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[Greg Boring]

Leaving tomorrow for my first visit to Bandon.  Any tips from the seasoned veterns from the site?

[Jason Topp]

I went there alone and played with different people each round.  I was surprised at how many people got extremely frustrated with poor play and seemed to be having a bad time. 

Relax, have fun, enjoy a special place. 

[Jeff Taylor]

Bring your short game or suffer the tortures of the damned.

[Anthony Gray]

 

[Kalen Braley]

This time of year?

[Paul Thomas]

as Kalen said bring the rain gear, play ALL the courses, try some different scotches..hard to not have fun there

[Carl Nichols]

Take a caddie, at least the first time you play each course.  The local knowledge, color, and other tidbits are well worth the money, even if you're normally disinclined to take one.   

[Bill_McBride]

Leaving tomorrow for my first visit to Bandon.  Any tips from the seasoned veterns from the site?

Bring two pairs of your most comfortable walking shoes, and expect to get them wet.  You can dry one overnight, and might want to wear the dry pair in the afternoon.  If it's not raining, it will at least be wet in the rough.

Or stay out of the rough!

There is nothing to do there but play golf, drink and eat.  Enjoy!

[Kalen Braley]

Leaving tomorrow for my first visit to Bandon.  Any tips from the seasoned veterns from the site?

Bring two pairs of your most comfortable walking shoes, and expect to get them wet.  You can dry one overnight, and might want to wear the dry pair in the afternoon.  If it's not raining, it will at least be wet in the rough.

Or stay out of the rough!

There is nothing to do there but play golf, drink and eat.  Enjoy!

Ahhh come on Bill,

Didn't you catch the double meaning in my last post  "Rain...Gear"   

[Jud Tigerman]

you will save yourself a lot of strokes and frustration if you only play from around the greens with a putter or rescue club.  I found it extremely difficult to chip in the traditional american fashion with a lofted club from the tight fescue lies around the greens...and whatever you do stay to the left off the tee on #14 on Bandon Trails, even if that means hitting a mid iron....

[Bill_McBride]

Leaving tomorrow for my first visit to Bandon.  Any tips from the seasoned veterns from the site?

Bring two pairs of your most comfortable walking shoes, and expect to get them wet.  You can dry one overnight, and might want to wear the dry pair in the afternoon.  If it's not raining, it will at least be wet in the rough.

Or stay out of the rough!

There is nothing to do there but play golf, drink and eat.  Enjoy!

Ahhh come on Bill,

Didn't you catch the double meaning in my last post  "Rain...Gear"   

Huh?   

[Anthony Gray]

Take a caddie, at least the first time you play each course.  The local knowledge, color, and other tidbits are well worth the money, even if you're normally disinclined to take one.   

  Agreed

[Jud Tigerman]

Prepare to be blown away! The golf and the accomodations should exceed your expectations.  The only thing that I thought that could be improved a bit was the food, which was good, but not great....

[Adam Clayman]

This is great time. The weather is part of the experience. When I went the wind barely blew with sunny 70 degrees. I felt I was unfortunate.

[Greg Boring]

We have caddies reserved for all of our rounds.  Two rounds at PD, two rounds at BD, and one on BT.  Thanks Guys

[Jud Tigerman]

skip one of the BD rounds and get your butts over to Old Mac!!

[Ryan Admussen]

skip one of the BD rounds and get your butts over to Old Mac!!

When I booked my Bandon trip for next week, they told me Old Mac was closed for play Oct.31?

[Ross Waldorf]

I know you're almost ready to get on a plane so extra practice is probably hard to come by this afternoon, but hitting some balls off of hardpan is really useful before going to Bandon. The turf is VERY firm and can take some getting used to. Hitting behind the ball is a serious no-no. And hitting anything lofted around the greens is a real challenge. So as you've no doubt heard, brush up on your bump and run skills.

Have a great time. The place really is amazing.

[Ryan Admussen]

We have caddies reserved for all of our rounds.  Two rounds at PD, two rounds at BD, and one on BT.  Thanks Guys

We have the exact same schedule next week!have fun!

