Shorty's

[Tim Bert]

I played the par 3 course at Bandon for the first time last week.  I thought the holes (and particularly the greens) were really cool.  The 9th green was probably my favorite, though there were some other good ones out there as well.

To top off the experience, one of the guys on the trip had his first ever hole-in-one on #2 to a back pin which was blind to us off the tee.  The group in front of us went crazy when it dropped in for a 1.  

Overall, it was much better than I was expecting.  I'll add some pictures here soon.

What do others that have played the nine hole course think?

[Tim Bert]

#1 is just a little half-wedge with a sneaky green.  We played a back left pin and you had to hit it to the right center of the green to have any hopes of not running it off the back or into the bunker on the back left.



#2 - 120 yards.  We played it to a back left pin position on the deep green.  The hole was hidden from view on the tee.



#3 - This one played a little longer.  I think it was 160-175 range.  Make sure you carry the bunker from the tee.



#4 - Another mid-iron here.  This one had a really good-sized green.  Lots of cool trees around - not sure what the red bark trees are, but there were a few here and also on Bandon Trails.



#5 back into the evening sun.  Another mid-to-long hole (for this course.)  

[Tim Bert]

#6 The first of three shorter holes before the mid-length finisher.  This one has a tiered green and a few little bunkers lurking.



#7 Another shorter one.  More fun bunkers to avoid, as the second picture shows.





#8 is a half-wedge.  Very hard to stop it at the front pin placement we faced.  Not much bunkering to protect the green, so it is left to defend itself.



#9 is a nice finisher on this short track. It required a 6 or 7 iron when we played it.  The green is fantastic.  There's a lot of options to chip and putt away from the hole and still put it close.

[K. Krahenbuhl]

Thanks for the photos Tim...that is my first look at the par 3 course.  I hope that it will be an option if I make it out there this fall.

[Mike Hendren]

Nice pics neighbor.  At first glance, the shaping, bunkering and green contours appear superior to Bandon Dunes.

Mike

[Brian Joines]

I didn't know this was open yet. It looks like a pretty fun little nine.

Thanks for posting these pictures.

[Joe Bentham]

Tim
can the holes you described as 'half wedges' be played other ways?  I've always favored putter on 1.  8 is best played as either a run up or something into the false front, bouncing on.  The entire point of shorty's is to get you to think outside the box.  Evident by the severely sloped tees and akward yardages.  Not for the guy I seen using a range finder out there