met expectations which were extremely high due to the over the top hype.

[Joe Hancock]

Mike,

Only a wuss would not disclose that they haven't been to Bandon. In fact, let me set the example:

Important places I haven't visted,

Everywhere.

Joe

p.s. The above statement is why I dislike the pissing contests that are veiled as "Top Courses you played in your life".

[Robert_Ball]

Been there twice.  Most recent trip last Oct included a sun-up-to-sun-down 54 hole day (couldn't resist that free 3rd round  )

-Robert

[Jason Blasberg]

What percentage of avid golfers have gone to Bandon?
What percentage of the treehouse has gone?

Mike:

While I can't answer your first question with any precission, I'm sure it's a true statement to say that 10,000 times more have gone to Myrtle Beach than to Bandon  . . . a modern tragedy on the mend . . . I HOPE.  

I also cannot answer your second question outside the first person, but I have gone with my better half and can say it was the finest golfing experience of my life to date.  I went pre-Bandon Trails and did not play the Ranch.

With the addition of BT it's the first, second and last place all US golfers should visit if they've a serious or even remote interest in links golf.

It's on the very short list for all of us here and I'm only remiss in saying that I've not played outside North America  . . . but I've time . . . I HOPE.

Jason aka SSR press secretary
 

[cary lichtenstein]

Haven;t been there since the first course opened, but plan to change that this summer

[Brent Hutto]

I have no doubt I'll play golf there one day but it's not quite at the top of my list. Given that my going to Bandon or to Scotland involves roughly the same travel time and the expense balances out (slightly more expensive airfare but slightly less expensive golf options) it comes down to which would be a more complete experience.

Seeing Dornoch, the Old Course and Machrihanish and getting to play golf in an entirely different culture trumps any resort experience here in my estimation (yes, even Pebble Beach). Once I've done that, though, the courses at Bandon are something I wouldn't want to miss out on for too long.

If I lived in the Midwest or far West, Bandon would be much easier to access and I'll bet I'd have been there already.

[EDIT] To attempt to answer the first question, many of the members at my home club have taken golf trips to Scotland and/or Ireland and/or even a few to England. Only one or two have ever mentioned playing at Bandon. But then again the UK and Ireland have been around a bit longer.

[Michael Hayes]

Mike,

Congratulations you have now been exposed to the best thing that the west coast has to offer in golf... You may soon too call yourself a BANDONISTA ... I have played Bandon Dunes 15+ rounds, Pacific Dunes 10+ and 2 on the new Trail... In the last 6 years I have introduced over 100 differnt people to the resort with different trips and tournys-1 guy said he wouldn't go back...

I was lucky enough to discover the place in 1999 and convinced some friends to do new year's there.  It was only $150 per person for room,dinner,drinks,and Jan1 golf...needless to say It has changed alot since then.  

The proshop, pub, chrome lake cottages and grove cottages are all new in the last two years.  Until  just before Pac Dunes opened the main lodge was it, just 22 rooms.  When I was last there in Oct. I actually saw people that didn't play golf eating in the pub...Sometimes I wish that it was still undiscovered, but I guess that the next best place will crop up somwhere...I just hope I live within driving distance of it

As to the number of clubs, Bandon is the place that inspired me to "lighten the load" so to speak...


Michael Hayes

[Joel_Stewart]

I live in San Francisco and have been there 3 times.  I've gone up after each course has opened, flew once and drove twice.  Its a 10 hour drive and not really alot of fun.

[Jim Nugent]

Mike,

Only a wuss would not disclose that they haven't been to Bandon. In fact, let me set the example:

Important places I haven't visted,

Everywhere.

Joe

p.s. The above statement is why I dislike the pissing contests that are veiled as "Top Courses you played in your life".

Ha, ha, Joe, with four exceptions, same is true for me.  

[Steve Lapper]

Just came back from 3 days and 36 per. I organized a group of 16 guys(3 treehouser's)...everyone absolutely loved it. 14 had never seen any of the courses before...1 guy had already been there 8X before.

The place just gets better and better

BEST PUBLIC ACCESSED GOLF ON THE PLANET!!! Period!

[Sean_A]

I have never been and I don't think it is likely I will make it there for many years.  I am guessing the percentange of golfers who have been to Bandon is very small.  However, and perhaps more importantly, how many have returned?  Given the difficulties of getting there and the price, this is surely a mark of Bandon's greatness.  

Ciao

Sean

[Adam_F_Collins]

Never been, but is the number one dream destination on my list - everyone who knows me knows that.

I've talked about going in a couple of years, and a number of my friends are interested... but it is an expensive trip from eastern Canada. And as one friend pointed out, we could do an Ireland trip for the money...

