Bandon Trip Report. . .

[TheCityGame]

Game plan: Fly from Philly to Portland with clubs. Drive to Bandon. Play. Drive back to Portland. Fly home. Play all rounds with brother in law and a caddie.

 

Flight: Philadelphia to Portland arriving around 9:00 PM Pacfic. We drove to Eugene/Springfield which was about a 2 hour drive, and got a crappy hotel. I asked the desk guy if there was a place to get a beer and we wound up in the lounge for the hotel. I figured it might be a bunch of hotel guests, but it was a bunch of drunk locals celebrating a guy's birthday and singing karaoke. They were out of Hop Valley IPA, but I got a Widmer Hefe.

 

Sat: woke up early, and drove easily to Bandon in under 2:30. Tee time was 1:10, but we were there about 10:30. I hit the putting green at the practice area, and it started POURING. I figured, "well, I guess that's the way it is here." and kept putting. Finally got smart, and decided to drive to Pacific Grill for lunch and realized caddies and golfers had taken cover. Waitress told us, "that's the only time it's rained like that since May". I had a Mirror Pond Pale Ale.

 

So, here's some golf talk. Won't apologize for a couple brags. . .it's a awesome golf Mecca for scenery and design, but you're also there to play golf. You're going to remember the golf holes and the scenery, but if you're into golf, hopefully you're going to remember some of those awesome 3-break putts, drives smashed along the ocean side, irons stiffed into the wind, and great up & downs.

 

Anyway, back to Saturday. . .had Old Mac at 1:10 and started right off almost holing an eagle, and made a 3 footer coming back for bird. Nice start. Hole 3 is a great hole where you're driving completely blind to a fairway up over a dune. You walk up over the ridge and the course is just laid out in front of you. I'm playing along well, then get to hole 7 which goes straight out, then takes a 90º turn straight up a hill. Caddie says I have about 75 in, and I asked him "what's long of the green". He says, "the Pacific Ocean". He wasn't kidding. When you get up to the green, it's really the first time you see the ocean on that course, and it's awesome. Loud, and beautiful, and you can see a good portion of the course you've been playing from there. I think my jaw involuntarily, literally dropped. It wasn't the last time. From the surface. . .

 

https://lh3.googleus...0831_090457.jpg

 

You come right back down on the "biarritz" hole, a par 3 with a HUGE green with a swale in the middle of it. Went out in 38, feeling good, and then took an X on holes 10 and 11. On 11, I got in the "road hole bunker" and the only reason I had a swing was because of where the stairs were cut. I proceeded to skull it over the green into some gorse. Went back to back birdies on 13 & 14 and still only managed a 44 as I had 4 "doubles" (two X's) on the back.

 

Finishing pretty early, we headed to the punchbowl, the giant, crazy, schizophrenic putting green. It was amazing. The course had an 18-hole routing that regularly saw pins tucked behind humps that made it impossible to get close on the "obvious" line. Almost always though, there was an option to knock one 5 feet past a hole up a back stop and have it roll back, or look 90º to your left and see if there was another slope/valley that might filter a ball towards the hole. Really fun. Lots of drinking, cigar smoking going on. People playing with stymies. Waitresses come right out onto the green to take your order and bring drinks.

 

Played Old Mac again the next morning. This is the punchbowl 18th green from the 1st tee around sunrise.

 

https://lh6.googleus...0831_072515.jpg

 

Played with a father/son-in-law who were good company. Saw them at lunch that day and ate with them. I had a more solid round with one double, and a birdie on the par 5, 515 yard, 17th. Definitely benefitted from playing that hole twice. The "smart" line -- the "caddie" line -- plays down the left, but it's not really reachable on that line. I noticed the first day a big landing area out to the right which you can't really see from the tee and which opens up the green. I was able to hit a perfect drive out there and had 190 in, which I hit just off the green and was able to get up & down. Final hole required an approach shot 20 yards left of a hump that was left of the pin. I knocked one out there, saw it run right, disappear behind the hump, and the roll 7 feet past the pin. Missed the bird. 38-40 for my best round of the trip. Guy we were playing with hit a putt from about 40 yards out up onto the left slope there that sent it right back down to the pin. Fun hole.

