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Emile Bonfiglio

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"The Punchbowl" new putting green at Pacific Dunes (new Photo)
« on: February 23, 2013, 01:20:03 AM »
Today while eating at the Pacific Dunes clubhouse and debating if I should  play in a downpour with gale force winds I had a great GCA moment. I had the chance to meet Mike Keiser, Jim Urbina & Tom Doak and talk for a few minutes about the new putting green behind the Pacific Dunes Clubhouse that is currently under construction. For now the name is "the punchbowl" and it will be about 150,000 Square Feet. The name is a perfect description of this area and the viewing from the deck and clubhouse will be enhanced by this new addition.







NEW PHOTO

« Last Edit: May 03, 2013, 02:05:35 PM by Emile Bonfiglio »
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Pete_Pittock

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Re: "The Punchbowl" new putting green at Pacific Dunes
« Reply #1 on: February 23, 2013, 11:11:28 AM »
Emile (Ernie),
Nice meet and pictures. To orient myself is that area between the Pac Dunes clubhouse and the 8th tee of Bandon Dunes, and also behind the 7th green of Pacific Dunes?
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Jud_T

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Re: "The Punchbowl" new putting green at Pacific Dunes
« Reply #2 on: February 23, 2013, 12:27:42 PM »
150,000 square feet?!  Is that the biggest putting green in the world?  How big is the Himalayas?
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Golf is a game. We play it. Somewhere along the way we took the fun out of it and charged a premium to be punished.- - Ron Sirak

Ally Mcintosh

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Re: "The Punchbowl" new putting green at Pacific Dunes
« Reply #3 on: February 23, 2013, 02:46:07 PM »
Nice... With a green that size, I can see some HUGE elevation changes... The himalayas is one of the special places in golf but great as it is, a brave modern equivalent could be much more fun... Those punchbowl pictures of the site are exciting...
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Scott Weersing

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Re: "The Punchbowl" new putting green at Pacific Dunes
« Reply #4 on: February 23, 2013, 03:59:52 PM »
So where is the picture of you with the three legends?

How many rounds are you going to get in on your trip?
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William_G

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Re: "The Punchbowl" new putting green at Pacific Dunes
« Reply #5 on: February 23, 2013, 11:36:29 PM »
thank you Mike Keiser

Bandon is the place that keeps on keeping on, magic
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David Schofield

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Re: "The Punchbowl" new putting green at Pacific Dunes
« Reply #6 on: February 24, 2013, 04:24:54 AM »
To bridge a subject brought up in: http://www.golfclubatlas.com/forum/index.php/topic,54924.0.html, will the Putting Course be lit? 

It would seem to be possible to used lighted bollards (such as: http://www.sternberglighting.com/category.asp?cat_id=31) to throw enough light to allow people to play into the wee hours without being as obnoxious as flood lights on poles.
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Bob_Garvelink

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Re: "The Punchbowl" new putting green at Pacific Dunes
« Reply #7 on: February 24, 2013, 08:50:28 AM »
Wow.....150,000 sq ft.  Rumor has it that you have to take a caddie to avoid getting lost.  8). One more reason for me to visit Bandon
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Tom_Doak

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Re: "The Punchbowl" new putting green at Pacific Dunes
« Reply #8 on: February 24, 2013, 12:24:00 PM »
I don't think it is going to be quite as big as originally advertised.  That number was based on a rough measurement from an aerial photo, and there are several slopes outside of the green (especially on the east side of it) which are too steep to use.  I'll try to get a better estimate once I get home and can draw it on the map.  I'd guess between 2.5 and 3 acres (100-120k sq ft).  There is room further to the west if they want to make it bigger, later.

I can't answer too much yet about exactly how it will be used as we will continue to discuss the details over the next few months.

Timetable:

Clearing is done.
Shaping in the second half of March (we did just a little bit yesterday to get a feel for it)
Planting around May 1st.
Opening probably sometime in September or early October, depending on our other commitments.

