Favorite Course at Bandon Dunes Golf Resort

[ToddGsell]

If you had to pick one course to play...

I know there are plenty of threads about these courses already, but I'm curious to see if there's a favorite.

More importantly, once you've voted please add why you picked the one you did.

[toddnt]

PD, as OM wasnt opem when I was there last year.. PD has the beauty, ocean, wind and perfect layout. Some holes play three clubs different depending on condition! And I scored best on it out of the three!

[dpark]

While I am hard-pressed to pick my favorite, it is easy to pick my least favorite. If I never play Bandon Trails again, it would be no big deal. I am even more disappointed because it is a Crenshaw-Coore design and I expected so much more from them. OK course from #1-#13, but pretty much mediocre-to-poor holes from #14 onward.

I like BD and PD equally, but for different reasons. They are very different courses. Really looking forward to playing OM this fall. Have 3 rounds scheduled there in November.

[stevopagolf]

Bandon Dunes
Pacific Dunes
Brandon Trails

Haven't played Old MacDonald

It is very close, but overall Bandon Dunes slightly. More memorable holes. Maclay Kidd did a nice job but what would Doak have done with the premier piece of ground that is Bandon Dunes. Huge Doak fan here.

Wouldn't play Bandon Trails again. It was just nice...

Best 4 course golf resort in the world...

[stevopagolf]

Bandon Dunes
Pacific Dunes
Brandon Trails

Haven't played Old MacDonald

It is very close, but overall Bandon Dunes slightly. More memorable holes. Maclay Kidd did a nice job but what would Doak have done with the premier piece of ground that is Bandon Dunes. Huge Doak fan here.

Wouldn't play Bandon Trails again. It was just nice...

Best 4 course golf resort in the world...

[option720]

I'm going to have to say pacific dunes as well. I think Doak did a great job with the bunkering and I liked the routing better too. Have not played OM yet but I hear it is the best of them all (not in beauty, but of pure golf enjoyment).

[Fyrrwin]

I haven't been down to Bandon since OM opened, but out of the three courses I have played there Pacific is easily my favorite. I could play that course every day, easily in my top 5 courses I've played. After that I say Bandon second, Trails a distant third. Trails really disappointed me, it just feels like it has so much potential but really comes up flat.

[toddnt]

Everyone in our group hated B/T, I thought it was okay and still a third(no OldMac when I was there). Ill give it one more round next year!

[rlheiman]

OM is one of the most memorable of the 4 that I played. Every hole was really interesting and fun. Greens are huge and different from anything else you'll ever play.

BT is a beast of a course and very well done, just missing ocean views. Very creative holes. Not as bad as others have said.

BD and PD has a similar feel to them when I played them. PD had some strange routing, but really a fun test of golf.

[GVo55]

I'll be there in August to play all four ... I'll be sure to log in and vote when I get home!

[SpinMill75]

My favorites in order -

1. Old Mac. ( Got to play a few holes this year prior to opening and can't wait to get back to play the rest. Awesome course!
2. Bandon Dunes
3. Pacific Dunes
4. Bandon Trails


While I think Pacific is an overall nicer course, I prefer Bandon Dunes much more. After playing both a few times I found that Pacific Dunes requires you to hit specific shots and yardages where Bandon Dunes allows more creativity off the tee or fairway, which is alot more enjoyable when the weather is up. Just my OP.

If any of you Wrx'ers make it to Oregon to play Bandon, here's a few tips = Play all 4 courses, get a caddy for sure, enjoy a pint or dram in the pub afterwards and enjoy the perfect blend of the truest links golf in the US with all that Mother Nature has to offer. Oh, and don't forget your camera!

Cheers!

[toddnt]

Spin, you forgot the mealoaf at McKees!

[oregongolf]

For pure beauty, I'd say Bandon Dunes inches out over Pacific for me.

But for pure golf, it's Pacific. Hands down. Easily one of my top 5 courses I've ever played. That said, I can't wait to play Old Mac!

[The Duck]

PLayed BD and would again.


Don't forget Bandon Crossings south of town as a lower cost great course either!

[njlam]

I have been going to the Bandon Dunes Golf Resort since it opened and have played the first three courses enough to have an opinion.

For the widest range of abilities, I like Bandon Dunes the best. A simpler and elegant design; it can be as challenging as you like, but not so difficult to be a grind if you are having a bad day or crappy weather. It is fair to say I love this golf course.

While I can see why a lot people like Pacific Dunes, it is a much more challenging course than the other two. A bad day can be a really bad day. For the record, over the years I have played each hole at Pacific well, but I have never had a good round at Pacific. Perhaps this has colored my opinion.

For an inland course, I really like Bandon Trails, with the exception of #13, #14, and #18. A memorable golf course should not have so many exceptions. That being said, I love the opening three holes at Trails...just a good set to get started.

