Your Favorite Shot: Pacific Dunes

[peter_p]

Tee shot on 17, the redan with a view. If I was a bit stronger I'd have to choose between tee shots on 6 and 16.

[Dan Herrmann]

Reminds me - the tee shot on Bandon #17 is pretty special too (for the scenery)...  I remember standing there, telling my wife, "Hon - it doesn't get any better than this...".

[Tom_Doak]

My own favorite at the moment is the tee shot on #9.  I'm not long enough to just rip it over the left-hand bunker, so the shot for me is a ripping draw to get as much roll as possible down the hill.

But I also love a long second shot into #15 green, which no one else mentioned either.

I do love the approach on #8 but I'm surprised so many people mentioned it, since it is one of the few things at Pacific Dunes which is completely created out of thin air from my memory of another hole (#3 at Woking).

[TEPaul]

My favorite shot at PD would be the approach shot to #6 from any fairway angle. I'd like to take a bucket of balls out there and try all kinds of shots in there in various winds. It's probably not that different from trying to hit #8 at PVGC.

But my real favorite shot at PD would be one that doesn't exist right now. That would be a long iron or wood attacking a far back pin on #13 if they'd extend that green in the rear a good 20+ paces!!  

[JohnV]

I've been thinking about this a lot.  At first I was going for the tee shot on #6, then #11, but in the end, I think I really love the second shot on #18.  I know, it is weird, but I do really like the blind shot over the hill and then getting up there to find out your fate.  The one time I actually reached the green was amazing to me and has made the shot even more exciting each time since.  Even more than driving #16 the last time I played will make that tee shot in the future.

Then there is putting around the front bunker on #3 to a hole that is tight behind it.

[CHrisB]

My favorite shot at Pacific Dunes is the recovery shot after hitting a giant balloon-cut into a left-to-right-into wind on the approach to the 13th:


My favorite standard shot is the approach shot into the 4th.

[Mike_Cirba]

My favorite shot at PD is the approach to the 4th.  Depending on the time of year you play it, that might be your second or third shot, but no matter.

We played in "winter winds", which required a well struck drive, a screaming 2-iron, and a knockdown 4-iron from 60 yards that lands short left and skips past the left hand bunker and continues to funnel onto that green.

That third shot was about as much fun as I've ever had playing the game.  

[Tiger_Bernhardt]

Me thinks Mike made his par put too.   A gent like me from Louisiana still has trouble with the winter wind coming from the south and the summer wind coming from the north. Tom, I asked you about that green when we were there. I do love the center or right pin placement and the fun shots you can play into it. I wish there were more holes like that in the grand world of golf.

[John Kirk]

The first two shots that came to mind are:

a.  The tee shot on #11.
b.  Fading a tee shot off the bunkers on #4.

I am the third person to mention the tee shot on #11.  All of the shots are fun there.  I also thought of the second shot at #18, John V, but I was daydreaming about hitting it from that left "fairway bunker" and how frightening the shot is.  That one will wake you up.

[golf54]

I might have to say the second shot into 15, since I put one in there to about 8 feet and made the eagle putt.  Or the approach on 16.  Or the drive on 2. Or, Or, Or.....

I'd probably come down to 11 into the wind......  

[Norbert P]

  I find that every shot at Pacific Dunes brings out personal latent vitalities but the tee shot at # 9 transcends me to delightful memories of Lahinch and Ireland.  (#5 to Sand Hills) (#13 Carne) The approach to 18 is pretty special.  The view and ball action are illumined moments that make me want to go right back to the first tee, which is a rowsing starting shot.  The whole course is a Mobius Strip of a gauntlet. Discoveries still await.

http://www.bandondunesgolf.com/.docs/pg/pd_coursephotos.html
 

[Dan Herrmann]

No ocean, but the 2nd shot into #2, with a hole location on the right side is pretty thrilling.  The anticipation of finding your ball on the green (or not) is pretty cool on your walk up to the green.

[Ted Kramer]

Highly under-rated . . .

2nd shot into #16.
Super tricky.

-Ted

[Dan Herrmann]

Ted - good point on #16.  I was up in the hay (thinned a lob wedge) above the bunker in the back in 2.  Chipped into the bunker and made an ugly 5 from there.

By the way, that bench up on 17 tee after this tricky shot is one of the most beautiful spots golf has ever taken me to.  That's one par 3 I don't mind waiting to play because of the serenity up there.

[Michael Wharton-Palmer]

the second shot at # 13, one of the best second shot amphitheatres in golf.
A similarly intimidating shot is the second into 15 at Kingsley, both of which I consider up there with #17 at St Andrews, 13 at Pine Valley and 18 at Merion all scary second shots into demanding par fours.

[Kenny Lee Puckett]

From the unmarked back tee at #18.  Good luck finding it!

JWK

[Joel_Stewart]

The 2nd shot on the 4th hole and the par 3 9th hole are very fun and challenging.  It doesn't get much better than playing there.

[Tiger_Bernhardt]

The 2nd shot on number 8. It is one of the great fun shots for me anywhere. I also like the tee shot and second shots on 6 when into the north cross wind.

[Ian Andrew]

Chip from behind the mound on the 2nd green.

[Tom Dunne]

I'm also a big fan of the dicey approach on 16. Lots of people wind up in the left bunker (for good reason, given that scary hollow on the right!), and that is one tough mission trying to stop the ball on the green from that bunker. My caddie told me a group of his colleagues had a standing bet that would pay off when all four golfers in a foursome in which they were caddying made par or better on 16. It hadn't paid off in February--I'm curious if it has by now.

Underrated: The third shot on 18! I love that bump short of the green on the left that you can aim for, with low shot or high, and watch the ball feed back right onto the green. 18 is a terrific hole tee to green, but I really enjoy that approach.

[Tom Jefferson]

.....................shot into the green on #13.  
..........but..........coulda said any of the following;
tee ball on 2
tee ball on 4
ditto 5
ditto 9, to the lower green
tee shot on 16 with a north wind, up the left side with a three wood (not metal, WOOD!), leaving 60 yards in.
tee shot on 17 with a following wind

What a fun golf course to play!