Your favorite Bandon course and why

[Jordan Wall]

Just wondered because of the recent interview...

they all look spectacular...

[Josh Smith]

     Played BD a few times, PD a bunch, BT once, SR twice.  I need to play each a lot more and catch them in their optimum conditions.
I especially love PD and am leaning that way for sure, but will always play them all, Mr. Keiser is a genius and each is so worthy.  Can't wait to see what and or who is next.
     As for which I love to oil paint, Pacific Dunes and Bandon Trails are a notch above for me.  Imperfection and the randomness of each is perfect in my eyes.  Proud to be an Oregonian.

[Brad Tufts]

PD is my favorite, due to the combination of playability/conditions dictating play more than the other two, and beauty.  I felt it was more welcoming a course, like you could survive if you knew the shortcuts, but it still was a good test.

I think BD is the easiest, although this isn't a bad thing.  It just seems to me to be the most scorable in any condition.  For some reason it was not as aesthetically pleasing to me as the other two, but was still #2 of 3.

BT I only was able to play once, and I believe it must be discussed apart from the other two.  It was quite a test for me, and one of the most unique seaside/parkland courses I have ever seen.

[tlavin]

It's like this: you're able to date Cameron Diaz, Halle Berry and Charlize Theron on a regular basis and you're asked which one you prefer.  Impossible.  I love all three of them.  All three are beautiful and depending on the day, all three can be relatively easy or very difficult.  

[Jim Adkisson]

I agree with Terry that all 3 are great courses...but as we usually get down for 5 rounds in 3 days twice a year now with 3 courses it makes for the ultimate decision of which one gets short-changed and only one round?...The answer is either BD or BT...Pacific is other-worldly to this Pacific NW golfer who doesn't have the notches on his shoulder strap that some of the other members of this forum have...I haven't had the pleasure of playing in Ireland or down-under which sounds like where you'd have to travel to play a course with the look and playing characteristics of Pacific....

So Jordan, when we going to get a Pacific NW game together?...Peter Pittock, Garland, Mike E. and I discussed the idea of an outing to a yet undecided course that would be a good day-trip for both Portlanders and Seattlites...any interest?

[Jordan Wall]

I agree with Terry that all 3 are great courses...but as we usually get down for 5 rounds in 3 days twice a year now with 3 courses it makes for the ultimate decision of which one gets short-changed and only one round?...The answer is either BD or BT...Pacific is other-worldly to this Pacific NW golfer who doesn't have the notches on his shoulder strap that some of the other members of this forum have...I haven't had the pleasure of playing in Ireland or down-under which sounds like where you'd have to travel to play a course with the look and playing characteristics of Pacific....

So Jordan, when we going to get a Pacific NW game together?...Peter Pittock, Garland, Mike E. and I discussed the idea of an outing to a yet undecided course that would be a good day-trip for both Portlanders and Seattlites...any interest?

Heck yea,that would be pretty cool.

Now that I have my license I can finally drive somewhere, though within reason..

Sounds great though!

[redanman]

It's like this: you're able to date Cameron Diaz, Halle Berry and Charlize Theron on a regular basis and you're asked which one you prefer.  

Oh man, I don't want anything to do with Charlize since "Monster"!  Plus, a lot of the kids tell my daughter that she looks a lot like Cameron Diaz, so that'd be way too weird.

Sorry, just struck me as funny, but I do get your point.

My choice at Bandon?  I need to play PT, but I certainly prefer Sheep Ranch as it now exists to the other two because of uniqueness and then PD to BD, but enjoy and would want to play all three.  Favorite can only be realtive.

[Kenny Lee Puckett]

My favorite course at Bandon is the Meatloaf -



after a 54 hole walk culminating on PD as the sun is setting and the wind is at my back on 18...

JWK

[Tim Pitner]

I'll be in Bandon in less than two weeks for my maiden voyages around Bandon Trails and Sheep Ranch.  I've played Pacific Dunes and Bandon Dunes several times each and I prefer Pacific Dunes because of the movement in the land, the great par 4s, the superb inland holes, and what must be one of the best front nines in golf (not that the back is any let-down but I love the front).  

With that said, I'm also a big fan of Bandon Dunes and don't really understand why it is sometimes criticized here.  You want width, it has plenty of it.  Unique holes--how about 4, 5, and 16.  Good inland holes--I give you 7, 8, 10, 11, and 14.  It is somewhat a shame that the two weakest holes on the course, IMO, happen to be 9 and 18, but even those holes have something to recommend them (choosing your line on #9 tee with the bunkers in play; deciding how far right to hit your drive on #18 and then going for the green in 2).  I know it's gone through some revisions, which may leave it open to some criticism, but it seems to me that it's a very unique course, especially in the U.S.  Kidd isn't a minimalist in the same way as Doak or C&C--once people get over that, they may realize that Bandon Dunes is an exceptional course.

