Da man for the 3rd course in Bandon

[Lynn_Shackelford]

Just gossip from the Forecaddie in the June 28th issue of GolfWeek, but suppose they wouldn't print it without Brad's acknowledgment.
"The third course at Bandon Dunes in Bandon, Ore., is down to three finalists, with the choice likely to be made by Aug. 1.  The finalist are Brian Silva, Steve Smyers and the team of Bill Coore and Ben Crenshaw."

[herrstein]

Mike Keiser is a man after my own heart.

[John Foley]

Thats a great threesome!!! Any idea's on a timeline for decision, construction start & opening day?

[Scott_Burroughs]

I heard as of a few days ago that Gil Hanse was in the running and a few weeks ago in the GCA thread that DeVries was a candidate.  Guess they were eliminated?

[Jonathan Cummings]

Lynn,

Who cares about which architect gets the contract for Mike's third course.  I am quite sure Smyers, Silva or C&C will do a very fine job.  Each will spin the design to their tastes and I predict we will all love and critique it to death (although Tommy will need to impose a new play ratio 100/10/1  ).  

Hell, most of us could do a passable job!! -- the land is that good.  

It is not a stretch to assume the third course can be top 100 material, making Bandon the first complex on any rating list to have 3 courses in the top 100.  Heady stuff for Mike and KSM.  Should they go for a full top 100 list??  

I am much more interested in; the property that will be used (parkland with a breakout ocean/gorseland run of holes south of Bandon's 17th?), the routing (will this be a new inland theme?) and when I can play it!!! (I'm already bothering Josh about this).

So tell me Desmond's coming back from the dead to trump the Doak/Kidd pair at Bandon and I'm not sure I'd even mind this.  Just tell me when I can again play what just might be the finest golf destination of them all, and soon with three courses to make my tee times.

JC  

[David Wigler]

I said it before and I will say it again - No F'n way that C&C take this project!!

If that is the short list then it is between Smyers and Silva.

[A_Clay_Man]

What are the factors that MK will wiegh to make a decision of this magnitude?

Will having a different look from the other two be among the top priorities?

WHat is you view of the important issues, save for cost?

[bakerg]

Shivas,

I think there are more courses planned according to the PDF that was on their website for a while.  I believe that there is another course going in North of where Pac Dunes is, so that one would have Ocean front.  I believe that is tentatively called Randolph Dunes.  There is also a proposed nine hole course even further North and a little East called Whiskey Run (or something similar).  And, maybe a course where the current entrance resides.  So, there is plenty of oppurtunity for a bunch of different architects out there.  I hope C&C takes the ocean front land north of Pac Dunes.  That would be something to see.  

[Dan Kelly]

I said it before and I will say it again - No F'n way that C&C take this project!!

Question: Are ANY golf-course architects turning down work, nowadays?

[Doug Wright]

I said it before and I will say it again - No F'n way that C&C take this project!!

If that is the short list then it is between Smyers and Silva.

David,

Would you please remind us why? If that were the case why would they bid for the project in the first place? Or is the info that they're in the final three erroneous?

All the Best,

[Craig Van Egmond]

David,
   
   I'm not buying this stuff about C&C, I think they are both secure enough in their legacy that it doesn't matter to them and why would they even bid on the project if they had no intentions on taking it.

 

[JohnV]

Jonathan, as I understand it, the area south of 17 at Bandon is all part of the state park and not owned by Mr. Keiser.  The next course is supposed to be in the forest where the current access road is.

[CJ72]

I heard as of a few days ago that Gil Hanse was in the running and a few weeks ago in the GCA thread that DeVries was a candidate.  Guess they were eliminated?

Patients, Gil's name may be brought up in the future.

[CJ72]

We've talked a lot about why some of the big name guys would not take this project, namely, the risk that the course simply can't measure up to the other 2 because of the ocean.

So it seems that there are only two guys in the whole world that can take the project and not be subject to that risk -- Kidd and Doak.  If there ever was a reason to ask two guys to collaberate on a project, this might be it.  That way, nobody is subject to the "perception issue".  I don't know how Messrs. Doak or Kidd would feel about it, but it would make for some good marketing -- "best of both", "we asked them for an encore" and that kind of jazz, and a nice capper for the trilogy of courses (unless a 4th is planned (I'm unaware of that)).

