I thought I would put together a few thoughts on Bandon Dunes for those of you that have not had the pleasure of spending a few days there. This will be my sixth trip to Bandon Dunes Golf Resort and I have been there in all four seasons of the year and I have enjoyed every one of my visits.
I’ve had the privilege of golfing at some of the most prestigious golf courses around the world and throughout the USA. I still have found the few days spent at Bandon to be some of my best golf experiences ever. There are four 18 hole golf courses (a fifth will open in 2020) that are situated near the rugged Pacific coastline in central Oregon. Mike Keiser, the owner and developer of Bandon Dunes, took a huge risk building here because the area is relatively desolate and difficult to get to. He, is an avid golfer and he fell in love with Scottish links style golf and he lamented that there were few authentic Scottish style courses in the US. So, he set out and built not one but four great examples. Lucky us.
As I reflect on it I ask myself what is it that has made each of my trips to Bandon so special. Yes the golf has been great, even when the weather has been anything but. What I think has made each trip special has been that each trip has been a few days spent with good friends, and now family, sharing an almost spiritual golf experience but also taking the time to deepen those friendships and strengthen those bonds between us. I hope that each of you will have this experience with this trip, and perhaps we can spawn a new tradition.
Now here are a few pointers on your trip to Bandon Dunes.
Bandon Dunes is a walking course - The developer wanted to maintain a true Scottish tradition of golf being an athletic endeavor. Motorized golf carts are available but they require a Doctor’s prescription to use them and they were added simply to comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act. We will not be using them. Three of the four courses (Bandon and Pacific Dunes and Old MacDonald) are relatively flat and level given their close proximity to the ocean. The fourth, Bandon Trails, is situated nearby in the hills and is a bit more challenging of a walk. Each course will be 6.5 to 7.5 miles of walking (depending on how straight you hit your ball). So on our first day we will be playing 2 courses and we will walk at least 15 miles. I recommend bringing 2 pairs of golf shoes if possible and some extra socks.
Caddies are available. If you prefer not to carry your own bag you can hire a caddy for $100 per round (not including tip). Push carts are also available. Although it is a little pricey, having a caddie enriches the Scottish golf experience and it lightens your load. The other benefit of a caddy is that they help spot your ball for you and read the greens, which can be challenging. I have not reserved any caddies but do let me know if you want one so I can make sure we get them if we want. In November, many of the caddies move on to other high end courses where they can pick up more "loops". I know the courses pretty well and I can go with or without a caddie.
Weather - the weather is always pretty temperate along the coast. In November we will have a 50:50 chance of rain so bring a waterproof top and rain pants if you have them. An umbrella is also a must. The temperatures will be in the mid-50s with evenings in the 40s. I usually golf in trousers and layered top. Short sleeve collared polo shirt as a base and long sleeve top over that and for the morning round a light jacket on top. As it warms up I can shed layers. The course is always pretty breezy, especially the courses along the ocean.
Pace of play is critical. None of us are professional golfers if you lose a ball - let it go. If you find yourself falling behind pick up your ball and drop up ahead. Remember that we are here for fun and camaraderie. We need to complete our round in 4 hours. This is also important because if we want to complete our second round in daylight we will need to play briskly. Our second round tee time is at 1:00 PM and sundown is at 5:00 pm.
Cabins - we will be staying at the Inn. It will be 2 to a room with each room having 2 queen size beds. It has been a tradition for one of us to bring a fine bottle of whiskey for evening sipping and a cooler of beer as a chaser. Travis - since you have a Yeti cooler I volunteer you to bring the beer and Brandon, how about you pick up a nice bottle of whiskey - a nice bourbon perhaps. I have not stayed at the Inn before, in the past I have been at the cabins that are located around the size-able property. I’m sure we will be comfortable. A deck of cards and poker chips is also a nice way to wind down. I will bring those along.
Getting there. There are only 2 flights a day from SFO to North Bend, Or airport. Then you have to take a shuttle to get to the resort. I have found that it ends up being a 4 hour door-to-door ordeal flying in there even though it is only a 1 hour flight. So, we’ll skip that and drive up. It’s a 7.5-8 hour drive that will take us through some beautiful country. We will leave Chez Ballard in Martinez at 7:00 am sharp on Thursday 11/14. It’s a 3 hour drive to Redding where we will pick up Brandon. Then it is a 5 hour drive up to Bandon. With a few stops we should get there around 4:00pm. Hopefully there will be just enough daylight left to hit a few balls and work out some of the kinks from the drive up there.
