This is the second part of the January Golf at Bandon post, with some pictures of Pacific Dunes. This is what you get in the winter, but nothing detracted from the playing of the course--the course was playing fast and firm as always. We played 36, with a constant driving rain the entire morning round, and gusts from the usual winter southerly direction up to 35 mph.....
There are no on-going course work projects at PacDunes, just the typical daily walk-abouts by the groundstaff. I was temporarily shocked to see a solitary power cart during the afternoon round, and it was none other than Casey Martin.
As an aside, the S.I. article is a distinct sore spot with many of the staff down there. Ostensibly, it was pitched by the magazine/? author as an article about the C/C course, but it was switched to an article primarily about Sheep Ranch after the visit.
Anyway, let me assure you of one way NOT to play #3. Do not hit two big hooks, and wind up on the black tee box for the 4th hole, yes that's right. My third shot had to go over the big mounds behind #12 and over the snack bar to get to the the 3rd green. End result--a big "X". Do not go there...
Here are a few shots from the wild, wet and windy day...
From the 6th tee, here is the 5th green during a lull (seriously) in the wind...
From the 11th tee, tyring to hold a wedge hard downwind to a very front hole location, no problem...
It's all worth it to see the gorse on #17 in bloom.
This hole location was begging fo a short right, Redan-style, entry but it wasn't possible to stop a ball there downwind. All the return putts were subject to that severe cross slope--Yikes...
From behind the 18th, this is a middle right hole location on the side of a severe sideslope...
For those of you who haven't been there, yes you can reach out and touch both sides of that bunker. This was taken about 4pm in the afternoon, and it was getting dark...
Take care,
Peter