[Ian Andrew]

Been once, well worth it, will go again in the future.

It's not as hard as people make it out to be. Fly into Coos Bay, and it's a short drive. Go to Portland, and the drive is 5 hours (direct) and not that bad. Take the days to go down the coast and the trip is well worth the week.

played Pacific with Tom Paul and Don Placek
played a match at Bandon against David Kidd

[Brent Hutto]

I wasn't meaning to imply that the trip to Bandon was like getting to Durness or something. For me to get to Portland from South Carolina means changing planes twice and costs around $400-$500 most times of year. Then going on to Coos Bay is another plane change and another $100+ plus the inevitable sitting around an airport for hours. So whether I go via Coos Bay or Portland plus rental car it's 14-15 hours best case travel time and a minimum of $550.

[EDIT] After further reviewing airfares, I must say there are now flights available with only a single change of plane from my home in South Carolina to Portland, OR (PDX). Airfares are as low as $480 for mid-week to mid-week travel and the elapsed time is only seven hours (plus getting from PDX to Bandon, of course). So my year-old information was slightly more pessimistic than the current situation indicates.

By way of comparison I can be in Edinburgh with one plane change, about 12-13 hours total travel time and less than $700 in the fall or spring. Of course that's still a little ways to St. Andrews or East Lothian and a long way from Aberdeen or Dornoch but the travel really is close to a wash.

The big attraction for me at Bandon would be playing three extremely good courses two or three times each while sleeping in the same bed every night and without a rental car. There aren't that many places in the world that can match the quality there for a basically pure-golf stationary itenerary.

[Tom Dunne]

Hey Brent,

You don't need a rental car to do the Bandon thing. I had one when I visited back in February, but they're not really that necessary unless you want to hit the handful of bars and seafood joints in the village.

Later on, I discovered this link buried deep within the Bandon Dunes website. This car service does round trip for groups for $50....that's from the North Bend airport. Definitely this will be my plan next time I head out there.

www.bandon-golf-transportation.com

And once you're at the resort, they have shuttles to run you about between the various accommodations and courses.

Edit: Oops, reading the last sentence I can see that I'm not providing new information. Oh well, I'll leave post this up, anyway.

[Lou_Duran]

Been there twice.  Have played PD 6x, BD 5x, BT 2x.  No clear favorite- would be happy with a 4/3/3 mix, with a slight not to PD or BT for the extra round.

Weather, costs, and logistics in that order are my biggest obstacles to overcome.  Otherwise, it is idyllic and certainly worthy of two or more trips annually.  Fun, fun golf, though not necessarily for the fair-weather and card and pencil types.

It will be interesting to watch if the resort continues to expand, become more expensive, and spurs surrounding commercial and residential development.  The impact on the locals may pose some challenges as well.

[Dan Smoot]

I am about to make my 5th trip in December.  I go in the offseason to keep costs low enough to look my wife in the eye.  I am addicted to this place.  How many places in the US can you play links golf at this caliber without connections.  I have no longing desires to spend travel money anywhere else except maybe NZ, Aus, GB&I to relax and play golf and Bandon is simply much more affordable. I have said this before, I have been to Pebble and Pinehurst as a lurker but simply cannot justify in my mind to drop the cash necessary to play when I can go to a place like this.  A GCA trip to Bandon would be fantastic especially if Tom Doak could be a part of it (a busy man).  My only hope is that it somehow kept affordable.

[THuckaby2]

I live in San Jose, CA and I've been twice - once right after PD opened, once right after BT opened.  For us west coasters it's not hard to get to - fly to Portland, change plans, fly to North Bend, golf the same day.  Or one could do the drive as Joel and several others have.  BTW both times I did the ground transport service - it works perfectly - no way you need a car whilst there.

I too have introduced people to the place - 15 college buds - they all loved it.

BUT -I can understand why east coasters wouldn't see it as the "must" that we do.  Yes, logistics and costs would be the same to go to UK or Ireland and as great as Bandon is, no way it beats a trip over there.

BTW, in terms of a GCA-related trip, unless Ran does something "official", I'm committed to planning an early 2007 group outing, which would be The King's Putter - VI.  Figure as late in 2007 as we can still get off-season rates.  That makes it a trip coming home from which one can look his wife in the eye, as Dan so rightly says.

[Mike Hendren]

Not yet, but I did stay in a Holiday Inn Express once.

Huckules,

Make it happen in 2007 and I'm there.

Mike

[Tyler Kearns]

Haven't made the journey yet . Thought about it, decided to wait for Pacific Trails to open. It's open and I still haven't been, hopefully to be rectified next winter.

TK