Just got back from Bandon. Thoughts and impressions

[Bill McKinley]

So I took some members out to Bandon last week and it was my first time there.  All I can say is WOW!!!  I know Bandon has been talked about extensively on this board and I knew it was going to be great, but it's safe to say all of my expectations were exeeded.  They just get everything right at that place.  The logistics are so well handled.  All of the golf is amazing.  The food is excellent.  The vibe is wonderful.  I could go on and on but, just wow what a place.

We arrived late in the afternoon on Thursday and only had time to go over to the practice facility and have a nice 7some skins game at Shorty's.  Then on Friday it was on.  AM round at BD, cloudy and calm on the front 9 and the clouds burned off on the back and winds picked up a bit.  Nothing crazy, probably 10-15mph.  PM round at Pacific, 15-25 winds with mainly sunny conditions.  Such a great day.  Day 2 we played Old Mac in the AM under 10-20mph winds and high sunshine.  Then over to Trails in the PM, which was perfect since we were guarded from the wind a bit so it was still fun to play for the guys.  Then Sunday we played Bandon Preserve in the morning.  7:45 tee time with the sun coming up and calm, clear skies, it was just a perfect start to an epic day.  Back over to Old Mac for a mid day round with 70 degree temps and not a cloud in the sky.  We all headed over to the lodge to grab some food, but after looking outside a how perfect the weather was, me and one other guy went out and played 9 more holes at BD.  Then a spirited round at the Punchbowl before dinner capped the day which was my favorite on the trip.  Then Monday morning, 5 of us knocked it around at the Preserve before departing that afternoon.

I also added an extra day in San Francisco which we played Olympic Lake in the morning and Cal Club in the afternoon before returning home on the red eye that night.  It was an amazing golf trip.  I had a wonderful group of guys that really enjoyed the experience and we had perfect weather the whole time.

So the inevitable question is how do I rank the courses at Bandon.  I love asking this because I swear everyone has a different order.  This obviously speaks to the quality and variety of golf there BD.

1. OM
T-2. PD, BD, BT.

--Also BP was tremendous fun and had some of the best views on the property.

That may sound like a bit of a cop out answer but I honestly can't put any of the courses in "last".  Other than the Redan hole, which I didn't like, OM was just endless fun with tremendous views as you crest the hill on 3 and when you get up on the green at 7 and 8 tee.   
It's also pretty crazy to see the remains of the fire that happened after Labor Day.  The gorse is charred and burnt right up to next to the 16th hole (Alps).  That had to be a very scary time.  Thank goodness the firefighters and staff got it under control.  But all in all it was such a great trip and I can't wait to go back!!

[Joel_Stewart]

How do rate Cal Club and Olympic if you add them to the mix?

[Scott Weersing]

The fire on the 16th hole OM probably does not look very good but it saves time and money. When I was there in 2014, there was a mower cutting down all of the gorse north of no. 16 OM. I am sure it grew all back before the fire.


I am glad that you liked Bandon. October can sometimes be rainy but I am glad you had great weather.


If you had 6 rounds, over 3 days, how would you split them up?


Mine would be 2 OM, 2 PD, 1 Trails, 1 BD.


Scott

[Peter Pallotta]

Bill - it is always nice to read someone's first impressions of his first visit to Bandon. (I look forward to sharing mine one day -- if I'm not too old by then to care.)  Please do continue to post on this thread with more details as they occur to you.
Peter

[Tom_Doak]

Bill:


Thanks for the report.  Most of all, I was interested to read how much your group utilized the Preserve and the Punchbowl.  I think both of those facilities were great additions to filling up a day at the resort.  Were they both busy when you played them?


And are your feet still sore?

[Norbert P]

 
 I blame Bandon Dunes for my golf landscape obsessions.
As Peter alludes to, it would be a fine thread for revelations of GCA agents.
I wonder what Bernard Darwin would write about the place.

[John Cowden]

The Bandon Bug bites again!  Great to hear about your initial trip, Bill, one of many, I hope.


Scott, I can answer your question, sort of.  I'll be there for my annual New Year's visit.  At the moment my tee times are divided PD 3, BD 2, BT 2, and OM 1, with a smattering of both the Preserve and the PunchBowl. 


My golf world changed immeasurably with my first round on BD in 1999.  While I might pine a bit for the "newly discovered, secret golf heaven" vibe of one course and one structure, I will always consider it golf nirvana.

[Michael Underwood]

I was at Bandon Dunes with a group of friends at the end of July.  This 2015 trip was my seventh time to Bandon Dunes since 2005.  I was the "travel agent" for our group and booked the following golf: PD2, BD2, BT1, OM1, BP1

[Bill McKinley]

How do rate Cal Club and Olympic if you add them to the mix?

Joel,

Let me say this... we had to suffer through a 70 degree and sunny morning at Olympic as the low point of our trip.  Haha!!  Olympic is a great setting and has some wonderful holes and views.  However it's not my exact cup of tea when it comes to a golf course.  I found the middle part of the round to be rather boring with many long par 4s back to back to back.  The place is always soft due to the marine layer that rolls in, thus the ground game is not a factor.  We had plenty of mud on our balls in the fairway and it hadn't rained in days.  That being said, the 18th hole is so cool.  Such a tiny green!!  I found the front 9 to be better than the back with highlights being 3,4,6 and 8 on the front.

