Bandon Dunes Planning for 2019

[cldtn]

Here is our Bandon itinerary/budget from May 2018:

 

We ended pretty close to these figures.

 

 

[duffer987]

^Good stuff :)

Did you have many 'idiots' in your foursome? Never been anytime other than winter, so it's never been an option.

[cldtn]

^Good stuff :)

Did you have many 'idiots' in your foursome? Never been anytime other than winter, so it's never been an option.

 

Two of us played the Preserve on Thursday for 49 total holes. Same two played a bonus 9 @ Bandon on Saturday for 45 holes. Exhausting, but worth it..........

[ebrasmus21]

^Good stuff :)

Did you have many 'idiots' in your foursome? Never been anytime other than winter, so it's never been an option.

 

Two of us played the Preserve on Thursday for 49 total holes. Same two played a bonus 9 @ Bandon on Saturday for 45 holes. Exhausting, but worth it..........

 

Hurt my knee in 2014 running a Tough Mudder. The 30, or so, miles I walked while at Bandon did a number on me. My knee hasn't been the same since sept....

[cldtn]

Here is the the total from the Saturday 45 holes. We ended the week right at 50 miles.

 

 

[ebrasmus21]

Here is the the total from the Saturday 45 holes. We ended the week right at 50 miles.

 

 

 

Sweet heavens that's a lot of walking. We were there long enough to play every course. Played Trails and Pacific on the same day. I think when it was all said and done we were around 30 miles total.

[eboettne]

Here is our Bandon itinerary/budget from May 2018:

 

We ended pretty close to these figures.

 

 

 

Don't feel so bad now that I made my own excel spreadsheet/powerpoint for my trip.

[duffer987]

Here is our Bandon itinerary/budget from May 2018:

 

We ended pretty close to these figures.

 

 

 

Don't feel so bad now that I made my own excel spreadsheet/powerpoint for my trip.

If you're not using MS Office/Google docs, colour coding, and have multiple iterations, you're not doing it right! ;)

[kanard1]

Bandon Dunes Itinerary

April 15th-18th

Sunset 8pm

 

(Monday) Day 1

Preserve/Punchbowl(Cocktails) 5:00pm

 

(Tuesday) Day 2

Pacific Dunes 9:00am

Bandon Dunes 3:10pm

 

(Wednesday) Day 3

Old Mac 7:00am

Bandon Dunes 12:40pm

 

(Thursday) Day 4

Bandon Trails 9:30am

Old Mac 3:00pm

 

Finally locked down our trip, can not wait!!! Thank you for all the tips:

Any recommendations on food on property?

Caddie recommendations?

 

 

 

 

[duffer987]

^Like it :-)

That's a great 6 round/3 day lineup on the big courses.

 

Food is the food. For breakfast skip the buffet and order off the menu or go into town to get bagels and coffee from the Bandon Coffee Cafe on your late start mornings.

[kanard1]

Thanks!

Great tip; I’m not a buffet guy anyway. April can’t come soon enough

[mallrat]

I’ll be honest and say this hoping you don’t change your itinerary, Trails ALWAYS gets played twice. But that is coming from a guy who ranks Pacific last among the 4

[dpark]

 

(Thursday) Day 4

Bandon Trails 9:30am

Old Mac 3:00pm

 

 

Thursday is going to kick your butt. BT and OM back-to-back is a tough walk if you aren't in really good shape (even with caddies). Strongly suggest changing socks and shoes between rounds.

[duffer987]

Thanks!

Great tip; I’m not a buffet guy anyway. April can’t come soon enough

Maybe pick up a second job? Work lots of overtime? Concentrate on the family? Induced coma? Lots of ways to make the time go quickly.

 

And you've got a great distribution of courses over the four days, getting to see everything the resort has to offer.

Everyone has their pet courses and order of preference and over the years - with multiple visits - you'll develop your own :)

[marks21]

I am starting to plan a trip for 4 of us and dates that would work for everyone would be either November 2019 or March or April of 2020. For those you have been during these times, which would you recommend?

[duffer987]

I am starting to plan a trip for 4 of us and dates that would work for everyone would be either November 2019 or March or April of 2020. For those you have been during these times, which would you recommend?

I've done Nov and Feb and would say whichever you choose, always pick as late in the month as you can (Nov for the rate drop & Mar/Apr for more daylight).

Personally I think 2nd half of March is good value. You're as likely to run into a wet spring in April as March - especially with say a 4 day trip it's still a crapshoot. It really comes down to green fee/lodging price + average sunrise/sunset + average daily temps.

You can check Accuweather for historical data and see there's not much in it - if anything - temp wise Mar/Apr.

[marks21]

I am starting to plan a trip for 4 of us and dates that would work for everyone would be either November 2019 or March or April of 2020. For those you have been during these times, which would you recommend?

I've done Nov and Feb and would say whichever you choose, always pick as late in the month as you can (Nov for the rate drop & Mar/Apr for more daylight).

Personally I think 2nd half of March is good value. You're as likely to run into a wet spring in April as March - especially with say a 4 day trip it's still a crapshoot. It really comes down to green fee/lodging price + average sunrise/sunset + average daily temps.

