Weekend Golf Trips

[GrasshopperGolfer]

Hello!!!

 

My husband and I live in the Bay Area and I am trying to get a bit more creative with my random weekends of golf surprises. I don’t golf, I just like to watch, drive the cart, keep score etc. So usually the course has to have some sort of view for me in it otherwise I find myself wondering around the area until the round is over.

 

Anyone have any must play course on their list around the area? Particularly areas that may offer a few good ones? We love to travel so I am up for almost anything as long as it can be done in a short time frame.

 

We have gone to just about all the most notable around the Bay. I was thinking perhaps the Lake Tahoe area might offer something? I read a lot about Bandon Dunes, which is doable, although the reviews are so mixed it kind of throws me off. A bit further off, Kiawah and Streamsong?

 

To you avid golfers, what are some must play courses?

 

I surprised him already this year with the whole Pebble/Spyglass/Spanish Bay experience.

 

Thanks in advance for all your ideas and help :)

[SilverBullets]

Bandon... 100% Bandon. If you haven't done it yet, you need to. I have done Monterey, Whistling Straits, Northern Michigan, Kiawah and a few others. Bandon, IMO, is the Mecca. Pacific Dunes is one of the prettiest courses I have ever played. Bandon Dunes is also very pretty (as is Pacific Trails, the 13 hole par 3 course).

 

Arcadia Bluffs in Michigan is also a beautiful track but it's difficult to get to from the west coast with no real airport near by.

 

Kiawah is an excellent course but really wasn't beautiful outside of the final couple holes. It's mostly an inland marsh course as opposed to a true ocean course.

 

Whistling Straits, another tough one to get to from the west coast is beautiful as well.

[GrasshopperGolfer]

Thank you for your input!

 

In your opinion, how would you compare Bandon to Pebble? The experience in Pebble was luxurious. Not only were the 3 courses played amazing, but the service while on the property was well worth the money spent there. Their attention to detail was unlike any other. Everything from being greeted promptly and bags taken to where you need them, to the food and lodging was amazing.

 

From what I read, Bandon is more awesome courses vs the awesome course AND experience combined. What do you think? Where did you stay when you were there?

[klebs01]

It seems like Bandon is a pure gold experience. Not sure it would be good for the non-golfer. It is also walking only. Kohler (whistling straights) has the American club resort with the water spa, which is supposed to be amazing. Much more of a full service resort. It is also easy to get to from the west coast. Direct flights to Milwaukee or Chicago and an hour drive from the Milwaukee airport.

[GrasshopperGolfer]

It seems like Bandon is a pure gold experience. Not sure it would be good for the non-golfer. It is also walking only. Kohler (whistling straights) has the American club resort with the water spa, which is supposed to be amazing. Much more of a full service resort. It is also easy to get to from the west coast. Direct flights to Milwaukee or Chicago and an hour drive from the Milwaukee airport.

 

What other must play courses would be there to play that you would suggest? Seeing as I would want to at least get in 3 rounds on a little getaway.

 

I've been looking up things to do in Bandon....I come up with.....nothing :) Well let me not be dramatic.....there is hiking and the beach I suppose!

[SilverBullets]

Thank you for your input!

 

In your opinion, how would you compare Bandon to Pebble? The experience in Pebble was luxurious. Not only were the 3 courses played amazing, but the service while on the property was well worth the money spent there. Their attention to detail was unlike any other. Everything from being greeted promptly and bags taken to where you need them, to the food and lodging was amazing.

 

From what I read, Bandon is more awesome courses vs the awesome course AND experience combined. What do you think? Where did you stay when you were there?

 

Yeah so they are very different experiences. Bandon is no frills golf. It's beautiful golf courses with very clean accommodations which are nothing better than decent (I mean that by they are very clean and relatively nice but you aren't going to walk in any of them be blown away or even want any of the furniture or fixtures for your home). The people there are nice, but, Bandon doesn't have hotels. All of the lodging is most like staying in a condo without a kitchen (at least in the property on site at Bandon that I stayed in). Now in the main lodge the staff is extremely nice. The food overall is very solid. Each course has it's own clubhouse and grill room. Each grill rooms has a different menu with different food. The thing to keep in mind is that outside of golf there is nothing to do at Bandon. There's no spa. The town of Bandon is pretty dumpy with some dive bars. There is nowhere to go. I will say, just past downtown Bandon there is a gorgeous beach. Great for a short walk to watch a sunset and hang out.

