I live in the Pacific NW near Seattle part of the year so Bandon is somewhat close part of the year.
I first went to Bandon in 2008 and played the three courses open then. In 2009, I went to Ireland for five weeks. In 2010 I went to Scotland for four weeks. In 2011 in April I went back to Bandon for four nights and five days of golf. That June I went to Ireland for two weeks. The following year I went to Scotland for five nights and Ireland for three weeks. In 2013, it was Ireland for two weeks. The past two years I have done two trips a year to Ireland, spending six plus weeks each year. This year I spent three weeks in June in Ireland and leave Monday for about ten days there and a week in Scotland.
Without my initial trip to Bandon, I would not have undertaken the extended trip to Ireland. I ultimately found a club to join there. I have played the best of the best and gravitated to a place where there were two good playing options and nice people. I have come to understand craic.
I probably could have found a comparable experience in Scotland but think 16 years of Catholic schools with mostly Irish classmates is what draws me back to Ireland.
My time in Ireland has led to looking for side trips which combine Ireland and Scotland. I will probably do a side trip to SW England next fall.
I'd agree that Bandon offers an amazing links experience, but I could not envision a two or three week trip there. On the other hand, Ireland and Scotland offer a cross-cultural golf experience, with friendly people, and are suitable places to visit for extended periods. I have come to enjoy lower tier courses, which are fun and interesting. The fact that many are community courses and , often built with donated labor which makes for a lot of quirkiness.
I admire Mike Keiser for his vision. Having four courses ranked in Golf Magazine's top 20 public courses speaks to his vision and the talents of designers. But my preference is for a long plane flight with a connection and a few weeks away, as opposed to a nine hour car ride or complicated fly and drive itinerary for three to five days of golf.
Charles Lund