[ChipRoyce]

Has anyone tried a solo trip to Bandon?  

I have a trial that starts June 19 in Salem that will go for 2-3 days.  I'm thinking of driving over when it is done to play for the remainder of the week.  They have said that it would be no problem to get me on the course as a single.

Jason;
I did it as a solo last October and had a blast.
I was able to reserve tee times without any problem in advance - getting out for a replay was even easier. One of the pros re-routed me to Bandon trails so i could get all 3 course in one trip.
I was so buggered after 36 holes, I didn't mind not having dining companions and was in bed by 10pm every night.

[Jim Adkisson]

Got it on the SR.

Has anyone played Ocean Dunes (www.oceandunes.com).?  It's in Florence near Sandpines and I've heard good things-  nice dunes holes with quality shot values.

Mike, Ocean Dunes is a great little course that used to be owned by Bill Robinson GCA...it is a fun track and very un-pretentious (unlike it's Florence area counterpart, run by Troon Golf Folks)...BUT...I would only go there if you are in the area, not while making a pilgrimage to Bandon...Like so many previous posts...go to Bandon, go directly to Bandon, do pass by all other courses and play at Bandon as many rounds as your time allows.

[Pete_Pittock]

Florence (Sandpines/Ocean Dunes) and Brookings (Salmon Run) are both more than 90 minutes by car from the Coos Bay/North Bend airport. It is a very big stretch to include them if one arrives at the airport in the afternoon, travel both ways, play 18 holes and get to the resort at a reasonable hour, it would be 10 pm at the earliest.

I have played Salmon Run, which is a good course for the area. Can be a ball eater with a couple of doozie holes, especially 10/11. I would have recommended it if it was closer.

[Jordan Wall]

Sandpines is worth play, if anything to see what could have been a great course and apparently a new clubhouse...


At least it has a great surrounding site and you can see some big dunes next to some holes, though they have about el zippo to do with the golf course.  They still look cool though.

note- to see the dunes mentioned you will have to walk up the containment mounds lining either side of most of the holes...they are high enough up as to get a decent view of the dunes.

[Scott Weersing]

I have been making an annual February trip to Bandon Dunes since 2003. I have tried out all the courses.

Ocean Dunes is has narrow fairways almost to the point of being unfair, and quirky holes. It has two holes out in the wide open links. There is no driving range. I have played it once and won't go back.

Sandpines is fun but it does not prepare you to play at Bandon Dunes. Each year we play there, I keep thinking it will be the last time. But we keep going back because of the all you can eat crab at ICM restaurant in Florence that we feast on after golf.

I am with everyone else, Go to Bandon, and play as much golf there as possible.

[David Wigler]

So I am to assuming Dr. Klein was goofing on me  .  

Unfortunately the Sheep Ranch is not an option.  The shut it down from Aug. to Oct. for water restrictions.  You have all sold me on going to Bandon immediately without passing go and playing more.  

[Brad Klein]

Dave, Sandpines is a historic turning point in the history of golf course architecture and has to be experienced as the single greatest lost opportunity of the last 30 years or so. When I come up with the names of the previous lost ops I will let you know. Consider it homework.

[Ari Techner]

Sandpines might be worth seeing for the chance to see a great opportunity lost, but not if it means driving that far and missing out on even 1 round at any of the Bandon courses.  As a fellow Michigan guy, I cant let someone with a Bo avatar make that mistake.  
Take everyones advice, stay at the resort and play another round at Pacific Dunes.  
If you really want to take a drive come up to Eugene and play ECC.  

[David Wigler]

Dave, Sandpines is a historic turning point in the history of golf course architecture and has to be experienced as the single greatest lost opportunity of the last 30 years or so. When I come up with the names of the previous lost ops I will let you know. Consider it homework.

I will be playing a minimum of seven rounds in four days at Bandon.  As goofy as it sounds, Brad knows that I get a kick out of this.  I have a couple of monster missed opportunities that come to mind - Bay Harbor is my leader for the biggest missed opportunity I have ever seen.  The Weiskopf Course at Reflections Bay, SandPiper, The Norman Course at Doral, and New Seabury Blue would also be on this list for me.  In fact, although I consider it a bulletproof top 25 course in the US, I have often wondered if ShoreAcres belongs on this list due to what could have been if Raynor had incorporated the bluffs and Lake Michigan into his routing.  Might it be NGLA?

