Bandon September 2018 - First Timers Report

[Lexicographer]

Just got back from a first time trip to Bandon Dunes. I did a ton of research planning the trip and had very high expectations. They were exceeded on every level. Can't wait to get back.

 

8 guys in our group, all members at the same club in the Midwest. Ages range from 42 to mid 60s. Handicaps from 5 to 15. We all walk our rounds at home, but nobody is used to walking 36 a day.

 

Day One - Flew into North Bend from Denver. Half used Shipsticks, half checked on the flight. Plane to North Bend was bigger than I expected. Taking clubs on the plane was no issue. Shipsticks was also flawless. Used Aviation Transportation to shuttle us to the resort. Very easy. Got settled and went over to the Punchbowl. This was almost the most fun I've ever had playing golf. Especially toward dusk when things cleared out. We played holes clear across the green. Stupid fun. Dinner at Pacific Grill. Fabulous. The Sturgeon was super spicy and perfect. Stayed in Lilly Pond. Perfect for what we needed.

 

Day Two - Opened with Pacific Dunes. Perfect weather, brilliant course. The firm turf as an absolute joy to play on. 6, 11, 12, 13, and 17 were standouts to me. Parred 18 into the wind even after a chip out on my drive. That hole is a beast. Played Bandon Dunes in the afternoon. Also very fun, but a heavy fog rolled in on 7 and blanketed us for the rest of the round. Cool experience, but we missed out on some of the great views on the back. Feet were starting to hurt the last few holes, but not too bad. Breakfast was at Pac Dunes (was a little slow), lunch at Tufted Puffin (amazing burger), dinner at Mckee's (meatloaf, yes please). I used the same caddie for every round. He was a boss.

 

Day Three - Trails in the morning. Mesmerizing. So quiet. The stretch from 8-13 was simply amazing. Loved this course so much. Never played a Coore/Crenshaw course I didn't like. Played the Preserve in the afternoon as a 7-some. DO NOT skip the Preserve. So much fun. Heavy fog again this afternoon, but didn't really affect the end of Trails or playing the Preserve. Missed out on some of the cool views on 6 and 9 of the Preserve. Breakfast at Trails (rice bowl is so good and so much food), Lunch at Trails (spicy caesar), Dinner at Gallery. You can definitely skip the Gallery if you're not into blowing 100 plus on dinner, but it was really great. Everyone in our group loved it. The steelhead trout was a winner.

 

Day Four - Old MacDonald in the morning. Don't skip Old Mac either. Such a strategic course. The greens were so big, but even at that, there were some pins you couldn't get at. This course had about 4 par 4s that were essentially par 5s if you were into the wind. Forget about par on this course. Some of our group didn't like this course due to the long 4's, but I thoroughly enjoyed it. Especially liked 13-16. Pac Dunes in the afternoon. Windier than the first round. Still a blast. Feet and legs were super tired the back 9. I was pretty wiped out that evening and the thought of one more round the next morning was not especially enticing. But a good night's sleep had me ready to go the next day. Breakfast at the Gallery (buffet was meh), Lunch at Pac Dunes (grilled cheese was great), Dinner McKees (fantastic fish and chips).

 

Day Five - Early tee time at Bandon Dunes. Threatened to rain, but it held off. No fog this day. My legs and feet held up fine. 4-6 and 12-16 were just really off the charts stretches of golf.

 

I would rate the courses 1) PD 2t) BD and BT 4) OM. But I really liked OM too, the others were just a bit better.

 

Favorite holes

PD - 17. Perfect Redan. 6, 11 and 13 were also standouts. We had a south wind, so 4 was a brute.

BD - 16. Best hole on the property for me. I also loved 4, 5 and 14.

BT - 11-13 three way tie. This whole stretch was magical.

OM - 16. Controversial hole four our group, but I loved the Alps. 3 and 13 were also super cool short 4s.

 

Lessons Learned -

Food- Get a breakfast sandwich at a clubhouse/turn stand or order off the menu. Breakfast buffet can be skipped. Food everywhere else was great. No complaints.

 

Preserve - Take 4-5 clubs and a Sunday bag, but don't forget your range finder. Greens are huge. We didn't have one and made some bad club choices on a couple holes.

 

Courses - Play them all. Trails is the toughest walk. Bandon the easiest. Trails plus Preserve is a great day.

 

The only things we didn't experience were Bunker Bar and Shorty's.

[spud3]

Excellent write-up. I am always amazed at the solitude of Trails, even when the course is full. Most of the time, you feel like you're out there all by yourself.

 

And the grilled cheese at Pac grill is that good...

