Bandon Dunes Solstice 2019

[mbrown1833]

Just gonna fly with mine. Never have had any issues prior.

[brownm]

Anyone get any new info yet? I didn't know if we get pairings/tee time info before arriving or not. It just can't get here soon enough, and the weather looks fantastic...

[TJG6X2]

Round 2 at the Summer Solstice for me! No new info yet. Last year they sent us the info just a couple of days in advance and sent out the tee times the day before the event I believe..which just added to some of the excitement of arriving in Bandon. I'm sharing the agenda from last year below to give everyone who is going a better idea of what to expect.

 

 

[penziol]

Got that same type of email from Bandon last night. I believe that I have sold myself on a caddy too. I was on the fence but 26+ miles of walking and swinging a club while pushing or carrying my clubs might just kill me. What are you guys doing?

[mbrown1833]

I figure if I'm doing this for the first time, I'm going to do it the way it was probably envisioned-- toting that bag myself.

[brownm]

No caddy for us... It won't be the weight of my bag that wears me down, 26 miles is a brute but I can't wait!

[payerasjl]

Lets go boys, almost game day. I hope i get done with Trails and Mac early on and catch some sunset vibes on pacific/dunes. Still on the fence about what to wear, as this is more of a marathon/iron man than a couple rounds of golf.

Also, if you want to be productive this week, DONT look at the on course cameras and fantasize about ripping stingers under the *gentle* pacific winds! (or refresh the weather forecast every 3 minutes)

 

[penziol]

oh man I can't wait. I packed up the clubs today and am using ship sticks to send them out tomorrow. I am travelling for work this week, so I have to get some packing done early. Then early morning flight on Sunday. WUUUUUUHHHHHHHUUUUU!!!!!

[TJG6X2]

I'd recommend wearing pants, polo, and then either a jacket/vest. Last year I also brought an extra polo that I changed into after two rounds, 4 pairs of socks (one for each round), and two pair of shoes that I rotated through which was a game changer. Best thing I did was wear tights/spandex...realize thats not for everyone, but it helped prevent chaffing in spots I couldn't imagine. I'd probably recommend having some chap stick, anti-chaffing cream/powder, and bandaids on deck in case you find yourself getting rubbed raw in any awkward spots (back of the ankle is always an awkward spot for me).

 

8 days away!

[jegronka]

How's it going everyone? I am participating in the solstice with a big group, so it has been nice reading how excited everyone is and I have definitely picked up some tips from this thread.

 

One of the guys from our group is flying in to the North Bend Airport (OTH) on Sunday and he gets in around 1 in the afternoon. I am wondering if anyone here is flying in on Sunday and have an extra spot in a rental car for a fellow solsticer? Thanks in advance, looking forward to meeting everyone!

[CMUgol4]

So so so pumped for this...cannot wait (honestly work is secondary to my mental prep). Just packed the travel bag and the suitcase is almost filled

[penziol]

@jegronka unfortunately we are flying into Eugene and driving down on Monday morning. I've heard the shuttle from OTH is reasonable.

Let the over packing begin. The engineer in me wants to be prepared and have everything I "might" need, but the other side knows its more crap I have to lug around. I shipped out the clubs through ship sticks on Wed., and got confirmation they arrived already. I'd say that ship sticks is awesome but after doing it for the first time, I'm not sure what if any value they added over Fedex or UPS.

[CMUgol4]

For those coming, we've played the past two days. The wind has been whipping and some cold weather gear won't go unworn. Definitely late in the day along the coast gets cold fast

[mattw387]

I've been following this thread, reading all of the build up and am extremely excited for all who are attending. Here's to good weather, dry socks and an unforgettable experience! Looking forward to making my way out to this event in the near future.

[brownm]

Here is my wrapup, keep in mind my body is still hurting...my brother and I carried our own bags for all 4 rounds. The quality of my golf was suspect, but Jamie and the twosome from Portland we were paired with (Ryan and Chris) amazed me at how focused and fluid they remained all day (I'm cashing in my old man card at 45, Jamie is 40 and the other 2 were late 30s).

 

Quick numbers :

-Tee off Bandon Dunes #1 at 545am

-Finished and arrived at Pacific Dunes at 915am

-Finished and arrived at Bandon Trails at 100pm

-Lunch while driving and finished on first tee of Trails, teed off at 130pm

-Finished and arrived at Old Mac at 445pm

-Walked off Old Mac and received our Benjamin at 815pm

14hrs 30 min total, 51000 steps, 29.7 miles walked from start to finish.

I needed 11 golf balls for the day, others did a little better. Sustained winds were 25mph, gusts to 40 or so.