[Glenn Spencer]

It's like this: you're able to date Cameron Diaz, Halle Berry and Charlize Theron on a regular basis and you're asked which one you prefer.  

Oh man, I don't want anything to do with Charlize since "Monster"!  Plus, a lot of the kids tell my daughter that she looks a lot like Cameron Diaz, so that'd be way too weird.

Sorry, just struck me as funny, but I do get your point.

My choice at Bandon?  I need to play PT, but I certainly prefer Sheep Ranch as it now exists to the other two because of uniqueness and then PD to BD, but enjoy and would want to play all three.  Favorite can only be realtive.

What did you say your daughter's name was again, Bill?

[Gerry B]

pacific dunes  and the sheep ranch - photo finish

[Mark Leo]

1) Pacific Dunes
2) Bandon Dunes


then...
3) Bandon Trails

[Mike Erdmann]

I think I've got more than 30 rounds each in at Pacific Dunes and Bandon Dunes, and 5 rounds at Bandon Trails.  My order of preference is:
1. Pacific Dunes
2. Bandon Trails
3. Bandon Dunes

BD is still a very good course, but suffers somewhat in my eyes because it's built as a links course yet you really can't effectively run the ball up into many of the greens (1, 2, 3, 7, 10, 11, 13, 17, 18).

[Jordan Wall]

Would BT be better or worse if it had some holes on the ocean?

[Tim Bert]

My favorite of the three is Pacific Dunes, though I wouldn't complain if anyone forced me to play and of the courses there!

The last trip we took, we played 8 rounds in 3 days.  We planned 3 PD, 2 BT, 3 BD.  We also did Sheep Ranch as a warm-up the evening that we arrived in Bandon.  On the last day, we swapped a BD for a 4th PD, and it is probably the same way I'd do it on a 3 day trip next time around (assuming there isn't a 4th course to play!)  

There is a feeling about playing PD that is beyond description for me.  I've never played the course particularly well, though I've had some good spurts and one great nine (for me.)  When I walk off that course at the end of the day, I feel like I've left the heart and soul of my golfing game out on the course.  I'm mentally and physically exhausted, yet I usually feel like I could play 9 more holes even after walking 54 - if daylight would just permit it!  I've never experienced anything like it, and I can only hope to find another course that gives me so much joy to play.

[Eric Johnson]

I think I've got more than 30 rounds each in at Pacific Dunes and Bandon Dunes, and 5 rounds at Bandon Trails.  My order of preference is:
1. Pacific Dunes
2. Bandon Trails
3. Bandon Dunes

BD is still a very good course, but suffers somewhat in my eyes because it's built as a links course yet you really can't effectively run the ball up into many of the greens (1, 2, 3, 7, 10, 11, 13, 17, 18).

Mike,

Quickly trying to compare and qualify run-up capabilities here:
PD: 2, 3 (if approaching from the left), 4 (gets easier the further you move to the right), 5 (landing on the left side of the approach), 6 (if you have the angle from the right, left is dead!), 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12 (from the center and right), 13 (difficult but possible), 14, 15 (from the left and center), 16 (realistically from the left), 17 (swinging in from the right) and 18 (from the left and center).  

BT: 1 (it may be tough from the right side of the fairway), 2 (can-do but difficult from the elevated tee), 3, 4 (from the center and left), 6, 7 (uphill but easier as you move left), 8, 9, 10 (from the center or left), 11, 12 (almost required), 13 (possible but not a lot of margin for error), 14 (if approaching from the left or center), 15, 16 (from the left and center), 17, 18.

BD: 1 (uphill, typically with a cross wind but still possible from the center and right), 2 (never seen it done), 3 (yes but it is a small opening) 4, 5, 6, 7 (uphill but still possible from the left depending where you land the ball), 8 (from the center and right), 9, 10 (from the left), 11 (from the left), 12 (possible but difficult with a cross wind), 13 (from the left side), 14, 15 (the opening is narrow but the opportunity remains viable), 16, 17 (from the left side), 18 (from the left and center)

****These are all dependent on hole location as well...

[Lyman Gallup]

1.  Pacific Dunes
2.  Bandon Dunes





10.  Bandon Trails

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