Bandon/Pacific Composite Course

[James Brown]

Totally random day dream as the off season sets in:


Has anyone ever conceived of a Bandon/Pacific composite course?  Or actually played cross country on some random evening when no one was looking?

[Ronald Montesano]

How about a reverse Bandon, or a reverse Pacific?

[Carson Pilcher]

Or...what about a cross country tournament where you play from one end of the property to the next in one long hole?  From the southern point of Pac Dunes to the northern most point of Old Mac?  Each participant can chose their own routing to get there.

[Matt Bielawa]

I'll bite and give it a shot.  Some awkward walks between holes, and I can't remember with dunes, gorse, and such whether it would even be practical, but from the aerial maps, and attempting to capture some of the best holes, I've got this:

• Pacific Dunes #1, Par 4, 370 Yards
• Pacific Dunes #2, Par 4, 368 Yards
• Pacific Dunes #3, Par 5, 499 Yards
• Pacific Dunes #4, Par 4, 463 Yards
• Pacific Dunes #5, Par 3, 199 Yards
• Pacific Dunes #6, Par 4, 316 Yards
• Pacific Dunes #9, Par 4, 406 Yards
• Bandon Dunes #7, Par 4, 411 Yards
• Bandon Dunes #8, Par 4, 385 Yards
• Bandon Dunes #4, Par 4, 443 Yards
• Bandon Dunes #5, Par 4, 445 Yards
• Bandon Dunes #6, Par 3, 217 Yards
• Pacific Dunes #11, Par 3, 148 Yards
• Pacific Dunes #12, Par 5, 529 Yards
• Pacific Dunes #13, Par 4, 444 Yards
• Pacific Dunes #15, Par 5, 539 Yards
• Pacific Dunes #16, Par 4, 338 Yards
• Pacific Dunes #18, Par 5, 591 Yards

Total Yardage:7,111
Par 73

[Tim Fitz]

Back in 2014, former GCA poster Jim Colton had this same thought.

The link is to Jim's blog, which highlights his Bandon composite.  While it doesn't exactly end at a clubhouse, it is a full routing of 18 holes.

http://www.wegoblogger31.com/2014/03/food-for-thought-would-this-be-best-18.html

[Tom_Doak]

I'll bite and give it a shot.  Some awkward walks between holes, and I can't remember with dunes, gorse, and such whether it would even be practical, but from the aerial maps, and attempting to capture some of the best holes, I've got this:

• Pacific Dunes #1, Par 4, 370 Yards
• Pacific Dunes #2, Par 4, 368 Yards
• Pacific Dunes #3, Par 5, 499 Yards
• Pacific Dunes #4, Par 4, 463 Yards
• Pacific Dunes #5, Par 3, 199 Yards
• Pacific Dunes #6, Par 4, 316 Yards
• Pacific Dunes #9, Par 4, 406 Yards
• Bandon Dunes #7, Par 4, 411 Yards
• Bandon Dunes #8, Par 4, 385 Yards
• Bandon Dunes #4, Par 4, 443 Yards
• Bandon Dunes #5, Par 4, 445 Yards
• Bandon Dunes #6, Par 3, 217 Yards
• Pacific Dunes #11, Par 3, 148 Yards
• Pacific Dunes #12, Par 5, 529 Yards
• Pacific Dunes #13, Par 4, 444 Yards
• Pacific Dunes #15, Par 5, 539 Yards
• Pacific Dunes #16, Par 4, 338 Yards
• Pacific Dunes #18, Par 5, 591 Yards

Total Yardage:7,111
Par 73

Taking the 7th and 8th from Bandon Dunes instead of the 7th and 8th at Pacific Dunes is a pretty bad trade, IMNSHO.  You're only doing it to try and get to 4-5-6.  Bandon Dunes has some worthy holes, but they don't mesh well into a routing with Pacific Dunes.

[Ronald Montesano]

Wouldn't it be the southernmost point of Bandon Dunes?

Or...what about a cross country tournament where you play from one end of the property to the next in one long hole?  From the southern point of Pac Dunes to the northern most point of Old Mac?  Each participant can chose their own routing to get there.

[Sven Nilsen]

Wouldn't it be the southernmost point of Bandon Dunes?

Or...what about a cross country tournament where you play from one end of the property to the next in one long hole?  From the southern point of Pac Dunes to the northern most point of Old Mac?  Each participant can chose their own routing to get there.

The most southern point on the courses is the 14th green/15th tee at Trails.

There's always chatter around here about playing from 15 tee at Trails to somewhere on Old Mac (probably the 16th green).  The big hurdle is getting over Cut Creek, which is a little easier to do these days with the Preserve in place.  The most basic plan of attack is to play BT 15, BT 16, BT 17, BT 18, PR 18 tee box to 18 green on BD, BD 10, BD 11, BD, 12, BD 5, BD 6, PD 11, PD 12, PD 13, PD 14 tee to OM 7th green, OM 8, OM 9 tee to OM 15, OM 16.  You'd need to walk the paths from the Preserve around the Inn over to Bandon, but its definitely doable.

