Bandon Dunes is "Merely Adequate"

[JMEvensky]

 But, hell, this is at least the tenth different article I've seen from Ron over the years that I was pretty sure was really the opposite of his true feelings.

I understand that Golf Digest isn't the New Yorker,but I'd like to think that there's a little integrity.

As Bob Crosby said early in this thread,this is the kind of crap that has contributed to a lot of problems with golf.When the architecture guru for the largest magazine is a borderline fraud,you start to wonder what he would or wouldn't write for a few ad dollars.

It's hard to take a guy like this seriously.

[Ronald Montesano]

Ron Whitten just went viral with the following revelations:

Heaven ain't perfect, it ain't even Purgatory;

Beta was better than VHS, but not close to 8-Track (what?);

The US Open is a decent, mid-tier pro tournament;

Mercedes makes a decent truck;

B.B. King could play a bit;

Anthony Hopkins might make it in dinner theater...


Waiting for more from our modern-day Nostradamus...will update when available.

[Jud_T]

Essentially a sophomoric attempt at humor that fell flat.  He must have had a deadline and no material.  I doubt anyone at Bandon is losing any sleep over this.

[Scott Stearns]

Agree with Doak--this was a snarky recitation of all the less than perfect stuff at Bandon, designed (and this thread is proof) to drive page views.  It has nothing to do with RW's real opinion of the resort, on balance.

I agree with the treehouse and will say that Bandon offers four great courses from the same hotel--this is not available anywhere else--St. Andrews doesnt have four of this quality, and most resorts have one "premium" course and a couple others that will erode the soul (see Kiawah)

But i'll also say that several of my friends, wall street types, not aficionados but avid golfers, dont like Bandon at all.  They like the golf, but they want a four star meal after golf, they want the whirlpool and the Frette sheets, etc.

Its not that they dont get it.  They do.  they just want the frills in addition to the other stuff.

The genius of Mike Keiser is that he knows his mkt--and his market is bigger than my high end friends, which is why Bandon is doing better than pebble and the other $800+ a night resorts. 

I will also say that I personally was less than wowed by Kohler--golf and room were great, but I couldnt find a good steak without a reservation (it may not have existed) and the bar meal i had was really not good--and at that resort i expected better.

Am i the only guy that noticed that Chris Johnston stopped posting for roughly the amount of time it would take him to drive into town , purchase 30 "Whittens" at the hardware store, and drive back?

[Patrick_Mucci]

Howard,

Remember that Ron declared that Jasna Polana was a "modern day" Winged Foot.
In the same article he also called the magnificent club house, "ordinary" or words to that effect.

I guess you can always pick out negatives, especially in isolation from the grand scheme of things.
I think you have to view/evaluate the product at Bandon from it's pre-Keiser form to it's current form, and in that context I find it to be an excellent "golfer's" resort.  Isolated ?  Yes, but considering the totality of the product, I think his criticisms are minor and probably an aberration, but, I would like to see what the golfing universe, that has experienced Bandon, has to say about it, and his comments.

I found the accommodations terrific, the food  good, as was the service.
Maybe I just had a good experience on my visit and he had the opposite.
I'd like to know what the preponderance of evaluations reveal

[Michael George]

Whatever the reason behind Ron's post, some of the speculation here is just plain wrong.  For one thing, I know that Mike Keiser generally likes Ron a lot, and has asked his opinion of various things about Bandon in the past.  Don't forget, Mike asked Ron if the first course at Bandon Dunes couldn't be designed as part of a GOLF DIGEST competition -- and Ron had the sense to tell him that was nuts, that he should get the best architect he could for a site like that.  [Ron later told me that in hindsight he wished that he had just asked if he could design it himself.]

We also invited Ron to be one of the consultants for Old Macdonald, but he declined on the basis of conflict of interest.

Perhaps he needed to decline so he could write the occasional grumpy article about Bandon, so he won't be accused of being a cheerleader for it otherwise.  But, hell, this is at least the tenth different article I've seen from Ron over the years that I was pretty sure was really the opposite of his true feelings.

Tom, Thanks for the info and once again, I was likely wrong re: RW having some agenda.  I appreciate those with actual knowledge of RW and the situation for correcting anything incorrect that I said.  I don't mind being wrong, but not at the expense of others.

However, I still don't think he deserves a pass.  If you write something that you don't believe either to not appear like a cheerleader or to drive traffic to a site, I still don't have a lot of respect for that.     

[Sean_A]

I have never been to Bandon, but when I read the words "resort" and "world class" they imply much more than golf.  If a guy is not high on the non-golf stuff his opinion of the resort will reflect this.  Why is his take such a surprise?

Ciao

[Terry Lavin]

I have never been to Bandon, but when I read the words "resort" and "world class" they imply much more than golf.  If a guy is not high on the non-golf stuff his opinion of the resort will reflect this.  Why is his take such a surprise?

Ciao

Because to us Keiserphiles, Bandon is like a cathedral. Our opinion won't suffer if the pews aren't luxurious and we get rankled at non-believers!

