Learning Old Macdonald

[Eric Olsen]

I just returned from 4 days at Bandon, my third trip this year, a personal best having been there at least once a year every year since 1999, despite living in DC!!!  I played 2 rounds on Old Mac, 2 on BD, 2 on PD, and 1 on BT. 

I think that it will take me many, many rounds to really understand how to play Old Mac, given the scale and complexity of the options, whereas I think I know the other courses very well given how much I have played them.  That said, I did learn that the preferred approach on 11 on BT is to the front left when the slope carried my 6 iron into about 1.5 feet    Birdied 7, 11, and 16 that day...

I play to about an 7  handicap and know how to play with the wind and roll.  While I recognize that par doesn't matter per se, I found that a couple of tee boxes on Old Mac were really impossible for me, and for the other players that I was playing with.  In particular, 11 was unreachable in 2.  I smashed a driver and a 3 wood and still had 80 yards in.  Similarly, on 16, which I played poorly, my playing partners, one of whom was significantly longer than me, could not reach the green in 2.  On 7, I also really had to hammer a drive and a 3 wood to get home one day.  I suspect that they are still learning how to adjust the tee boxes for the holes and wind out there, which absolutely howls compared to the other courses.   They really need to give golfers a fighting chance at getting home in 2.  In addition, we also experienced variations in the pace and break of our putts, given that the greens are still growing in. 

I also did not find OM to be as enjoyable as PD or BT.  I really like it, but it feels like more work and less fun.  I think this will change as I understand how to play it better.  For the record, I did shoot 81 and 83 there, and had the privilege of playing 17-18 one day with Chris Smith when he set the course record with a birdie birdie finish of 66 (or 65?)

From my personal preference, I would rank the courses PD, BT (asterisked because I cannot stand 14 or 18, terrible holes), OM, and BD.  If I had 7 rounds to play next week, I would do 4 PD, and 1 on each of the others....

[Jud_T]

Eric,

Two questions:

1. What wind were you playing in.

2. Since when is it you god given right to always be on in reg?

[Eric Olsen]

It was probably 20-30 mph in the afternoon, summer wind from the north. 

I don't think I made any reference to god-given rights.  I was just talking about a chance....

[Tim Bert]

Par changes on the holes depending upon the wind.  I am a 12 handicap, don't play to that number in Bandon, and I was on the green in regulation on #16 first try.  I even made the putt.  I typically don't hit a tee shot any further than 240 though I get some extra roll out there.  Maybe you played the back tees, but that only adds 20 yards from where we played and as I mentioned I am nothing more than a mediocre hitter.  The days we played 4 and 10 were mostly unreachable and 17, 18 were a terror.  11 didn't take too much work to reach in two.

It's windy.  Par shifts around a lot out there.  Old Macdonald was way less work than either Pacific or Trails has ever been for me.  I still prefer Pacific, but the fun factor at Old Macdonald is just as good.  Bandon Trails is 80% work and 20% pleasure.  I'm squarely in the love #14 at Trails camp, so other than both of us enjoying Pacific Dunes it seems as if we might have mirror image tastes.

Not sure if you've played them, but I'm pretty sure this means you would love Dye's River Course at Kohler and hate Kingsley Club.  If you've played either one, then let me know how well my predictive model works.   

   

[Eric Olsen]

I find trails pure pleasure except 14 and 18!  Sounds like you played OM when the wind was a winter wind from the south.  Haven't experienced OM in that wind. 

I loved the River course at Kohler. Of course, the fact that I shot my first 73 there might prejudice my opinion.   My 92 the next day at whistling straits led me to the opposite conclusion!

I have not played Kingsley...

I don't have a problem playing a par 4 as a par 5, I do that all the time at BD 5, and 14 at BT for that matter as I always feel blessed with a bogey there...I am just asking for a fighting chance to get home from the tee that is right for me....I will fill out their survey and see what they say.

The other thing is that at least my last round was 4:40 on PD.  TOO SLOW.  One of the marshalls said they have been advised not to pester folks to move faster....

[Tim Bert]

I'm just surprised you say you don't have a fighting chance to reach #16 in two. We played it in a cross wind and I assume that the summer wind would just be the opposite cross wind. It is long and tough, no doubt. But unreachable surprises me if you are playing a tee that is suitable for you.

Kingsley #15 is a 450 yard par 4 that plays mildly uphill and frequently into the wind. In 8 rounds there, I have never had a realistic shot to get home in two. Even if I did, the green is the smallest on the course and tough to hit. That being said, despite not having the option to reach the hole in two, I have had realistic chances at par in at least half of my rounds there. Some complain about it.  I love it.

The marshals are hit or miss out there. I've had some shrug off 4:30 minutes rounds as the norm. I had another pestering us to hurry up on the third hole because we had an open hole in front of us despite the fact that the reason we had an open hole in front of us was because the starter held us back behind an open tee time and then held us up a little more to space things out since the afternoon was pretty open. We had no one waiting on us and he approached us two or three times. Nevermind that we were playing ahead of pace an indeed caught the group in front of us eventually and then had to stand and wait. Honestly out there I prefer the former. To me 4:30 isn't a big deal out there. A little slower than I'd prefer but still gives me time for 54 and sufficient breaks between rounds. I've got nothing else to do out there. 

[Jud_T]

Tim,

You could always go for 72!  Agree with you on #15 at Kingsley.  Nothing more satisfying than getting up and down on a great par 4 1/2.

[Eric Olsen]

The first day I played OM I did reach it, I think with a 5 iron, and it was a standard summer wind.  First time I parred it.  The next day the wind was right into our face, and it was impossible.  It was a strange wind to come from due east, so perhaps that explains 16.  But 11 is dead into the summer wind.  Very tough to reach.  The first time I hit a really nice low rolling hook to get to the back left pin behind the road hole bunker, but they have let rough grow up on the side of the mound there (maybe to keep balls from rolling into the bunker?), and it stopped my ball from rolling up next to the green on the left.  Bummer.