[Joel Zuckerman]

A friendly bartender once said to me that he estimated that 50--60% of the players he spoke to broke out brand-new golf shoes for their "epic trip" to Bandon...and the vast majority were hobbling after 9 or 18 holes, putting a severe damper on their ability to go round and round.

He was amazed that guys presumably smart/successful/astute enough to GET to Bandon and pay for the whole experience, were so dumb as to take brand-new shoes right outta the box...so the moral of the story is:  Wear golf shoes that are well broken in!

[Rob Rigg]

Yeah - my friend had to buy a pair of Nike Vapors after day one because his shoes were hurting him so bad (you can wear the Vapors out of the box for however many holes your legs can hold you up - I am sure other manufacturers have similar shoes - the focus here is on comfy gear).

Also - If you arrive in the afternoon and will not be heading out - check out shortys and the range and get used to guiding the ball around in heavy winds. Your putter and 3 iron can become very good friends from 100+ yards out.

Enjoy!

[Bill Brightly]

I am also planning my first trip to Bandon. Assuming I will play 36 per day for 5 days, and want to play PD, BT and OM at least  twice each, what would you suggest for the other 4 rounds? Would you play all rounds at the resort, or leave the resort for a round or two?

I like taking caddies, but wonder if pull carts are also used. Thx!

[Ryan Admussen]

I am also planning my first trip to Bandon. Assuming I will play 36 per day for 5 days, and want to play PD, BT and OM at least  twice each, what would you suggest for the other 4 rounds? Would you play all rounds at the resort, or leave the resort for a round or two?

I like taking caddies, but wonder if pull carts are also used. Thx!

I'm playing a warmup round at bandon crossings the afternoon I get there, I'm pretty sure pull carts are allowed, but I've read it can be tricky getting them from green to tee.

[Ben Sims]

Greg,

1) Listen to your caddies
2) Hit a ball into the ocean on 16 tee at Bandon Dunes
3) Drink three different kinds of Scotch, slowly, outside in the elements if they'll let you take the glass outside
4) Stare at 15 green at Bandon Trails and chuckle at why everyone loves C&C so much
5) Stare at the tee shot on 6 at Pacific Dunes and chuckle at why everyone loves Renaissance Golf so much.
6) Find way to get over to the Sheep Ranch.  Spend four hours hitting the ball around, having a beer or two, and visiting with friends.  And God please don't keep a score!
7) Play the preview at Old Mac, and smile for two hours straight. 
Eat the meatloaf
9) Hit shiny white Titleist NXT Tour balls at the range.  Wish that your local course had a practice area as good as Bandon's.
10) Have a few too many, and at midnight, walk down 18 and 17 to the 16th green at Bandon Dunes and go scream at the ocean and the wind.  Realize how powerless you really are in the face of that incomprehensibly big ocean.

But if you do none of those things.  Do this one.  Enjoy every moment.  There is no place on earth like it.

[Ross Waldorf]

Bill:

Well, for one thing, play Bandon Dunes! And yes, pull carts are fine and Bandon is probably the only place you'll ever go where they'll let you pull them across the greens.

[Bill_McBride]

Greg,

1) Listen to your caddies
2) Hit a ball into the ocean on 16 tee at Bandon Dunes
3) Drink three different kinds of Scotch, slowly, outside in the elements if they'll let you take the glass outside
4) Stare at 15 green at Bandon Trails and chuckle at why everyone loves C&C so much
5) Stare at the tee shot on 6 at Pacific Dunes and chuckle at why everyone loves Renaissance Golf so much.
6) Find way to get over to the Sheep Ranch.  Spend four hours hitting the ball around, having a beer or two, and visiting with friends.  And God please don't keep a score!
7) Play the preview at Old Mac, and smile for two hours straight. 
Eat the meatloaf
9) Hit shiny white Titleist NXT Tour balls at the range.  Wish that your local course had a practice area as good as Bandon's.
10) Have a few too many, and at midnight, walk down 18 and 17 to the 16th green at Bandon Dunes and go scream at the ocean and the wind.  Realize how powerless you really are in the face of that incomprehensibly big ocean.