 

Golf wise, I thought Pacific Dunes was prettier and more aesthetically pleasing than Pebble. Bandon Dunes was not as pretty as Pebble but would fall in line right behind. The par 3 course at Bandon is really cool and certainly worth the money to play it.

 

If you enjoy going to courses with your husband to walk around and take in beautiful sites, than Bandon is a good option. But if part of the reason you enjoy those trips is to use the spa, or go shopping, find nightlife after golf and make it more of a vacation than Bandon will be pretty darn boring. The golf is incredible. It's really had to beat. When I played in Monterey we played Spyglass, Spanish Bay, Pebble and Cypress Point all well staying at the Spanish Bay Inn. It was an incredible trip. Personally, I enjoyed the variety of golf courses in Bandon more, but, enjoyed the wide array of things to do in Monterey and Carmel significantly more than Bandon.

 

I hope this helped and didn't just confuse you more. In a nut shell, you go to Bandon to golf and to enjoy world class golf courses. You don't get all of the extra resort accommodations and night life which other areas afford.

[GrasshopperGolfer]

Thank you for your input!

 

In your opinion, how would you compare Bandon to Pebble? The experience in Pebble was luxurious. Not only were the 3 courses played amazing, but the service while on the property was well worth the money spent there. Their attention to detail was unlike any other. Everything from being greeted promptly and bags taken to where you need them, to the food and lodging was amazing.

 

From what I read, Bandon is more awesome courses vs the awesome course AND experience combined. What do you think? Where did you stay when you were there?

 

Yeah so they are very different experiences. Bandon is no frills golf. It's beautiful golf courses with very clean accommodations which are nothing better than decent (I mean that by they are very clean and relatively nice but you aren't going to walk in any of them be blown away or even want any of the furniture or fixtures for your home). The people there are nice, but, Bandon doesn't have hotels. All of the lodging is most like staying in a condo without a kitchen (at least in the property on site at Bandon that I stayed in). Now in the main lodge the staff is extremely nice. The food overall is very solid. Each course has it's own clubhouse and grill room. Each grill rooms has a different menu with different food. The thing to keep in mind is that outside of golf there is nothing to do at Bandon. There's no spa. The town of Bandon is pretty dumpy with some dive bars. There is nowhere to go. I will say, just past downtown Bandon there is a gorgeous beach. Great for a short walk to watch a sunset and hang out.

 

Golf wise, I thought Pacific Dunes was prettier and more aesthetically pleasing than Pebble. Bandon Dunes was not as pretty as Pebble but would fall in line right behind. The par 3 course at Bandon is really cool and certainly worth the money to play it.

 

If you enjoy going to courses with your husband to walk around and take in beautiful sites, than Bandon is a good option. But if part of the reason you enjoy those trips is to use the spa, or go shopping, find nightlife after golf and make it more of a vacation than Bandon will be pretty darn boring. The golf is incredible. It's really had to beat. When I played in Monterey we played Spyglass, Spanish Bay, Pebble and Cypress Point all well staying at the Spanish Bay Inn. It was an incredible trip. Personally, I enjoyed the variety of golf courses in Bandon more, but, enjoyed the wide array of things to do in Monterey and Carmel significantly more than Bandon.

 

I hope this helped and didn't just confuse you more. In a nut shell, you go to Bandon to golf and to enjoy world class golf courses. You don't get all of the extra resort accommodations and night life which other areas afford.

 

Dang it....so you're saying don't even waste my time trying to take any of the soap and shampoos!!!

 

I've been trying to wrap my mind around to a golfer what constitutes as a "must play" course. So when I am planning these things its not a waste. So much good info in that post though. So if it ends up I go to Bandon....be prepared to not doing anything and I am better off just sending him alone lol. I am not huge on the Spas, but in general it is nice to be able to do something while he golfs if I don't ride along. Walking the entire time.....not sure how that would go over.

 

How long was your Bandon trip? Would you say it is doable in 3 days?

 

On a side note.....how in the world did you manage to play Cypress??????

