[JHoulihan]

2017 was a great year for me personally and I was able to visit several courses that I had only thought could only be played in my dreams. 2018 has already started and 2019 is not that far away. I am seeking advice from previous visitors to Bandon (especially those that have been since all 5 courses have been opened - Bandon Preserve in May 2012.)

Please answer the following questions (and the reasons why if you so wish)
Hopefully your past experience will allow me to make an educated decision before travel dates in 2019 are booked.
1) How many golfing days did you spend on property?
2) Did you spend 1 or more days golfing off site at the sheep ranch?
3) Did you decide which courses to replay before arrival or only once you arrived onsite?
4) Did you choose to take a caddy during any round played?
5) Did you choose a caddy once you had already seen a course (during subsequent replay rounds)?
6) How many days do you ultimately wish you could have stayed and still enjoyed the walk during each round?

Thanks,
Justin

[Kalen Braley]

I'm probably an outlier for this group....so grain of salt and all.  It was pre-2012, only 3 courses at the time, BD, PD, BT....

1)  only 1 round, limited time and money
2)  Nope, didn't know about it
3)  No replays, one round only
4)  No couldn't really afford 1st round as it was...
5)  N/A
6)  two days 3 rounds, one on each would have been nice

[Sven Nilsen]

Justin:


You are going to get a range of answers on this, as there are many different types of golf travelers on this site each with their own thoughts on budgets, hired help and daily step goals (although generally GCAers tend towards foregoing a caddie with the thought that making your own mistakes adds to the beard pulling experience).


Much of your planning is going to be dependent on what time of year you visit.  It is much cheaper in the winter, but the weather can range from 65 and sunny to sideways rain.  You'll need to keep in mind that the Sheep Ranch is only open during the offseason, and may not even be around in 2019 if the plans for the Hanse course go forward.  36's are generally daylight dependent, and just about any time of year it makes sense to prebook any replays as the worst think that can happen is looking to get out again and being told they're booked through the "No Guaranteed Finish" slots.  Even the Preserve has had to turn people away.  You can always shuffle things around once you're here, but unless you're planning on visiting around Christmas, you're always liable to a run of Bandiego weather where the Portlanders swoop up anything available.


I'd recommend trying to treat this like you would any other golf trip.  See all of the courses (even Bandon Crossings in town), if time permits.  Play 36 or more if you want (3rd round is free), if not play 18 and go bang it around the Preserve, the Punchbowl or Shorty's.


Hope this helps,


Sven

[Tim Fitz]

Great trip over Memorial Day weekend 2017, made all the better by having Sven is our guide in a tour around the property.

1) How many golfing days did you spend on property? - 4 days (including travel days)

2) Did you spend 1 or more days golfing off site at the sheep ranch? - Nope.  I understood the Sheep Ranch is not open on weekends and we traveled during the week days.

3) Did you decide which courses to replay before arrival or only once you arrived onsite? - Booked tee times 11 months in advance (and, if you can believe it, couldn't get the first tee time one of the days).

4) Did you choose to take a caddy during any round played? - Yep.  GCA's own Sven Nilsen.  Sven carried bags for two of us, one of my brothers had a single looper and the last used a push cart.  Having Sven (or another great caddy) was part of the experience.  I'm happy to make my own mistakes, but having a tour guide to point out unusual features that we might have otherwise missed was terrific.  If you can afford it, I highly recommend a caddy.

5) Did you choose a caddy once you had already seen a course (during subsequent replay rounds)? - Sven was with us the entire time.

6) How many days do you ultimately wish you could have stayed and still enjoyed the walk during each round? - Alas, work and family required us to return home, but I could have stayed and played far more.  We played a lot of golf 18 (OM) - 54 (PD/BT/BP) - 36 (BD/PD/Punchbowl) - 18 (OM).  I would have liked to play each course twice (in a perfect world, once in the morning and the second time in the afternoon).  I would have liked to go back to the Preserve for another round; same for the punchbowl.

[David Wuthrich]

[font=]1) How many golfing days did you spend on property?  4 full days on property, arrived in pm, departed in am on day before golf and after golf[/font][font=&amp][/font]

[font=&amp][font=]2) Did you spend 1 or more days golfing off site at the sheep ranch? Of course, it is a must play.[/font][font=]3) Did you decide which courses to replay before arrival or only once you arrived onsite?  I had a good idea, but let the group decide after playing all the courses.[/font][font=]4) Did you choose to take a caddy during any round played?  Our group was split  2 pushed and 2 took caddies[/font][font=]5) Did you choose a caddy once you had already seen a course (during subsequent replay rounds)?  Again, split  one guy took caddy every round, the other only on "new" courses[/font][font=]6) How many days do you ultimately wish you could have stayed and still enjoyed the walk during each round?  we could have gone another couple days, but four full days of golf is just about perfect[/font][/font][/color]

[font=&amp][/font]

[Jim Tang]

Justin -


Have been to Bandon three times, with the last trip in 2012.  To answer your questions....