But if you do none of those things.  Do this one.  Enjoy every moment.  There is no place on earth like it.

If they don't use that as a marketing piece at Bandon they're crazy.

If they do they owe you royalties for a long time.

Good stuff.

[Bryan Bergner]

Keep it low, and enjoy some time in the town of Bandon.  The people are great. 

[Jud Tigerman]

bill,

no reason to leave the resort...I'd say play bandon dunes only once, play as much pac dunes and old mac as possible...

[Anthony Gray]

  Greg,

  I am happy for you. From one person from Harrison County to another have a great time, you have earned it. Seize the day my friend.

  Anthony

 

[Pete_Pittock]

One of the problems of using a walking cart at Bandon was the construction of the cart paths with railroad ties. They have been (almost?) completely replaced with gravel or firm sand/dirt. You can pull the rickshaw carts across greens, but don't stop or make hard turns on the putting surface.

[Anthony Gray]

  Bandon is more about the experience than the golf. It is "Dream Golf". Enjoy the town, the caddies, the isolation and your friends. In many ways it is an escape. The golf is the best in the world.


  Anthony

 

[Sean Eidson]

The best piece of advice I got at Bandon is "Have fun, hit some good shots.  Remember the good shots and forget about your score.  Nobody asks you what you scored when you go skiing, they just ask if you had fun."

Seriously, i worked my butt off to play the best golf of my life at Bandon, lots of extra rounds, lots of extra exercise, and lots of extra practice.  All of that kind of went out the window when faced with the cool temperatures, strong wind, and 36 holes/day.  I lost 2 shots on my handicap.  My golf just sucked, when you look at it from a pencil and scorecard perspective, but there were pieces that I'll take and treasure for the rest of my life, and especially as I plan my return trip.

Have a great time.  If you haven't left yet, stop by Barnes and Noble and pick up a copy of Extraordinary Golf to read as you migrate West.  In lieu of reading that great book, take heed of the admonition on the first tee at Black Mesa - "It's not how you play, it's how you handle how you play - Brad Klein"

[Will MacEwen]

A friendly bartender once said to me that he estimated that 50--60% of the players he spoke to broke out brand-new golf shoes for their "epic trip" to Bandon...and the vast majority were hobbling after 9 or 18 holes, putting a severe damper on their ability to go round and round.

He was amazed that guys presumably smart/successful/astute enough to GET to Bandon and pay for the whole experience, were so dumb as to take brand-new shoes right outta the box...so the moral of the story is:  Wear golf shoes that are well broken in!

I have probably posted this before, but with new shoes I like to wear thick wool socks and plaster my feet with vaseline.  It really works well for the break in period.  The only downside is having your wife ask you why you are packing a quart of vaseline for your golf trip.


The advice about playing off the green is good.  Get comfy with the putter or a hybrid and stick with it.  BD is still a very good course and it is somewhat less demanding, which is nice to have in the mix.  BT and especially PD (for me) can draw blood.

Walking dow to the beach with beer is a nice suggestion. 

[Bill Brightly]

I have probably posted this before, but with new shoes I like to wear thick wool socks and plaster my feet with vaseline.  It really works well for the break in period.  The only downside is having your wife ask you why you are packing a quart of vaseline for your golf trip.

Laugh out loud funny! And thanks for the advice!

[Jim Adkisson]

5.3 Magnatude earthquake this morning just west of Bandon... http://www.oregonlive.com/news/index.ssf/2009/11/moderate_quake_strikes_off_ore_1.html ...doesn't look like a tsunami will wipe out the oceanside holes...I can't wait to get there on Saturday, Bandon Crossings on the drive-in day, USE a buggy, save the legs for daily doubles on the main entree...Lot's of good advice so far...I'd add Salmon Hash for breakfast and Meatloaf for dinner one night...Drink Oregon beers when in Beervana!