The Ground Game is Alive and Well at Pacific Dunes

[Tim Bert]

With all the discussion centered on Old Mac, I thought I'd note how fabulous the ground game options are for a mediocre golfer at Pacific Dunes. Wednesday afternoon I played the course in 30 mph winds and pouring rain throughout the afternoon. I destroyed a very nice digitial camera in the process by leaving it zipped up in my raincoat. My clothes was drenched after 36 holes like it has never been before.

To the point - I shot a 92 at Pacific Dunes and 47 of my shots were struck with a putter. I only had two three-putts and a couple of one putts so all of these extra strokes were played off the greens. I hit at least 4 putts for approaches from more than 50 yards.

All of this in soaking wet conditions. How many public golf options in the US could remain open in the conditions I played let alone continue to be so receptive to the ground game.

I just thought I'd give a little love to Pacific Dunes. As all of you parents know, the older child needs just as much attention as the newborn.

[Richard Choi]

Was that 92 with a triple at the 18th?

[Tim Bert]

First time around Pacific in 16 tries with no worse than double bogey. Of course it was a double / double finish. You know me!!

[Matt_Cohn]

47 of my shots were struck with a putter. I only had two three-putts and a couple of one putts so all of these extra strokes were played off the greens. I hit at least 4 putts for approaches from more than 50 yards.

I'm certainly not saying PD is a boring golf course, but that sounds boring.

[Tim Bert]

47 of my shots were struck with a putter. I only had two three-putts and a couple of one putts so all of these extra strokes were played off the greens. I hit at least 4 putts for approaches from more than 50 yards.

I'm certainly not saying PD is a boring golf course, but that sounds boring.

Perhaps it would have been boring to you. It wasn't to me. Sometimes when your flushed 3-iron into the wind is going 135 yards, the putter is a decent option.

 

[Bill Brightly]

I did not play with Tim, but I did play with a few mid-teen handicappers who chose the putter from much further out than I would ever consider. They were not expecting to get up and down, they just wanted to finish with only three more shots. I think it is awesome these guys had this safe option, while I am trying to nip a wedge just right off of hardpan. I will get more up and down, but I will also skull a few. 

[Ron Csigo]

Tim - What's the farthest distance from the green where you used putter?  25 yards?  50 yards?

[Jordan Wall]

First time around Pacific in 16 tries with no worse than double bogey. Of course it was a double / double finish. You know me!!

Double + Double + 7593038.22 mind games

[Richard Choi]

I don't want to speak for Tim, but at Pacific Dune and especially at Old Macdonald, you can putt from 150 yards out and it is actually the preferred shot. I myself putted about 120 yards away on Sahara (damn cool to see the ball travel that far on the ground). Rob Riggs hit a putter (a bullseye, no less) from about 160 yards out on one of the holes and put it about 15 feet from the hole.

[Tim Bert]

Ron

in that particular round I didn't putt from more than 50 or 60 yards. During the week, I hit a couple putts from 85 to 90 yards. The longest putt I've ever hit out there (for the reason that I thought it was the best option, not just messing around or trying to make a point) was from about 120 yards at #12 at Pacific. 

[Steve Lang]

  you know you could have done same at B Dunes and trails too! 

p.s. i preferred to use 7 wood and 12 degree spoon over putter, to pop ball to ground targets and get some bounce..

[Link Walsh]

you know you could have done same at B Dunes and trails too! 

p.s. i preferred to use 7 wood and 12 degree spoon over putter, to pop ball to ground targets and get some bounce..

Me too.  I've used my little 21 degree hybrid for shots like that around greens for years.  Then I went to Bandon for the first time.  I think it was 2001 because Pacific had just officially opened a month or so before.  I had never played on fairways so firm and fast, so I soon discovered how far you could get your ball to roll with a shot like that.  One of my favorite memories out there was when my buddy and I were playing Pacific for the first time.  I had hit driver on 16 about 30-40 yards short of the green in the fairway.  I asked my caddy for my hybrid and he looked at me like I was crazy.  But I rolled it down the hill to about 8 feet and made birdie, so that was cool.

Whether with a putter, hybrid, or whatever, it's such a thrill to pull that kind of shot off, isn't it?  You almost feel like you're cheating or breaking a rule, but you get away with it.     

[Tim Bert]

A few of my favorite spots to hit my putter around Pacific Dunes...

#3 approach to the front left of the green. That green would not hold anything this trip when the hole was playing mostly downwind. Several of our dots looked good and then rolled off the back down the hill between the mounds. While the putter wasn't going to put you close enough for birdie for me it was the best option to avoid the big number.

#6 approach when you hit a good drive to the right side of the fairway. 3 years ago when I made my only birdie on this hole, I played it driver, putter, putter. I love watching the putt up the hill bounce around on it's way to the green.

#9 to the lower green. Haven't played the lower green in probably my last 7 or 8 trips around Pacific. I used to long for the upper green but now that I have had it so much lately I miss the lower, which was closed this past week.

#12 approach. I already mentioned this one as my longest putt at the course. This is another green that shoots all of my approaches off the back no matter how short I land them so I often go to the putter inside 100 yards (and occasionally beyond).

#15 approach. This is the shot I putted on three different rounds this trip. All from 50 to 85 yards. A nice safe option to ride up to the elevated green. I have played back and forth ping pong around this green many times.

#18 - next time I play this course I may putt every shot after the drive, assuming I am lucky enough to keep my drive in play which happens rarely here. A drive and 5 putts is probably my best chance at a bogey on this hole.

[Jon Nolan]

We played during the Pineapple Express storm of December 2007.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Coastal_Gale_of_2007

As mentioned in the link we dealt with hurricane force winds accompanied by ferocious rain.  We were one of two groups who made it to #18 that day.  The courses were all closed the next day for, we were told, the first time since the resort opened - not, I believe, because it was unplayable but because just being outside was dangerous.  Those of us who didn't make it out before 101 was closed were forced to endure a 16 hour session in the Puffin ;-) since there was no electricity to be found anywhere else on the resort. 

Back to the course.  Anywhere else I've ever played would have been unplayable.  There was standing water on #3 green, #6 green, in the low areas near #3, #7 and #9 tees.  Other than a couple of streams running across those greens the course was fine.  Yes it was wet and yes I hit both a spanked 80 yard driver and a smooth 375 yard 3W but it was just about the most fun I've had on a course.  We simply couldn't believe the course was playable and quite honestly not even close to being an issue.  All the trouble was above the ground that day.

Two days later Bandon Dunes played as if there hadn't been a storm at all. 

P.S.  I sure as hell didn't touch 92 that day.  We gave up counting but these two mid-teen 'cappers shot somewhere in the mid 140s.