As for Cal Club... WOW! Now this place is awesome.  Wonderful design, playing conditions and views throughout the property and looking out at the Mountains and the city.  The vibe of the club is tremendous and there are so many great holes.  I really can't say enough good things about it.  I just kept say wow throughout the day, as did the other 3 players in my group.  The cape hole 7th is so amazing.  And the last 3 holes are a perfect finish.  I absolutely adored the little 110 yard drop shot par 3 16th.  Followed by a dramatic sweeping par 5 17th and a stout par 4 18th with the charming bunker complex surrounding the green.  Once we hit the 16th hole, I just kind of threw up my hands and said, "OK, now this place is unreal!"  I'm a sucker for a well designed short par 3 I guess.

So to answer your question, the San Francisco leg was well worth the extra time and provided a great addition to an already wonderful trip.

[Bill McKinley]

The fire on the 16th hole OM probably does not look very good but it saves time and money. When I was there in 2014, there was a mower cutting down all of the gorse north of no. 16 OM. I am sure it grew all back before the fire.


I am glad that you liked Bandon. October can sometimes be rainy but I am glad you had great weather.


If you had 6 rounds, over 3 days, how would you split them up?


Mine would be 2 OM, 2 PD, 1 Trails, 1 BD.


Scott

Scott,

My six round split would most likely be the same as yours.  Although if it was really windy in the afternoon I might sub out a PD for a BT.

[Joe Leenheer]

Bill:


Thanks for the report.  Most of all, I was interested to read how much your group utilized the Preserve and the Punchbowl.  I think both of those facilities were great additions to filling up a day at the resort.  Were they both busy when you played them?


And are your feet still sore?

Tom,

Bill did a 100 hole hike earlier this year and is my hero for doing so...i would guess no sore feet.

"He is not a human....he is a piece of iron".

[Tom_Doak]

Joe,
I've done the hundred hole hike, too, and can report that it doesn't grant immunity from sore feet!

[Aaron Marks]

Tom,
re: the Punchbowl and Preserve - I took my dad to Bandon (it was both of our first trips), we arrived Friday evening and went straight to Shortys and the Punchbowl.  We did get out to Bandon Preserve on this trip, but Shortys had a few groups on it Friday night, when I went back Saturday and Sunday morning before my rounds it was empty.  The Punchbowl had a little more traffic, and I thought it was a great way to hit some of the creative putts I would eschew in the rounds in favor of a reasonable putt (can't lose a match to my dad...).

For me, Shortys almost stole the show, even overshadowing some of the 'real' courses.  Saturday morning I arrived just after sunrise and had the place to myself.  It was the most fun I have ever had golfing.  Kidd did a great job on these green complexes, particularly #4, and (I think) #6, #8 & #9.  The practice was invaluable for learning shots that work all over the resort, but most important, it was fun.  Did I mention I had fun? 

The Punchbowl was also great.  After Shortys, it seemed a little constrained having a 'course' marked on the Punchbowl, but as it fiulled up it was pretty apparent why they do that.  At night, it seemed like a place for golfing revelry more than practice.  As a pre-round warm up before PD, it was great practice and helped get my mind on the ground game. 

regarding feet:  I've run 100 miles, and I think of my feet as being pretty tough (if nothing else, I don't take any shit from them).  Bandon did little to change that, but I did develop a nasty blister...  My poor father was 4 up after 30 holes of a 36 hole day, but I beat him 4/6 holes to finish and tie the match.  Endurance is a good golf quality too...   

6 rounds: OM-3, PD-1, BD-1, BT-1.

[Jay Mickle]

Perhaps the only thing better than the golf and the meatloaf at Bandon is the Customer Service.

[Steve Lang]

   Did you check out the library area?

[Bill McKinley]

Bill:


Thanks for the report.  Most of all, I was interested to read how much your group utilized the Preserve and the Punchbowl.  I think both of those facilities were great additions to filling up a day at the resort.  Were they both busy when you played them?


And are your feet still sore?

Tom,

With regards to my feet, I'm ok there.  The right shoes are key and also changing socks in between rounds is a lifesaver.  That really helps with blister prevention, which is the overall killer to walking enjoyment.

On the Preserve and Punchbowl... The Preserve wasn't busy but wasn't empty when we played it in the morning.  I know it generally gets busier in the afternoon but I loved it in the morning both times.  Not everyone in our group ended up playing the BP but all those who did felt that the others were missing out.  I love the feature of them lending out Sunday bags.  For me, I played it twice and was glad I did.  The size of the greens ensures that you will have plenty of different yardages from one day to the next on the same holes. 
And the Punchbowl is just so much fun.  Great camaraderie for the the group to pair up and have a ball while putting.  We were in that area twice but only played it once.  It was pretty busy both times.  Some of my guys were saying that they need to put up lights there at the Punchbowl.  Seems like a good idea on paper, but I think things could get out of hand if guys were aloud to yuck it up there til all hours.

[Andy Ryall]

Tom -


I just made my third trip (2002, 2011) with 8 guys in early 40s at the end of September and the Preserve really made a difference in our collective stamina over the four days.  We played as an eightsome late afternoon on two days versus a second 18 and I think the combination of the laid back vibe, stunning vistas and jovial atmosphere really added immense value to the experience.   Playing the Preserve also allowed us to move back one day of tee times to mid-morning, which really did a lot to reduce the golf trip "factory" experience of playing 36 every day.   One buddy, who is not used to hyperbole, stated following the trip that the Preserve experience was the most fun he had on a golf course in years. 


We also played Punchbowl and my only suggestion would be to lengthen some of the holes to create some unique options and creativity.   Perhaps it was the setup that day but there were several 12-15 foot length putts that didn't seem to be that interesting.   


Otherwise, Bandon is about as pure a life experience as you can hope to find.