P.S.  The name may change but I like the Punchbowl, since the southern end is a very deep bowl.  I did not shoot elevations but I'd guess the total elevation change at 15 feet -- the raw ground is probably over 20 feet, but we are filling in the bottom of the bowl substantially.
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Rick Shefchik

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Re: "The Punchbowl" new putting green at Pacific Dunes
« Reply #9 on: February 24, 2013, 12:30:29 PM »
This is welcome news. The current PD putting green is certainly a cut or two below the rest of the facilities at Bandon. Will the new putting green be as large as the one at the Bandon Dunes Practice Center?
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"Golf is 20 percent mechanics and technique. The other 80 percent is philosophy, humor, tragedy, romance, melodrama, companionship, camaraderie, cussedness and conversation." - Grantland Rice

Emile Bonfiglio

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Re: "The Punchbowl" new putting green at Pacific Dunes
« Reply #10 on: February 24, 2013, 08:35:16 PM »
Quote from: Scott Weersing on February 23, 2013, 03:59:52 PM
So where is the picture of you with the three legends?

How many rounds are you going to get in on your trip?

Tom, Jim and Mike were eating lunch so I felt rude enough barging in on their conversation so a photo was out of the question. I did run into Mike about an hour later in the bathroom at the lodge. We had a nice 5 minute conversation...the best part being that even though Bandon Trails is open right now but on a 13 hole loop (3-13, 16,17) he said told me I could walk up to 14 and play it anyways  and that if anyone gave a slack about to say Mr Keiser said it was ok..... That was  awesome!

We played all 5 course once.
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Tim Passalacqua

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Re: "The Punchbowl" new putting green at Pacific Dunes
« Reply #11 on: February 24, 2013, 09:02:14 PM »
I love it and bet a lot of people will have a blast on it.  My buddies and I had a late round on Old Mac a couple of years ago.  After we finished, we sat on the !8th green (the original punchbowl!) and putted to that far right pin for a half hour until it was dark.  It was a lot of fun and I am sure the new practice green will be even wilder.  Just head over there if a group is behind you on Old Mac!
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William_G

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Re: "The Punchbowl" new putting green at Pacific Dunes
« Reply #12 on: February 24, 2013, 10:27:47 PM »
Bandon=Golf Mecca
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Michael Dugger

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Re: "The Punchbowl" new putting green at Pacific Dunes
« Reply #13 on: February 25, 2013, 11:19:30 AM »
For reference, the fairway you can see in the left of the screen on the 2nd photo is the 3rd hole at Bandon Dunes.
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What does it matter if the poor player can putt all the way from tee to green, provided that he has to zigzag so frequently that he takes six or seven putts to reach it?     --Alistair Mackenzie--

Howard Riefs

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Re: "The Punchbowl" new putting green at Pacific Dunes
« Reply #14 on: February 27, 2013, 12:43:09 PM »
Related article from Matt Ginella with accompanying photo credit to Emile:

http://www.golfchannel.com/news/travel-insider/bandon-dunes-resort-putting-course-construction/#

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"Golf combines two favorite American pastimes: Taking long walks and hitting things with a stick."  ~P.J. O'Rourke

Joey Chase

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Re: "The Punchbowl" new putting green at Pacific Dunes
« Reply #15 on: February 27, 2013, 01:08:28 PM »
Could you image the cost if this was built to USGA specs!  It sounds fantastic.
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Will Lozier

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Re: "The Punchbowl" new putting green at Pacific Dunes
« Reply #16 on: February 27, 2013, 02:37:07 PM »
Too bad Ginella has the location ALL WRONG! ???  He must have no clue where Bandon Muni will be built! ::)
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Eric Smith

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Re: "The Punchbowl" new putting green at Pacific Dunes
« Reply #17 on: February 27, 2013, 02:50:52 PM »
Quote from: Will Lozier on February 27, 2013, 02:37:07 PM
Too bad Ginella has the location ALL WRONG! ???  He must have no clue where Bandon Muni will be built! ::)

Will, I believe what he's referring to when he writes "wedged between" is the timeline of construction projects at Bandon.
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Will Lozier

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Re: "The Punchbowl" new putting green at Pacific Dunes
« Reply #18 on: February 28, 2013, 10:49:50 PM »
Quote from: Eric Smith on February 27, 2013, 02:50:52 PM
Quote from: Will Lozier on February 27, 2013, 02:37:07 PM
Too bad Ginella has the location ALL WRONG! ???  He must have no clue where Bandon Muni will be built! ::)

Will, I believe what he's referring to when he writes "wedged between" is the timeline of construction projects at Bandon.

