All fathers look forward to that time when they can take a "guys" trip with their grown son. This is just the type of trip that we recently embarked upon. The participants on this great adventure were: Dads - Rex Ballard & Ken Kniffen and the Sons - Brandon Ballard and Travis Kniffen. The adventure - 2 and 1/2 days of golf at the Mecca of golf in the USA - Bandon Dunes Golf Resort.
The foursome planned the trip in early September and they anxiously awaited their departure that was scheduled for November 13, 2019. Brandon, who hadn't picked up a golf club in over 15 years would try to make time to revive some old muscle memory when he could. Travis, would finally invest in some golf lessons and couldn't wait to see if they would pay off. Rex planned the logistics of the trip with detailed precision. Each participant had their assigned tasks to ensure that the mission would go off without an hitch.
Ken Kniffen had carefully booked his business travel so that it would not interfere with his trip, but with all good plans sometimes things just don't go as planned. Unfortunately, he found himself having to travel to Canada on business on the days before our Thursday departure. Ken studied the airline schedules and realized that he would have to carry his golf clubs with him on his business trip. If that wasn't bad enough his airline itinerary had him making several lay overs and airport spread across 2 countries. Undeterred, he schlepped those clubs through each leg of his trip. The "Travel Gods" must have been smiling upon him, because his clubs were fortunately not lost or damaged by any of the airlines and Ken was able to arrive safely, albeit later than planned, on Wednesday evening - the eve of our departure.
Things were also a bit challenging for the intrepid planner, Rex Ballard. On the Wednesday evening preceding the departure day, Rex had to chair a highly contentious Home Owner's Association Meeting. This was going to be the "Perfect Storm" of all HOA meetings. The residents were up in arms because the Board of Directors had the temerity to propose a "Quiet Hours" policy. The residents were acting like the an angry horde of Hong Kong demonstrators, whose very liberty was being stolen away. The nerves of the residents were raw and things could turn very ugly. Any other HOA President surely would have rescheduled the meeting, but Rex Ballard is not just "any other HOA President." Although he should be using this precious time preparing for the 7:00 AM departure, he went forward with what was going to be a rough meeting. With the charm and tact of a distinguished diplomat, Rex was able to quell the uprising - at least for now.
Finally, the day had arrived. Departure- Day. The plan was for Ken and his son Travis to arrive at the Ballard home by 6:30 AM so that they could load up their gear and golf clubs and be on the road by 7:00 AM. It was going to be a 3 hour drive to Redding, where the trio would be picking up Brandon Ballard. The first leg of the plan was made a bit more complicated with the threat of rain on their trip up to Bandon, Oregon. This meant that each traveller was carrying extra gear should they find themselves having to golf in bad weather. Undeterred, the trio worked quickly and efficiently and indeed - they were on their way to Redding, CA to pick up Brandon by 7:01 AM. - SUCCESS!
Phase 2 of the plan had them arriving in Redding by 10:00 AM. The departure time of 7:00 AM was selected so that it would minimize the risk of encountering traffic on the way up to Redding. Even with one fuel stop, the trio would arrive at Brandon's home in the outskirts of Redding by exactly 10:00 AM. Now, with the precision of a Formula 1 pit crew, the traveller needed to rearrange the luggage so that they could add Brandon's golf clubs and luggage to the already full automobile. The plan had them departing Brandon's home by 10:30. Hopefully, this would allow just enough time to give Grandson Kainoa a big hug. Luggage stowed - Check; golf clubs loaded - Check; Golf Shoes packed - Check; Kainoa hugged - Check; On the road by 10:30 - Check. Phase 2 of the plan - SUCCESS!
Phase 3 - Drive to Bandon Dunes. Estimated travel time is 5 hours. Check-in to our hotel upon arrival and hit the driving range to shake off the effects of 7 hours of driving. With one additional fuel stop along the way, the group arrived at the Bandon Dunes Resort at 3:30 PM, exactly 5 hours after departing Redding. We were checked in and unloaded into our rooms by 4:00 PM and headed to the practice facility. This is where we ran into one small snag in our plan. The driving range was closing early because of the overcast conditions. Fortunately, we were able to hit a few golf balls and thanks to some smooth talking by Ken, he convinced the range worker to let up go ahead and play Shorty's, the adjacent par 3 course. We got in four or five holes before the sun would begin to dip below the horizon. Phase 3 of the plan - SUCCESS!
