Bandon Crossings is now open

[Michael Dugger]

Hey everyone.  

I am surprised nobody has mentioned this yet but Bandon Crossings has been open for play for a handful of weeks now.  I know Slaggy Painter got out there and checked it out, perhaps he'll chime in here.  

In the meantime they have some new imagery up on their website, check it out...

[JohnV]

Looks very nice.  I'll have to try to get by there when I'm out there for the US Mid-AM.

[John Kavanaugh]

This looks like what Colorado Golf Club is to Ballyneal, cept public.

[Tim Pitner]

This looks like what Colorado Golf Club is to Ballyneal, cept public.

I kind of thought Bandon Trails is to Pacific Dunes as Colorado Golf Club is to Ballyneal.  

Bandon Crossings looks like an enjoyable course, although I'm not sure it would pull me away from the Bandon Dunes resort or Sheep Ranch.  How much will it cost?  Does it hope to draw in locals?  

[Michael Dugger]

This looks like what Colorado Golf Club is to Ballyneal, cept public.

I kind of thought Bandon Trails is to Pacific Dunes as Colorado Golf Club is to Ballyneal.  

Bandon Crossings looks like an enjoyable course, although I'm not sure it would pull me away from the Bandon Dunes resort or Sheep Ranch.  How much will it cost?  Does it hope to draw in locals?  

Tim,

You must not be the type of gca junkie who explores all examples of the art form.

C'mon!

[Tim Pitner]

Michael,

I mean no disrespect to the course--it looks well worth playing.  I'm just being realistic.  With 3 great courses now at the resort (unlike some on here, I enjoy BD), Old MacDonald coming, plus the Sheep Ranch (hopefully, it will remain in existence), it would be difficult to find the time to play Bandon Crossings on a 4-day trip.  Now, if I lived somewhere like Portland and made it down to Bandon more regularly, it would be a different story.  

[Tom Huckaby]

I have the exact same question / issues as Tim.  Coming from afar - as so many will when going to Bandon - is it worth leaving the greatness at Bandon Dunes resort to play Bandon Crossings, when you only have so much time?

I find it to be a very fair question.  From the pics, I think it may well be.  But I want to hear from someone who's played it.

[Tiger_Bernhardt]

I will be interested to hear from someone who has played it. I am going to be hard pressed to leave the campus without rave reviews.

[Tom Huckaby]

I will be interested to hear from someone who has played it. I am going to be hard pressed to leave the campus without rave reviews.

Concur and very well said.

But JK's post brings up a separate question... should go in another thread, but what the hell....

For those who have played each of Ballyneal and Colorado GC, can you give me a quick down and dirty which is better and why assessment?  I have a buddy who's a member at CGC and he swears up and down it's way better than Ballyneal.  Now of course it might he homerism, likely is, but I want some outside assessments.  Thanks.

TH

[Michael Dugger]

Guys,

As was pointed out once or ten times before, the impetus for leaving Oregon's Golfing Mecca (OGM) for Bandon Crossings, at least for me, and I assume others, will be the carts.

When I get fatigued, my game goes to hell.  Walking 36 at OGM leaves me looking for relief.
 



 

[Tom Huckaby]

Guys,

As was pointed out once or ten times before, the impetus for leaving Oregon's Golfing Mecca (OGM) for Bandon Crossings, at least for me, and I assume others, will be the carts.

When I get fatigued, my game goes to hell.  Walking 36 at OGM leaves me looking for relief.
 



 

AHA!  Sorry Michael - that was stated before - spaced out on that.

So yes, a late pm round with carts might be appetizing indeed.

How far is it from the resort to Crossings?  Short drive, I assume?

BTW carts alone might not get many to leave... remember you are vacating some of the great courses in the world... but at least it is one compelling reason.  I think personally I still would need more, so I do continue to want reports about the course itself.

[Michael Dugger]

Huck

I drove out and peaked around one afternoon.

It's what, about five to ten minutes from the resort into Bandon itself?

It's about five to ten further south on 101 to get to the Crossings.

Not far

[Ari Techner]

I have played Bandon Crossings 3 times now.  The course is excellent.  It obviously suffers from being so close to Bandon Dunes and the comparisons that will obviously follow and being away from the ocean completely (not even a great vista view like the 14th tee at Trails) it will be hard pressed to live up to that standard.  If the course was in Eugene it would be packed day in and day out and everyone would be raving about it.  There are many very very good holes and no real weak ones that I could see.  The biggest negative I would say is the routing is a little strange.  I wouldnt want to walk the course really there are 2 long walks between holes as you go away from the 2 greens down in the "lowlands".  But there is great movement to the fairways, it seems to play hard and fast and the greens have some very good undulations.  (although they are still new and slow so it is hard to tell completely how they will putt)  

IMO the course should get some good play in the afternoons once people start to discover it because of the availability of carts.  It was kinda nice to ride our last round after 3 days in a row of 36 walking at the resort and a round at Pacific in the morning.  I also think that with the right marketing it will take alot of round away from Sand Pines.    

I will say this, Crossings is the best public course I have played in Oregon that is not at the resort and by a good margin.  Time will tell how good the course will get.  Like any brand new course it has some growing in to do.  