Fastest 18 holes by any foursome was 2:45, slowest was 3:55 on their last round. No issues finishing as the sun set, plenty of light until 9pm or so.

 

All the tips everyone submitted on here were on par (snicker): change socks between rounds, alternate shoes, layers and more layers, extra golf balls in your travel bag that is left at the starters shed, chapstick and sunscreen reapplied all day, keep drinking water and forcing energy bars or bananas all day (snacks available on course at rest stations).

 

OK, would I do it again? This was my 4th Bandon trip, my brother's first. We were fortunate to play all 4 courses over the 3 days leading into the Solstice event. I personally am thrilled I did this but would rather visit again and play the courses over a few days instead. My golf game isn't solid enough to sustain a swing over 72 holes, and I couldn't help but get frustrated late in the day (Trails was NOT kind to me). If you have never gone to Bandon, I wouldn't think the Solstice would be the best way to see it for the first time. Money wise the cost is about the same for 2 guys to share a room and play 72 holes over 3 days with hotel and meals (in fact, our bill for the Saturday - Monday was almost exactly the same cost as the Solstice which covered Monday - Wednesday). We had excellent summer weather, where warm temps and sun ALWAYS lead to high winds. However, there is no guarantee that the weather will be great and I'd worry about putting all my apples in one basket for one golf day. That being said, I loved it. Jamie and I got to spend some time together, we were fortunate to meet 2 great guys from the pacific NW, and hanging out with all of the other crazies afterward was a blast. Do it at least once, you won't regret it and you may want to make it an annual trek. Though next year Sheep Ranch would be open and you'd have to play 5 rounds to play them all...

 

And one more thing... Don't plan on more golf the next morning. I thought my back would hurt the most, but it was actually my legs. I could probably hit golf balls today, but I certainly wouldn't want to walk after them!

 

 

[penziol]

We had a great time too. I couldn't say more about the property and the employees that work there. We probably talked to to 8-10 employees and all of them were super helpful and took the conversations further and more in depth than what we were looking for. They made sure we had all the info we needed. It was really a great experience.

 

Just a little bit of our story for anyone that wants more input on the event.

My father-in-law (69 years old) and I played together and got paired with some fun energetic guys from DC. Three of us got caddies, my father-in-law did not. At 69 he carried his bag the entire 4 rounds and still had some gas in the tank afterwards. I am 37 and over weight but finished no problem. I am just super sore, and probably will be the next couple days. We started on Trails, then OM, BD, and PD. This was our first trip out and we enjoyed every part of it. I showed my wife some pictures and it's horrible how bad a picture captures this place. To anyone else, it looks like some bushes, mounds and sand but you have to go out there to really appreciate the views and massive expanse that this place covers. We are definitely in for the solstice next year, and are going to try and talk some more of our buddies in too. We only came out a day early, so next year we will try to tack on a few more days before the event to discover more of Bandon. Side note: Roger Clemens was out there with his kid as well as JR Smith and Deron Williams (NBA).

 

 

[TW13]

I am going to be doing it this year. I love all the tips and welcome them all.

Thank you

[shackmangolf]

Hey guys - in anticipation of Solstice 2020, I went a bit overboard and started a podcast dedicated to the event. I started it back in January and then work got in the way. I got it launched this week with time on my hands due to quarantine. Hopefully, I haven't jinxed us in regards to the 2020 event.

Feel free to listen. If you have anything to add, ping me and we will get you on the podcast - WOULD LOVE TO HEAR FROM PREVIOUS (2011-2019) PARTICIPANTS. If you have topics you would like covered, hit us up. And follow us on IG for daily content and tips/tricks for Solstice.

Bragger84 was already a guest and its a good listen. New episodes drop on Tuesdays. So far we have some good interviews with a 6x participant (CEO of Seamus) and the head of operations of Bandon. I also have an interview with a TPI certified trainer to talk fitness and hopefully trying to get a mental coach lined up as well. Suggestions for guests would be cool. https://www.buzzsprout.com/1032544

IG handle is @bandonsolstice.

And for those that think I am promoting a commercial interest, I am not. This is simply a passion project to celebrate a cool event. So please don't get me flagged. Or, if you have an issue with this post, ping me with suggestions on how to speak about it on GOLFWRX without getting flagged.

Last, I am a 30+ handicap when it comes to podcasting. Any tips welcome on how to make it better.

[TW13]

Really love the podcast. I'm doing it for the first time this year and looking for all the help I can get. I'm more interested in the logistics. What would be something to bring that you wouldn't think of. How much time do you have between rounds to change, what type of food is there I'm a big guy and type 2 diabetic so always thinking of food. I want to keep the bag as light as I can for my caddy, but I don't want to forget anything I might want for a little more comfort. I know the basics ie bag left at starter, at least 2 pairs of shoes, socks ever round, layers, layers and layers, and anti-chafe stick. It sounds like Akbar was talking about wearing running shoes on some rounds is that correct?

