The 11th hole is a par 3
148 from the black tee
131 from the green tee
This hole is, in my opinion, the best par 3 in a set of five stand-out par 3s on this great course. Eye candy comes to mind when you first see the photos. The 11th and 13th are probably the two most aesthetically pleasing holes on the course (when factoring in the surroundings as well.) Fortunately, both have the goods to back up the golfing experience as well. The hole is short, which is appropriate in the summer wind. The green feels small - I'm not sure it is the smallest on the course but I would guess it is close.
I've only played the course into a neutral or headwind. Without wind (rarely happens) the hole plays as a wedge for me. In 2003, I played the hole twice on the same day. In the morning, it was a full 9-iron. In the afternoon it was a full 6-iron from the same tee. Though the green looks relatively flat, it is full of subtle breaks. Rolling in the putts here aren't as straight-forward as you might think. The bunkering is as good as it gets in my opinion, and I've had plenty of opportunity to put them to the test. Large bunker protect the front of the green - been there. A long and deep bunker looms on the left to protect the slightly wayward shot from heading off the cliff - been there. A small pot bunker hides from view off the tee on the right side of the green - been there. All of these bunker shots can be tough (particularly from the bunker on the right with the ocean behind the green) but none are impossible and all are fun. I've seen balls bounce from the dunes on the right back onto the green. I've seen someone hit an ugly short pull and play from the cliffside short of the green.
The 11th is one of my favorite par 3s anywhere.
Walking off the 10th hole, the 11th greets you with this view as you walk to the tee
Three views from the tee
A closer view of the front bunker
With all apologies to Bob Huntley
, this was a one-time shot that dictated the direction of the hat on my head (temporary rally cap - acceptable exception as mentioned by Mike Hendren)
A look at the green from behind
and a look at the green from the front
Another look at the green from one of the scariest small bunkers on the course
Some wide views from behind
This one shows the long bunker on the left side of the green. You can also see how the green tends to fall off a bit on the left side
Everyone that has the pleasure to experience return trips to Bandon should time at least one round to "end" out at the ocean