 

Pacific Dunes that afternoon. We were teamed up with a older Korean couple who went birdie/par on the first hole so we figured we were playing with some aces. They were good, and fast, but barely spoke English, so we didn't chat a ton. She had some cool gear that you can't get in this country. I can't really say anything that hasn't been said about this course. . .nice couple of introductory holes, then you get to the type of thing you're picturing at Bandon. . .455 yard par 4, right down wind with the Pacific on the right and a WALL of bunkers out left right where you want to hit a safe tee shot.

 

https://lh3.googleus...0831_145031.jpg

 

From the Bandon web site from behind the green. . .

 

http://www.bandondun...1_hires10_2.jpg

 

You gotta figure when you play a hole like this, "I'm not going to get much of a chance to play something like this again" so I grabbed the driver, aimed right down the middle, swung from my Word not allowed and smoked one. Caddie said everything into the green falls right (toward the ocean), so I pulled a 6-iron, aimed left, and rolled one to about 6 feet to a back pin. You hate to waste two nice shots like that, and I was able to get up and roll it in for my most memorable hole of the trip. The 13th is almost the opposite of this hole, 390, directly into the wind and uphill. I made a sacrifice to the sea gods on this hole, but after dropping near the cliff, I smoked a hybrid to about 15 feet and almost made a great par.

 

The 13th, taken from well right of the fairway. (website photo).

 

http://www.bandondun...3.8_hires10.jpg

 

So, we walked 36 that day, which according to my BIL's pedometer, worked out to about 14 miles. With another 36 on slate for Monday, you don't want to do anything at night except lay down. We watched some US Open and then slept hard from about 9:45 to 5:45.

 

Pac Dunes again the next day, played with father/son-in-laws from previous day. Definitely started feeling the fatigue, but I got amped up for the 13th hole and worked a nice par out of that one. Cranked out a couple beauts on the 575 yard 18th, and almost reached in 2.

 

Bandon Dunes in the afternoon, and the wind, for the first time all week, was whipping. Before the trip, we were soliciting opinions about whether to play Bandon Dunes twice, or Old Mac twice. I LOVED both courses, but Bandon Dunes is remarkable. It was probably our favorite course, even though we both played crappy. Played with a father & son this day. Kid RIPPED an iron into the wind, came up short and chipped in for bird on hole 1. He parred the second and I thought we were playing with a real golfer, but I don't think he hit a fairway with the driver, and those are WIDE fairways. The back of Bandon Dunes is the best stretch of 9 holes out there, IMO. 15-18 are just great. My only birdie-free round, but some of the pars with that wind felt like birdies. E.g. hole 15 is listed as 131, pin was back, slightly up hill and playing dead into the wind, and I hit a 4 iron (usually a 190/95) club to the middle of the green. Felt remarkable. It's not even so much the loss of a distance, but if you put just a little fade or draw on the thing, your shot ends up getting pushed 20 yards off line. Very mentally demanding, especially when you're looking around at the scenery every hole and you've played 100 holes of golf in the past 48 hours.

 

This is the 16th at Bandon. Right along the cliff, split-level fairway.

 

https://lh5.googleus...0901_173633.jpg

 

Absolutely dog tired that night and crashed hard to get up at 5:45 the next day for Bandon Trails followed by Bandon Preserve. Trails is beautiful. Some ocean views, but feels more cut-out of the woods. Apparently, they moved very little earth to make this course and it feels like it. Seems like someone stood in one spot and said, "let's put a tee here, a green over there, and put a little fairway in between". This course would respond to multiple plays, too. Lots of interesting bumps and contours and angles that aren't readable from the tee. A lot of bunkers in play that don't look like it, and a lot of bunkers that aren't in play that look like they are. The caddie commented on how incredibly nice Coore/Crenshaw are in person, but how diabolical a lot of their golf holes can be. Highlight shot of the round was the 235 yard (playing 250) par 3 12th. I roped a 4W that (according to the maintenance guy at the green) rolled slowly past the back pin and into a catch-bunker behind the green. Knocked it in from the dirt for an unexpected 2.

 

The par 4 14th at Trails. I knocked a driver pin high left, and made bogey. So many places you just can't miss. Amateur photos never capture just how downhill these things are, but that's a DROP. Like I said, pin high left and the hole is listed at 304. I don't hit a driver 304.