[SilverBullets]

It seems like Bandon is a pure gold experience. Not sure it would be good for the non-golfer. It is also walking only. Kohler (whistling straights) has the American club resort with the water spa, which is supposed to be amazing. Much more of a full service resort. It is also easy to get to from the west coast. Direct flights to Milwaukee or Chicago and an hour drive from the Milwaukee airport.

 

What other must play courses would be there to play that you would suggest? Seeing as I would want to at least get in 3 rounds on a little getaway.

 

I've been looking up things to do in Bandon....I come up with.....nothing :) Well let me not be dramatic.....there is hiking and the beach I suppose!

 

The best way, IMO, to do Whistling Straits would be to fly direct to Milwaukee. Play Erin Hills which is 45 minutes or so outside of Mil. Then drive up to Kohler (which is like an hour). Play Whistling Straits - Straits, Whistling Straits - Irish and Black Wolf Run - River. Skip the Meadows course and if you have the time play The Bull which is not affiliated with the American Club but is right there next to it.

 

If you can, write an email to the River Bend to see if you can hang out on the property for a drink or 3 one evening if it's not busy. It's a really cool private social club which is ultra exclusive but is a low key, cool place. My dad and I pulled a couple strings and were able to do it and it was one of the highlights of the trip.

 

Eat dinner at the River Wildlife Lodge. It's all fresh caught fish and game with a very limited menu that changes daily based on what they caught. It's a private restaurant but if you stay at the American Club they will make a reservation. It's pretty pricey but it's a really cool spot set back in the woods in an old log cabin.

 

If you don't mind spending the money to get there and the time from the West coast, than a trip to Kohler is certainly worth it. Great golf, great food and a world class hotel.

[SilverBullets]

Thank you for your input!

 

In your opinion, how would you compare Bandon to Pebble? The experience in Pebble was luxurious. Not only were the 3 courses played amazing, but the service while on the property was well worth the money spent there. Their attention to detail was unlike any other. Everything from being greeted promptly and bags taken to where you need them, to the food and lodging was amazing.

 

From what I read, Bandon is more awesome courses vs the awesome course AND experience combined. What do you think? Where did you stay when you were there?

 

Yeah so they are very different experiences. Bandon is no frills golf. It's beautiful golf courses with very clean accommodations which are nothing better than decent (I mean that by they are very clean and relatively nice but you aren't going to walk in any of them be blown away or even want any of the furniture or fixtures for your home). The people there are nice, but, Bandon doesn't have hotels. All of the lodging is most like staying in a condo without a kitchen (at least in the property on site at Bandon that I stayed in). Now in the main lodge the staff is extremely nice. The food overall is very solid. Each course has it's own clubhouse and grill room. Each grill rooms has a different menu with different food. The thing to keep in mind is that outside of golf there is nothing to do at Bandon. There's no spa. The town of Bandon is pretty dumpy with some dive bars. There is nowhere to go. I will say, just past downtown Bandon there is a gorgeous beach. Great for a short walk to watch a sunset and hang out.

 

Golf wise, I thought Pacific Dunes was prettier and more aesthetically pleasing than Pebble. Bandon Dunes was not as pretty as Pebble but would fall in line right behind. The par 3 course at Bandon is really cool and certainly worth the money to play it.

 

If you enjoy going to courses with your husband to walk around and take in beautiful sites, than Bandon is a good option. But if part of the reason you enjoy those trips is to use the spa, or go shopping, find nightlife after golf and make it more of a vacation than Bandon will be pretty darn boring. The golf is incredible. It's really had to beat. When I played in Monterey we played Spyglass, Spanish Bay, Pebble and Cypress Point all well staying at the Spanish Bay Inn. It was an incredible trip. Personally, I enjoyed the variety of golf courses in Bandon more, but, enjoyed the wide array of things to do in Monterey and Carmel significantly more than Bandon.

 

I hope this helped and didn't just confuse you more. In a nut shell, you go to Bandon to golf and to enjoy world class golf courses. You don't get all of the extra resort accommodations and night life which other areas afford.

 

Dang it....so you're saying don't even waste my time trying to take any of the soap and shampoos!!!

