[Joey Chase]

I am starting to plan a trip for my offseason.  I haven't been to Bandon yet, but I'm not sure if the weather is o.k. then.  I would also love to go to San Francisco and Monterey.  I cannot do both Bandon and San Fran, but I feel like the weather will be better the further south I go.  Any suggestions?

[Kirk Moon]

I am starting to plan a trip for my offseason.  I haven't been to Bandon yet, but I'm not sure if the weather is o.k. then.  I would also love to go to San Francisco and Monterey.  I cannot do both Bandon and San Fran, but I feel like the weather will be better the further south I go.  Any suggestions?

It rains around 20-30% of the days in January (on average) in SF but is highly unpredictable.  This January we had virtually NO rain but October and March were very wet and cold.  In wet years it might rain every few days. 

December and January are the wettest months in Bandon and I imagine that it might rain over 50% of the time.  If you go to Bandon in the Winter you should just expect rain as a part of the experience.  They have a world class selection of rain gear in the pro shop.  : )

[Joey Chase]

I am starting to plan a trip for my offseason.  I haven't been to Bandon yet, but I'm not sure if the weather is o.k. then.  I would also love to go to San Francisco and Monterey.  I cannot do both Bandon and San Fran, but I feel like the weather will be better the further south I go.  Any suggestions?

  They have a world class selection of rain gear in the pro shop.  : )

  I can handle a bit of rain, coming from Switzerland it will certainly be warmer!  Given the choice, would you choose one over the other having never played golf in either place? 

[Jud_T]

If we're talking strictly about golf, and you don't have unimpeded access to the privates around SF and Monterey, then it's Bandon easily IMO.  The elements are an integral part of the experience and the winter rates can't be beat.

[Tom_Doak]

 
December and January are the wettest months in Bandon and I imagine that it might rain over 50% of the time.  If you go to Bandon in the Winter you should just expect rain as a part of the experience.  They have a world class selection of rain gear in the pro shop.  : )

This has not been my experience; we were told when we started Pacific Dunes that there tended to be a lot of nice days in December and early January and then it got wetter at the end of January through March, and that was true for the construction of both our courses there.  There is an occasional winter storm that will knock your socks off, but it isn't like it rains every day.  It's just moody.

[Joey Chase]

I am leaning towards Bandon anyway as it is such a spectacular collection of courses.  My access around SF is limited, but they do have quality public options, right?  Tom, it's funny you say that.  It seems that any project I've been a part of we found the record rainfalls.  Our course in Portugal had record rainfalls both winters we were there.  Now that the course is finished, they are suffering a drought of record proportions!  Murphy's law in effect?

[Joe Stansell]

It's just moody.

I think Tom offers the perfect description. My family has developed a small tradition of visiting Bandon during the days immediately following Christmas. We practically have the place to ourselves. When the rains and winds arrive, it can be daunting. (Think driver at Pacific Dunes 14th.) But there's also lots of calm and occasional sun. Its a great time to go.

[Kirk Moon]

This has not been my experience; we were told when we started Pacific Dunes that there tended to be a lot of nice days in December and early January and then it got wetter at the end of January through March, and that was true for the construction of both our courses there.  There is an occasional winter storm that will knock your socks off, but it isn't like it rains every day.  It's just moody.

The weather web sites indicate that December has the highest total precipitation followed closely by January (over 9" both months).  November is just short of 9".  Feb and March are in the 7" range.  http://www.weather.com/outlook/travel/vacationplanner/vacationclimatology/monthly/1476229:5

I was thinking that it would rain every other day or every few days with some nice days interspersed.  Kind of like SF only with more frequent rainy days.  I don't think someone should expect to go to Bandon in January and not expect to have at least some rain during a three or four day stay, no?  This isn't a bad thing.  I found that it was actually kind of fun to play in the rain since I rarely do it at home and it is just part of the unique experience of being there during that time of year (just like the wind in the Summer.)  And unless you are unfortunate and get hit with a big Pacific storm out of Alaska (with all the wind and fury those storms can pack), the nicer Winter days have less wind than in the Summer as a bit of a payback.  

This pattern is different than what I think they experience in Seattle, with lots and lots of grey, drizzly days throughout the Winter.

I was up at Bandon last November for four days and we had weather similar to what you describe, with rain on two days and beautiful sun on two days.  Had a great time all four days.  

The advantage of going to Bandon in the Winter is that the rates are very reasonable.  Until this year, those low rates used to start in early November, but now I think they have a short shoulder season and the really low rates don't start until late November.

[William_G]

the weather is unpredictable in Bandon and in Monterey

in Bandon it may average 9 inches in January, but when you do get a storm it's usually dumping 2.5 inches per day, so you quickly get to your average

also in Bandon you can play when it rains beacuse of the brilliance of having a sand base on all the courses including Trails where they added some sand in the forested area...

The beauty of golf in Bandon, is you essentially have a perfect lie in the fairway year round.

[Andrew Lewis]

I have made two winter trips to Bandon -- a week around Christmas and a week in early January. 