I will accept the homework assignment and play Sandpines they day my flight arrives!

[Ari Techner]

Dave, Sandpines is a historic turning point in the history of golf course architecture and has to be experienced as the single greatest lost opportunity of the last 30 years or so. When I come up with the names of the previous lost ops I will let you know. Consider it homework.

I will be playing a minimum of seven rounds in four days at Bandon.  As goofy as it sounds, Brad knows that I get a kick out of this.  I have a couple of monster missed opportunities that come to mind - Bay Harbor is my leader for the biggest missed opportunity I have ever seen.  The Weiskopf Course at Reflections Bay, SandPiper, The Norman Course at Doral, and New Seabury Blue would also be on this list for me.  In fact, although I consider it a bulletproof top 25 course in the US, I have often wondered if ShoreAcres belongs on this list due to what could have been if Raynor had incorporated the bluffs and Lake Michigan into his routing.  Might it be NGLA?

I will accept the homework assignment and play Sandpines they day my flight arrives!

I just returned from Shoreacres, and it is possible that I could be wrong, but I dont think Raynor had the option to use the bluffs and Lake Michigan when he built the course.  I am pretty sure that the club intended to use the little bit of lake front that they had for the clubhouse which is obviously what they did.  I can imagine as a member sitting in the back of the clubhouse having dinner and looking out at the Lake that it was not an entirely bad decision.  I honestly think Shoreacres is just about the most enjoyable place to spend a day playing golf.  It is hard for me to imagine it much differently but a couple holes on the bluff to go with amazing holes like 2,4,6,8,10,11,12,13,14 and 15 and you might have yourself a rival for any course anywhere.  

[Tommy_Naccarato]

David,
You'll love Sandpines. It's everything Brad says and more.

When in Florence, go check out Ruby Begonia's for the best seafood chowder you'll ever experience.

Ruby Begonia's Roadside Cafe - 1565 W 9th St. Florence, Oregon (541) 997-1821.

For yet another chowder champ, Ruby Begonia (1565 9th St., 541-997-1821) has one of the best seafood chowders on the coast, according to Sunset magazine. This golden-hued soup has salmon, halibut, prawns, and clams. The tasty homemade pie and the Mexican entrées add another dimension to the Florence dining scene. They’re open daily 8 a.m.–9 p.m.--

[Brad Klein]

Tommy,

what anti-anxiety medication are you currently on? I think the dose is a little high.

[PThomas]

David  - as others have said, just go to Bandon and play as much as possible there

[Mike Erdmann]

Has anyone tried a solo trip to Bandon?  

I have a trial that starts June 19 in Salem that will go for 2-3 days.  I'm thinking of driving over when it is done to play for the remainder of the week.  They have said that it would be no problem to get me on the course as a single.

Jason, if you're in Salem on your own for 2 or 3 days, feel free to send me an IM if you're up for a beer one evening or even a round of golf while in town.

Tom,

Why isn't the Sheep Ranch available?

The Sheep Ranch isn't available in the summer because they don't have an irrigation system to get water on the fairways.  Divots won't regrow due to the absence of water so summer play would take a beating on the course.  The only irrigation system they have is a 1950's era firetruck that can supply water to the sprinkler heads around the greens.

[Tommy_Naccarato]

Dr. Klein,
 In the past, David and I are (and I'm not saying 50/50,46/60, even 20/80 of the time,)  always 180 degrees apart from one another on any golf course that has ever been built.

You see, my experiment's aim was true. Get David to think I liked it to see if he would then hate it, thus announce to the world that Sandpines is surprise.......overated.

But thanks to you blowing my cover, you can be sure Sandpines will be the next coming of the Old Course for Wigs and this discussion group!

I'm still waiting for my DAMN bottle of vino!