1.  I have spent anywhere from 2 to 4 days on property.


2.  I've never been off the property during the golf trip.  The vibe is so cool on site I just cannot pull myself away to go see the Sheep Ranch or the town or the beach.  I'm sure I'm missing out.


3.  I booked all replay rounds prior to our arrival.  I think you should see PD, BD, OM and BT twice each, mixing up the times you play them (ex:  PD in the AM and then in the PM on a different day).  This way you get to experience the courses, potentially, with different playing conditions.


4.  A caddy will certainly help a golfer who is unfamiliar with the courses, especially with lines of play, where to hit it and where not to, etc.  As I have become more familiar with the courses, I have decided not to take a caddy.


5.  When making the reservation, you'll be asked if you and your group will need caddies, so, we booked our loopers in advance.


6.  I walk 90% of my rounds and felt good after four days of 36.  The walks are not overly demanding, with BT being the most strenuous.  If you are doing the trip for the first time, with your buddies, I think 4 days on site is perfect.  It is expensive, no doubt, but also very much worth it.  There are few places I would rather be than Bandon.

[James Brown]

1) How many golfing days did you spend on property?


4 first time.  4 second time.
2) Did you spend 1 or more days golfing off site at the sheep ranch?


Nope.
3) Did you decide which courses to replay before arrival or only once you arrived onsite?


All in advance.  6 rounds one time - BD 2,PD 2, OM 1, BT 1, and 7 the other, BD 2, PD 2,OM 2, BT 1.  Also played BP once on the second trip. 
4) Did you choose to take a caddy during any round played?


Every round
5) Did you choose a caddy once you had already seen a course (during subsequent replay rounds)?


Happy a crappy caddies the first trip and an awesome caddie the second trip.
6) How many days do you ultimately wish you could have stayed and still enjoyed the walk during each round?

6-7 rounds is the right trip for me.  More would have been too taxing at 36/day. 

[Ira Fishman]

My wife and I made our first trip this September. Four nights on property. Played each course once, including Preserve which was as much we have laughed playing golf in a long time.


Asked Sven well in advance if he would carry for us. Great decision. Not only did he give us acute insights into courses and guide us around expertly, but the non-golf conversation was wide ranging and interesting.


A couple of additional observations: if you have a spouse or significant other who plays, Bandon is not just a guys trip. My wife enjoyed the whole experience except for one night where some drunk guys were loud and crude. Second, although we were there in high season so the rates were expensive sticking to the casual restaurants saved quite a bit plus the food was surprisingly good.


Ira

[Dan Gallaway]

I thought squeezing in a few extra holes after a 36 hole day was a must.  Loved the loops that you can create on Trails or a late back 9 on Dunes.

[JNagle]

1) How many golfing days did you spend on property?
2 days on property, 3 days at the resort.
2) Did you spend 1 or more days golfing off site at the sheep ranch?
Yes, we felt a trip to the Sheep Ranch was an absolute must.  Don Placek from Renaissance gave me the full run down on the place and I knew it was going to be the highlight of the trip.  It was the most fun round we played which also included Cypress Point.
3) Did you decide which courses to replay before arrival or only once you arrived onsite? We did.  It's not a knock against the original course, we were just very excited to see Bandon Trails and Pacific Dunes.  Neither disappointed. 
4) Did you choose to take a caddy during any round played? Yes, and we felt it was totally worth it.  With our rounds being comped (both playing individuals in the golf industry), we also felt it was the proper thing to do.
5) Did you choose a caddy once you had already seen a course (during subsequent replay rounds)? No
6) How many days do you ultimately wish you could have stayed and still enjoyed the walk during each round? As an architect, its very difficult to study and play.  Once you out a club in your hand it becomes about playing and not taking in the entirety of the course.  It's easy enough to pick up on the overall experience and strategies, but I would have loved two extra days (only three courses at the time of my visit) to walk and study.


We stayed in one of the houses on property and not at the main buildings.  This added to the overall experience.  Just having enough room to relax and move around was great.  Dinners at the Lodge were a big social event just listening to guys rounds and experiences.  The Sheep Ranch may have been the best experience of the trip.  Pacific Dunes, Bandon Trails, Sheep Ranch and Cypress Point. We literally had the place to ourselves.  The forecast that day was mid-40's with high winds and then we had a hard driving sleet.  Loved it!!!!  Ears and face were getting pelted with sleet, we were cold and wet but could have cared less.

[Ryan Taylor]

I'll highlight my second trip to the resort as my first trip was for one day:

1)  2.5 days of golf
2)  No
3)  Yes, but everything changed once the rain and 40 mph winds came
4)  Mix (most took caddies for the afternoon rounds)
5)  N/A
6)  4 days of golf - in night before and out next morning

[William_G]

What Sven said 

[Jeff Schley]

Had a great trip in 2009, when Old Mac only had 9 holes open so only 3 1/2 done.