Both times, we had a day or two of ridiculously bad weather (think 40* F with heavy rain and strong winds) that were more than offset by several days of pleasant conditions (60* sunny and dry).  But even on the worst days, the courses remained very playable.

Beyond the lower greens fees, I'd suggest that the best part of an off-season visit is that the resort gets significantly less play during the winter.  During my visits, there were only ~30 registered guests on the property.  And having Pacific Dunes (or any of the courses, for that matter) essentially all to yourself is a pretty special thing.

[Stephen Davis]

 
December and January are the wettest months in Bandon and I imagine that it might rain over 50% of the time.  If you go to Bandon in the Winter you should just expect rain as a part of the experience.  They have a world class selection of rain gear in the pro shop.  : )

This has not been my experience; we were told when we started Pacific Dunes that there tended to be a lot of nice days in December and early January and then it got wetter at the end of January through March, and that was true for the construction of both our courses there.  There is an occasional winter storm that will knock your socks off, but it isn't like it rains every day.  It's just moody.

I live in Oregon and Tom has it exactly right. January can be fussy, but you can also get some great days in January. I have played Bandon in Nov, Dec, Jan, Feb and to be honest those can be some of the best months down there. The wind is usually calmer and of the 5 times I have been there I have only been rained on once and it wasnt too bad. Any time past mid Feb and into April and you will almost certainly have rain.

[Jud_T]

Frankly the summer winds can be a bit much for all but the hardiest of us.  Last summer it was blowing 20-40 the entire time we were there.  $75 green fees, fewer guests and less wind sounds like a pretty good call in my book.  Next time I'm going in the winter...Not to mention that the Sheep Ranch is open that time of year I believe...

[Will MacEwen]

Biggest issue is the shorter days.  If you aren't out early 36 is a tall order.

[Kirk Moon]

Biggest issue is the shorter days.  If you aren't out early 36 is a tall order.

Ergo, Bandon Preserve!

Added bonus:  I found a web site that I thought was useful and interesting with fairly detailed historical data about the weather in the Bandon OR region (specifically, data from the airport in North Bend OR), including the number of days with measurable precipitation (with specific ranges of precipitation) on a month to month basis for the 29 year period from 1971-2000, collated by the Oregon State Climatologist:

http://www.ocs.oregonstate.edu/county_climate/Coos_files/Coos.html

Cliff Notes version:  Measured precipitation in November, December and January is approximately 15-20% higher than in February and March.  The number of days with the largest precipitation per 24 hours are somewhat more frequent in November and December than in January, February and March.  The total number of days with measurable precipitation (of any amount) is approximately the same from November through March (around 19 days/month).

Caveats:  This data is 11 years old.  Climate change might have an impact on these numbers. Also, most of the data is for the airport in North Bend.  The golf resort is perhaps 20 miles south of the airport.  Doubt this would impact the numbers much, but anything is possible.

This weather, BTW, is much wetter than SF, where probably 75% or more of our Winter days are without precipitation (subjective guess.)  

[William_G]

Biggest issue is the shorter days.  If you aren't out early 36 is a tall order.

Ergo, Bandon Preserve!

[Joey Chase]

Biggest issue is the shorter days.  If you aren't out early 36 is a tall order.

Ergo, Bandon Preserve!

Added bonus:  I found a web site that I thought was useful and interesting with fairly detailed historical data about the weather in the Bandon OR region (specifically, data from the airport in North Bend OR), including the number of days with measurable precipitation (with specific ranges of precipitation) on a month to month basis for the 29 year period from 1971-2000, collated by the Oregon State Climatologist:

http://www.ocs.oregonstate.edu/county_climate/Coos_files/Coos.html

Cliff Notes version:  Measured precipitation in November, December and January is approximately 15-20% higher than in February and March.  The number of days with the largest precipitation per 24 hours are somewhat more frequent in November and December than in January, February and March.  The total number of days with measurable precipitation (of any amount) is approximately the same from November through March (around 19 days/month).

Caveats:  This data is 11 years old.  Climate change might have an impact on these numbers. Also, most of the data is for the airport in North Bend.  The golf resort is perhaps 20 miles south of the airport.  Doubt this would impact the numbers much, but anything is possible.

This weather, BTW, is much wetter than SF, where probably 75% or more of our Winter days are without precipitation (subjective guess.)  

Thank you for all the info, it has been a big help.  I think I have settled on going to the bay area as it is an easier sell to my non-golfing wife.  I will have to wait for Bandon on a later date with a group of guys.  Where would you suggest I play with only two or three rounds in SF before going to Monterey? 

[Pete_Pittock]

I've made last minute trips to Bandon with my brother in January based on 48 hour windows of calm and dry weather.  Moody is a great descriptor.

[Kirk Moon]

Thank you for all the info, it has been a big help.  I think I have settled on going to the bay area as it is an easier sell to my non-golfing wife.  I will have to wait for Bandon on a later date with a group of guys.  Where would you suggest I play with only two or three rounds in SF before going to Monterey? 