You can check Accuweather for historical data and see there's not much in it - if anything - temp wise Mar/Apr.

 

Thanks for the input. Temps and rain averages for April/November seem to be consistent. 2019 prices are the exact same between the two as well, even with a slight increase for 2020, it wouldn't be an issue. Biggest advantage for April would be the additional day light. November has on average 11 hours of day light and while that should be plenty for two rounds, I always worry about not finishing all 18 the 2nd round. Plan would be to play 18 upon arriving, 36 the next two days and then 18 before departing. Any issues with pace of play not getting both rounds in during your November trip?

[mallrat]

What kind of shape are you in? This isn’t meant to be critical but an honest look. 3 days of 36 is pretty rough on your body. If you or members of your group aren’t in the best shape I would look at the 2nd day of 36. You can play 18 then grab lunch and head to the range (look up the links lessons with Grant Rogers) or play Shorty’s and then head over to Punchbowl.

 

I just played 18, 36, 18 and am in decent shape, not good not bad and was amazed at how much my swing went away the last 18. Didn’t feel tired but my body was and things got tight.

[marks21]

What kind of shape are you in? This isn't meant to be critical but an honest look. 3 days of 36 is pretty rough on your body. If you or members of your group aren't in the best shape I would look at the 2nd day of 36. You can play 18 then grab lunch and head to the range (look up the links lessons with Grant Rogers) or play Shorty's and then head over to Punchbowl.

 

I just played 18, 36, 18 and am in decent shape, not good not bad and was amazed at how much my swing went away the last 18. Didn't feel tired but my body was and things got tight.

 

With a November trip, I wouldn't be to concerned as we would still be in shape from our Iowa golf season. We are all in right around 30 and walk 18 3-4 times a week, if not more. April would be more taxing as we would probably only have a month or so of golf to get in shape.

[duffer987]

I am starting to plan a trip for 4 of us and dates that would work for everyone would be either November 2019 or March or April of 2020. For those you have been during these times, which would you recommend?

I've done Nov and Feb and would say whichever you choose, always pick as late in the month as you can (Nov for the rate drop & Mar/Apr for more daylight).

Personally I think 2nd half of March is good value. You're as likely to run into a wet spring in April as March - especially with say a 4 day trip it's still a crapshoot. It really comes down to green fee/lodging price + average sunrise/sunset + average daily temps.

You can check Accuweather for historical data and see there's not much in it - if anything - temp wise Mar/Apr.

 

Thanks for the input. Temps and rain averages for April/November seem to be consistent. 2019 prices are the exact same between the two as well, even with a slight increase for 2020, it wouldn't be an issue. Biggest advantage for April would be the additional day light. November has on average 11 hours of day light and while that should be plenty for two rounds, I always worry about not finishing all 18 the 2nd round. Plan would be to play 18 upon arriving, 36 the next two days and then 18 before departing. Any issues with pace of play not getting both rounds in during your November trip?

With sub 8am starts and replays by 1pm (knock on wood) we've been good. Tee off after 8:30 and you may get another 18 in depending on how busy it is and the weather. We've had some really relaxed 2nd 18s where we were finished with loads of time and others where 17/18 were getting to night vision goggle territory.

That said, had we not been called off for thunder last month, there is no way we would have got our Pacific replay in, as there two foursomes that we (and a group in front of us) ran into, that were simply slow. Maybe the marshall would have made them step aside for a few groups?

 

We easily completed two 36 hole days last trip with sub 8am starts. If you are one of the first 4 groups out you can do sub 4hr rounds, grab a sandwich and get to your next tee time. But for sure Mar/Apr opens up waaay more times for 36, to the point I doubt you'd need to worry at all.

[spud3]

My experience is that the Spring time-frame is typically wetter, but less intense storms. Winter time-frame gives you the chance of some brilliant days, but the stormy days are much more intense. November also introduces the possibility of frost delays, depending on how late in the month you go. There's a reason the costs drop so dramatically in late Nov.

 

I've found the hardest day on my body is the day after the first 36 hole day. Succeeding 36 hole days are not as bad, for some reason. Good suggestion to plan an "easier" day right after the first 36 (e.g., a bit later tee time, followed by a nice lunch, perhaps a round on the Preserve, then Punchbowl for wagering).

 

+1 on the comments above about the ability to get two rounds completed in November. Get out early for round 1 and you should be ok. No problems getting 36(+) in during late March-April.

[marks21]

We have decided to give November 2019 a go and added another day to get another round and enjoy the experience a bit more.

Flying from Cedar Rapids / Denver / Eugene and staying the night in Eugene before heading to Bandon.

 

Day 1 -

Arrive to Bandon, hit the range and possibly Shorty's before an afternoon round on Bandon Dunes.

Day 2 -

Play Pacific Dunes in the AM and Bandon Trails in the PM.

Day 3-

Old Macdonald in the morning followed by an afternoon off. Possibly play the Preserve or spend time at the Punchbowl.

Day 4 -

Bandon Dunes for the morning round and ending with an evening round at Bandon Trails.

