Report - The "Need One More" Bandon Trip Feb 8-11, 2008

[Garland Bayley]

Scott,

You got lucky with the weather. No one should depend on Feb. weather in Bandon.

There are two times you depend on weather in the PNW. 12/15 - 1/15 Rain. 7/15 - 8/15 Sun

[John Kavanaugh]

Scott,

You got lucky with the weather. No one should depend on Feb. weather in Bandon.

No one but me.  I just got done playing in 60 deg weather in Alabama when a few days ago no one would have thought that possible.  It can't just be coincidence.or luck...It's me.

[Kalen Braley]

John,

Now that you have established yourself as traveling golfer extraordinare, I guess this means you'll be attending KP 6 to ensure we have nothing but clear skies, temps in the 70s, and soft breezes right?   

[Jeff Doerr]

Here's another BW. This one #11 at Pacific.

[Tom_Doak]

There are at least ten nice days a month in February.  But you've only got a 1-in-3 chance on any given day.  If you go for three days the odds are decent you'll get a good one (although I never actually took Statistics).

[Jeff Doerr]

Here's an image of what is becoming the 6th hole at Old MacDonald. This is the "Long Hole" and the SandPro in the distance sits on the back side of a mammoth "Hell Bunker".  The 7th heads up into the dune on about the other side of Pac Dunes 13th. The 8th will be a par 3 coming off the dune. On Monday I commented to the group that it looked like grown up little boy heaven out there. There were trucks, dozers, trackhoes, and everything else rapidly moving about. All of us who had little boys go through that stage will understand...

[Tom_Doak]

Jeff:

Thanks for not showing Hell from the frontal view.  That is still an experiment untilI see it. 

I had a hard time telling what was going on in your picture, so I'm not sure what anybody unfamiliar with the site is going to get out of it ... but hey, we'll see what they say.

I'm headed there on Tuesday and VERY excited to get back to work on the Oregon coast.  I've already promised I will post before I leave on Sunday, but I will leave any photo posting to George B. or somebody else.

[Scott Weersing]

Jeff:

Thanks for not showing Hell from the frontal view.  That is still an experiment untilI see it. 

I had a hard time telling what was going on in your picture, so I'm not sure what anybody unfamiliar with the site is going to get out of it ... but hey, we'll see what they say.

I'm headed there on Tuesday and VERY excited to get back to work on the Oregon coast.  I've already promised I will post before I leave on Sunday, but I will leave any photo posting to George B. or somebody else.

It was fun to see the work going on at Old Macdonald but you have to use your imagination to see what a finished hole might look like. I have to agree with Tom, there is not much to see or judge. I have faith that Tom and staff will create an unforgettable course.

[Donal Breasail]

Hey Everyone,

The verdict is in -- Mr. Kavanaugh can indeed predict the weather and Mr. Weersing has a knack at picking dates! We had about 7 misty holes on Sunday morning. The photo below is after our last round at Pacific. We are missing Simon who was sick. This group was taller than most High School basketball teams! I'm the short one in the middle left (5' 9"). Scott is wearing shades next to me and John K is in the middle. I'll post more as I get back in the swing of things here at home.



The first day all arrived safely and were treated to an outstanding opeing round at the new Bandon Crossing course. We teed off at 12:30 under cloudy skies and a very mild breeze.

The course was firm and very playable in all parts except the par 5 green in the bottom lands. The par three in the bottom was fine and one of our group landed well short of the green and had the ball bounce.

This is 14 with 5 behind (we played the upper green - par 4).


This is the upper green. Great bunker work.


The par 3 11th is a great illustration of the strong contours in the greens. This one has a reverse false front that calls for a very precise approach to the front flag.


Here is a closer shot of the green.


The really striking thing about Bandon Crossings is how much movement and elevation there is in the course. It also boast some really great and varied greens. It really is a first rate effort for a new designer. I liken it a lot to Juniper in Redmond as a really top flight public access course in the PNW. If it works into your schedule, you will not be disappointed.

anyone else  noticed in the final picture that the pull trolley making its way off the green !

[Sean_A]

I noticed the cart, but I also noticed that there doesn't seem to be a collar for the green.  I am not sure I ever properly understood the role of collars, but if they help create a seemless transition from green to whatever, I am for them.  It almost looks as if Tom D's reco of keeping an area longish to hold balls was used here.  I've decided I don't like the idea!

Ciao

[Jeff Doerr]

Sean,

Where I am walking in the picture above (Red Jacket) is fairway level cut. It is pretty fast and firm considering the nearly two weeks of heavy rain prior to our trip. This is a course with a lot of short grass around the greens.

[John Kavanaugh]

Here is a closer shot of the green.

anyone else  noticed in the final picture that the pull trolley making its way off the green !
[/quote]

That's me.  You may notice that it is before we had even putted out as that is my tee shot below the hole.  It was my understanding and practice that pulling the cart across the green is acceptable in Bandon culture.  The ground was so firm that not even my obvious grotesque weight, accentuated by poor camera angles, indented the green surface.  I assure you that my foot pressure is higher than my cart with a Sunday bag.

[Tom Jefferson]

What sort of grass is Bandon Trails? I was surprised to see a group playing the 7th in that photo Jeff Doerr posted (great photo by the way with those purples & greys) in that frost. I thought maybe they might have used fescue at Bandon but would that be hardy enough for frost play?

Scott took that one and made the modifications to it. It was just dew, although I've teed off a number of times at the resort when the ground was still frosty. I think the fescue can handle it. That's really a question for Tom Jefferson.

Jeff, and others;

The turfgrass on the greens, tees, and fairways at Bandon Trails, and throughout the resort, is a fescue/colonial bent blend.  The ratios have evolved as we have added courses, with Bandon Dunes having the highest percentage of bent, and Bandon Trails the least.  That trend will continue with the grassing of Old Macdonald, where we, in fact, have chosen to eliminate the bent component entirely.

Regarding it's tolerance to traffic when frost covered, no, we protect the turf, just as most do, by holding play until temps rise.

If that photo of #7 WAS frost, there is no way anyone would have been on it!!

Thanks,
Tom

[Garland Bayley]

I guess I have to wonder what barney's reaction was when you took pictures while playing with him. Enquiring minds want to know.

[John Kavanaugh]

The only time I was asked to stop mid-round and pose at a picture point I politely refused.  The action shot of me was taken by a member of our gallery and as far as the others go I was not in position to duck.

[Joe Hancock]

Almost like watching a Barbara Walters Special.......

Joe

[Garland Bayley]

Kalen posted a url for an old thread today, and I had to laugh when I read the following post there.

I can not stand playing with tourists.  I have never taken my clubs to Hawaii for this very reason.  I don't even like being in the clubhouse or near enough on the course where I can see them.  I doubt if I will go back to Bandon for this reason and it keeps me from pulling the trigger on Europe.

[Joe Hancock]

You actually laughed?

Joe

[Norbert P]

I can not stand playing with tourists.  I have never taken my clubs to Hawaii for this very reason.  I don't even like being in the clubhouse or near enough on the course where I can see them. 

I concur with John. The ironic part is that we are tourists when we travel, no matter how hard we try to deny it, which creates some degree of self-loathing on my part.  One time though, on a cross country motorcycle trip, in Lynchburg, Tennessee, a feller told me I wasn't a tourist, I was a traveller. That made me feel better.

  A few years ago I went on a cruise ship. Ugh, trapped on a boat for a week with a thousand other tourists.   My favorite part of the day was the morning walk around the ship at dawn.  Just a few other souls who couldn't stand the masses either.