[Lexicographer]

Addendum:

 

I had previously read several comments about the difficulty of using high bounce wedges (or lob wedges in general) off the tight turf. I did not find this to be the case. In fact, I loved hitting pitch shots off the firm turf there. So fun. I used a 58 degree SM7 D grind with absolutely no issues. Also there are enough elevated greens and deep bunkers that I think a lob wedge is essential. You might not use it much, but it will be used. Bring it.

 

Also, I dropped my 54 wedge (usually carry 50/54/58) for a driving iron. I did not really miss my 54, but the driving iron wasn't that terribly useful. I don't hit stingers and hybrid off the tee was just fine when driver or 3 wood was ill advised. I'd just play with the set you are used to and have fun with it. Also, hit a few putts from 80 yards, it's a blast.

[ebrasmus21]

Just got back from a first time trip to Bandon Dunes. I did a ton of research planning the trip and had very high expectations. They were exceeded on every level. Can't wait to get back.

 

8 guys in our group, all members at the same club in the Midwest. Ages range from 42 to mid 60s. Handicaps from 5 to 15. We all walk our rounds at home, but nobody is used to walking 36 a day.

 

Day One - Flew into North Bend from Denver. Half used Shipsticks, half checked on the flight. Plane to North Bend was bigger than I expected. Taking clubs on the plane was no issue. Shipsticks was also flawless. Used Aviation Transportation to shuttle us to the resort. Very easy. Got settled and went over to the Punchbowl. This was almost the most fun I've ever had playing golf. Especially toward dusk when things cleared out. We played holes clear across the green. Stupid fun. Dinner at Pacific Grill. Fabulous. The Sturgeon was super spicy and perfect. Stayed in Lilly Pond. Perfect for what we needed.

 

Day Two - Opened with Pacific Dunes. Perfect weather, brilliant course. The firm turf as an absolute joy to play on. 6, 11, 12, 13, and 17 were standouts to me. Parred 18 into the wind even after a chip out on my drive. That hole is a beast. Played Bandon Dunes in the afternoon. Also very fun, but a heavy fog rolled in on 7 and blanketed us for the rest of the round. Cool experience, but we missed out on some of the great views on the back. Feet were starting to hurt the last few holes, but not too bad. Breakfast was at Pac Dunes (was a little slow), lunch at Tufted Puffin (amazing burger), dinner at Mckee's (meatloaf, yes please). I used the same caddie for every round. He was a boss.

 

Day Three - Trails in the morning. Mesmerizing. So quiet. The stretch from 8-13 was simply amazing. Loved this course so much. Never played a Coore/Crenshaw course I didn't like. Played the Preserve in the afternoon as a 7-some. DO NOT skip the Preserve. So much fun. Heavy fog again this afternoon, but didn't really affect the end of Trails or playing the Preserve. Missed out on some of the cool views on 6 and 9 of the Preserve. Breakfast at Trails (rice bowl is so good and so much food), Lunch at Trails (spicy caesar), Dinner at Gallery. You can definitely skip the Gallery if you're not into blowing 100 plus on dinner, but it was really great. Everyone in our group loved it. The steelhead trout was a winner.

 

Day Four - Old MacDonald in the morning. Don't skip Old Mac either. Such a strategic course. The greens were so big, but even at that, there were some pins you couldn't get at. This course had about 4 par 4s that were essentially par 5s if you were into the wind. Forget about par on this course. Some of our group didn't like this course due to the long 4's, but I thoroughly enjoyed it. Especially liked 13-16. Pac Dunes in the afternoon. Windier than the first round. Still a blast. Feet and legs were super tired the back 9. I was pretty wiped out that evening and the thought of one more round the next morning was not especially enticing. But a good night's sleep had me ready to go the next day. Breakfast at the Gallery (buffet was meh), Lunch at Pac Dunes (grilled cheese was great), Dinner McKees (fantastic fish and chips).

 

Day Five - Early tee time at Bandon Dunes. Threatened to rain, but it held off. No fog this day. My legs and feet held up fine. 4-6 and 12-16 were just really off the charts stretches of golf.

 

I would rate the courses 1) PD 2t) BD and BT 4) OM. But I really liked OM too, the others were just a bit better.

 

Favorite holes

PD - 17. Perfect Redan. 6, 11 and 13 were also standouts. We had a south wind, so 4 was a brute.

BD - 16. Best hole on the property for me. I also loved 4, 5 and 14.

BT - 11-13 three way tie. This whole stretch was magical.

OM - 16. Controversial hole four our group, but I loved the Alps. 3 and 13 were also super cool short 4s.

 

Lessons Learned -

Food- Get a breakfast sandwich at a clubhouse/turn stand or order off the menu. Breakfast buffet can be skipped. Food everywhere else was great. No complaints.