Day 5-

Play Pacific Dunes before heading out to Eugene.

 

We decided we would prefer 2 rounds on Bandon Dunes, Trails, and Pacific Dunes leaving one round at Old Mac. Would restructure these rounds anyway? Afternoon round on Pacific and a morning round on Trails?

[schneidm10]

We have decided to give November 2019 a go and added another day to get another round and enjoy the experience a bit more.

Flying from Cedar Rapids / Denver / Eugene and staying the night in Eugene before heading to Bandon.

 

Day 1 -

Arrive to Bandon, hit the range and possibly Shorty's before an afternoon round on Bandon Dunes.

Day 2 -

Play Pacific Dunes in the AM and Bandon Trails in the PM.

Day 3-

Old Macdonald in the morning followed by an afternoon off. Possibly play the Preserve or spend time at the Punchbowl.

Day 4 -

Bandon Dunes for the morning round and ending with an evening round at Bandon Trails.

Day 5-

Play Pacific Dunes before heading out to Eugene.

 

We decided we would prefer 2 rounds on Bandon Dunes, Trails, and Pacific Dunes leaving one round at Old Mac. Would restructure these rounds anyway? Afternoon round on Pacific and a morning round on Trails?

 

I would flip your Trails rounds and play those in the mornings and get Pacific and Bandon in the afternoon. Playing both Pacific and Bandon at sunset is awesome.

[spud3]

Only thing I would suggest (similar to what schneidm10 says above) is flipping Pacific and Trails on Day 2. That would give you a morning and afternoon round on all three of BD/PD/BT. They can all be very different courses in the mornings vs. afternoons, depending on wind direction and intensity.

 

Other than that, it's pretty much a perfect lineup, IMO.

 

Keep open the notion of dropping one of the other rounds in case you all find you like OM enough to play it twice.

 

And don't forget a trip report when you get home!

[kanard1]

Can anyone tell me if the Chrome lake double have a fridge in them? Do most people bring coolers for beers and cocktails in there rooms?

Do the chrome lake doubles offer adjoining rooms?

[jvincent]

We have decided to give November 2019 a go and added another day to get another round and enjoy the experience a bit more.

Flying from Cedar Rapids / Denver / Eugene and staying the night in Eugene before heading to Bandon.

 

Day 1 -

Arrive to Bandon, hit the range and possibly Shorty's before an afternoon round on Bandon Dunes.

Day 2 -

Play Pacific Dunes in the AM and Bandon Trails in the PM.

Day 3-

Old Macdonald in the morning followed by an afternoon off. Possibly play the Preserve or spend time at the Punchbowl.

Day 4 -

Bandon Dunes for the morning round and ending with an evening round at Bandon Trails.

Day 5-

Play Pacific Dunes before heading out to Eugene.

 

We decided we would prefer 2 rounds on Bandon Dunes, Trails, and Pacific Dunes leaving one round at Old Mac. Would restructure these rounds anyway? Afternoon round on Pacific and a morning round on Trails?

 

IMHO Old Mac is much better than Trails. Play it twice instead of Trails.

 

I agree with the other suggestion to play Trails in the AM.

[Brizam]

Why did I read this thread.... as if I didn’t want to go back bad enough already.

[mallrat]

Can anyone tell me if the Chrome lake double have a fridge in them? Do most people bring coolers for beers and cocktails in there rooms?

Do the chrome lake doubles offer adjoining rooms?

 

Not sure on adjoining rooms and I believe every room has a fridge in it.

[mallrat]

We have decided to give November 2019 a go and added another day to get another round and enjoy the experience a bit more.

Flying from Cedar Rapids / Denver / Eugene and staying the night in Eugene before heading to Bandon.

 

Day 1 -

Arrive to Bandon, hit the range and possibly Shorty's before an afternoon round on Bandon Dunes.

Day 2 -

Play Pacific Dunes in the AM and Bandon Trails in the PM.

Day 3-

Old Macdonald in the morning followed by an afternoon off. Possibly play the Preserve or spend time at the Punchbowl.

Day 4 -

Bandon Dunes for the morning round and ending with an evening round at Bandon Trails.

Day 5-

Play Pacific Dunes before heading out to Eugene.

 

We decided we would prefer 2 rounds on Bandon Dunes, Trails, and Pacific Dunes leaving one round at Old Mac. Would restructure these rounds anyway? Afternoon round on Pacific and a morning round on Trails?

 

IMHO Old Mac is much better than Trails. Play it twice instead of Trails.

 

I agree with the other suggestion to play Trails in the AM.

 

To me this is the beauty of Bandon, while I in no way share that opinion I can’t argue it. No matter what someone views as the worst course there it is still better than 90% of the worlds courses, IMHO.

 

Trails gets a mixed review 1/3 it’s their favorite (including a large number of the caddies), 1/3 can’t get over that it’s not on the ocean and 1/3 think it’s a fun, good course.

 

I look at Trails as it is the one course there where you could drop it almost anywhere in the world and it is still a great course.

[Sushiyoshi]

I love Trails! It’s so beautiful and serene. I would play it twice over OM.