If Bandon had a Par 3 course....

[Joe Hancock]

....would you spend any of your time there playing it? Or, would the other three darlings of golf get all of your attention?

Assume it was as good a par 3 course you've ever seen.

Just speculating after reading JK's post, but if there was a 9 or 18 hole par 3 course, I bet a lot of folks would love to play it.

Is 4 par 3's on one side of a course take away from any enjoyment?

Joe

[Sean Leary]

Would be a great course for the second round of the day, or even the first to get warmed up.  Yes I would.

[Michael Dugger]

Guys,

Please tell me you are aware they are working on one which ought to be playable anytime now.

[David Neveux]

Or I think it would be a great option for the third round of the day.  When I was there last summer my friend and I walked 54 holes on our final day, namely because we wanted to get as much golf in as possible and two because it was free.  If you could play 36 holes and then the par 3 course for free, that would really be a hit.  

[Tim Pitner]

I have a vague memory of seeing a development plan for Bandon in which there were plans for one 18-hole course inland (which became Bandon Trails), another 18-hole course on the water, north of Pacific Dunes, and an inland 9-hole course that was conceived as a short, sporty course--not a par 3 but a course not as challenging as the others.  If done well, I think it would get plenty of play.

[Michael Dugger]

Much or most of the par 3 course is finished, fellas, I just spoke with the Resort about it this morning.  

Apparently, they are unsure what to do about it, believe it or not, and it is not offering play quite yet.  DM Kidd designed it, or so I was told.  It's between the range and entrance to Pac Dunes, to the right of the roadway.

I am going down this weekend, maybe I can get around it, snap some picts.....

[John Kavanaugh]

Like I said earlier today...I would love to play it under the lights with a good buzz on..Of course, I'm also the guy who has zero interest in ever playing the Sheep Ranch..

[David Kelly]

Apparently, they are unsure what to do about it, believe it or not, and it is not offering play quite yet.  DM Kidd designed it, or so I was told.  It's between the range and entrance to Pac Dunes, to the right of the roadway.

It was basically done when I was there for the opening day of Bandon Trails last year.  It is exactly where you described but I thought that it is actually part of the back side of the range and if I am not mistaken they were saying that it would be opened part of the day when the range is closed.

Either way from what I saw the land that the par 3 course sits on is nowhere near the quality of the land on any of the three existing courses.

[Tom Huckaby]

David - are you sure it was complete?  I was there in June 2005, a little bit after the Trails opening, and it sure looked like a bunch of target greens at the end of the range still to me....

Or is that IT?

If so, you're sure right, that's not a par three course that will get anyone's blood pumping.

 

[David Kelly]

Tom,

I think it is going to be very low profile and more of a practice course then anything else.  I know that it is not intended to be a pitch n' putt course, there will actually be mid to long iron par 3s.

Any of the plans that I am talking about could have been changed by now however.

[Michael Dugger]

Spoke with someone again, plans are still up in the air.

[Michael Hayes]

The par 3 course is complete...  Tom H., you are right in that it looks like a bunch of target greens for the short range, that is what it serves as now.  I have been lucky enough to explore it with clubs and my reaction was WOW!  I have heard that it may be made available to the local H.S. for golf team practice...

[Tom Huckaby]

Thanks, guys.

I'm still confused though.  Michael, what makes that a WOW?  As I stood on the range pelting balls at those greens, I sure couldn't see it being any great shakes... I suppose actually putting on said greens would be cool - they did look neat - but what makes that a WOW as a golf course in and of itself?  It really looked like 5-6 greens set out in a field....

Bear with me, it's been 9 months since I saw this.  

[Michael Hayes]

Tom,

The greens have some nice complexity to them...good slope and neat angles with respect to the potential lines of play.  There is a redan out there(I think I remember one), and it seems as though the course could be set up to require several different club choices off the tee.  

I had a few Jubel Ales before I went out there, so I could be completely wrong

[Tom Huckaby]

Michael - got it.  Not to push this too far, but I am genuinely curious because my recollection is it looking nothing like a formalized "golf course" - not even close.  Are there tees?  A set of holes?  Or is it a Sheep Ranch thing where you just pick greens and yardages and fire away?

TH

[Michael Hayes]

there are tees, and I think it would be formalized if opened for play.  

[Tom Huckaby]

there are tees, and I think it would be formalized if opened for play.  

Again apologies as this is just curiousity - but I have a thing for par three courses - love 'em, play 'em all the time... so....

How many tees?  How many holes?  Yardages?

If you can't recall, that's cool.

I just figure Bandon has a chance to make something in the pantheon of great par three courses, if they want to... I'm not seeing that this is it.  Not up there with the Cliffs Course at Olympic, anyway.

TH

[Michael Hayes]

the man you need for these questions is Tom J.  He may or may not be able to share this info here.

[Tom Huckaby]

the man you need for these questions is Tom J.  He may or may not be able to share this info here.

Got it.  Understood.  I just do get excited about these things.

 

[Tom Jefferson]

Hello everyone;

Here is some information re: the par three course.

Located at the Practice Center, construction completed spring of '05. David Kidd did the routing and concept, Jim Haley shaped it, and Troy Russell acted as Construction Super.

Par three course is within the new south range....4 of the greens do indeed serve as targets for the full swing practice from the south tees. Three other greens serve as short game practice.  The holes range from 75 yards to 203 (the redan hole).  4 of the holes have level tee surfaces....the others are uneven and are simply part of the terrain.  Greens range in size from 4500 sq. ft. to 7500 sq. ft.

By wishes of Mr. Keiser, the par three course is used for practice by the local high school team.  Additionally it is used for teaching and for caddy training.  There is an upcoming fund raiser for junior golf scheduled there this spring.

There are no plans of which I am aware for any other uses.

If any of you visit the Resort, I will gladly give a quick tour, sans clubs.

Hope this helps.

Tom

[Tom Huckaby]

Tom - that helps tremendously.  So we really ought not to think of this as a viable golf course.

TH

[Tim Pitner]

I swear I saw a development plan formerly posted on Bandon Dunes' website that, pre-Bandon Trails, called for an additional 45 holes at the resort.  Assuming the other 18 will be a seaside course north of Pacific Dunes, where will the other 9 be and what's the concept behind it?

[Norbert P]

 There are three sets of styles in the layout; i.e., three holes of each style of Bandon's three courses.

  Mike Dugger, please relinquish photos upon your return.

[Norbert P]

  Also, is the new #1 on Bandon Dunes ready for play? Any comments?

[Tim Pitner]

I too am very curious to hear about the changes to Bandon Dunes #1.  I thought it was a great opening hole and really liked the approach shot to the elevated green.  I did not welcome the news of the revisions.  I'm headed there in June so I'm a very interested party.