 

I've been trying to wrap my mind around to a golfer what constitutes as a "must play" course. So when I am planning these things its not a waste. So much good info in that post though. So if it ends up I go to Bandon....be prepared to not doing anything and I am better off just sending him alone lol. I am not huge on the Spas, but in general it is nice to be able to do something while he golfs if I don't ride along. Walking the entire time.....not sure how that would go over.

 

How long was your Bandon trip? Would you say it is doable in 3 days?

 

On a side note.....how in the world did you manage to play Cypress??????

 

Yup... no need to steal the soaps and shampoos and there won't be any goodies left on your pillow after they clean your room. It's a true golf nut place.

 

Getting on Cypress is a very long story. In short, we were there the week before the ATT Pro-Am with a group of guys. One of the guys in the group is childhood buddies with a celebrity (A-list-ish? actor) and is his manager/caddy for the Pro-Am. The actor arrived midway through our trip and scheduled a warm up round at Cypress through a member. We were luckily enough to be included in one of those 2 groups. We honestly didn't know if it was going to happen until we teed off on #1. It was a really cool experience which I am sure will never be matched in my lifetime.

[klebs01]

Silver bullet nailed it with the courses. Might toss Lawsonia links in there but it's more of a drive.

[ryu123]

You're a great spouse to do this for your husband.

 

I agree with everything SilverBullets said about Monterey & Bandon. I've played the publics and most of the privates in Monterey / Carmel (except Cypress Point). The four main Bandon courses are at least as good as the Monterey clubs.

 

Unlike Monterey which has the Aquarium, Cannery Row, great restaurants & stores, there isn't much to do in Bandon if you don't golf or hike. No spa or tennis, or shopping. (There's a casino in Coos Bay but I've never been there.)

 

Bandon is just golf.

 

Also, no power carts at Bandon, unless you have a physician's letter. Even then, you must pay for a caddie to drive the cart.

 

A weekend seems a little rushed for Bandon. There are four great courses. Pacific Dunes is just gorgeous. All the Bandon courses are easy to walk, even Bandon Trails which usually has a shuttle between the 13th & 14h holes.

 

To walk 36 holes per day over 2 - 3 days can be done, but your legs will feel it. (or you can just come back another weekend - nothing wrong with that.)

 

United has a flight leaving SFO at noon, arriving in North Bend about 90 minutes later. The resort is about 40 minutes south. The return flight out of OTH is at 2 pm, so in the summer it's possible to play on both travel days.

[mark m]

Grasshopper:

 

I would recommend the Santa Barbara area. I live in Minneapolis but have a very good friend In S.B. and my brother and I have gone out there many times over the last 15 years. For public courses - Sandpiper (it has ocean holes and is very nice), Rancho San Marcos (up in the hills), and La Purisima (this is a little bit of a drive) to name just 3 in this general area. Plus this area will be good for you - shopping, winery tours, and nightlife. If you have connections, they have 2 private courses which are great - The Valley Club of Montecito, and La Cumbre CC.

 

Have fun,

MM

[SilverBullets]

Some other ideas which I am not sure you have done....

 

Phoenix would be super easy from SF and there are so many courses that you can't play them all regardless of how long you are there. Pick a few courses, stay at the Biltmore or something equivalent and have fun.

 

Palm Springs... Man it's been like 15 years since I have been there (so I was probably 15ish years old at the time) but I remember some fantastic courses there. That's an easy weekend trip.

 

Bend, Oregon... Not sure why I didn't think of this earlier. This would be a great weekend trip and isn't too hard to get to. Fly into Redmond and drive to Bend. Play Pronghorn and Terherow... I think both courses have lodging on site. Both courses are supposed to be awesome (I haven't played either of them but my parents get a house in Bend every year for a month). There are a plethora of things to do there and it's beautiful. This may actually be my first choice of the bunch.

 

Tahoe - You have already mentioned this but it's something that can be done from SF in a long weekend. Obviously it's beautiful, there is plenty to keep you occupied and there is great golf there (Edgewood is the course which I think hosts that Celeb tournament).