Choices for public golf in the immediate environs of SF are not super strong.  The top choice would be Harding Park, which is an excellent but not outstanding course.  Presidio is a reasonable second choice.  The other munis in the city are in a different league.  Public golf down the Peninsula and up in Marin isn't exceptional.  There are plenty of reasonable public choices around the Bay Area, but nothing truly spectacular.

On the other hand, the private courses in SF are outstanding if you can finagle access. Options would include SFGC (cream of the crop - good luck!), the Cal Club (great course!), Olympic (Lake or Ocean) and Lake Merced GC.

Further South, Pasatiempo (in Santa Cruz) is an outstanding choice and well worth a special trip.  CordeValle (south of San Jose) is supposed to be excellent (haven't played.)  Both of these courses are actually much closer to Monterey than to SF and would best be played on the trip down to Monterey from SF rather than as day trips from SF. 



 

[Joey Chase]

Thanks again Keith!
Sadly, the best I can do with SFGC is dream.  However, I think I may have some better luck further south.  I am thinking Pasatiempo will certainly make the itinerary.  I will look more closely at CordeValle though, so thanks for that one.  Is the course at Sharp Park worth the visit, with all of the recent hype, I may like to see it.  I will try to set up a round at Harding Park when in the area too. 

[Kirk Moon]

Thanks again Keith!
Sadly, the best I can do with SFGC is dream.  However, I think I may have some better luck further south.  I am thinking Pasatiempo will certainly make the itinerary.  I will look more closely at CordeValle though, so thanks for that one.  Is the course at Sharp Park worth the visit, with all of the recent hype, I may like to see it.  I will try to set up a round at Harding Park when in the area too. 

Sharp Park is in pretty rough shape these days and there are few traces of MacKenzie left.  To compound its problems, the Westernmost part of the course floods in the Winter.  Hopefully it will be saved and restored to its former glory, but at this juncture it is more interesting as a piece of history than as a living, breathing golf course (IMHO, others may disagree.)

Harding is definitely worth a round.  The back nine, in particular, is scenic and fun with a number of holes fronting the beautiful shores of Lake Merced. 

Another private in the vicinity that would be well worth trying to get on if you can find a connection would be The Meadow Club, which is in a very beautiful setting in a meadow high on the flank of Mount Tamalpais across the Golden Gate Bridge from SF.  This course was MacKenzie's first American course and has recently been very nicely restored. 

[Joey Chase]

Thanks again,
I am sorry to hear about the course at Sharp Park.  After some of the discussions, it sounded very interesting to me.  I am gonna start to work on the few connections I do have in the west of the U.S.!

[Matthew Essig]

It rains just as much in southern Oregon as northern California. I would suggest Bandon because you get to play better courses that won't get all sloppy from rain. The weather would probably be fairly close to what it was like today. Mostly cloudy with sun breaks and squalls that bring howling wind which causes sideways stinging rain. But then the squall moves past and it is sunny for a little while before the next one comes through. Anticipate being very cold though.

[Kalen Braley]

It rains just as much in southern Oregon as northern California. I would suggest Bandon because you get to play better courses that won't get all sloppy from rain. The weather would probably be fairly close to what it was like today. Mostly cloudy with sun breaks and squalls that bring howling wind which causes sideways stinging rain. But then the squall moves past and it is sunny for a little while before the next one comes through. Anticipate being very cold though.

Hold on there Cowboy,

This is San Francisco's numbers:

nov   3.31
dec   3.18
jan   4.72
feb   4.15
March   3.4
Total    18.76
Average   3.752
http://www.intellicast.com/Local/History.aspx?location=USCA0987

And now compare that to Bandon's

nov   9.13
dec   9.71
jan   9.22
feb   7.76
March   7.39
Total   43.21
Average   8.642
http://www.intellicast.com/Local/History.aspx?location=USOR0023

It rains nearly 3x more in Bandon, than it does in San Fran.  Your statement could not be less accurate, unless you are referring to NorCal as right at the border, which is nowhere near Sharp Park and Harding in the bay area.

[Matthew Essig]

Ok, I was wrong, but I would still rather play Bandon because the course will never get muddy. Plus with the rain means wind. The Bandon courses are better with wind. I played Old Mac yesterday with stinging rain, sun, 20 mph winds, and an earthquake and Pac Dunes today in stinging rain, hail, sun, 20mph wind which got up to gusts of 40 when squalls came through and we are still unsure if we heard thunder, but they were possibly the best rounds I got to play.

[Kalen Braley]

Ok, I was wrong, but I would still rather play Bandon because the course will never get muddy. Plus with the rain means wind. The Bandon courses are better with wind. I played Old Mac yesterday with stinging rain, sun, 20 mph winds, and an earthquake and Pac Dunes today in stinging rain, hail, sun, 20mph wind which got up to gusts of 40 when squalls came through and we are still unsure if we heard thunder, but they were possibly the best rounds I got to play.

Matt,

I can certainly agree on that last one.  That sandy base at the resort makes it awesome year round.

P.S. Sorry if I came on a little strong in my last post, I just re-read it and hope you didn't take it as mean spirited..that wasn't my intent.

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