[Matt_Ward]

Huck said --

"Pacific Dunes is a great golf course.

But so is Bandon Dunes.

And Bandon Trails just may be better than both of them."

Huck:

I'll be happy to debate what you said anytime. Frankly, the Trails is the least of the three IMHO. What causes the drop. Simply about 1/3 of the course -- the section in the middle is really underwhelming and often predictable. When you reach the 13th green and hit the 14th tee then things begin to switch into high gear until you reach the pedestrian par-3 17th. The closing hole on Trails is quite good.

Pac is a wonderful layout although it is limited to a north / south routing dynamic -- save for the superb par-4 16th which is a gem of a short par-4 -- only exceeded by the likes of the 14th at Trails.

Bandon Dunes gets short shrift by many but I fnd the original 18 to still hold my attention when I have played it.

Without question -- Bandon has become the defacto home for the core golfer. One last thing -- I do agree w Rich G -- the place is CCFAD given the clientele -- one would not confuse the regular at Bandon to be among the crowd at the local muni!

[THuckaby2]

Matt:

What's strange to me is why my thoughts from four months ago are being dredged up now.  

Re the courses, well sitting here four months after the fact instead of one day, well I'm going to punt and say I can understand anyone's ranking of the three courses.  I will stick with my assessment of 10 rounds being split 3-3-3+1 random, and that being the case, it's rather tough for me to argue for one over the other.

My main beef is with those who say PD is so superior that the other two aren't worth playing.  And that has been said on there.  That to me is ludicrous.

As for Rich and his take that it's a CCFAD atmosphere, read carefully and you'll see I agree.  My beef with him is that he for some unknown reason was expecting it to have a cowshed for a starters' shop, with no amenities whatsoever, and spring out of a town (like say, Gullane GC).  Thus seeing it in person he came away underwhelmed by the resort experience.  It's very strange to me where he got that expectation for the place, that's all... be it 5 years ago or now.  It was always crystal-clear this was going to be a resort, with resort-type lodging, etc.

My personal experience though is that 3 years ago, it was less pretentious.  These days it is almost to Pebble Beach level in terms of pretense and service and the like.  Before it was more low key.  Most people like it now, I miss the old days.

TH

[Bill_McBride]

The golf's the thing.  If everybody has to walk, and there are caddies, and the weather might be a bit dicy, what's to complain about with three top notch courses?  That the food's too good and the lodgings are too nice?  Give me a break, some would complain if they were hung with a new rope!

I just booked a foursome of OFs (old farts) into Bandon starting Labor Day next year.  I booked Pacific - Bandon Dunes - Bandon Trails - Pacific.  Hopefully I'll get out for a second round once or twice, this is not a 36 a day crowd!

Can't wait!

[THuckaby2]

Bill:

Admittedly it's a silly complaint.

It's just that three years ago, it was indeed all about golf and the featured item on the menu was Grandma Thayer's meatloaf, which is to die for and might cause death by fat and calories, but is the very definition of comfort food.  The clientele seemed to be down to earth and happily wolfed down meatloaf, drank a beer or two, and debated the merits of the courses.

Now, the menus - and wine lists - would not have to bow to the finest restaurants in Napa Valley.  But the clientele seems to debate the merits of wine and cigars more than the courses.

So like I say, for most people this is a great development.

Me?  I miss when it really was all about golf.

This is very difficult to explain... and in the end has no relevance to you as you are seeing it for the first time, no?

Expect first-class treatment, befitting the first-class prices.

And the golf is better than ever.

So for you there is no issue.

TH

[Sean Leary]

Huck,

I haven't been to Bandon in a couple of years.  What are the new lodgings like?  Are they similar to the Lily Pond rooms, or have they become more upscale?  Also, are there enough rooms now with the third course?

[THuckaby2]

Sean:

The Chrome Lake rooms are more or less the same as the Lily Pond.  They might be a little more upscale but it's not like it's night and day or anything.

As for having enough rooms, I think they're fine for now.  But if and when the fourth course comes there could be room issues.

TH

[George Pazin]

Me?  I miss when it really was all about golf.

All you do is complain - you really need to lighten up!

 

[THuckaby2]

Me?  I miss when it really was all about golf.

All you do is complain - you really need to lighten up!

 

I know!  What a curmudgeon I've become.  I am off to lightening classes.

 

[ed_getka]

Tom,
  I would agree that Bandon isn't quite as relaxed as it was a few years ago, but it certainly isn't to Pebble level. Everything seems a little more "professional", but at least I didn't feel like I was being sneered at, which is the feeling I get at Pebble. BTW, what have you found about Pacific that lowers it in your estimation, that you hadn'tpreviously noticed? I am just curious, I promise there will be no excoriating retorts.

[THuckaby2]

Ed - you're probably right - equating it to Pebble was an exaggeration.  I just did notice a significant change in attitude and clientele from when I was there before.

As for PD being lowered in my estimation, well... that's a tough one and really it is just such in relation to BD, and now BT.  I guess I should say I just came to like BD even more upon the return trip, and the addition of BT just gives even more for the golf soul.

Does that make sense?

Hell they are all three fantastic golf courses as I see things.

For those who would parcel their playings 10-0-0, and wish they were playing PD while playing the other two - and I do believe you were one of those, weren't you Ed? - well I believe, with all due respect, that.....

Well I was gonna say you are nuts and/or have Doak on the brain, but then I remember I am the champion of all opinions being equal and there being no right or wrong.

So I'll just say my opinion differs from yours.

I will say this:  in that trip in June, I had the most pure fun playing BD.  PD beat the crap out of all of us. Strange, most find it the other way around.

[ed_getka]

Tom,
    No dancing please , why was PD beating you up so much? Not your friends. I know you have a short game and imagination, so I am curious why you took a beating there.
    I have an extremely poor memory these days but I'm pretty sure I had my 10 as 7-3, Pacific and BT. If I were to make a composite course there, BD would most certainly be well represented.
    From what you have stated, and from what I heard from MANY others at Bandon, BD certainly is held in much higher regard than I would have expected. It works great for me when I can play Pacific at 6pm and have the course to myself.

[THuckaby2]

Well, PD beat the crap out of us one round because we played it in the most severe weather.  

But outside of that, it really was the generally tighter fairways and more places to lose a ball.  People were spraying shots that they'd find at BD, lose at PD.  That's a huge generalization and obviously can be picked apart, but that was the general impression.

As for me, well lack of a short game that week killed me.  You can get away with that at BD - you sure as hell can't at PD.

 

In any case, bottom line here is that whereas PD is the favored course in this forum, I really got the impression that BD is favored big-time by the clientele, and most of the outside world.  Of course that's not the first time this group has held the minority view... and not that it means much anyway... but it is something to consider.

BTW, BD only gets play at 6pm because it's right there by the pub and lodge!

 

[Sean Leary]

I agree with Tom.  PD is much more difficult when the wind is up,  based on the width of the fairways.  The only really narrow tee shot on BD is on 4.  3,7,8,9 10, 11,14, 17 and 18 have really wide landing areas. When the PNGA had its Midam there last year, the scores were much higher at Pacific due to inclement weather..

[ed_getka]

Aha, being a non-drinker I hadn't considered the proximity of cold brews, it all comes clear now.

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