As for a Pac/Bandon routing, sometimes it happens unintentionally.  There are stories of folks walking off 7 at Bandon and teeing it up on 8 at Pacific, not realizing the logo on the plates nor the colors of the flags had changed.  The combo back tees for both 8th holes is a pretty cool feature.  Also happens a lot on 6 Bandon to 11 Pac.

There are plenty of folks who have made up their own routings on Pacific unawares.  The center point around 2 green, 3 tee, 6 green, 7 tee, 9 tee and 16 tee sometimes gets people.  Its also pretty easy to walk of the 3rd green and head to the 13th tee box.  Makes for a nice 9 holer.

[Matt Bielawa]

"Taking the 7th and 8th from Bandon Dunes instead of the 7th and 8th at Pacific Dunes is a pretty bad trade, IMNSHO.  You're only doing it to try and get to 4-5-6.  Bandon Dunes has some worthy holes, but they don't mesh well into a routing with Pacific Dunes."


You're correct on all fronts.  I thought getting #4-#6 from BD onto the hypothetical routing was worth the swapping of #7 and #8.  Seemed to be the most efficient way to get to the 4th tee while keeping other great holes in the routing.  I'd love to see someone else's version of a composite to see what would stay and what would go.  With that said, I'm not sure I'd choose to play any composite over either course as it stands today.

[Matthew Essig]

Back in 2014, former GCA poster Jim Colton had this same thought.

The link is to Jim's blog, which highlights his Bandon composite.  While it doesn't exactly end at a clubhouse, it is a full routing of 18 holes.

http://www.wegoblogger31.com/2014/03/food-for-thought-would-this-be-best-18.html

I could play this routing everyday for the rest of my life.

[Carson Pilcher]

Wouldn't it be the southernmost point of Bandon Dunes?

Or...what about a cross country tournament where you play from one end of the property to the next in one long hole?  From the southern point of Pac Dunes to the northern most point of Old Mac?  Each participant can chose their own routing to get there.

Yes, you are correct.  I incorrectly typed. 


Another person posted about choosing Trails as the starting point, but I felt that the transition from Trails to the other courses might be too difficult to find a routing through.  The topography might lend to Bandon Dunes, thru Pac Dunes and then to Old Mac better.

[Alex Miller]

How do we feel about cross-country golf? I love Jim's routing but have an alternate that is similar but involves some goofiness 




Yellow walks are the additional walks to Jim's routing and the orange line is an alternate hole. The main advantage of this routing is it being a closed loop - in my head it starts at OM 3 and goes south before making its way north a la Jim's.

[James Brown]

These are all really cool ideas and looks like it would be a lot of fun and cover all the different major terrain features across the three courses.  There are not too many sites in the world where you could even contemplate this.


Seems like Bandon could develop a day or two a year - perhaps during the off season --
to try something like this just for fun.  I believe Lundin/Levin does that, right?

[James Brown]

Back in 2014, former GCA poster Jim Colton had this same thought.

The link is to Jim's blog, which highlights his Bandon composite.  While it doesn't exactly end at a clubhouse, it is a full routing of 18 holes.

http://www.wegoblogger31.com/2014/03/food-for-thought-would-this-be-best-18.html

I could play this routing everyday for the rest of my life.

Would be pretty high up on the list of best finishing holes on the planet!

[Matthew Essig]

Back in 2014, former GCA poster Jim Colton had this same thought.

The link is to Jim's blog, which highlights his Bandon composite.  While it doesn't exactly end at a clubhouse, it is a full routing of 18 holes.

http://www.wegoblogger31.com/2014/03/food-for-thought-would-this-be-best-18.html

I could play this routing everyday for the rest of my life.

Would be pretty high up on the list of best finishing holes on the planet!

The routing could be made more fluid if the second hole was to cut over onto 15 at PD (remove 7 at OM). Then play the routing as pictured. Play 14 at PD as #17. Then play 10 at OM as #18 to finish at the same place. 5 at OM could be used as a 19th hole.


---


Edit: Or you could start and end near the PD clubhouse so you could finish the day at the Punchbowl.