Id suggest that you guys make it over there if you have been to the resort already a few times or if you are playing enough that taking a break from walking sounds appealing.  

[Tom Huckaby]

MD:  Cool.  Sounds darn doable.  

Not sure if and when I'm gonna be lucky enough to get back there, but if I do, I am sure as heck interested to see Crossings.  I do like to see new and different courses.

Any thoughts on drainage?  One of the things that makes the OGM (love that term) doable in winter particularly is the fantastic drainage - as bad as the weather gets, if you want to play, the courses allow you to.  Think Crossings will be the same?


Ari - thanks!  That's what we've been looking for.  Any thoughts re drainage, as I just asked Michael?  You've pretty much sold me anyway.

[Michael Dugger]

Huck

No clue about the drainage.  Slag would have some input.  I do recall hearing that part of the course does reside on "ancient sand dunes" which would lead me to believe that portion of the course probably drains well.

It is encouraging to read what Ari had to say.  While it is indeed summertime, no sloppy course is going to play fast and firm, right?

Now, as far as the other portion of the property goes, that which comprises something like 1-6 and the closing stretch, from my eye it looked like old pasture land.  Perhaps there is ancient sand dunes under there as well!

[Tom Huckaby]

Sounds good to me Michael and heck yeah any reports of firm and fast are definitely good news.

In any case sorry for the diversion... those are really cool pics and the course sure as heck does look great from those.

TH

[Tim Pitner]

Guys,

As was pointed out once or ten times before, the impetus for leaving Oregon's Golfing Mecca (OGM) for Bandon Crossings, at least for me, and I assume others, will be the carts.

When I get fatigued, my game goes to hell.  Walking 36 at OGM leaves me looking for relief.
 

I'm not going to Bandon to play cart golf (at least not now when I'm relatively young and healthy).  Seriously though, I hope the folks at Bandon Crossings have a better marketing plan than that.  

[Michael Dugger]

How macho of you, Tim.

Do your muscles ever ache?

[Tim Pitner]

I assure you, Michael, it's not a macho thing.  I prefer to walk.  If I'm too tired to walk, I'd rather not play golf.  And yes, when in Bandon and playing 36 holes a day, my muscles definitely do ache (but it hurts so good).  

I once saw an old codger (he must have been 75 easy) playing at Bandon.  He was wearing plus fours so he was hard to miss.  We were walking into the clubhouse after playing a morning round at BD; this was during our second day of 36 holes-a-day back when you had to play the repeat round at the same course.  We were hurting.  Then, we saw the old man literally sprinting out of the clubhouse to the first tee to begin his second round of the day.  

Since then, I've resolved to do two things:  first, never complain about walking on a golf course; and second, try to enjoy life as much as that man.  

[John Kavanaugh]

The golf is cheaper, the lodging is cheaper, the food is cheaper...The Pinehurst area seems to do plenty of rounds at courses other then #2.

I think this place is going to be a huge success as we baby boomers age and become cheaper.  Some of us aren't always in the mood for the uppity golf experience.  It almost reminds me of buying the 3 day pass at Disney and going to wet and wild on the fly out day while staying off site.

I could see booking an off site golf and lodging deal with this place for almost nothing in the winter and if the weather turns good heading over to Bandon for some cheap winter golf.  We might even see deals on Travelocity.

[Norbert P]

  Here is the highest praise I can think of . . .  I think Tommy Nacarrato will like this golf course.  I hope I'm not overstepping my bounds, or putting pressure on the Emp, but the place takes me emotionally to Rustic Canyon;  a creative course without being ostentatious.
   People won't fly around the world just to play Crossings, it's too far from the beach to have that draw, but when the word gets out, I think it'll make the big travel map of places to play.  

    Would you go to Royal Dornoch and not play Brora?
 Would you go to Sand Hills and not play Wildhorse and/or Bayside?
     
    Will it make it into the State of Oregon's top five?  I don't know but it is in mine.

   
   

   

   

[Brad Swanson]

Will Bandon Crossings be more playable on those extremely windy days that make the courses at the Bandon Resort borderline playable due to its distance from the ocean?

Cheers,
Brad

[David Lott]

Some of us aren't always in the mood for the uppity golf experience.  It almost reminds me of buying the 3 day pass at Disney and going to wet and wild on the fly out day while staying off site.

That's true--so it will be nice to have a non-uppity course at Bandon.

As to all you "I choose to walk" snobs, cool your jets. My only trip to Bandon a few years ago, I walked and enjoyed it for 54 holes in two days. Since then I've had leukemia, a stroke and lost a kidney. I hope to return to Bandon to play, and will be perfectly glad to walk (18 at most) one day, and ride in a nice, comfy cart the next. I will feel no guilt and will encourage all others who chose a cart to join me in throwing a few bar peanuts at all the self-loving walkers. If your noses are at just the right angle in the air, we could fill a nostril or two.

And if that's a fighting action, you wouldn't hit a cripple, would you?

[Michael Dugger]

Would you go to Royal Dornoch and not play Brora?

Would you go to Sand Hills and not play Wildhorse and/or Bayside?
     

That's about as genius a take as one sees around here...

[John Kavanaugh]

Give me a break...Sand Hills and Ballyneal are tons of miles apart.  I just spent three days at Ballyneal and never once desired going for a long car ride to see another course.