 

Preserve - Take 4-5 clubs and a Sunday bag, but don't forget your range finder. Greens are huge. We didn't have one and made some bad club choices on a couple holes.

 

Courses - Play them all. Trails is the toughest walk. Bandon the easiest. Trails plus Preserve is a great day.

 

The only things we didn't experience were Bunker Bar and Shorty's.

 

We might have been there the same time as your group. Excellent write-up. Glad you had a good time.

 

Really enjoyed how different strategies can be used in links golf. The courses are truly amazing - all of them. By the way, the Punch Bowl is, as you say, almost as fun as it gets on a golf course. The bartender kept us well-waters also which is a plus!

[ebrasmus21]

Addendum:

 

I had previously read several comments about the difficulty of using high bounce wedges (or lob wedges in general) off the tight turf. I did not find this to be the case. In fact, I loved hitting pitch shots off the firm turf there. So fun. I used a 58 degree SM7 D grind with absolutely no issues. Also there are enough elevated greens and deep bunkers that I think a lob wedge is essential. You might not use it much, but it will be used. Bring it.

 

Also, I dropped my 54 wedge (usually carry 50/54/58) for a driving iron. I did not really miss my 54, but the driving iron wasn't that terribly useful. I don't hit stingers and hybrid off the tee was just fine when driver or 3 wood was ill advised. I'd just play with the set you are used to and have fun with it. Also, hit a few putts from 80 yards, it's a blast.

 

I used my 60* with 11* of bounce just fine - including Old Mac which played the firmest for us. Bounce is your friend and it worked for me just fine out there.

[wxworkoff]

Fantastic report!

 

As a first timer who goes in just 18 days(!), I appreciate all the info, food breakdowns, and the nice bit about still being able to hit wedges (lol). My ‘training’ of hitting BNRs and 50 yard putts at the local muni is having mixed results so far.

 

Do you mind sharing who your caddy was? My dad and uncle will be with me, and I’d like to provide them with “trusted” caddies. Other posters have given lots of help here (thanks, all!) but any input is really helpful, especially since you were there in close proximity to our trip.

 

 

 

[Circaflex]

Thanks for sharing this. I have always wanted to play Bandon and have started putting together preliminary plans to play; now I just need to find people willing to commit. So far one guy is in, he just played Hawaii and is hooked playing different "bucket list" courses.

[spud3]

Thanks for sharing this. I have always wanted to play Bandon and have started putting together preliminary plans to play; now I just need to find people willing to commit. So far one guy is in, he just played Hawaii and is hooked playing different "bucket list" courses.

 

Don't wait for others to commit. Pick your date and go, even if it's solo. I waited for years for my friends to get it together, and finally got fed up and went by myself. Best decision I ever made. Bandon is terrific for a buddies trip, for sure. But it's an incredible trip to take solo. Lots of threads about it in the NW forum.

[eboettne]

I noticed that spicy caesar lunch at Trails, well played. Did they make a good one?

[Lexicographer]

I noticed that spicy caesar lunch at Trails, well played. Did they make a good one?

 

Yep. Though the aforementioned grilled cheese at Pac Grill might have been the best lunch I ate.

[lhahn]

Thanks for the TR!

 

I was just thinking the other day that the PNW section was lacking Bandon reports lately we get blessed with two in one weekend!

[kamizzou91]

Thanks for the report! I am 43 days out from my first trip there and absorbing all of the information that I can.

[krtgolfing]

I wish getting to Bandon was easier for me. Getting there from Charleston, SC was not the easiest. I have heard nothing but good things about the place! I just got back from a week golf trip in Pebble which was much easier getting to. Hopefully sometime next year I bite the bullet and go. It would more than likely be a solo trip.

[ebrasmus21]

I wish getting to Bandon was easier for me. Getting there from Charleston, SC was not the easiest. I have heard nothing but good things about the place! I just got back from a week golf trip in Pebble which was much easier getting to. Hopefully sometime next year I bite the bullet and go. It would more than likely be a solo trip.

 

It was a complete cluster f*** getting there for us. Took 17 hours by car. I have absolutely no regrets it was so worth the effort.

[FAbb]

What tees did you all play from?

[Lexicographer]

What tees did you all play from?

 

Greens. Hit a lot of hybrids off the shorter 4's, but it was in no way easy. I'd play the green tees again. OM would be beastly from the blacks.

[Edaw68]

Good report OP. I'm trying the grilled cheese my next trip, heard too many good things about it.

[Sushiyoshi]

Nice report!

 

Would love to try the grilled cheese but I am lactose tolerant. Guess I can take one of those pills but would still suffer a little with so much cheese.

