The Punchbowl - opens Friday the 13th of September

[Joe Hancock]

Thanks, Tom.

In regards to The Punchbowl, did you take any efforts to do any screening or other type of debris removal from the rootzone over the entire area, or did it get a cleanup on top right before seeding, or some combination?

Joe

We root-raked the entire area of the green pretty thoroughly at the beginning of shaping, and then cleaned it up again after shaping.  Plus I picked a bunch of roots and sticks out of it during the shaping, when Jim would kick them up with the dozer.  I try to make myself useful out there.

Reminiscent of your days w/ Pete? 

[JC Urbina]

Joe,

Tom actually made more of a mess then I did,  while he was hogging sand shaping in the south end of the punchbowl a lot of beach grass and sticks rolled up.  After the rough shaping was done the Pacific Dunes crew hand picked the entire site.

While I floated out the final putting contours both Marcus and I would leave the rakes down on the sand pros and they would collect small amounts of grass and sticks.  Over a a three day process we would generate small amounts of debris that would need to be hand raked up.  

It takes a lot of hand work to create the final product before hydro seeding.  I have before during and after photos I will share when I down load them from my camera.

The overall cost to create the punchbowl was surprisingly  low.  I am not sure every golf course can afford one of immense size but while creating the punchbowl I often thought this would be a surprising cost effective way to introduce people to a big part of the game of golf, putting.

If we could build a few putting courses in high public traffic areas like parks, think of the people that would be introduced to golf with just a ball and putter.  A very cost effective way introduce golf to the masses.  

[William_G]

If we could build a few putting courses in high public traffic areas like parks, think of the people that would be introduced to golf with just a ball and putter.  A very cost effective way introduce golf to the masses.  

no doubt this would be a fantastic especially if they were located at golf courses

easy progression from the putting course to the real course

[Paul Gray]

Joe,

The overall cost to create the punchbowl was surprisingly  low.  I am not sure every golf course can afford one of immense size but while creating the punchbowl I often thought this would be a surprising cost effective way to introduce people to a big part of the game of golf, putting.

If we could build a few putting courses in high public traffic areas like parks, think of the people that would be introduced to golf with just a ball and putter.  A very cost effective way introduce golf to the masses.  

Jim,

It's a lovely idea. There was a time in Britain when local councils funded a few of these in local parks. I remember playing on one in my local park as the tiny boy. It was a slight step up from putting into the yoghurt pots my Mum had planted in the garden for me! Sadly, it's long gone.

Of course, costs need not be excessive at all. At Bandon you've created the A1 product and it looks wonderful but kids don't need perfectly true surfaces to discover that hitting a ball into a cup can be immense fun.

[Thomas Dai]

Joe,
The overall cost to create the punchbowl was surprisingly  low.  I am not sure every golf course can afford one of immense size but while creating the punchbowl I often thought this would be a surprising cost effective way to introduce people to a big part of the game of golf, putting.
If we could build a few putting courses in high public traffic areas like parks, think of the people that would be introduced to golf with just a ball and putter.  A very cost effective way introduce golf to the masses.  

Jim,
It's a lovely idea. There was a time in Britain when local councils funded a few of these in local parks. I remember playing on one in my local park as the tiny boy. It was a slight step up from putting into the yoghurt pots my Mum had planted in the garden for me! Sadly, it's long gone.
Of course, costs need not be excessive at all. At Bandon you've created the A1 product and it looks wonderful but kids don't need perfectly true surfaces to discover that hitting a ball into a cup can be immense fun.

IMO this is a great way 'to grow the game'. Big, big putting greens and pitch-n-putt courses accessible to all. As Paul correctly says, there used to be this kind of facility in local parks and many, many folk initially got into golf through using them. Big, big putting greens and pitch-n'putt courses at more private clubs wouldn't go amiss either. Wish my club, and others too, had a 'Punchbowl' or a 'Himalayas' or one even part of there size.

All the best

[Howard Riefs]

“You will find every kind of putt that you can imagine out there,” Doak has said, “and probably a few that you’ve never dreamed of.”

http://www.registerguard.com/rg/sports/outdoors/30677921-80/putting-course-dunes-punchbowl-bandon.html.csp

[Sean_A]

I don't know how The Punchbowl fits into Bandon's economic model, but I really wonder how it would fit anywhere. Besides the cost of construction( I'm sure it's on native soils at Bandon, but what about non-sandy sites?), how does a facility go about recuperating the initial invest as well as the typically high maintenance costs for a very large green? Do people pay by the hour to use such facilities?

Any know how this works at Bandon and elsewhere?

Joe:

In general, you are right about the cost / benefit analysis.  When I built a big putting course green at High Pointe, all the owners could see was how much it would cost to maintain, and they couldn't imagine a way to charge for it, so they downsized it very quickly.

Right now, the plan in Bandon is to let golfers play for free, even though it will cost a significant sum to maintain every year.  I think Mike will get tired of that eventually, although it should increase the food & beverage take at the Pacific Dunes clubhouse substantially.  My guess is that it will get so crowded that they have to charge a small amount [say $5 or $10 a foursome] for a tee time at peak times in the evening hours, so there aren't problems keeping people in line.

Any thought given to a charity donation for using the green?  I assume Keiser seriously supports at least one charity.  I can see the charity changing each year and golfers who are already charged a ton for the golf anyway, aren't going to scoff at an upfront extra $10 donation when they book.  When they receive their confirmation the green fee ticket could be issued like the other courses.  Sure, you will get some people cheat the system, but by and large I think it would work.  You could even incorprate a free drink with a charitable donation - make it $12 or something.  That way tickets are collected by concessions personel.  