The golf courses - day 1. I welcome you to go to the website to take a closer look at the courses. (www.bandondunesgolf.com). Our first round is on Bandon Dunes, which was the first course to open in 1999. Mike Keiser hired Scotsman David MacLay Kidd to come from Scotland and design this course to replicate the features of a Scottish Links course. They even developed a specialized type of turf to add to the authenticity and to withstand the winds and salt air from the nearby ocean. It is a “seaside” course but that is a little misleading because the holes that are right along the water sit high above the ocean with sheer cliffs separating the course from the beach down below. Needless to say if you hit your ball onto the beach, you won’t be playing it. Since we will be there in November we might see grey and humpback whales migrating from Alaska down to Baja or to Hawaii where they calve. I’ve seen them heading in both directions because they begin to migrate back to Alaskan waters in March and April. Our second round will be on Pacific Dunes, the second course to open 2002. This course was designed by American architect Tom Doak to be a Scottish links style course, but it is different from Bandon Dunes even though the land it sits on is very similar terrain. Pacific Dunes in probably one of my personal favorites there. Both of these courses are typically rated in the top 10 best and most scenic courses in the US. By the time we are finished we will be tired, hungry and sore. I’ll bring the ibuprofen.
The golf course - day 2. After playing 2 rounds of golf on our first day, I thought it was probably a good idea to plan on a single round on Day 2. Our third round of golf will be on Bandon Trails, which opened in 2005. This course will be markedly different than both Bandon and Pacific Dunes. It is built into the nearby hillside inland from the ocean. It is not a true links golf course since links courses by definition are adjacent to the ocean. This course was designed by the famous team of Bill Coore and Ben Crenshaw. This design team is noted for placing some of he most beautiful courses in the world on some of the most difficult pieces of property. In the US, they are famous for the Plantation Course at Kapalua on Maui. The look and feel of this course will be very different and is probably the prettiest of the four courses we will play. For the novice golfer this will be the most difficult course to play. Because of it’s hillside setting, there are a lot more places where you can lose your golf ball. As we work our way up the hillside we will be blessed with some amazing views and scenery. This course will also be the most difficult to walk because of the elevation gain. This would be a good day to lighten the golf bag and only carry the necessities. We tee off at 10:00 am and we should finish around 2:00 pm. We’ll grab a bite to eat after our round and likely play cards until dinner.
The golf course - day 3. Hopefully with only 1 round on the day before and an ample amount of time for recovery, we will be ready for our final round on Old MacDonald. This course opened in 2010 and was designed by Tom Doak, who also did Pacific Dunes. On this course, what they were going for was a more rugged Scottish Links style course. They were very successful, because the look and feel of Old MacDonald will be very different from the first 3 courses we play. Old MacDonald is very open with few trees on the course. I enjoy this course because it reminds me of playing some of the smaller and older courses in Scotland where the golf courses were literally built around sheep pastures. It will be a nice way to end our trip before our drive home. Many of the people I've been here with find this to be their least favorite course to play because it isn't quite as scenic, even though the holes right along the ocean may be some of the most beautiful. I like its simplicity and authentic commitment to true links style golf.
Practice - There is a large driving range an practice facility that is separate from all three courses. it is a great place to knock the rust off and loosen up. There is a short 9 hole part 3 course that is attached to the driving range and it is free to play. The condition is a little rough on the par 3 practice course but still a nice way to prepare. There is a 14 hole par 3 course called Bandon Preserve that they charge to play with the proceeds going to some charitable cause. It is also fun, to play and we could do it after our round on Bandon Trails if we feel up to it. Alternatively, I would suggest that we head over to the Punchbowl. This is a 100,000 square foot practice putting facility. What's nice is that there is a well stocked bar and snack bar. I've probably won and lost more money or bragging rights here at the Punchbowl than I have on any of the golf courses. Depending on how crowded it is up there in November this is my favorite way to wind down after a long day of golf.
Food - Each of the four golf courses has its own restaurant and bar. Each has excellent food. My favorites are the Pacific Grill on Pacific Dunes. They usually have great seafood. I also like the Trails end at the end of Bandon Trails. They have a great outdoor seating area where you can watch the tired golfers trudging up the finishing 18th hole on Bandon Trails. Great steaks here. No matter which restaurants we choose to eat at, we have to share a chocolate chip cookie ala mode desert - if they have them. Lunch is usually a quick bite at either the lounge in the main club house or at McKee's tavern. I've never gone hungry on any of my trips up there.
