From what I have read and the photos I have seen of Bandon it does makes sense to enjoy ones stay for 5 days. New or good quality courses need to be savoured and enjoyed, like a good single malt. A drinker who knows his stuff will advise a drop of water, no more than a tea spoon full of water (not ice) should be added to the single malt to dissipate the oils thus getting the full flavour rather than the fierceness of flavour. The same applies to golf courses, they need to be played over and over again. Like adding a drop of water to a single malt, one should play each new or unfamiliar course twice, once in the morning once in the afternoon to experience the potential quality available. Rush and play a single round and you are left with the equivalent of that fierceness of flavour. The joy which should have been experienced, having been lost in trying to understand too much in just a single round.
In Scotland we produce our golf courses as we produce our single malts, there for the individual to enjoy and hopefully eager to re-experience. But first you need to know how to fully understand this new experience. The only way is to savour the moment, take your time and give your senses the time and freedom to embrace life at a slower and steadier pace.
Wham bam thank you Mam speedy approach trying to cram in so much leaves the individual poorer with little to no memory let alone the experience perhaps with only photos to recapture some of the memories. Too many come to Scotland trying to squeeze twice as many courses as they should within their time here. Quality is what I thought a golfer would seek not quantity. To study the different light upon the course between the morning and afternoon round is to enrich you experience, then to enjoy a good luncheon between the rounds and still have time to study the history of the club and golf while enjoying that other great product of Scotland our single malts.
To be honest the same thing applies where ever you travel to play golf, get to know and remember each club/course as it will be that memory together with the understanding gained at the time that will stay with you forever. Never rush a good experience, take your time and you will, I am certain want to repeat it, so do so, but allow adequate time and don’t try and play 14 courses in 14 days, that is an act of lunacy and is not value for money in anyway.
Quality always wins out, while quantity waters down quality until it’s difficult to distinguish which is which. After paying the air fare, travel costs, hotels, Green Fees and drink bills, not to mention travelling time surely you want to come away with real Golden Memories not just the photos.
So Bandon vs. Scotland, that’s down to the individual, but Scotland has many little gems, great courses, historical links courses, golfing history and nearly the same amount of courses as distilleries producing the ‘Water of Life’.
You decide who you think will be the winner.
Melvyn