Grandest of all wazos: you and I are copacetic on all of this, my friend. There was also some talk in my group about bringing the wives, and I handled it exactly like you have. Bottom line for me is trips with the wives COULD be done, but there are SO many better places than Bandon for that, for so many reasons.
As travel director of my group, I too have been asked for such things... but my advantage is half of the guys have already been there, so I don't have to do much convincing. Our group is also VERY much geared toward heavy meat and potatoes and heavier drinking. We're all from a Jesuit university, after all.
Bandon is the absolute poster-resort for a golf-nut guys only trip. Everything is geared for it... the pubs, the beer, the food, the rooms, everything is geared for groups like ours, male only. Oh, women CAN and DO have fun there, particularly those that golf... But the huge TVs in the rooms, and two separate enormous bath room areas, and the spartan but comfortable decor and furniture... well that ain't geared toward the typical female, that's for sure.
Now Mr. Gracely, I'm sure you're brother will make out just fine, pardon the pun. Hell it's impossible NOT to enjoy Bandon. I just did want you to see that there is another perspective besides my dire one.