Once again, I appreciate the podcast and look forward to the new ones on Tuesday.

[GQ0208]

Has anyone going to Solstice 2020 been contacted by Bandon? I have never been more excited for a golf trip but unfortunately COVID has put a damper on things a bit. I know the resort is reopening on May 11th and I have read all of the restrictions. The flights that we booked are really screwed up right now. I have called and talked to people there and the vibe that I got has been, if the resort is open then Solstice will go on as scheduled. Just trying to see if anyone has received any information. I thought I read somewhere that someone from Bandon would contact me at some point regarding sizes and information for the welcome bags.

[bdt]

As far as things happening... Not sure. The resort reopened yesterday for Oregonians only play (May 6-10). The whole place opens to the public on May 11th. Local hotels open 5/11 down there from what I've heard. As far as things go here in Oregon, our infection rate has remained low and at a fairly steady linear growth. Some things are slowly opening back up. It gives me hope, but that may just be false hope. If we experience a surge then no bueno.

They usually contact you around 3-4 weeks before the event to confirm names and ask things like shirt/shoe size depending on what kind of swag they're giving out that year. I don't think you've missed anything.

 

Since you're wondering about 2020... I've included the link to Solstice 2020 below. Fingers crossed.

 

Here's the link to the Solstice 2020 forum. Not much activity there. Maybe everyone is holding their breath...

 

 

[shackmangolf]

TW13 - love the questions. Here is what I've decided to do under the idea of an idea that most wouldn't think of. It might be random but wanted to share. I personally struggle when caddies double bag since I am typically a faster golfer than the caddie. And my partner is crooked off the tee. I hate having all of my stuff in my bag on my caddies shoulder and having the caddie helping my playing partner and me waiting. Also, I really hate loading down my bag for a caddie. He shouldn't have to carry a dozen balls, a bunch of food, my flask, my speaker and lots of stuff. So I came up with having a drawstring bag that my kids use to take to sports - a super lightweight double drawstring that acts as a backpack. I plan on putting my rangefinder, my food, my waterbottle, speaker and my flask in that bag. The reason is to speed up play and lighten the load for the caddy. I can walk to my ball, shoot it, get the wind and then walk over to caddy to grab a club if waiting. I can play super fast ready golf. Also, if I have my food and water bottle with me 100% of the time, I will eat and drink more consistently. And I will always have my tunes.

Also, someone suggested a Buff. I have several for fishing and plan to bring one. Can help with sun but also can put around ears to deal with wind.

I also decided that I am only going to have my 14 sticks and 6 balls in my bag with the caddie. I have a Ping Moonlite II. Each round is only 3 hours. I can refill balls and stuff between rounds from my duffle bag.

My in between round duffle will have:

an extra pair of shoes (plan to switch at 36)3 pairs of socks (switch between rounds)my rain gear including rain glovesextra shirt, shorts and hatsunglassesdozen ballsFood (300 calories per hour) probably almonds, pnut butter sandwiches and beef jerkyExtra flask (if needed)Extra battery charger for my phoneFirst aid kit with body glide, blister kit and athletic tape to tape up any hotspots on the hands (ala Tiger)Hope this helps - follow us on IG @bandonsolstice

 

[bdt]

Hey guys,

 

great plan. I loved the bag list! I’d forgotten about phone charger.

A couple things (having done Solstice 3 times before) I’d add ...

 

For solstice, caddies usually don’t double bag. One caddie for each player. I even called to double check this last week when confirming caddies for our Monday sheep ranch tee time. Duffel bag with spare stuff is key. You have enough time to restock, change socks/shoes while on the shuttle in between courses. Usually you walk off 18, grab a shuttle, and walk to 1st tee. No sitting around. they typically have granola bars, bananas, and apples in coolers along the courses. Lunch is typically a yummy wrap, chips, and cookies (given to you after 36). If you are a type 2 diabetic, I would definitely pack snacks and food that will you know work for you. Last thing you want is hyper or hypoglycemia in the middle of the day. If you really want to lighten your bag, leave some clubs out. Do you really need a 60 degree wedge at Bandon? I’d say no. The lies are just too tight. I typically carry 8-10 clubs. For instance I keep my 56 and PW, but leave my 60 and 54 at home. Also ditch another couple irons. They’ll lighten your bag for the caddie more than anything. And it’s fun to have less clubs. More creative shot making. 2 more weeks!!! Good luck and travel safe!