We headed back to our room and raised a glass together and toasted one another for the great success we all had contributed so far on our trip. Usually on these trips, one traveller brings beer and beverages, one the poker chips, another the snacks and one member has the special assignment of picking up an obscure bottle of whiskey so that the foursome can celebrate as the Scottish who invented the game of golf do. Brandon had the distinction of picking out the bottle of whiskey and he did not disappoint. He treated us to a fine bottle of Michter's Small Batch Bourbon. What I learned is that Michter's is one of the oldest distillers of spirits in the USA and they do it the way it has been done in Kentucky for centuries. Here is a review you might enjoy reading.https://bourbonoftheday.com/michters-bourbon-review/
In addition to kicking off our arrival with a sip of whiskey, we had to sit around the iPad and watch Robin Williams comedy routine where he explains the history of golf. https://binged.it/343U1A4 What I enjoyed most about our first evening together at Bandon Dunes was the really heartfelt and meaningful conversation we were all able to share. This allowed all of us to get to know one another better and to share things with one another that we typically don't share during idle conversation. Kudos to Brandon for kicking things off. Kudos to my travel companions as well.
Prayers to the Weather Gods: When we all committed to venture out on this trip back in September, each of us would spend countless hours referring to accuweather.com. We would carefully inspect the forecast for Bandon Dunes. In late September, thing did not look too promising. The unusually dry fall weather that Bandon was experiencing would finally give way to some rain. Of course, that rain was now being forecasted to commence on the day of arrival on Nov 13 and it would finally let up on the scheduled day of our departure of November 17. Just our luck. So several of us decided to purchase some "anti-rain" insurance. A couple of us purchased about $300 worth of rain gear. Surely, this level of investment would get the rain gods to change the forecast. I was also careful not to wash my car prior to the trip. It must have worked because the day before departure, the forecast had improved dramatically, Light showers were now being forecasted for the morning of our first round of golf and clear weather was in the forecast for the rest of our trip.
Day 1 - Bandon Dunes and Pacific Dunes: Our first tee time of the trip was scheduled at 8:10 AM. As forecasted, the weather was overcast with only a light mist falling. Everyone opted to only wear waterproof jackets and gloves and we would forego rain pants. Before tee-off, we stopped at the Lodge for a quick breakfast. We were treated to a hearty breakfast buffet which allowed us to get in and out quickly. Balls were in the air precisely at 8:10 and our golf adventure had started. The mist had largely stopped by the time we reached the 4th hole and I was even able to shed my rain jacket and gloves by the 6th hole. The weather was cool and unfortunately, the dramatic ocean views that are such a magnificent part of Bandon Dunes were somewhat obscured by fog and mist. For 3 of our golfers this was their first pilgrimage to Bandon, and even with the weather conditions they were fully taken in by the majestic beauty.
The conditions were difficult. No one parred the first hole, a challenging dog-leg right par four.
In spite of the less than ideal conditions, everyone had a fantastic time. We finished our first round of golf in 4 hours and 10 minutes. We had about 45 minutes to grab a quick bite to eat before our second round of the day at Pacific Dunes. According to my Apple Watch, our first round of golf had us walking about 7.5 miles and with the elevation changes, we did the equivalent of 33 flights of stairs. The best thing for all of us was that our feet held up and they were still dry. After a quick lunch, we headed to the shuttle that would take us to Pacific Dunes. One thing we all noticed was that even though we all felt pretty good as we walked off of Bandon Dunes, the sit down lunch left our muscles a bit tight and sore. We would have to walk it off.