Eric,

That's why I teach math...not English! 

Cheers
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Matthew Essig

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Re: "The Punchbowl" new putting green at Pacific Dunes
« Reply #19 on: April 05, 2013, 12:14:39 AM »
I will be posting an updated picture when I arrive home tomorrow night.

Great News: It is bigger than I ever imagined.  ;D

Possibly Bad News: seeding starts May 1st... If the growing season starts... It has been non-stop foggy days.
« Last Edit: April 05, 2013, 12:16:45 AM by Matthew Essig »
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"Good GCA should offer an interesting golfing challenge to the golfer not a difficult golfing challenge." Jon Wiggett

Ben Sims

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Re: "The Punchbowl" new putting green at Pacific Dunes
« Reply #20 on: April 05, 2013, 01:12:50 AM »
I think that 13 years ago, BDGR was the ultimate catalyst to the neo-links movement.  Hopefully this putting course can be the same for putting courses around the country. 
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Tom_Doak

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Re: "The Punchbowl" new putting green at Pacific Dunes
« Reply #21 on: April 05, 2013, 02:17:37 PM »
Matthew:

I hope you get a good picture of it.  I don't know how you can really capture it, though, until there are a bunch of people out there putting around to give it a sense of scale.  It is big, and it is going to be a lot of fun.
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Matthew Essig

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Re: "The Punchbowl" new putting green at Pacific Dunes
« Reply #22 on: April 05, 2013, 06:34:01 PM »
Quote from: Tom_Doak on April 05, 2013, 02:17:37 PM
Matthew:

I hope you get a good picture of it.  I don't know how you can really capture it, though, until there are a bunch of people out there putting around to give it a sense of scale.  It is big, and it is going to be a lot of fun.

Seeding, hopefully, starts on May 1st. It is the best picture I could take with my phone and the THICK FOG... The lighting as you can see is awful.

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"Good GCA should offer an interesting golfing challenge to the golfer not a difficult golfing challenge." Jon Wiggett

Tom_Doak

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Re: "The Punchbowl" new putting green at Pacific Dunes
« Reply #23 on: April 05, 2013, 07:24:05 PM »
Matthew:

Well, at least I don't have to worry that you have spoiled it for everyone  ;)

Looks like your picture is taken from the top end of the green looking south.  The bottom of the green is in a double punchbowl that wraps around that big pine tree in the left 1/4 of the picture.  I'd guess from where you took the picture to the bottom is about 350 feet in distance and maybe 15-20 feet of elevation change.  I hope the tree lives past Mr. Keiser's inspection of the work next week!

Also, you can't see it in the photo, but at the far left there is a big slope to the green coming down from the back patio to the clubhouse at Pacific Dunes.  If the green is as popular as we hope, they will expand the patio down the hill a bit toward the green, so that you can start from essentially right off the patio, with the first hole set up to play down the rest of the slope ... sort of "ski in / ski out".  It's a bigger slope than I have ever hit a putt down, so I am very intrigued to get back there this fall with grass on it, and see where it's possible to locate the hole to make a reasonable putt ... I think there are five or six potential starting holes, but won't be sure they all work until we can hit some putts.

I spent 2 1/2 days out there with Jim Urbina two weeks ago, working on the detailed contouring of the green.  We started with something VERY wild and basically kept toning it down until we thought it worked, but maintained its wild character.  By my count there are about 60-65 distinct places to use as hole locations, which was needed so that an 18-hole putting course can be changed every day or two and the areas around the holes will have a chance to rest.  There is a bunch more work left to finish it once the irrigation and drainage [and lighting conduit!] are installed, but that's in Jim's hands now as I'll be traveling all over this month.

I've promised to come up with some alternate routings for the course, which I'll do when I get back this fall, prior to a soft opening sometime in September.  However, I've also suggested to Mike that we invite Jim and David Kidd and Bill and Ben to each come up with an alternate routing that can be used ... I would love to see what they do with it.  Come to think of it, we should get Mike and Grant Rogers and Shoe to do their own routings, too.
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Ronald Montesano

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Re: "The Punchbowl" new putting green at Pacific Dunes
« Reply #24 on: April 06, 2013, 03:05:13 PM »
A putting green has a soft opening? I think we've reached the zenith of something, unless the new ball dispenser on the range gets one down the road.
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