I played Bandon Trails today with Cary Lichtenstein and our wives and four really good caddies.
For the record, the remarks earlier this week about poor food and service at Bandon Dunes, and in the past about inferior caddies, are off the mark based on our experience. Other than some kind of a problem with tepid decaf coffee, everything was first class. The rooms (Chrome Lake double) are tasteful and comfortable with wonderful natural landscaping.
Also for the record, I wish I had Cary's golf game. He hits a very consistent and solid draw on most shots, and has a wickedly effective short game.
We played Pacific Dunes yesterday and it remains my favorite public access course in the U.S. And in my top 5 in all categories. There are simply no uninteresting holes and every hole is unique and different. I first played the course in 2001 shortly after it opened. It looked then like it had been there forever and it really hasn't changed much since then. The greens were deliberately a bit fuzzy so they can be cut very close for the Curtis Cup ladies in 10 days or so. It would be great to see top notch players duking it out in match play.
With regard to Bandon Trails, bravo to C&C for a very solid course. The start and finish in the dunes are terrific, although #1 is a pretty benevolent starter IF you don't drive it into the left bunkers. The last four into the wind are tough, particularly #16 which is even tougher than Black Mesa's "Stairway to Heaven" #16 except for a less difficult green site. Up the hill and into the wind for 540 makes #16 a beast.
The par 3s are very good, from the dell at #2 to the lengthy #12 with wide open run up area at 230+ yards, to incredible #5 with swale of North Berwickian proportions, to into the wind #17 surrounded by deep bunkers.
I found the greens to be less complex than other C&C greens such as Cuscowilla and Friars Head, but large and would be very difficult at higher speeds.
In my opinion, Matt overstates the weakness of #7-12. Not every hole is world class, these holes are varied and in lovely parkland setting when constrasted with the other properties. I thought #11 offered a great risk/reward if willing to take on the bunker, as an additional 50-60 yards will result from hitting the downslope on the right line. Cary and I both played left of the bunkers and were left with 170 yard shots with the dangerous lake to the right of a left-to-right green.
#8 too easy? What did Jim Murray say about Riviera #10? Something about a tart who sits at the end of the bar in a very short miniskirt? Any kind of draw at all with driver is almost bound to wind up in those nasty bunkers left. And the pitch after a layup is no simple shot into that crowned green. A good short par 4 should be tempting and #8 certainly is.
Granted #10 and #9 are not equal to #15 or #18 for example, what's the secret to a good routing? Pace, changes in tempo, variety, all building to an exciting finish. Almost by definition you have to have some more relaxed holes to have a dynamic routing!
Bandon Trails is a great addition to the Bandon Dunes golf resort rota. The parkland / dunes setting is a solid complement to the dunes excitement of the first two courses.