We teed off of Pacific Dunes at 1:00 PM. With the overcast, it was estimated that we would have to finish our round by 5:00 PM. Unfortunately, the improvement in the weather that we saw when we finished our fist round had left us. Although it wasn't raining, the overcast, fog, mist and wind were going to make this a challenging round and the body fatigue wasn't helping. It seemed like every long par 4 that we encountered was dead into the wind. In spite of the conditions, we did successfully complete our round in about 4 hours and 10 minutes, which meant it was a little dark on our last hole. As we relaxed at the 19th hole we noticed that we had covered over 16 miles of walking on this day. If we add in the walking to and from dinner, the lodge and the Inn where we were staying we probably did over 20 miles. Surprisingly, no one had any blisters or sore feet. Everyone had some back aches and sore muscles though.
After our rounds of golf and a couple of celebratory beverages, we headed back to our rooms where we were all looking forward to a warm shower. Dinner on this night was at the Pacific Grill, which is the restaurant at the club house nearest the Pacific Dunes Golf Course which we had just finished playing a couple of hours ago. Three of the four golf courses on the resort has a clubhouse and restaurant on the course. Each of the restaurants has a different culinary theme. The Pacific Grill focuses on grilled meats and seafood. From my past visits, this had been my favorite place to dine. None of us were disappointed with our meals. After dinner, we retreated back t the room and played cards. Although we brought poker chips, Travis suggested that we play Pedro. This is the game that Elisa taught us how to play and it was played regularly in her Italian household. Brandon had never played the game before. Its a difficult game to explain because its a fairly unique game. Af first, he wasn't getting it, but after a few practice hands he immediately fell in love with the strategy that goes into the game. We would have likely played longer if we weren't all so dog tired. Fortunately, for us, our Saturday round of golf was scheduled for 10:00 AM. This would give us time to sleep in, have a leisurely breakfast and even some time to hit a few balls at the practice center.
Day 2 - Bandon Trails: Sunshine would greet us on the morning of November 16th. It was certainly quite a change in climate from the day before. Gone were the rain jackets, long pants and waterproof gloves. A couple of us were so bold to wear shorts. Those that didn't wear shorts would regret it by the 5th hole. With a 10:00 AM tee time, we thought we had plenty of time to eat, loosen up and get ready, but we ended up barely making our tee time. Bandon Trails had been scheduled on this day because we would only be playing a single round. This particular course is not a true links course. There are a few holes on this course that are near the ocean, but most wind there way through the foothills and the pine trees that line them. This course is a bit more difficult to walk because of the elevation changes. I have been to Bandon 7 times and Bandon Trails is the course I have played the least. In the past, we would play 2 rounds each day and invariably, Bandon Trails was the second round of the day and all I remembered about it was that it was a tough walk. So, I stopped playing it altogether. Playing on this trip opened my eyes up to just what a beautiful course it is. Playing the course or relatively fresh legs made this revelation possible. I have to say that Bandon Trails is now likely one of my favorites.
On Day 2, both Travis and Brandon showed improvement. It looks like those lessons that Travis invested in are beginning to pay off. Brandon, who has played the least amount of golf was taking lessons from Travis and he too began to improve. Ken was pretty much "Mr. Steady". I on the other hand dipped. My back was certainly beginning to feel a bit of stress. In spite of our scores, it was certainly a beautiful day. We all survived the the trek today. It was an 8 mile walk and we covered the equivalent of 111 flights of stairs. Once again everyone felt pretty good after the round. Dinner on this evening would be at the Trails End. This restaurant is located as the clubhouse at the end of Bandon Trails. Fortunately, for us, it is a short walk from the Inn where we were staying. The cuisine at the Trails End is Asian Fusion. I enjoyed the Korean Kalbi short ribs. Both Travis and Ken had a Yakisoba noodle bowl that was huge. It included generous chunks of crab meat, lots of vegetables, eggs, chicken and a savory broth. It was another great meal that was complimented by a nice bottle of Silver Oak cabernet. Later that evening, we returned to our Pedro tournament. The Sons took the first 2 out of 3 rounds. We decided to have another tournament 2 of 3. The Dads took the first round and the Sons the second round. This set up a thriller. In the third round the Sons quickly took a commanding lead. It was not looking good for the Dads. When things looked its bleakest, the Dads were able to take 14 point on a single round. Then the Dads took 13 points. Things were now pretty even and a winner would likely be decided with the next hand. Travis was explaining to Brandon how at this stage of the game it was not uncommon for bidders to be more aggressive in order to take control of the game. With this in mind, the Dads bid a high number, frankly hoping that the Sons would bid aggressively and that is exactly what they did. Now we would have to play the hand out. As the boys began to play, thing did not look too good, they quickly took 6 our of 14 points, but they needed to take at least 8 points. I was almost ready to toss in the cards, but we played it out. The neat thing about the game of Pedro is the strategy that goes into the game. As play continued, the Dads took 3 points. This left a single card that was worth 5 points that both sides were trying to capture. The continued to play it out. In the end, the Dads prevailed and took the last point card. I guess the old saying about "old age and treachery" may have some truth to it. To close the night out, we made one final toast to polish off the bottle that Brandon had brought. We were looking forward to our final round of our trip, but we were also disappointed to think that our trip was coming to a close.
