[Ian_L]

I haven't yet been to Bandon (2 more months!), but I've noticed in the photographs lots of holes with dense vegetation in or near the fairways, seemingly more so than in most GB&I links courses (that being said my experience with these courses is minimal).

Bandon Dunes's 5th features shrubbery in the middle of the fairway.
Pacific Dunes has dense vegetation around some of the bunkers.
Bandon trails has thick trees and shrubs on the wrong side of some fairway bunkers.
All three courses seem to have plenty of opportunities for unplayable lies and lost balls with a large mishit.

Any thoughts on this are welcome.  One question I would be particularly interested in is, in what way has this affected the design (and/or construction) of these courses, and has the unique(?) vegetation made the courses different from the classic links courses of the British Isles?

[Ronald Montesano]

From the stories I've been told, it's so oily it burns like kindling.  Read Dream Golf and you'll learn more.  I loved the spaces between the holes...I think that the vegetation, especially on the old course, serves to separate holes from each other.  On the Trails, the three unique settings (Dunes, Meadow, Forest) are glorified in the vegetation.  Some of the trees at Trails have a haunted appearance, like dead soldiers still at their post.

[Jed Peters]

I'm not the bset golfer, but I've NOT had any issues with ball lossage during my 20+ rounds at the bandon courses.

The only thing that will eat balls are the ravines--when truly poor shots are hit--and some of the gorse--again, when truly bad shots are hit. The corridors are wide and the rough is whispy and thin at all three courses there.

[Will MacEwen]

I played 72 holes with one ball, which is borderline impossisble for someone of my ability.

[Ian_L]

The corridors are wide and the rough is whispy and thin at all three courses there.

Interesting, so could it be that the vegetation inclined the architects to widen the holes out?  If so, has that changed the strategy of the courses?

[Ian_L]

From the stories I've been told, it's so oily it burns like kindling.  Read Dream Golf and you'll learn more.  I loved the spaces between the holes...I think that the vegetation, especially on the old course, serves to separate holes from each other.  On the Trails, the three unique settings (Dunes, Meadow, Forest) are glorified in the vegetation.  Some of the trees at Trails have a haunted appearance, like dead soldiers still at their post.

I wonder if there's any course remotely like Bandon Trails in setting?

[Matt OBrien]

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I wonder if there's any course remotely like Bandon Trails in setting?
[/quote]

The closest two that I have played are Pine Valley and Hidden Creek. Hidden Creek Happens to be a coore crenshaw also.

That vegitation is Gorse

[Anthony Gray]

  I lost my first ball on the 54th hole and was a 15 handicapper at that time.

[Mark Smolens]

I hit 4 or 5 balls into the Pacific from ocean-side tees (for fun), and one ball into the ravine on #18 of Bandon, but found a lot of balls while looking for wayward shots -- and you don't find Top Flite XLs at Bandon!

[Norbert P]

[Kalen Braley]

While true, the vegetation seems to somewhat out of play on most holes at the Bandon Complex...

...if you do find the gorse your ball is a goner because i get phantom pains just looking at the stuff, much less trying to go in there and find a ball. 

[Mark Smolens]

Mr. Bandoon, isn't that sign from the bunker to the right of #5 on Old Macdonald?  Wasn't the burned out gorse behind the ninth tee cool looking?  The stuff is insidious, already growing back among the burned out skeltons. . .

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