 

Michigan - Fly in to Petoskey and play Bay Harbor and some of the Northern MI courses or fly in to Traverse City and play some courses around there, drive down to Arcadia Bluffs and call/ask very nicely to get on Kingsley Club in Traverse. Golf in these areas are truly outstanding and cheap in comparison to the other cities mentioned. It's a bit hard to get to from SF but it's incredible up there (actually just got back on Monday from being up there). Seeing turquoise water on the Little Traverse Bay by Bay Harbor is a little mind blowing at first. It looks like you are in the Exuma Islands in the Bahamas.

 

By the way, I am available for hire to be your personal trip planner.. My only cost is a round or golf (or 3) on these trips. I mean I'd have to come with you guys just to make sure you make it to your tee time and that your pillows are properly fluffed.

[Rizzle499]

Do Palm Springs area. Lots of great courses and lots of stuff to do. El Paseo for shopping. Play classic club if the wind is down. Play PGA wesr courses. Stay in La Quinta or Palm Desert if you can. The JW in palm desert is amazing, but, if possible, stay at the La Quinta. If possible, go in october as the weather is perfect and crowds are down (just check overseeding schedules on courses you want to play and book around reseeding).

[az2au]

Palm Springs and Scottsdale are both couple trips. I'd recommend doing them in the Spring though as October will find conditions a bit shaky in most cases.

 

Two other spots that would work: Vancouver with Sagebrush as the marquis course and Cabo (bunches of courses). Yes, they are slightly longer flights but still quite easy to get to and the golf in both places is top notch (although far more limited in Vancouver). If you spend time in Cabo I can recommend both One and Only and the Resort at Pedregal without hesitation. In Vancouver it really depends what you are looking to do outside of golf.

 

When I was working in Europe last year we did weekend golf trips in Scotland, Ireland, Portugal, France, Spain, Norway and Italy with my wife coming over from CA some weekends (usually NY but it depends where she was at that week). She usually flew overnight on Thursday and we spent Friday doing random local tourist things, played golf on Saturday, did something local or played golf on Sunday and then we both went back to our client sites. On many weekends where she couldn't make the trip due to client commitments I would do the same at various US locations. All in all we have probably done 25-30 weekend golf trips like the above over the last two years. Since we both travel 100% for work it is very easy to pull off. Also, neither of us seems impacted by jet lag and therefore we don't mind skipping multiple time zones. I realize this won't work for most but we are closer than ever because of our shared adventures.

[gr8blueheronbird]

Some other ideas which I am not sure you have done....

 

Phoenix would be super easy from SF and there are so many courses that you can't play them all regardless of how long you are there. Pick a few courses, stay at the Biltmore or something equivalent and have fun.

 

Palm Springs... Man it's been like 15 years since I have been there (so I was probably 15ish years old at the time) but I remember some fantastic courses there. That's an easy weekend trip.

 

Bend, Oregon... Not sure why I didn't think of this earlier. This would be a great weekend trip and isn't too hard to get to. Fly into Redmond and drive to Bend. Play Pronghorn and Terherow... I think both courses have lodging on site. Both courses are supposed to be awesome (I haven't played either of them but my parents get a house in Bend every year for a month). There are a plethora of things to do there and it's beautiful. This may actually be my first choice of the bunch.

 

Tahoe - You have already mentioned this but it's something that can be done from SF in a long weekend. Obviously it's beautiful, there is plenty to keep you occupied and there is great golf there (Edgewood is the course which I think hosts that Celeb tournament).

 

Michigan - Fly in to Petoskey and play Bay Harbor and some of the Northern MI courses or fly in to Traverse City and play some courses around there, drive down to Arcadia Bluffs and call/ask very nicely to get on Kingsley Club in Traverse. Golf in these areas are truly outstanding and cheap in comparison to the other cities mentioned. It's a bit hard to get to from SF but it's incredible up there (actually just got back on Monday from being up there). Seeing turquoise water on the Little Traverse Bay by Bay Harbor is a little mind blowing at first. It looks like you are in the Exuma Islands in the Bahamas.

 

By the way, I am available for hire to be your personal trip planner.. My only cost is a round or golf (or 3) on these trips. I mean I'd have to come with you guys just to make sure you make it to your tee time and that your pillows are properly fluffed.

He nailed it here. Bend,OR would be your best bet from the Bay area. Crosswater would be a great place to stay as well. Plenty to do besides golf.