Day 3 - Old MacDonald: Our tee time was set for 8:20 at Old MacDonald. It is hard to believe that the Bandon Dunes complex of golf courses is celebrating its 20th year. Od Mac, is the youngest of the 4 courses in the complex. It is the most traditional Scottish links style golf course of the 4. Its been my experience that golfers either love it or hate it. They tend to have very strong feelings about it. Personally, it is my favorite of the 4 courses. What I like about it is its authenticity. I haven't been golfing all of my life. I learned to play the game in my late 40s and at that time, I was doing a lot of business travel to Scotland and in many respects it is where I learned to play the game. Playing at Old Mac takes me back to those days. Unfortunately at almost 63 years old and after 3 rounds in the previous 2 days and walking 30 miles over the past 2 days, the back was just not participating in the golf swing after the third hole on Old Mac. Irrespective of the poor play, it did not deter me from reveling in the simple beauty that this course presents. Each hole seems to be peppered with bunkers, and these aren't just any bunkers. So many of these bunkers have faces that are 10' or more taller. In most cases, to end up in a bunker means a score of bogey or worse. On this particular day, I would find several of those bunkers. What I enjoyed the most was watching Travis shoot his personal best score on this course and to watch Brandon have his best day of ball striking and to score a couple of pars on this course. We completed our round in about 4 hours and 20 minutes. Although this course is slayed out on a smaller parcel of land than some of the other courses, it ends up being one of the longest to walk. We completed our round after walking almost 8 miles. After all putts were sunk, a hearty embrace was exchanged on the 18th hole. We celebrated the close of a great weekend and we celebrated one another as well.
Epilogue: With the golf done and a quick lunch at the Lodge, it was now time to hit the road and to make our way back home. We loaded up the car, packed up the clubs and started back home. After lunch and packing, it was now about 2:00 PM. First stop was to drop Brandon back home in Redding. The GPS was locked and loaded and expected arrival time was 7:00 PM. Once again, traffic was minimal and we made great time and pulled into the long driveway at about 7:00. We unpacked Brandon's clubs, suitcase and backpack and we had just enough time to say hello to Maile's parents Ben and Sara and we were even lucky enough to see Kainoa. With hugs passed around, it wan now time to head back to the Bay Area. We decided to stop in Red Bluff, which is 25 miles down the road from Redding to catch a quick bite to eat. Travis hopped on his phone and found a Mexican restaurant that had great reviews and was still open. When we got there, most of the patrons had come and gone and many of the employees were cleaning up and getting ready to close. Fortunately for us, they remained open and served us a great dinner. Travis ordered a Quesadilla that was about the size of a 18 inch hub cap that had been folded in half. That quesadilla could have easily fed a family of 4. When Travis saw it he immediately wished he hadn't enjoyed so many of the free chips and salsa. I suspect that even if he hadn't at least of 1/2 of that quesadilla would be heading home with him. We were lucky that the great reviews weren't only because of their obvious portion sizes; the food was delicious. Ken and I ordered the more modestly proportioned enchilada and chile relleno. The only drawback to finding this tasty mexican restaurant was that service was slow and it chewed up a lot of time. Our estimated arrival back home was now a little before 11:00 pm. I really appreciated Ken driving the last leg home. We arrived safely and all of us are already looking forward to the next time we can do this.
Dad and Son Trip - Check. SUCCESS!