 

Bandon Trails is the best!

[Edaw68]

Nice report!

 

Would love to try the grilled cheese but I am lactose tolerant. Guess I can take one of those pills but would still suffer a little with so much cheese.

 

Bandon Trails is the best!

 

The hot dog at Pac Grill is an excellent alternative then.

[spud3]

Nice report!

 

Would love to try the grilled cheese but I am lactose tolerant. Guess I can take one of those pills but would still suffer a little with so much cheese.

 

Bandon Trails is the best!

 

The hot dog at Pac Grill is an excellent alternative then.

 

+1

 

It takes a while, though. Edaw and I almost missed our tee time waiting. Not a typical turn-shack slap-it-in-the-bun kind of hot dog. More like a Chicago style dog that you almost need a fork and knife to eat.

 

Pac Grill is the king of lunchtime at Bandon.

[duffer987]

I wish getting to Bandon was easier for me. Getting there from Charleston, SC was not the easiest. I have heard nothing but good things about the place! I just got back from a week golf trip in Pebble which was much easier getting to. Hopefully sometime next year I bite the bullet and go. It would more than likely be a solo trip.

I wish getting to Bandon was easier for me. Getting there from Charleston, SC was not the easiest. I have heard nothing but good things about the place! I just got back from a week golf trip in Pebble which was much easier getting to. Hopefully sometime next year I bite the bullet and go. It would more than likely be a solo trip.

 

It was a complete cluster f*** getting there for us. Took 17 hours by car. I have absolutely no regrets it was so worth the effort.

C'mon :)

You had the largest wildfire in California history to contend with though right? That's a pretty big asterisk.

That said. I agree with anyone coming from East of Denver, it can be quite the faff.

[duffer987]

Nice report!

 

Would love to try the grilled cheese but I am lactose tolerant. Guess I can take one of those pills but would still suffer a little with so much cheese.

 

Bandon Trails is the best!

 

The hot dog at Pac Grill is an excellent alternative then.

 

+1

 

It takes a while, though. Edaw and I almost missed our tee time waiting. Not a typical turn-shack slap-it-in-the-bun kind of hot dog. More like a Chicago style dog that you almost need a fork and knife to eat.

 

Pac Grill is the king of lunchtime at Bandon.

All you guys and your fancy lunch breaks :)

Typically between breakfast and dinner it's just a bunch of cliff bars, cookies, and bananas.

[Sushiyoshi]

I always get the bratwurst at Pac Grille. Usually split it with my buddy and his burger.

[Lexicographer]

Nice report!

 

Would love to try the grilled cheese but I am lactose tolerant. Guess I can take one of those pills but would still suffer a little with so much cheese.

 

Bandon Trails is the best!

 

The hot dog at Pac Grill is an excellent alternative then.

 

+1

 

It takes a while, though. Edaw and I almost missed our tee time waiting. Not a typical turn-shack slap-it-in-the-bun kind of hot dog. More like a Chicago style dog that you almost need a fork and knife to eat.

 

Pac Grill is the king of lunchtime at Bandon.

All you guys and your fancy lunch breaks :)

Typically between breakfast and dinner it's just a bunch of cliff bars, cookies, and bananas.

 

You can play 36 and have time for lunch when you book your tee times 14 months in advance. :)

[duffer987]

+1

 

It takes a while, though. Edaw and I almost missed our tee time waiting. Not a typical turn-shack slap-it-in-the-bun kind of hot dog. More like a Chicago style dog that you almost need a fork and knife to eat.

 

Pac Grill is the king of lunchtime at Bandon.

All you guys and your fancy lunch breaks :)

Typically between breakfast and dinner it's just a bunch of cliff bars, cookies, and bananas.

 

You can play 36 and have time for lunch when you book your tee times 14 months in advance. :)

 

Not when sunset is 4:45pm ;)

[buzlin]

I pushed our afternoon tee time back 20 minutes so I could eat the grilled cheese at PD. I love that damn sandwich.

[mallrat]

I’ve always preferred Trails for lunch. Guess i’m In the minority

[spud3]

Me too, until they dropped the fish tacos from the menu a few years ago. Decided to try Pacific and haven't looked back since.

 

The chili is good at Trails, though....

[duffer987]

Sounds like I need to take a March trip just to get lunch in, lol.

That said, there have been a few times where the weather has been so crap, we've not gone back out for the second round, but I cannot remember what/where lunch was.

[ebrasmus21]

Sounds like I need to take a March trip just to get lunch in, lol.

That said, there have been a few times where the weather has been so crap, we've not gone back out for the second round, but I cannot remember what/where lunch was.

 

Duffer -- for *not peak season* what month do you recommend for a Bandon trip?