[Matt_Ward]

After my round at Bandon Trails I just wanted to start a thread on the overall merits of the layout.

Frankly, I found the first six holes to be highly enjoyable and well designed. When you stand on the back box at #1 and gaze upon the land that is Bandon Dunes the blood in you r veins clearly starts to tingle. The same holds true for the neat downhill par-3 2nd and the well done par-5 3rd.

I played the first three holes downwind and to itemize how strong the wind was in the early afternoon -- I hit driver and PW to #3 from 150 yards out and had full driver and full 5-iron to the 4th! I also enjoyed the diagonal line you face at the 4th in the drive zone. The key is to clear it but into the wind is no small matter and likely many players will have a blind approach.

The 5th is a peach of hole -- the green gives the appearance of a bed not made by a child -- there are a range of folds you encounter -- the best pin may be when the cup is cut on the far top tier or somewhere near the front left. For a hole of limited distance it's a perfect addition between the two par-4's that bracket it.

The 6th is also well done -- I liked the "hidden" bunker that you can't see from the tee. The fairway falls sharply to the left and one needs to be careful if you should overcook with a draw / hook.

The main area of weakness for me at the Trails was the mediocre run of holes starting with the 7th and running through until you got to the 11th. I would also add the 12th as nothing more than a pedestrian long par-3. The 13th is a decent hole -- but it's the elevated green and the delicious greenside bunker to the far right that makes the hole.

Once you get to the 14th tee the game is on for the remaing holes -- with the exception of the par-3 17th which I liked but just didn't see it being the equal of the 5th which is immediately adjacent to it. The concluding hole is well done. I like the blind aspect and the heaves and ho of the fairway are quite impressive.

Be interested in how others see the Trails.

[TEPaul]

A 'delicious greenside bunker'?

A 'peach of a hole'?

Are you sure you didn't confuse Bandon Trails with some dinner you had out there somewhere? Next time I see Bill Coore I'll be sure to tell him you think he's a good cook.

[Matt_Ward]

Tom P:

There is much to like w Bandon Trails -- however -- the middle portion of the course does come down a good bit from the first six to the final six holes.

[Matt_Ward]

One of the more interesting drives at the Trails is th3 445 yard 14th. The hole dog-legs right and goes downhill for the last portion of the drive zone. The key when you stand on the tee is to resist the temptation to cut the corner of a massive sand bunker that hugs that side. Even if you carry the bunker the land tilts towards a hidden pond that you cannot see from the teeing area.

The best play is to swing a soft fade down the left center and allow for the ground to take your shot to the right. What's very clever by C&C is that long hitters have to bear in mind a bunker that is not seen and far down the left side -- long tee shot can reach that bunker and the ensuing recovery from it is far from certain as water hugs the right side of the long and deep putting surface.

[ed_getka]

Matt,
   I think you must be talking about a different hole. #14 Trails is the shortish par 4 with the tiny narrow green.
   I think #8 is a pretty good hole and the green is more interesting than it first appears. #9 is pretty pedestrian, but if you move up to the forward tees on the left, it becomes more interesting off the tee. #10 is a hole I really enjoyed, with the angle you choose off the tee determining how hard the approach shot can be. #11 is okay, and I like the fact that sometimes drives end up on a bit of a downslope which makes controlling the approach more challenging. I didn't mind the ponds on the right, although some here did.
   What is your breakdown for 10 rounds at Bandon? For me it would be 6 Pacific, 3 Trails, 1 Dunes, or quite possibly 7,3,0.

[Dan Herrmann]

ed - Zero rounds at Bandon Dunes?

IMHO, I prefer BD to BT.

[Matt_Ward]

Ed:

Sorry -- I was speaking about the long 11th hole -- not the 14th. Thanks for the correction.

I don't see the 10th is such a big deal. The tee shot is fairly straightforward and you can play down just about any side of the hole and still have a rather head-on shot.

The key for the very strong players on #11 is not to get hung up in the hidden left side bunker far down the fairway. It seems like it's out of play but with the downslope it's very much in play for those who get too carried away by going down the left side and away from the bunker that protects the right.

My breakdown of ten rounds would be the following:

Bandon Dunes -- 3
Pacific Dunes -- 5
Bandon Trails -- 2

One other note -- it would be most interesting to get the feedback from people when the wind comes from the south during the winter months. I wonder how much different the Trails plays then. I can only imagine the demands you face right off the box with the first three holes being into the wind -- rather than with it.

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