[Sean_A]

Bandon may be a cathedral, but for many who travel they want more than a world class course - that is afterall very much a matter of opinion.  Less disputable is the facilities on offer.  As I say, I have never been to Bandon, but from pix it doesn't look a world class resort.  Of course, many may emphasize resort over golf which it would seem most on this site don't.  For instance, I would never call Pinehurst world class.  Its a fine course and the lodgings/restaurants etc are good, but in no way world class and this is its downfall - with perhaps an issue of a second course not being really top notch.  I think Kiawah beats it to death as a resort.  The course is good enough to say its wonderful and the facilities/location are terrific.  I can say the same for Turnberry.  It doesn't mean I think the golf is the best, but its good enough to be thought of as world class. 

Ciao

[William_G]

As I say, I have never been to Bandon,

Ciao

Probably leave it at that, LOL

[Terry Lavin]

Sean,

I think that's fairly stated. If the accommodations and F&B were as world class as the golf, much of the current Bandon demographic probably wouldn't be able to afford it. Business wise I don't know that the all-world class golf/spa/restaurant resort would ever work on the Oregon coast.

[George Pazin]

Is there anything as unabashedly delusional as the notion of considering oneself a perfectionist?

[Patrick_Mucci]

Sean,

Bandon isn't "A" resort, it's a "GOLF" resort.

There are no Olympic swimming pools, no grand tennis complexes, just golf.

[William_G]

I have never been to Bandon, but when I read the words "resort" and "world class" they imply much more than golf.  If a guy is not high on the non-golf stuff his opinion of the resort will reflect this.  Why is his take such a surprise?

Ciao

When combining the words to say "golf resort" I think you equate that to "Bandon Dunes".

When you say "resort" I think you could more easily equate that to Pebble or Pinehurst, (they must have plugs in their sinks afterall).


Thanks.

[Sean_A]

As I say, I have never been to Bandon,

Ciao

Probably leave it at that, LOL

Talk about an off kilter response and if you knew me I suspect you would never had made it.  My comments weren't a slap at Bandophiles - just an observation.  Hell, I don't even know if Bandon puts itself forward as a world class resort.  I suspect they leave suprlatives such as "world class" for their customers to espouse - rightly or wrongly.  However, the point is, its a big golf world out there and believe it or not, while on holiday, many people care about the off-course amenities of a golf resort.

Ciao

[Peter Pallotta]

Is there anything as unabashedly delusional as the notion of considering oneself a perfectionist?

Tee hee, good one George.

Peter

[Terry Lavin]

Sean,

Give Grieve no grief. He has been to Bandon more than any of us, being an Oregonian. He even took his family there around the holidays if memory serves. He is The Bandonista!

[William_G]

Sean,

Give Grieve no grief. He has been to Bandon more than any of us, being an Oregonian. He even took his family there around the holidays if memory serves. He is The Bandonista!

hahaha

[William_G]

As I have not been to Pine Valley, I will not comment on PV, as it would lack veracity and credibility. But it would add to my post total, LOL.



but I have been to Bandon, love it. (elephant rock)

[Garland Bayley]

... As I say, I have never been to Bandon, but from pix it doesn't look a world class resort.  ...

Sean,

Perhaps you missed my earlier post. It is a golf resort.

[Sean_A]

As I have not been to Pine Valley, I will not comment on PV, as it would lack veracity and credibility. But it would add to my post total, LOL.



but I have been to Bandon, love it. (elephant rock)

Hmmm, I haven't been to China since their massive economic explosion - I guess I shouldn't make any observations about China.  Never been to Kenya, I guess I shouldn't comment on the beauty of the country. 

Garland - It doesn't matter what type of resort we are talking about.  There are 5*, 4* etc of a type.  Why would you assume a golf resort can't have luxurious off course facilities?

Anyway - in your frenzied rush to defend Bandon, you lot miss the point and that is to each is own. 

Ciao

[Niall C]

Sean,

Give Grieve no grief. He has been to Bandon more than any of us, being an Oregonian. He even took his family there around the holidays if memory serves. He is The Bandonista!

Terry

Doesn't matter how often he's been, Sean made some valid and fairly obvious observations and William responded by making a snidey comment. It seems to me that William deserves a bit of grief for that.

Niall

[Michael George]

Sean - you are correct that you can have 5 star food, spa and accommodations along with great golf - if that is what you are trying to do.  However, that is not what Bandon is trying to do and I don't know how RW can critique a place for something that it is not even trying to be.  Bandon's first priority is the golf - read anything from the resort and this is evident.  I have not heard of any public destination in the world that has 4 top 100 courses within a square mile of each other.  Also, I have never been to a golf resort where it was easier to get from place to place. 

I think the accommodations at Bandon are being unfairly judged.  Terry - having not been to Pebble, are their accommodations really better than the Grove Cottages.  I toured them when out there and I thought they were about as nice as things get for a golf trip.   I think Bandon provides the type of accommodations that any visitor would want - me being a guy that could sleep in a barn if the golf was good enough, chose the Lily Pond, which are as nice as a Hilton or Marriott hotel room.

Lastly, Terry - if the nightlife is better in Pebble, I invite you to my next golf trip.  I think you will most enjoy the Knob Creek round where each 4some collectively drinks a bottle of Knob Creek during an afternoon round.  Worst part for me was that it was my best round in Bandon and involved a 42 on the front (while resisting the Knob) and a 33 on the back (while warm and fuzzy) at Bandon Dunes.   

[Terry Lavin]

Niall:

Of course he did. I just wanted to type "give Grieve grief"!

[Tim Martin]

Niall:

Of course he did. I just wanted to type "give Grieve grief"!

It was clear that the use of alliteration was your goal. Nicely done.