I too expect to try Old MacDonald this November. It is an annual three day trip where we have always played Bandon, Pacific and Trails. This year, Trails will be left out of the rotation. I am sure this will be a trend on three day visits to Bandon.

[SpinMill75]

[quote name='toddnt' date='15 July 2010 - 11:54 AM' timestamp='1279220092' post='2578038']
Spin, you forgot the mealoaf at McKees!
[/quote]


I forgot about the meatloaf. Yes! A must !

A tip for everyone - McKee's has better food than the lodge resturant at way better prices imo...

[Gwrxace04]

My personal favorites:

1. Old Macdonald
2. tie- Bandon Dunes
2. tie- Pacific Dunes
3. Bandon Trails


Oldmacdonald is wonderful, bigger than life with lots of options.

Pacific has some spectacular holes, but Bandon Dunes seems to have a better overall selection of the two so a tie.

Bandon Trails has a lot of very good holes, but a couple of weak ones.


Be sure and play all four courses, take a caddy for sure, have a good rainsuit, enjoy your stay.

[CWB]

With all the worldwide reviews of Pacific Dunes being so great,
I thought I was strange liking Bandon Dunes the best.
The variety of shots you can play on each hole is amazing.

Pacific Dunes is very nice & demanding, and like my
caddie said about Bandon Crossing there is a couple
holes that don't match the quality of the others.

I've played Monterey , Maui, South Carolina , and other locations
Bandon is great!

[lsfird13]

Been twice and the second time when only the 10 hole Old Mac preview was open. If I had to pick it would be Bandon first - by a hair. I would prefer to say how many times out of ten I would play each. They are all fabulous courses.

Bandon 3
Pac 3
Old Mac 2
Trails 2

My experience is bad shots at Bandon and Old Mac will penalize you less than at Pac and Trails, Pac being the most difficult. Pac definetly is tighter with smaller windows on approach shots. Its no accident that I shoot my best scores at Bandon and Old Mac. The routing at Pac and Trails is what makes them so great. The beginning of the back at Trails around Chrome Lake is awesome. I know the 14th is hated but it demands two very precise shots. Even though the fairway looks so wide open its really not if you want your approach to hold the green. I just haven't hit two shots good enough .. yet. Old Mac is such a fun course because there is enough room to try and hit the low draw or knock down driver into a par 3 and if you don't pull it off you're not in jail. Going back for a third time in March. Can't wait.

[OpusX20]

Not sure how I missed this thread, but great idea to do a poll on this topic. I voted for Bandon, even though I love Pacific as well. It's hard for me to put my finger on why I prefer Bandon. Probably some of it is familiarity. I have played Bandon many more times than Pacific. One of my most memorable rounds of golf ever, was previewing Bandon before it officially opened. As mentioned before, the routing on Pacific is better. But, for whatever reason, I just enjoy Bandon more. Hopefully, I will get up there in December or January to give Old Mac a spin. I love Bandon. In fact, I just love Oregon golf. I could spend the rest of my life playing golf in Central Oregon and Bandon.

[teejaywhy]

[quote name='njlam' timestamp='1279221067' post='2578072']
...
I too expect to try Old MacDonald this November. It is an annual three day trip where we have always played Bandon, Pacific and Trails. This year, Trails will be left out of the rotation. I am sure this will be a trend on three day visits to Bandon.
[/quote]

I guess you will have to start planning FOUR-day trips to Bandon!

[evanrfid]

OM easily. That could be the best course on the planet.

I put Trails second. Every hole on the course is intriguing. If that course was private and isolated(like Sand Hills) it'd be considered a top 5 modern course. Instead, it gets panned by resort golfers that simply don't care to understand it. I don't blame anyone that complains about the difficulty of walking it, but the finishing stretch there is one of the best tests of a golfer's game anywhere.

PD third. It just doesn't impress me as much as I expected. The par 3s and long 4s, such as the ocean bordering 4 and 13, aren't as interesting as I was led to believe. The Par 5s aren't world class in my eyes. I do love 6 and 16, the short fours. It gets third place over BD mostly because the greens on Pac are far superior to the more user-friendly greens of the Bandon Dunes course.

[roll - gybe]

OM because you just can't play golf like that in the USA. It is so different.

Then I rank Bandon Dunes next. It's breathtaking and fun.

Pacific is a close second - splitting hairs. I put Bandon in front of Pacific just because I have seen some of those hole designs before in other places. It is still awesome, and I had my low round of the trip there.

Trails - can play courses like that in other places...

edit - notice my avatar!!!

[dpark]

Had our annual Bandon golf trip the weekend before Thanksgiving. Really lousy weather but got to play OM twice. We were supposed to play it three times but the weather was so bad I passed on replay of OM (yes, heresy I know, passing up on a 2nd round anywhere at Bandon...)