[David Wigler]

Dr. Klein,
 In the past, David and I are (and I'm not saying 50/50,46/60, even 20/80 of the time,)  always 180 degrees apart from one another on any golf course that has ever been built.

You see, my experiment's aim was true. Get David to think I liked it to see if he would then hate it, thus announce to the world that Sandpines is surprise.......overated.

But thanks to you blowing my cover, you can be sure Sandpines will be the next coming of the Old Course for Wigs and this discussion group!

I'm still waiting for my DAMN bottle of vino!

Tommy,

I am more disappointed than you that we still have not found time for drinks, wine, Italian food and arguments over the strategic placement of waterfalls.  It is one of the things I miss given my limited involvement in GCA this past eighteen months.

During one of our disagreements about a course, someone asked me offline where we differ.  I finally figured it out.  Frankly our taste in classical courses is almost identical.  I have never read an opinion of your about a course built before 1940 that I disagreed with.  I would think you have not disagreed with any of my opinions from that era.  

It is the modern courses where we do not remotely see eye to eye.  Shooter and yourself, I think, feel modern courses should be built to look like classical courses.  Although I like this style when it is executed (I love Bandon Dunes, The Golf Club, Pete Dye Golf Club, etc.), I also have a strong love for truly modern golf.  I appreciate stunning vistas, waterfalls, cool river features, etc., even if they are not natural.  I think that the fact that they are artificial, not germane to golf and expensive to construct (Which translates in greens fees or membership dues) offends your sensibilities.  

I also think you have a bug up your butt for Fazio and Rees  .

I called my compatriot and told him the review i had gotten for Sandpines.  I am actually excited to go see it.  I have played ten of Rees' original designs: Cascata, Falcon's Fire, Griffon Gate, Haig Pointe, Naples Grande, Palmas Del Mar, Pinehurst #7, Oconee, Rio Secco, Talamore and a bunch of his redesigns.  I have mixed feelings about much of his redesign work and the same with his new stuff.  I am sure we disagree 180 degrees on Cascata, which I really liked or  Pinehurst #7 and Oconee, which I enjoyed.  I'll bet we agree completely on Griffon Gate and Naples Grande.

I will promise you this, if it is overrated, I will agree (Although beating Bay Harbor as the biggest missed opportunity in the country is a very hard task) and if I believe it is good, I will actually stick around and fight this one explaining why.

PS - Was at an Italian Wine Dinner last night and had a 1999 La Campana Brunello di Montalcino with an Oven Roasted Lamp Chop topped with a Osso Buco Risotto in a Heirloom Tomato Water Reduction and truly did think wow, Tommy would love this, we would defintely agree here.  

[Pete_Pittock]

David
The Silver Sands Motel lobby has (had?) a large picture of the property before the golf course was built. This is not a glowing recommendation to stay there. (On the west side of US 101 at 15th St?)

[Jordan Wall]

My course tour of Sandpines (wonderfully inspiring I may add).


After 6 holes in the woods with man made water hazards and such, you get to this beauty of a hole...nothing but big containment mounds on either side, but like I said if you climb them you get this view, which really is quite deceptive..


Here is the 12th, contaiment mounds on either side..


Its not full of bad holes...actually it is..but here is an exception..


Those are, you guessed it, big mounds on either side of the hole.


Those rumples in the distance are some of the many containment mounds...note the man made water feature, used on, unfortunately, four holes..

[Bob Jenkins]

Jordan,

I hope Sean is not watching your posts! He would, in plain English, put Sandpines in it's place, mostly because you rave about it.
Very few speak of Salishan but I understand it has improved remarkably from the old days. If you were on the Oregon coast, it is a place to stop and play? Who did the design and the re-design.

[Pete_Pittock]

Bob
Salishan was done by Fred Federspiel in 1963. It was redesigned by Jacobsen- Hardy last year. They changed a few hole routings, it says they added 400 yards (where?) and all the greens were redone. The last issue is a very good thing. Lots of salal in which to lose your golf ball. Natural settings and for the most part homes are not obtrusive. Pro shop is on US 101. The two nines circle hills to either side of the hwy.

I believe it has been a silver medal resort, and I concur.

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