1) How many golfing days did you spend on property? 2
2) Did you spend 1 or more days golfing off site at the sheep ranch?
3) Did you decide which courses to replay before arrival or only once you arrived onsite? Once arrived and had a good debate actually about Bandon Trails or Pacific Dunes and chose Pacific Dunes.
4) Did you choose to take a caddy during any round played? Bandon Dunes and Pacific Dunes yes.
5) Did you choose a caddy once you had already seen a course (during subsequent replay rounds)? Nope did it straight on.
6) How many days do you ultimately wish you could have stayed and still enjoyed the walk during each round? Well knowing there are 5 courses I would have liked to have slowed it down a bit and not do 36 in a day, although doable.  I find doing 36 in a day is fine if you don't stop for over an hour and get tight.

I look forward to getting back soon.

[Rick Shefchik]

My wife and I have made two Bandon trips -- three days in Oct.-Nov. 2012, two days this past December. (The weather we had in the second week of December - sunny, 60 degrees - was better than the weather we had in late October.) We didn't play the Sheep Ranch; the idea really appeals to me, but there just wasn't time. We missed the Preserve in 2012 because a rain-out altered our schedule, but in December I played it as soon as we checked in. That round took me just over an hour at sunset, and I would never visit Bandon again without making the Preserve a priority. It's that much fun.

All our 18-hole rounds were scheduled in advance, but as I mentioned, we got rained out in late October at Bandon Dunes, so we played an unscheduled round at Bandon Trails that afternoon (weather can change drastically in the course of a day on the Oregon coast.) We were able to reschedule the BD round two days later. I had the same caddie for all four courses in 2012, and he was fine -- no complaints. I did not take a caddie on the most recent trip, instead using a Riksha, which is a breeze. Didn't miss the caddie.

If I were there in mid-season, I'd consider playing 36 in a day, but when you have cold mornings and limited sunlight, 18 works just fine.  You could always spend an hour or more at the Punchbowl, or get in a round at the Preserve. My wife and I visited the town of Bandon and the nearby ocean shore in 2012, but felt no urge to leave the Bandon grounds on our recent visit. It has everything you need for a great, relaxing vacation.

[Chris Mavros]

1) How many golfing days did you spend on property?


3 days golfing, 4 nights.  I went earlier this month.  Played 36 holes a day each day.


2) Did you spend 1 or more days golfing off site at the sheep ranch?


No.  In hindsight, our third day could have been the Sheep Ranch, but we wanted to replay one of the courses and get in the Preserve.

3) Did you decide which courses to replay before arrival or only once you arrived onsite?


Yes.  Then changed it, and changed it again.  It was finally set a couple months before our trip, but then on the final day, we decided to change the last round from a reply of Pacific Dunes to the Preserve.

4) Did you choose to take a caddy during any round played?


Yes.  We'd switch who had the caddies each round so that they were with us every round.  Even though I never felt we needed one to get around the course, they were really fun guys and added a lot to the trip.  We even had them come on rounds we initially planned to play without one. 

5) Did you choose a caddy once you had already seen a course (during subsequent replay rounds)?


Yes.  A couple rounds, we had one of them as a group caddie as well.  When I return, I will probably take a caddie at least one of the rounds.

6) How many days do you ultimately wish you could have stayed and still enjoyed the walk during each round?


Walking 36 a day for 3 days was optimal.


Ideally, 4 days as follows: 1) 36; 2) 18/punchbowl; 3) 36; 4) 18/preserve, or switch one of the 18-hole days for sheep ranch.   

[Andy Ryall]

1) How many golfing days did you spend on property? 4[/size]2) Did you spend 1 or more days golfing off site at the sheep ranch? No3) Did you decide which courses to replay before arrival or only once you arrived onsite? 1 year out4) Did you choose to take a caddy during any round played? Yes 5) Did you choose a caddy once you had already seen a course (during subsequent replay rounds)? Yes6) How many days do you ultimately wish you could have stayed and still enjoyed the walk during each round? 5

I have made three trips -- best one was Sept 2015:


Wed PM:  Preserve
Thu AM/PM:   Old Mac/Trails
Fri AM/PM: Pacific/Punchbowl/PreserveSat AM:  Bandon DunesSat PM:  Oregon football @ AutzenWe did not leave the compound on each of the last two trips (2011/2015) and did not regret that decision.   Good luck on the planning.Andy
[/size]

[MLevesque]

During five golfing days in Bandon we play one round each on Old Mac, Pacific, Bandon Dunes and trails.  Add on 18 holes on Shorty's plus countless holes on the Punchbowl.  Finally, last one round off-property for a cart round on Bandon Crossing. 

[Pete_Pittock]

one day, 36 holes at Bandon Dunes, did not stay on property because there were no accommodation. I did help on the yardage book and played #2 from the old tee on the ridge.


Usually it is all four courses, three nights on property, playing on both arrival and departure days. Helps to live in Portland.

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