1: 8 at BD   Par 4   342/359/385
2: 4 at BD   Par 4   362/410/443
3: 5 at BD   Par 4   400/428/445
4: 6 at BD   Par 3   153/161/217
5: 11 at PD  Par 3   114/131/148
6: 12 at PD  Par 5   476/507/529   (or  Par 4  449/476/507)
7: 13 at PD  Par 4   371/390/444
8: 14 at PD  Par 3   119/128/145
(Yes, that is a 225 yard walk from my 8 to 9, but if I could play this routing everyday, I would put up with that walk.)
9: 10 at OM   Par 4   383/440/465
10: 6 at OM   Par 5   467/520/555
11: 15 at PD  Par 5   492/504/539
12: 16 at PD  Par 4   301/338/338
13: 2 at PD    Par 4   335/335/368
14: 3 at PD    Par 5   476/476/499
15: 4 at PD    Par 4   410/449/463
16: 5 at PD    Par 3   163/181/199
17: 6 at PD    Par 4   288/288/316
18: 7 at PD    Par 4   377/436/464
Total:    Par 72     6029/6481/6962   (or  Par 71  6002/6450/6940)

[William_G]

1, 2, 3, 15, 8, 9 Old Mac
14, 4, 5, 6, 7 Pacific
8, 4, 12, 16, 17, 18 Bandon
1, 2, 3, 14-18 Trails

or

1, 2, 3, 14-18 Trails
10, 11, 12, 5, 6 Bandon
10, 11, 5, 6, 3, 13, 14 Pacific
7, 16 17, 18 Old Mac

 

[Matthew Essig]

I was thinking about this again yesterday and I have a new routing compared to two years ago

1: BD 3  -  Par 5  -  467 / 489 / 543
2: BD 4  -  Par 4  -  362 / 410 / 443
3: BD 5  -  Par 4  -  400 / 428 / 445
4: BD 6   -  Par 3  -  153 / 161 / 217
5: PD 11  -  Par 3  -  114 / 131 / 148
6: PD 12/3 - Par 5 -  552 / 592 / 619   (Beg. of fairway/Orange/Gold tees on 12, up to 3 green. Legit 3 shotter.)
7: PD 15  -  Par 5  -  492 / 504 / 539
8: PD 16  -  Par 4  -  301 / 338 / 338
9: PD 17  -  Par 3  -  164 / 189 / 208

10: OM 5   -  Par 3  -  121 / 134 / 160
11: OM 6   -  Par 5  -  467 / 520 / 555 (A longish transition to 12, but for this composite, I’d take it everyday)
12: PD 13  -  Par 4  -  371 / 390 / 444
13: PD 14  -  Par 3  -  119 / 128 / 145
14: PD 4   -  Par 4  -  410 / 449 / 463   (14a. 5 at PD - Par 3 163/181/199)
15: PD 6   -  Par 4  -  288 / 288 / 316
16: PD 9   -  Par 4  -  356 / 379 / 406   (I’d always use the upper green. Bit of a walk to 17, but not too bad)
17: PD 8   -  Par 4  -  349 / 369 / 400
18: PD 7   -  Par 4  -  377 / 436 / 464

Total:   Par 71   5863 / 6335 / 6853

Clubhouse is Pac’s with the restaurant and the Punchbowl.

[Joel_Stewart]

I was at Bandon for 3 days this week and heard the powers to be have been discussing a composite course for next year's US Amateur.


In the end the plan was nixed for a variety of reasons so it will stay Bandon Dunes and Bandon Trails.

[Sven Nilsen]

I was at Bandon for 3 days this week and heard the powers to be have been discussing a composite course for next year's US Amateur.


In the end the plan was nixed for a variety of reasons so it will stay Bandon Dunes and Bandon Trails.

The Four Ball is next year, the Am is in two years.

[Tom_Doak]

I was at Bandon for 3 days this week and heard the powers to be have been discussing a composite course for next year's US Amateur.


In the end the plan was nixed for a variety of reasons so it will stay Bandon Dunes and Bandon Trails.

The Four Ball is next year, the Am is in two years.

Yes, the Four Ball is on my two courses, the Am on the other two.


I was surprised to hear they were considering using Pacific Dunes [or part of it] for the Amateur.  When we were building the course, there were a couple of times that outsiders pushed for more back tees, and I said to Mike, "If you ever have the U.S. Amateur here, you've already got a 7300-yard course for that.  This one is for fun."

[William_G]

3 BD the best vista from the tee on property
4 BD a wonderful dogleg par 4 that opens to the Pacific on the second shot with infinity green
5 BD a  straightaway par 4 with along the cliff with a narrow green,  tough hole
6 BD a beautiful, nearly infinity green par 3
11 PD the signature par 3 for PD
12 PD par 5 with a massive green sloping away
4 PD cliffside par 4
5 PD Irish style par 3 among the dunes with multi-tiered green
6 PD drivable par 4 a favorite hole for many
7 PD difficult par4 due to a severe green
8 BD short par 4 with a necklace of bunkers
9 BD par 5 with amphitheater setting
10 BD short par 4, almost blind, with narrow green front to back
11 BD multiple tees/long or short par 4 with deep green sloping away
12 BD iconic par 3, first hole built at Bandon
16 BD the property’s signature par 4
17 BD par 4 heading home along the round lake stream’s ravine with a 75 yard deep green
18 BD par 5 back to the lodge for a beverage

cheers