My best friend Kelly recently applied for a caddie position at the Bandon Dunes Golf Resort. I used it as an opportunity to visit the resort for about 10 days in the past month, and help my friend out by having him caddie for me in the mornings, followed by an evening round together. Mostly we played Old Macdonald (7 times) and Bandon Trails (3-4 times), since I was less familiar with the 3rd and 4th courses at the resort. As great as they are, I thoroughly enjoyed playing Pacific Dunes and my one round at the original course, on an breathtaking afternoon day so sublime it defies description. What a great place.
By playing Old Macdonald several times, I could study it carefully and get a feel for the rhythm of the course. In general, I felt the front nine was shorter but a little trickier, perhaps tougher to score on a yard-by-yard basis. The back nine is longer and a bit gentler, once you get past the Redan.
Here are some comments and questions:
1. The approach shots to holes #1 and #2 play so long, even when the wind isn't a factor. Both the Double Plateau and Eden holes play 10-15 yards longer on the approach it seems. It must have something to do with the elevated greens.
2. The Hog's Back (hole #4) is made great by the big bowl in front of the green. At 504 yards, the hog's back gives a power boost to solid drives, but still requires a long second shot. The big bowl gives approach shots that land 30-40 yards short a second boost, propelling them onto the green. In addition, one day I actually used the left side of the bowl to bank a low 5-iron back towards the center of the green. Great stuff.
3. Don't go for the back left pin on Long (hole #6). Don't ask questions; just don't do it. Lots of fun trying to thread the second shot down the left side away from Hell bunker.
4. My comment about hole #7? I can't believe they put the pin there, day after day.
5. Two questions about the Biarritz. First, was there any particular reason the trough was designed a bit shallower in the center? Second, why aren't they using any front pin positions? The club choice is a bit monotonous day after day.
6. Although I am only a medium length ball striker (maybe 235-240 yards in the air with a solid drive), I played Old Macdonald from the black tees every time but once. From the back tees, the tee shot at the Cape is daunting. I couldn't hit it far enough left to avoid the bunkers. I had quite a bit of trouble with this hole.
7. In the spirit of incisive commentary, per Mr. Morrissett's instructions, what is the deal with hole #10? For me, the best play was out at the right bunker, even risking a lie in the rough. The last day, I successfully played between the center and right bunkers, leaving 190 yards from an uphill lie in the fairway. I hit a decent cut 4-iron that found the green and two putted from about 30 yards.
I'm wondering if the designers are thinking that the safe play is two 230 yard shots to make a par.
8. A couple things about the Road hole (hole #11). I assume the intention is to create a very difficult par 4:
a. I have hit driver off of the fairway less than 10 times in my entire career, but have tried it three times at this hole already, despite the tight fescue turf. Into the wind, I am often left with 200-220 yards, and driver seems the safest way to get the ball down close to the green.
b. With the pin on the left side, I made par two times in a row by playing driver, 4-wood, fading the 4-wood in from the left and letting the wind drift the ball back. I assume this is the favored strategy here. Even if you're in the rough, it's a safe pitch to an uphill sloping green.
9. The last two times playing the Leven hole (hole #13), the pin was on the right, and I played left off the tee, carrying the left fairway bunker on my drive. Both times, the pin was back right in a low spot, a birdie position. The first time I had about 105-110 yards remaining, into a very light wind, played a nice pitching wedge to 15 feet and made the putt for a 3. The second time, the wind was a little stronger, and I had 108 to the center of the green. We thought the pin was about center (it turned out to be about +7), and it seemed the wind had died, or changed into a mild crossing wind. I hit gap wedge which landed maybe 25-30 yards short, rolled into an awkward lie in the front right bunker and I made 6. When I walked up the green, the wind was quite strong, and I figured out the large mound left of the green had blocked the wind, making it difficult to judge.
Questions:
a. Is the mound a natural feature?
b. Did you know it would block the wind and confound the golfer?
Another golf hole where the approach plays very long. Still, it's the best chance for birdie on the back nine. That, or the Punchbowl.
10. The little mound across from the big cross bunker on the 15th fairway bit me on the last day. Small feature, big impact. Good decision to cover that with longer grass.
11. Is the barber pole on the Alps hole (hole #16) calibrated to connect the center of the fairway with the center of the green? During both of my last two rounds, I ended up further left than I thought I would be.
12. Littlestone (hole #17) should be pretty easy, but I had trouble with it. Is laying up in the left center of the fairway, short of the big front bunker, the safest play? Or is it dependent on hole location, meaning the player should risk going down the right side on their second shot to attack front pins?
Any other posters who have questions, please feel free to use this thread to ask.
At this moment, I still regard the intimate and purely original Pacific Dunes as my favorite course at the resort. Perhaps Old Macdonald comes in second, but Bandon Dunes and Bandon Trails have great merit. In general, I feel our group tends to overlook Bandon Dunes a bit; it is a sensational golfing experience.
The attention to detail is obvious. Thanks to the crew and consultants for all your great work.