Perhaps 2 rounds isn't enough to form a full opinion and again the weather was crap and the winds were blowing the wrong way on some of the holes so they played very differently than normal (according to the caddies).

OM is a very different style of course, the best way I can describe it is think of the Old Course with Augusta-like elevation changes. Wide open fairways (if you lose a ball, you really hit a poor shot) and with huge greens. If you put your tee shot in the wrong location and try to force a par, you could end up with a triple-bogey very easily, but if you play for a bogey from that same tee shot the course will generally let you have it. There are some pin placements we saw that are just insane...

IMO, even more than PD, the putter is often the right play from 30-40 yards off the green. The greens are so unreceptive (unless you are hitting your approach shot into the wind) and so undulating that a "ground" game is essential to take advantage of the numerous side-boards and backboards on the putting surfaces.

It doesn't blow away BD or PD. It is more of a complement to them. BD, PD and OM are all great courses that put different requirements on your game. BT is still the bottom of the barrel to me, a distant, distant fourth.

[Jonny_Pepper]

I voted for Pac. Ive played that course maybe... 25 times.

Its really has it all. The Wow factor from the ocean, dunes, what else!?

I have yet to play Old Mac but i would have to put the course in this order!

1. Pacific Dunes
2. Bandon Trails
3. Bandon Dunes

[DMR2112]

I just got back from my first trip to Bandon and I really liked all 4 of the courses and would not really be fair to rank them but I will rate them like this:

Bandon Dunes - My favorite!! Love the routing, the holes on the cliffs, the bunkering and the mix of holes. Excellent layout and so much fun to play! 3-6 was my favorite stretch.
Pacific Dunes - Great layout with more blind/semi blind shots and more strategy here in my opinon. Scenery stunning as well, especially around 10 and 11.
Bandon Trails - I really liked this course and was my second favorite. The setting in the forest, dunes and meadow is beautiful and a nice change of pace from linkes at BD and PD. A bit more up and down but overall, a very enjoyable course to walk and play.
Old Macdonald - Very interesting layout and design. I made more birdies and Doubles here than the others. Condition needs a bit more time to grow in IMHO. Greens were thin and heavily sanded over when we were there. Love the concept and how the course was done. Certainly one of a kind.

Looking forward to a return trip to Bandon to play all of these beauties again.

DR

[Top100player]

Guys, I know this is a little off beat, but any of you that have golfed Bandon before, I need advice/recommendations on what rain gear to buy. I want good stuff as I will be playing Bandon soon and I want to be comfortable.
Thanks

[dpark]

[quote name='Top100player' timestamp='1297650404' post='2974519']
Guys, I know this is a little off beat, but any of you that have golfed Bandon before, I need advice/recommendations on what rain gear to buy. I want good stuff as I will be playing Bandon soon and I want to be comfortable.
Thanks
[/quote]

Get something made of Gore-Tex and you can't go wrong (Zero, Sunice, Galvin Green etc.)

Get something else and you could end up like the 2010 Ryder Cup team

[lsfird13]

[quote name='DMR2112' timestamp='1297526866' post='2970792']
I just got back from my first trip to Bandon and I really liked all 4 of the courses and would not really be fair to rank them but I will rate them like this:

Bandon Dunes - My favorite!! Love the routing, the holes on the cliffs, the bunkering and the mix of holes. Excellent layout and so much fun to play! 3-6 was my favorite stretch.
Pacific Dunes - Great layout with more blind/semi blind shots and more strategy here in my opinon. Scenery stunning as well, especially around 10 and 11.
Bandon Trails - I really liked this course and was my second favorite. The setting in the forest, dunes and meadow is beautiful and a nice change of pace from linkes at BD and PD. A bit more up and down but overall, a very enjoyable course to walk and play.
Old Macdonald - Very interesting layout and design. I made more birdies and Doubles here than the others. Condition needs a bit more time to grow in IMHO. Greens were thin and heavily sanded over when we were there. Love the concept and how the course was done. Certainly one of a kind.

Looking forward to a return trip to Bandon to play all of these beauties again.

DR
[/quote]

Interesting that you had more doubles at Old Mac than anywhere else. I thought that Old Mac was so wide open that doubles, triples and X's would be more frequent on Trails and Pac - which I've found to be more penal. I've only played the 10 hole preview loop at Old Mac but shot just a couple over which was my best string of holes on that trip. Why the doubles on Old Mac more so than the others?

[Gachnar]

Voted for PD, it has the best overall layout and I tend to play it the best I almost aced both back to back par 3s the first time I played it. However, after my most recent trip I'm tempted to vote trails. Very tough, but easily the best greens on the property, and the only ones you can count on to putt true.

Best hole has to be at BD though (#16) followed closely by 16 at OM.