Interesting idea.  Just think that their design styles are too different to work together

[Tiger_Bernhardt]

Lynn, the word I got in March out there was it was C&C job to turn down. There are some problems with the quality of the site relative to Pacific Dunes and Bandon Dunes which make Coore not sure they want the job. They do not want to be the 3rd best course because of site quality.

[CJ72]

Lynn,

Who cares about which architect gets the contract for Mike's third course.  I am quite sure Smyers, Silva or C&C will do a very fine job.  Each will spin the design to their tastes and I predict we will all love and critique it to death (although Tommy will need to impose a new play ratio 100/10/1  ).  

Hell, most of us could do a passable job!! -- the land is that good.  

It is not a stretch to assume the third course can be top 100 material, making Bandon the first complex on any rating list to have 3 courses in the top 100.  Heady stuff for Mike and KSM.  Should they go for a full top 100 list??  

I am much more interested in; the property that will be used (parkland with a breakout ocean/gorseland run of holes south of Bandon's 17th?), the routing (will this be a new inland theme?) and when I can play it!!! (I'm already bothering Josh about this).

So tell me Desmond's coming back from the dead to trump the Doak/Kidd pair at Bandon and I'm not sure I'd even mind this.  Just tell me when I can again play what just might be the finest golf destination of them all, and soon with three courses to make my tee times.

JC  

Well put - Mr. Keiser has done everything right so far so why would that change.  The third course will be great no matter who is selected.

[Paul_Turner]

Smyers would be the most intriguing choice.  I wonder how restrained he would be with a great sandy site, like Bandon's.  It's a bit like wondering what Dye would do with links terrain.

[Jonathan Cummings]

JohnV - I'm pretty sure Mike owns or has access to the property just south of Bandon's 17th and north of the state land.  It is enough for a Spyglass/CPC type 3-4 hole breakout oceanfront series.  The main course will be south of the Lily Pond cottages.  I think the Doak-man can shed light on this (if he has not been muzzled   ).  JC

[CHrisB]

Ben Crenshaw is at the Lodge at Bandon Dunes tonight--hmmm.......

[Tommy_Naccarato]

Chris, your post tonight reminds me of Charlie Sheen's Bud Fox character in Wall Street, where he was spying on Sir Larry Wildman, digging up all of that insider information!

You stop sending me information, and you start getting me some.--Gordon Gekko (I put that one in there for Slag)

Jonathan, I just saw your post, and to let you know everything that is directly South of #17 was given to the State of Oregon. I have been told that it will forever be nothing more then Gorse covered sand dunes. This is how they got to build the courses they have there because of it. Quid Pro Quo.

Now there is a speck of it that will can be used, but it is just off of the road going in, andit will yield a few holes, no more no less. The majority of this course is in fact in the Woodlands, where some of the trees are literally like 100 foot high, and less then three inches in diatmeter! Of course there are many more trees that are just as high, but 20 more times thick too!

[Tommy_Naccarato]

Yes, this would be true, but first, I have to come down from seeing the National. That is IF I ever do come down......

[Anthony_Nysse]

Considering the designs of the first two courses, I think that Smyers and Silva have a hard line type of design....in other words, it looks much less natural than C&C, Doak, Hanse, Devries. Their bunkers aren't that natural looking and it's more like "American" architecture, other than something different, which Bandon and Pacific are. I hope C&C get the thumbs up, not just because I know that guys would do a fantastic job, but because of the course the Keiser is associated with(The Dunes Club included), C&C seem to present more to his liking. C&C's course design changes from course to course, therefore Keiser would get something different from anything anywhere.

[Mike Vegis @ Kiawah]

Smyers would be the most intriguing choice.  I wonder how restrained he would be with a great sandy site, like Bandon's.  It's a bit like wondering what Dye would do with links terrain.

It's called The Ocean Course at Kiawah Island!

[David Wigler]

Anthony,

I have expressed numerous times that I cannot believe C&C would take the job.  Beyond that, (And my agreement with you that DeVries would have been a great choice) I do not find Smyers bunker work to appear artificial.  I felt that at both Old Memorial and Southern Dunes, he created very nice flowing bunker work.  He gave both courses a distinctive feel.  If Keiser does not reconsider DeVries (And again given that C&C will not accept) Steve would be a solid choice for this project.

[Anthony_Nysse]

David,
  I just think that Smyers' Bunker lines are too hard and less natural looking....to "Americanized." I think that the bunker work of Jeff Bradley(of C&C....could you image the creations this guy could do with another sandy site to work with?), Mike Devries or Gil Hanse are much more natural and would be a better fit for what is already there.