Garland: I have spoken to quite a few guys who have been out to Bandon and did not like Old Mac at all - they could not deal with the huge greens to begin with. I think understanding the hole templates makes the course a much better experience.
When did they play Old Mac? If you play in the winter, it is a very hard course as, it is my understanding, it was designed for a summer wind. I loved Old Mac, but I played in July.
I played Old Mac for the second time in a summer wind, and I think in the truest sense it could be played in a summer wind (~2 clubs). Personally, it is still my least favorite course there, and the size of the greens has nothing to do with it. My feeling is that what is offered on the ground doesn't match the site in a number of places, so the worst holes stick out more than any of the other courses. I really disliked 10 and 12 in particular, which both don't offer a reasonable way to hit and hold or hit and bounce quality shots into the green. Still, it's a very enjoyable course and worth a play during a visit.
As for Sheep Ranch, the aerial photos at opening are probably not the best way to judge the grass bunkers. I have a pretty good short game and bunker game and found the grass bunkers not only played great, but offered equal challenge for me a better golfer while higher handicaps did indeed have a chance to recover. Also since it'd be difficult for sand to stay in those bunkers, I'd say the solution must be considered a success.
Some thoughts from my round at SR.Sheep Ranch was our favorite play earlier this month, but we also had sun and moderate wind and enjoyed the sunset as we played 17 and 18. Dream Golf. That acknowledged, the routing was absolutely fantastic, even if there was some obvious eye candy in how some of the par 3's were integrated in the routing. Of course, no one's going to walk off the course complaining about playing 4 par 3's where the backdrop of the pin is the deep blue of the Pacific Ocean.
#1 is a rollercoaster in itself, with anticipation as you walk to your drive through the trees and then down the hill to one of the best green sites on the course - it's a great par 5. #2 introduces you to inland golf at Sheep Ranch and I found it interesting with the risk presented if you choose to drive the green (I hit my line and failed). #3 teases the greensite at 5 Mile Point and 4 works away over some of the best internal features to a really nice green. #5 juts back to the coast and you finally feel the full magnitude of the place on the next tee, which might be the best clifftop shot at all of BD.
#7 takes you to land's end once again at the SW corner of the property as you ride the high you are on after the previous hole. #8 is a bit of a cool down but we thought it had one of the coolest greens on the property. #9 was very very good, and had an entirely different feel to any other hole at Bandon. #10 is a cooldown once again and offered a wide fairway into the wind to another natural and interesting green. #11 has been highlighted here and I'll echo the sentiments that it is a very unique hole that works quite well despite it being a "solution" hole in finding more land for 18 holes. #12 I felt was a good hole as well despite some words to the contrary here. The tee shot was perhaps a bit blah, but it is one hell of a setting and I really liked the green.
#13 was very good although more trouble left off the tee would help it espouse the 13 at ANGC strategy that C&C have mentioned. On #14 I hit my best drive of the day on just the right line and made it over the hill - felt great to achieve that shot. My playing partners hit out to the right and while one of them made par, I was rewarded for my aggressive play off the tee. #15 did not feel cramped when I played it, despite the wind into and off the right. The green reminded me of 12 at Ballyneal with it's quadrants and not one of us could manage birdie despite wedges (flighted of course) into the green. #16 provided plenty of thrill with the everpresent wind playing directly into toward the point. Wind and navigating large putting surfaces are the challenge on #3 and #16 as a player on #3 had a long putt back up to his hole while one of our players tried to get down from the front edge to a middle pin.
#17 - I hit a shot from the back tee despite it not being "open" for resort play. Into such a strong breeze I played the hole driver-2i and made a hard fought par. After hitting a shot from the forward tees I think the tee on the point really makes that hole, along with the ghost trees. #18 was a really solid finisher, but it should be a tough par 4. While walking off feeling good about a birdie is one thing, going driver-9i does not make it feel any better than a well-earned par would.
I never played the original Sheep Ranch, but my interpretation of what is there now is that it is a golf course built with restraint and one that produces fun. Everyone there is beaming ear to ear, and it's because they've played golf in an unbelievable setting, on grass and in wind. Could there be more of some things? Sure. There could be more bunkers, hazards, difficulty, feeding slopes, rough... all have their place. But on a site that windy and with so much to offer as just a walk from tee to green to tee to green and on, C&C really managed to not mess it up. The routing is almost as good as the site, and the rest of the features compliment what was already there. I'm excited to go back, once again.