I believe #1 on Trails is one of the best holes on the course. You sit high above the hole and can gaze in a 360 degree panorama. The sweeping fairway and the testing approach makes for a fine hole.
Matt,
You know, I kind of regretted saying that #1 didn't do a whole lot for me after I wrote it. There are certainly things I like about it--the vista, as you mentioned, and a good approach shot. My criticism comes on the tee shot--I didn't love the half-pipe look of the fairway. With the wind behind us, we didn't need to hit much more than 4 irons and, with the margin of error being so large on the right because of the slope, there just wasn't much to the shot. Overall, I'd say it's a good hole, but I think it'd be a better hole without the half-pipe fairway.
John,
I'm as big of an advocate of Bandon's as you'll find, so I'm not going to tell anyone they shouldn't go there. The Oregon coast there, alone, is worth a trip. Add in the worldclass golf and walking only policy and it's amazing. But, the golf-centric attitude there has been diminished some by the "new clientele." It used to be a place for Scotland or Ireland-style golf pilgrimages. That's still true for some people, but now it also seems like more of a place for spending a random weekend or playing social or business golf.
It has lost some of the "feel" that made it really unique in the US. Tom Huckaby warned me of this and I hoped he was wrong, but he wasn't. Don't get me wrong--Bandon is still fantastic and it's not nearly as pretentious as the Monterey Peninsula, for example, but it's more pretentious than it used to be. I don't regard this as a good thing. I'm sure it's good for Mike Keiser and Kemper though. It doesn't spoil the fun that much. I had my best trip yet to Bandon, which I attribute mostly to the additions (for me) of Sheep Ranch and Bandon Trails.