[Paul Jones]

My thoughts... Bandon Dunes is my favorite and is what started the trend.  Sheep Ranch is the most fun.  Most people not in into architecture, dislike Trails as very few Ocean views, but I think it is the best course.  I just got back on a trip with 8 people, only 2 of us have been before.  Trails and Old Mac was at the bottom of most list with Pacific Dunes being at the top.  No one liked the finishing holes at Old MacDonald. 


In other words... you cannot go wrong with any of the courses and the reason that all courses cost the same - unlike Pebble/Spyglass/Spanish Bay/etc.

[Garland Bayley]

I haven't played the new Sheep Ranch but after playing the old Sheep Ranch I'm shocked that it seems to be the one to skip percentage-wise to date.

People have said it is the tamer course that will suit the high handicappers. This high handicapper suggests it is the course to leave out of the itinery. I prefer the other four much more.

[Garland Bayley]

...  No one liked the finishing holes at Old MacDonald. 
...

Heathen!

[Jim_Coleman]

   Again, thanks. I very much enjoyed reading all your thoughts. One observation - Kidd’’s  original course has not been mentioned, either positively or negatively. I suppose this could be because my question had a negative bent (what should I skip), and maybe no mention is a good thing. But many offered their positive thoughts too, so I find no mentions at all of some note. Not sure what it means.

[Paul Jones]

   Again, thanks. I very much enjoyed reading all your thoughts. One observation - Kidd’’s  original course has not been mentioned, either positively or negatively. I suppose this could be because my question had a negative bent (what should I skip), and maybe no mention is a good thing. But many offered their positive thoughts too, so I find no mentions at all of some note. Not sure what it means.

Jim,


When I mentioned Bandon Dunes as my favorite, I was referring to the course - also can see how you thought I was talking about the resort in general.

[Jim_Coleman]

Paul:  My mistake. Thanks.

[Bill Gayne]

...  No one liked the finishing holes at Old MacDonald. 
...

Heathen!

I thought the finish was quite good. My favorite hole on the course and really felt true to the original was #16, the alps hole.

[Ian_L]

Jim,


As you can see, there is no clear cut answer. Like one or two others, I would play four different courses and would skip Sheep Ranch. I liked Sheep Ranch a lot but didn’t find the holes to be as inspiring as the other courses. It also feels a little less linksy, not sure if the ground is a bit different out there.


While none of the other courses have the number of ocean holes or the drama of Five Mile Point, I think each has a bit more personality that is essential to the Bandon experience.


Maybe this is all because I have played each of the other courses 8+ times and Sheep Ranch only twice, and I haven’t gained a full appreciation for Sheep Ranch yet.

[Mike Wagner]

   If I can only play 4 rounds on a Bandon trip, I guess I have 2 options:
   If I play 4 different courses, which one should I skip?
   If I play Pacific Dunes twice, which two should I skip?
   Which of those 2 options is the better choice?
   Thanks.

I'd just play them in the order they were built.  The real answer is most likely whatever courses you can get on.

[Will Spivey]

Jim,


No matter which courses you play, you'll have a great time. As to which to skip, it's sort of like asking "which Charlie's Angel should I date?" You can't wrong.


That said, unless your group is all hard core architecture junkies, DO NOT skip Sheep Ranch under any circumstances! Everyone will say it was the most spectacular place they've ever played. The opening drive is a gentle handshake, then when you crest the ridge -- BOOM! -- the entirety of the resort unfolds before you to your left, with the green perched dead ahead above the crashing waves of the Pacific.


The best course is certainly Pac Dunes, so that too would be a must play in my book. That leaves Bandon Dunes, Old Mac or Trails for the one to skip. Again, I'd think about your group. Bandon Trails is my third favorite course, but it is certainly the most difficult walk (remember, all play is walking only, by your last round you'll be tired). Old Mac is probably the "easiest," with tons of quirk. My choice to skip would be Bandon Dunes, the original course. Don't get me wrong, it's great, but it doesn't offer anything that the others don't. The same can't be said by excluding any of the other courses.


Have a great time, and please report back and let us know what you decide!

[Tom_Doak]

Will:


Thanks for your post.  I have been very surprised to see the number of people advising to skip The Sheep Ranch.  Maybe I'm biased in part because I know how hard it was to make a routing work on that site, but I played the course this spring and thought it was some of the best golf at the resort, in addition to the spectacular views.  Perhaps it is a little bit short for the long hitters, when there's no wind, but most people do not mind having the chance to post a decent score.


The only reason I would recommend skipping it is to save it.  It's been so busy in its first year [7500 rounds more than the other very busy courses] that it needs a rest!


Everyone knows I'm biased here, so take this for what it's worth, but if the other concurrent thread is true that you can't have a great course without a great set of greens, there is only one of the five courses where that is really missing.

[Carl Nichols]

I was in Bandon earlier this month and played nine times over 5 days:  each course twice, with the exception of Trails.  I had been once before--when Old Mac and Sheep Ranch, in its current form, didn't exist--and so wanted to play those courses twice.  Beyond that, playing Trails just once was partly the result of a schedule that was set for a bigger group and partly wanting to try to play late-afternoon rounds along the coastline.  I knew going in that the potential downside was heavy winds in the afternoon, but we ended up having very benign conditions the whole time.


As for Sheep Ranch, I thought it was fantastic, but it was a lot softer than any of the other courses (especially the fairways).  That plus being quite wide/open made it seem the most like a typical resort course, especially without any wind.  I could imagine that that's a reason why some folks have it lower on their boards. 


As for the original question, all of the courses are fantastic and I go back and forth about which is my favorite and how I rank them.  If I were in Jim's shoes, I would therefore want to play the courses I hadn't already played; and since I prefer Pacific to Dunes (one of the few things I think I'm sure about!), I'd leave Dunes out.  So I'd play 1 round at each of Pacific, Trails, Old Mac, and Sheep Ranch.

[Garland Bayley]

Sheep Ranch is not as sandy. This has been pointed out in the original threads on the course, and backed up by the mud my ball would collect when i was there in March.

[Tom_Doak]

Sheep Ranch is not as sandy. This has been pointed out in the original threads on the course, and backed up by the mud my ball would collect when i was there in March.

No, it is not very sandy at all, which can be a factor in the winter months.  In the summer, it should be as firm as any of them, if not firmer.

[David_Elvins]

Everyone knows I'm biased here, so take this for what it's worth, but if the other concurrent thread is true that you can't have a great course without a great set of greens, there is only one of the five courses where that is really missing.

I agree with you 100% on everything you are saying here.  However if you opened it up to the floor and asked "which course at Bandon does not have a great set of greens" you would get just as many different answers as if you asked "Which course at Bandon would you skip?" And all 5 courses would feature.

[James Brown]

Any combo you play at Bandon the first time around will be awesome.  Just cover BD and PD and then anything else you can arrange.  And take putter and go out at dusk to the ocean holes and enjoy. 

[Jim_Coleman]

   Thought I would report back on my Bandon Dunes experience. Because I was a late invite, I had no say in the decision making. But I did circulate this thread to the group, as I thought they would enjoy it.
   We played Sheep, Bandon and Pacific twice. Couldn’t have been more fun.  I am sure there are no bad combinations to choose from.

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