Bandon Course Ranking

[Richard Choi]

OK, now that we have fair number of folks who have played all 4 courses at Bandon, what are quick thoughts? Please provide the following:

10 round trip breakdown:

For me, it would be 4 Old Mac, 4 Pac Dune, 1 Bandon, and 1 Trails

Stack ranking:

1 & 2 I am still trying to make up my mind.
3. Bandon Trails
4. Bandon Dunes

[Michael Robin]

Rich, completely agree with your assessment.

Nice to meet you too. You had a giant smile on your face the whole time you were here.

[Anthony Gray]

     1 Bandon Trails,1 Bandon Dunes,1 Pacific Dunes,1 Old Mac,6 Chrome Lake out of 10 rounds.

   

[Paul Forbes]

3 Old Mac, 3 Pac Dunes, 3 Bandon Trails, 1 Bandon Dunes

Ranking:

1 - Old Mac (deserves all the hype!)
2 - Pac Dunes
3 - Trails
4 - Bandon Dunes

I was just there about 3 weeks ago and played them all.  7 Rounds in 4 days - 2 Old Mac, 2 Pac Dunes, 2 Tralis, and 1 Bandon Dunes.  I really enjoy playing Trails and sometimes have a hard time deciding between Trails and Pacific Dunes for 2 and 3.  I also have a hard time explaining why Bandon Dunes is at the bottom of the list, but I just don't enjoy the round as much on Bandon Dunes as on the other courses.  I know they had to do it, but I really hated how much gorse has been removed on Bandon Dunes, especially on Number 5.

[Adam Clayman]

It's only fair to let Sandpines into the rota.

[PThomas]

It's only fair to let Sandpines into the rota.

1000 lashes for you Adam!

[Bill Brightly]

OM 4
PD 2
BD 2
BT 2

[Will MacEwen]

Not having played OM, I'm likely to do a 3-3-2-2 in some fashion.  They are still 4 of the best courses I will play in any given year, and I like 2 pops at each.

[Kevin Pallier]

For a first time visitor - I'd definitely play all 4 courses - as a repeat visitor I'd only play OM, PD, BT.

Stack ranking:

1. OM
2. PD
3. BT
4. BD

[Ash Towe]

I have only played the 10 hole preview at Old MacDonald so I would still like to see more of it at present.

With that in mind I would do a 10 round breakdown as follows-

OM 4
PD 3
BT 2
BD 1

[Rob Rigg]

Where is Mayhugh with his 8 Mac, 2 BD?

I'm 6 OM, 2 PD, 1 BT, 1 BD - maybe 5 OM, 3 PD

OM is just so much fun - I have never played a course where you can get so creative in your shotmaking (whether you execute is obviously another matter). I probably used putter for more approach shots than any other club in the bag and hit flush or punch driver off the deck on the par fours into the wind more times than I can remember. FUN!

OM is definitely a course of hope - you can spray the ball on most holes and have a chance of recovering - some golfers will definitely find this to be a turn off. The greens can be pretty demanding though.

The redan into the wind was so awesome - a fantastic challenge.

[Tim Bert]

5 Pac
3 Mac
1 Dunes
1 Trails

I prefer the courses in the order I listed them. Last night at the bar I was leaning toward copping out and calling it 4-4-1-1 but a round at Pacific Dunes this morning in a heaping rainstorm and 30+ mph winds (at least according to the forecast) worked wonders to knock that nonsense out of my head. After my group bailed on an afternoon round today, I bagged my 1:40 tee time at Mac (would have been the 4th) in order to do a second loop at Pacific (5th of the trip).  Since this is only one day after the grand opening and the hoopla and personal love affair with Old Mac, my heart tells me that in 6 months and 1 year and in 5 years I will probably lean toward Pacific.

I think Mac is going to stand the test of time and I think it is incredible. Hard to find a weak hole out there. Pacific, however, is still Pacific!

[Matthew Essig]

I'm going to add a dimension by throwing in preserve.

Overall Ranking:
T1 Pac Dunes and Old Mac
3 Preserve
T4 Trails and Bandon Dunes***

10 round breakdown:
4 Pac Dunes
4 Old Mac
1 Preserve
1 Bandon
0 Trails (I liked the layout and overall architecture of the course but I wouldn't care if I ever played there again)
(The reason Bandon Dunes is tied with Trails even though I wouldn't care to play another round on Trails is because Trails is way better architecturally and Bandon needs to be bulldozed and redone)

[Brian Hilko]

4 at Pacific.  2 at all the rest. Pacific just has it all in my opinion.

[Ronald Montesano]

"needs to be bulldozed and redone."