Ciao

[Norbert P]

 A bump up cuz I'm curious about how this is doing.  I'll be heading out there in June and am looking forward to seeing and playing this creation.  There's something about a putting course that hits me as pure golf.  I think it's the absolutely absolute idea of the ground game being unavoidable, (no stymie jumps).  Playing Thistle Dhu (Axeland/Cobb) at Pinehurst is a comical treat.  Not to be missed or there'll be a lifetime of regret.  I played with some fine putting competitors and results were as varied as one could ever imagine.  (We were completely sober, I'm sure.)

  One question about "Punchbowl" . . .

What are green speeds at nowadays?  Is that number consistent with the main courses?

  I was going to post this image of it directly but it is a H U G E one so here's the link.

   http://moegolf.files.wordpress.com/2013/10/punchbowl2.jpg    (Be sure to click on image to see full details.)

Tom, that area near the golf cart with the golfers (middle back),  is that in reverence to Sitwell Park?

[William_G]

Norbert the "Grand Opening" is Tuesday May 20th 2014

drink holders at each tee and hole

putting inside out is being encouraged for speed of play

green speeds are TBD, but with all the slopes, will likely be 9ish

the Punchbowl was closed from November until May this year

[Howard Riefs]

Officially opened on Tuesday. No cost. No tee times. Few easy putts.

http://www.bandondunesgolf.com/golf/golf-courses/punchbowl

http://www.golfadvisor.com/articles/punchbowl-putting-course-bandon-dunes-resort-oregon-14526.htm

[Tom_Doak]

Sadly, I was not there for the opening, as I was traveling between China and France on the appointed day.  Going back to Bandon from New Zealand (and before China) was not in the cards.

It's too bad I wasn't there as perhaps Matt Ginella would have been less likely to minimize my role in the project.  Not really happy to see that.  I did spend three days on a bulldozer there, on one of my three trips to Bandon last year.

[Tom Allen]

I just returned from Bandon yesterday morning.  The Punchbowl officially opened yesterday (after we flew out Monday morning), but they were allowing resort guests to play during the soft opening, so we took the opportunity to do so.  Very glad we did.  As others have noted, it is a blast.  Less pressure, relaxed, challenging (to say the least), and most importantly, fun.  We had the clockwise rotation, and I can say nothing but good things about it.

We should have made time to play it more than once, but cramming in 36-40 a day made it a little tough.  We will allow more time to play it next time.

I too thought lights would be fun; I can see the Punchbowl being the night life around that place after dinner.  With that, Shorty's, and the Preserve, the resort is not missing anything (other than an ATM and a keg at the first tee of the Punchbowl).  Just kidding, of course.

[Tom Ferrell]

The Punchbowl is AWESOME.  I was there last week.  Scheduled an 8:00 dinner at Pacific Dunes (the dinner service at the restaurant is great).  Met the guys at 7:00 for putting.  Most fun I've had with a golf club in a long, long time.  The laughter and smack-talking drew several folks down from the patio to try it themselves.  DO NOT MISS THE PUNCHBOWL when you next travel to Bandon.  We had "crazy lines" contests - often you can access a given hole from multiple directions.  We had a skins game.  We played stymies.  Truly a fantastic time.

Congratulations to Jim, Tom and all at Bandon who conceived and executed this wonderful addition.

And I couldn't agree more with Jim's comments about using putting courses to introduce people to golf.

[Bill Shotzbarger]

This looks really cool. My putting course experience is limited to mini golf.

[Michael Moore]

How many drinks can the drinkholders contain? Are they considering installing them at the par-three course as well?

[Pete_Pittock]

Officially opened on Tuesday. No cost. No tee times. Few easy putts.

http://www.bandondunesgolf.com/golf/golf-courses/punchbowl

http://www.golfadvisor.com/articles/punchbowl-putting-course-bandon-dunes-resort-oregon-14526.htm

great fisheye lens picture on Howard's first link.

[Tom Allen]

To drinks per holder if I recall correctly.

[Scott Weersing]

Here is an article about the grand opening ceremony:

http://theworldlink.com/news/local/punchbowl-makes-its-lively-debut/article_f53d805e-e1d1-11e3-9a9f-001a4bcf887a.html

"Keiser found that out first-hand. His first trip around the putting course Tuesday was in a best-ball match, teamed with KemperSports President Josh Lesnik against Bandon Dunes General Manager Hank Hickox and Director of Golf Jeff Simonds. The friendly match became more serious as Keiser and Lesnik tried to overcome a deficit."

[JLahrman]

Just came upon this video from the official opening day at the Punchbowl.

I love how even the putting course has its own logo and gear.

Looks like a lot of fun, and looks like a lot of people were out there.

There are some panorama shots that show how massive the green really is.

http://vimeo.com/96683309

[Howard Riefs]

Wall Street Journal is bullish on putting courses ala Punchbowl.


http://www.wsj.com/articles/can-grown-up-putting-courses-fix-the-crisis-facing-golf-1449589768

[Kalen Braley]

Here's a Google shot to see where it fits in.  The 1st tee and 18th green of PD are on the top and upper right hand corner of the pic.

[JLahrman]

That is the 7th green at PD at the 12 o'clock position. I bladed one out of a greenside bunker onto the Punchbowl during my last visit.

The Punchbowl is a ton of fun. You can play the course or make up your own holes. There are several places where you can use ramps to get your ball airborne. I encourage trying silly putts and goofy angles. It can help you approach your putts on the courses with a more open mind.