 

https://lh6.googleus...0902_092307.jpg

 

After that, we played the Preserve. 13 hole par 3 course. Par 3's ranging from about 40 yards to 150 yards. We paid full price for this, and we couldn't have played another 18 anyway, but the way to do it would be to play it for a free 3rd round after 36 during the day. But, this was a ton of fun. When you missed greens, you sometimes had to play punchbowl type shots to get one close. We took our time, and hit multiple balls and I'd love to play it again, but not pay $100.

 

One of the holes on the preserve. . .can you beat that? As you can see, we had stellar weather. Regardless of what the flag looks like there, the wind was UP that round.

 

https://lh3.googleus...0902_114446.jpg

 

In general. . .

 

The shots that killed me the whole trip were getting something pin high and trying to get something up over a knob, then down a slope towards the hole. I was so scared of something coming back to my feet that I knocked all of those 15 feet by.

 

I liked having the caddie. My game perked up a little when I started reading my own putts, though. Nothing against his reads, but we kind of spoke a different language on putting. He was a little aggressive on lines and yardages I thought. I play a more conservative game, and would have liked better misses. I made about 2 birdies per round out there, but way too many doubles and a couple more big numbers. The trip wasn't about going out and shooting 75, but I'd score a lot better if I really knew the courses, and I thought the caddie would be a little more help. He knows the course. He just just doesn't know my game as well as I do, or as well as he thought he did.

 

I couldn't have carried, and probably couldn't have pushed for 4 days straight, though, and definitely needed him on a LOT of shots.

[bpark1210]

Thanks for the read. There's nothing like walking up on hole#3 at Old Mac. It was our first round out there this past February and seeing the whole course open up w/ the Pacific Ocean as a back drop is amazing.

[kencanuck]

Great write up. Old Mac was my favourite by far and I still remember every hole. Great description of Trails but not my favourite. I need to go back and play it again as I was little wild off the tee and that killed me.

#4 of Pacific just begs you to take a big rip at it and one of the few birdies I had of the entire trip!! My wife and I played Preserve he first day we where there and she nearly beat me when she started pouring birdies in. . .caught her on the last couple of holes. . .LOL! She even had the maintenance guys and course Marshal cheering her on!!!

I never used a caddie at all but played in a couple of groups that did have them. Played a couple of rounds with guys who had played there before and that helped a lot.

[Chris_NH]

Great writeup.

I always describe that cresting of the dune at OM #3 as a religious experience - there are few things like it IMO.

[Tremaine]

Great report. Brings back so many fun memories, but mostly just gets me jones-ing to get back!!

[TheCityGame]

[quote name='Chris_NH' timestamp='1410220732' post='10086465']
Great writeup.

I always describe that cresting of the dune at OM #3 as a religious experience - there are few things like it IMO.
[/quote]Yeah, it's funny. I'd read about #4 at Bandon and #4 at Pacific, but I guess I hadn't read much about Old Mac. Coming up over the bluff on #3 and then again at 7 were awesome.

It was also the first course we played, so everything was new.

Thanks for reading.

[spud3]

Old Mac was my first course there, too, and I got to play it solo, so I had no idea what was waiting for me when I got to the top of the ridge on #3. I think I stopped and stared for about ten minutes.

Same thing on BD #4. You come around that corner and the green lays out framed by the ocean... it's almost mystical, and to this day that one remains my favorite view on any course, anywhere.

Great report. Glad it was all you hoped for!

[Mob]

Your write up brings back a lot of great memories. We went out there twice with a group of 8 and 12 golfers and had a great time. Funny how we all have different favorites. I preferred Bandon Dunes and Bandon Trails. I know Bandon Trails isn't an ocean course, but I felt like it would be considered a great stand alone course in any other part of the world. My least favorite was Old Mac. Besides the view from the crest on #3, it felt like the greens were a carnival ride needing a windmill or something on them. I played great there, just didn't care for the course.

[kekoa]

< Jealous.

Trying to plan a trip for nxt march.

[Chris_NH]

[quote name='Mob' timestamp='1410290608' post='10090875']
Funny how we all have different favorites. I preferred Bandon Dunes and Bandon Trails. I know Bandon Trails isn't an ocean course, but I felt like it would be considered a great stand alone course in any other part of the world. My least favorite was Old Mac. Besides the view from the crest on #3, it felt like the greens were a carnival ride needing a windmill or something on them. I played great there, just didn't care for the course.
[/quote]

Even funnier is how opinions can change over time.

