Man, do I love Bandon Trails. Don't get me wrong, I really do love Pacific Dunes, but Bandon Trails for me is nirvana.
Elegant, scruffy, natural, fun, and most importantly thoughtful.
I always feel I have so many options on how to play the next shot which is the most fun aspect of golf. Unfortunately I often will pick a harder, but more fun way to play a shot, especially if the ground is firm and fast, just to see if I can pull it off and watch the ball bounce and roll around. Then again I am not a pencil and scorecard slave and rarely keep score, so courses that allow me try so many fun shots like Trails does is simply the best 4 hours in golf for my liking. I have not played Hidden Creek, Sugarloaf Mt., or Old Sandwich but they all look very similar to Trails in the aspect of "thoughtful fun". Sorry to ramble, but I just love the place!
The angles off the tee, #3, #4, #6, #11, #15.
The approaches #3, #10, #13
The risk-reward #8, #14
The greens #3, #5, #8, #13!, #16, #17
The seemingly undisturbed nature #4 green, #9 approach, #15 green, #17 the unbelievable setting
#15 looks like what I think Royal Melbourne would look like. Such an underrated hole.
What architects have the confidence to NOT mess with the #9 green like they did. Just mow it and play. Awesome stuff.
How there are 100 better courses in the world (Golf Magazine) is beyond me. When you mix Ben Crenshaw, Bill Coore, Mike Keiser, fescue, firm and fast, and perfectly sandy soil and not end up with a top 20 course is a mystry to me. Why Trails isn't ranked in the Top 40 in the world is simply a travesty.