Good to know you're qualified to make that statement. Which specific holes at Bandon Dunes original are not worthy of your architectural pedigree, might I ask?

[Matthew Essig]

"needs to be bulldozed and redone."

Good to know you're qualified to make that statement. Which specific holes at Bandon Dunes original are not worthy of your architectural pedigree, might I ask?

My major problem with the course iss the green complexes.

I think the 2,6,7,10,15, and 17 green complexes need to be redone.
On all of those holes you have to carry it to the green to be on the green, and then many times, the ball rolls off the sides or back when you land it onto the green.

[Matthew Essig]

4 at Pacific.  2 at all the rest. Pacific just has it all in my opinion.

What if you add preserve into the mix?

[Pete_Pittock]

Pacific Dunes -and Bandon Trails 4 each; Old Mac and Bandon Dunes 1 each

[Michael Dugger]

I also have a hard time explaining why Bandon Dunes is at the bottom of the list, but I just don't enjoy the round as much on Bandon Dunes as on the other courses.  I know they had to do it, but I really hated how much gorse has been removed on Bandon Dunes, especially on Number 5.

This is certainly a common feeling amongst GCAers.  I can't help but wonder if it's because BD has become too manicured and not rough enough around the edges.  There is also something about all the other courses being quirky, not returning to the clubhouse after 9 holes and having irregular sequencing of par 3, 4 and 5s.

In every way that the other 3 courses are "outside the box" Bandon Dunes is typical. 

I can't help but wonder what folks would feel if they roughed up some of the turf and made it native.  The one shot holes are also vastly inferior (in my opinion) to the other courses.  6 doesn't move me, nor does 12 and 15.  I probably like 2 the best and that is simply because it's an ugly wasteland of doom on up to the green. 

 

[Jud_T]

Next trip (3rd):

4 PD
4 OM
2 BT
0 BD

[Stephen Davis]

I rate them

1. Old Mac
2. Pac Dunes
3. Bandon Dunes
4. Bandon Trails

If I were playing 10 rounds I would have the following break down

Old MacDonald 4
Pacific Dunes 3
Bandon Trails 2
Bandon Dunes 1

The reason I would play Bandon Dunes fewer times than Bandon Trails is because I have only played Trails twice, and one of those times I was playing very poorly, so I was not able to appreciate the design and intricacies of the course. I know I didn't give it a fair shot, and so I need to evaluate it more appropriately on my next trip.

[Chris_Hufnagel]

Here is my rating...

1. Pacific Dunes
2. Old Macdonald (close second)
3. Bandon Trails
4. Bandon Dunes (distant fourth)

Here is my ten round rota over five days with 36 per day...

Day One - Pacific Dunes AM / Old Macdonald PM
Day Two - Old Macdonald AM / Pacific Dunes PM
Day Three - Pacific Dunes AM / Bandon Trails PM
Day Four - Old Macdonald AM / Pacific Dunes PM
Day Five - Pacific Dunes AM / Old Macdonald PM

I love just thinking about my next trip!

[Andy Troeger]

Since Trails is taking a beating...I'll give it a positive vote!

1. Bandon Trails
2. Pacific Dunes
3. Bandon Dunes
4. Old MacDonald

10 rounds:
3 BT, 3 PD, 2 BD, 2 OM. With four legitimate top 100 courses out there, I can't see making a long trip and not playing at least one round on each course. The gap between 1-4 isn't that large, and Trails is in my overall top five and Pacific top 10. I suppose though for those of you that are regular visitors, that once you've sampled them all a few times it probably makes more sense to just hit the highlights. But man, they are ALL highlights!

[Peter Pallotta]

Thanks, gents. I've yet to go to Bandon, and so it's interesting to read the perspectives of those who've played multiple rounds over multiple days over multiple visits.  I can't imagine I'd ever get in (or enjoy) more than one round a day on each of 4 courses; I'd have to play them all on my first (and probably only) visit.  I'll be curious to see whether/how this more 'sedate' pace and 'single play' approach will affect my experience there. 

Peter

[Kalen Braley]

Thanks, gents. I've yet to go to Bandon, and so it's interesting to read the perspectives of those who've played multiple rounds over multiple days over multiple visits.  I can't imagine I'd ever get in (or enjoy) more than one round a day on each of 4 courses; I'd have to play them all on my first (and probably only) visit.  I'll be curious to see whether/how this more 'sedate' pace and 'single play' approach will affect my experience there. 

Peter

Peter,

I've been there twice, but due to "limited funds" only had the ability to play Pac Dunes once.  The entire property and location is a site to behold.  I can safely say, I've yet to see anything like it.

The only place I would compare it to on the "epic" scale is the Monterey area and its best of courses.