After trip #1, Old Mac was my favorite by just a whisker, followed by PD and BD (tied) with Trails a somewhat distant fourth. Now, after trip #2, I'd put OM last (not by a lot, mind you - I still LOVE the course) and would have a hard time picking a winner amongst the other three. I'm going back again in March to try and break the deadlock :-)

[Golfffer]

Can't believe it has been less than a week since I left bandon. It was such a blur. So many great memories pop up each day.

[DeNinny]

Nice writing and write up, OP. Vicarious reading for sure, so thanks. Trails is the best! I mean beast. I mean both!

The OM hole that opens up to the ocean is great/exhilarating but my favorite intro to the ocean is BD #4.

[Texsport]

Our long time caddie at Bandon told us that the staff and caddies rank the Trails as the preferred course, but said you've got to play the ocean courses first.

Old Mac is golf the way it should be - hit it - find it - hit it again!

Since our group included a pro, the caddie was especially assigned. He took us to some tees that are not normally played, for some more spectacular views on BD and PD.

Unforgettable!

Texsport

[DeNinny]

[quote name='Texsport' timestamp='1410571248' post='10109673']
Our long time caddie at Bandon told us that the staff and caddies rank the Trails as the preferred course, but said you've got to play the ocean courses first.

Old Mac is golf the way it should be - hit it - find it - hit it again!

Since our group included a pro, the caddie was especially assigned. He took us to some tees that are not normally played, for some more spectacular views on BD and PD.

Unforgettable!

Texsport
[/quote]

Yeah I heard the same thing about Trails on a shuttle ride to the practice area with the caddie manager. It's the preferred course for the staff but most guests put it near the bottom of all four.

Also yes great point about the alternate tees on BD. I was going solo on BD with two guys that were family and friends with the BT pro so they knew about them. I don't have the game for playing from them but yes they have spectacular views.

[JLo_73]

Nice write up! Heading out with a group of 12 in March and can't wait!!

[Ray Jackson]

Headed to Bandon on Thursday for the first time -

Will play the Preserve late Thursday then the rest of the courses, 18 holes a day (mainly in the afternoons) through Monday

Being up their during the Ryder Cup should make it even more awesome.

[GoStars]

I go two weeks from Thursday, and I'm super excited. 36/36/18+Preserve.

[2putttom]

[quote name='GoStars' timestamp='1411571205' post='10175003']
I go two weeks from Thursday, and I'm super excited. 36/36/18+Preserve.
[/quote]Take lots of pics and post em' on here.

[teckneeklyperfect]

nice post ! I so wanna go there and I live here jeeeez , LOL maybe this winter we will make the drive, just a little under5 hours from my driveway, but we have to kennel 3 dogs and have someone feed the horses… but but but

[Chigolfer2]

I see you drove from Portland vs a connection to North Bend Airport. I've heard that the airport is so small with small planes there is a good chance you will not get your clubs especially with a big group....is that true?

[TheCityGame]

[quote name='EdwardW' timestamp='1412797752' post='10256565']
I see you drove from Portland vs a connection to North Bend Airport. I've heard that the airport is so small with small planes there is a good chance you will not get your clubs especially with a big group....is that true?
[/quote]Well, I never saw that airport, but it was a lot of things for us. . . .the connections and lay-overs made going into North Bend a bigger pain for us logistically. If you're coming from Chicago, you might have the option of a direct flight? Bandon also seems to encourage you to ship your clubs. That's a whole other set of complications, of course. I had league two days before I left.

Simply put, it's not easy to get there. It's worth it. But it's not easy. I liked having a car there. We went into town. We used it for getting around the resort, which was most convenient, but not necessary. The shuttles run there constantly.

[GoStars]

Just got back from Bandon. We drove from Portland due to the fear of the small plane to North Bend having weight issues. So yes that fear is real, even if it doesn't happen every time.

[spud3]

There have been firsthand reports in other threads of difficulties with the hop from PDX to North Bend.

One option I don't see discussed much is to fly into Eugene, then rent a car. It's a couple hours less driving and you miss the boring part of the drive (I-5 from Portland to Eugene). The drive from Eugene to Bandon is pretty nice and only a couple hours. Much more options of flights into Eugene than North Bend, as well; some direct flights from SF and Seattle, I think.

The resort probably encourages shipping clubs because it essentially eliminates the hassle and risk of flying with them. Given the high baggage fees some airlines are charging now, it's probably about the same $ to use ShipSticks or FedEx as it is to bring them with you. I've only flown with my clubs once (to Vegas from PDX) and Southwest handled everything fine and I wasn't charged extra. That was a few years ago, and I'm headed down to Scottsdale this spring, so we'll see if that holds.

Bottom line is that, while it may take some logistical planning, you just have to go...

[duffer987]

[quote name='spud3' timestamp='1413348622' post='10289957']
There have been firsthand reports in other threads of difficulties with the hop from PDX to North Bend.

One option I don't see discussed much is to fly into Eugene, then rent a car. It's a couple hours less driving and you miss the boring part of the drive (I-5 from Portland to Eugene). The drive from Eugene to Bandon is pretty nice and only a couple hours. Much more options of flights into Eugene than North Bend, as well; some direct flights from SF and Seattle, I think.

The resort probably encourages shipping clubs because it essentially eliminates the hassle and risk of flying with them. Given the high baggage fees some airlines are charging now, it's probably about the same $ to use ShipSticks or FedEx as it is to bring them with you. I've only flown with my clubs once (to Vegas from PDX) and Southwest handled everything fine and I wasn't charged extra. That was a few years ago, and I'm headed down to Scottsdale this spring, so we'll see if that holds.

Bottom line is that, while it may take some logistical planning, you just have to go...
[/quote]

Agreed. I've actually brought it up in a number of Bandon threads as the 'best' of a bad bunch of options.
I drove the first two times, but this time there are three of us going (Vancouver, East Coast, and me from Bay Area) and Eugene works out well. I get a direct, they each have to take two planes, but we all leave at the same time, which is key for maximizing rounds in the winter.

Knowing SFO + a once a day flight to a pokey airport, I'd never choose the North Bend option.

[spud3]

The downside of flying into Eugene is that you miss the beer joints in Portland.

But you can't swing a cat in Oregon without hitting a good brew pub, and Eugene is no exception...

[duffer987]

^Ya I am liking the looks of Oakshire and Hop Valley, amongst others, as it seems they may have something on hand pump and I do really really like a nice pint of cask ale

[DeNinny]

[quote name='duffer987' timestamp='1413354111' post='10290177']
^Ya I am liking the looks of Oakshire and Hop Valley, amongst others, as it seems they may have something on hand pump and I do really really like a nice pint of cask ale
[/quote]

You just made my mouth water. I'll have a growler but your pint is on me!



PNW. The land of Bandon, beer, and berries.

[Chris_NH]

[quote name='spud3' timestamp='1413348622' post='10289957']

One option I don't see discussed much is to fly into Eugene, then rent a car. It's a couple hours less driving and you miss the boring part of the drive (I-5 from Portland to Eugene). The drive from Eugene to Bandon is pretty nice and only a couple hours. Much more options of flights into Eugene than North Bend, as well; some direct flights from SF and Seattle, I think.
[/quote]

It's definitely an option. I got finished planning trip #3 from the east coast here - and a few of us were hoping to avoid the long drive from Portland. But the costs/schedules just didn't work as well for us, despite us wanting to try to make it work. But it's definitely worth looking into, and it would probably be my #1 choice if I could make it work.

[potomacgolfer]

[quote name='Chris_NH' timestamp='1413508668' post='10302629']
[quote name='spud3' timestamp='1413348622' post='10289957']

One option I don't see discussed much is to fly into Eugene, then rent a car. It's a couple hours less driving and you miss the boring part of the drive (I-5 from Portland to Eugene). The drive from Eugene to Bandon is pretty nice and only a couple hours. Much more options of flights into Eugene than North Bend, as well; some direct flights from SF and Seattle, I think.
[/quote]

It's definitely an option. I got finished planning trip #3 from the east coast here - and a few of us were hoping to avoid the long drive from Portland. But the costs/schedules just didn't work as well for us, despite us wanting to try to make it work. But it's definitely worth looking into, and it would probably be my #1 choice if I could make it work.
[/quote]

I did DC to Salt Lake City to Eugene last year on Delta with no issues. Return on United from North Bend via SF was canceled just before departure. North Bend has been trying to get flights to/from Salt Lake for several years -- still in talks.

[ws6]

Eugene is the way to go when flying. Eugene to Bandon is an easy 2 to 2:15 drive.