Random Bandon Thread

[jjr]

Appreciate all the reply's on the cart ?. I am driving so I'll bring the carts and see how they do and use the Rickshaw's if they don't do well.

I never thought about pulling the big wheels across the greens but it makes sense they wouldn't do any damage.

[buzlin]

I'm pretty sure if your push cart has the wide tires/wheels (eg the Clicgear), you can roll it over the greens like their pull carts.

 

[Edaw68]

I think Buzlin is correct, but I've seen some marshals out there scold people in my groups with clicgears for rolling on the greens, a few holes after starters say it's fine. Probably a matter of some employees not getting the message.

One thing that is consistent is to not park on the greens, just off them. Not too tough.

[mallrat]

A side note about the carts over greens.

 

In general it is totally fine and would never impact a green. But now is where the problem comes in. If 1 person does it then 2 will do it and so on. Now heavy traffic is where the issue comes in. Where actually driving 1 cart will do nothing but the problem comes from all those that follow.

[oregongolf]

I highly disagree about a riksha being better than a clicgear or something similar. Obviously this is just my opinion, and I generally carry a moonlite when I'm there.... you can't really shove and walk a rik like you can any other 3 wheel cart. I personally think a clicgear works significantly better at Bandon anyway since the turf is so much firmer than most other places.

Having a clicgear is much preferred, especially in the off season when you may need jackets, pants, gloves, etc. The group I take has had this entire conversation multiple times (as newbies fill in) and the consensus is bring your own cart and it's not even close (maybe 90% of our guys say bring a cart rather than use a rikshaw). Obviously if the choice is to fly with it and bring it... that may be a little different.

 

 

 

[jjr]

Thanks for all the input guys, 10 weeks and counting. I'll post how my 3 wheeler did in the coming months.

[mallrat]

So I didn’t bring the ClicGear and just used their Riksha’s. Using a ClicGear whenever I play around here I noticed a few things. First, Trails it is definitely easier using a Riksha vs my cart. Their are a lot of hills and really bumpy paths, was nice having the option to push or pull. OM and Bandon it wouldn’t have mattered either way. I put Pacific closer to Trails in that you are going over a lot of bark dust and worn out paths. I had no issues with extra gear, in fact it was nice just tying my rain gear around the handle as it was off and on for 9 holes 2 days in a row.

[duffer987]

Clicgear 10 times out of 10 for me.

Pac is a PITA regardless of the number of wheels and except for hoofing it up the trail between 13 and 14, IMHO everywhere is better with a quality 3-wheeler than a Rickshaw.

Played 8 rounds week and a bit ago and it was so nice having it there.

[buzlin]

In the holiday spirit, I think we should turn the rickshaw vs clicgear discussion into our own little blades vs cbs battle. what do you all think? add some spice into our thread? kidding.

[duffer987]

Sure you prefer having to push or pull and not getting a break from the manual labour aspect of golf - although a bit of a break over carrying - so cavity-back Rickshaws are the clear choice; you get the unfiltered drudgery of it all ;-) In that case why not go full 'blade' and carry, and distill it down to it's purest form :-)

Whereas I prefer the PI (Push/pull Improvement) advantages off the three-wheel Clicgear... sure some may say I don't fully experience lugging my bag around the because I only need to guide the Clicgear around with a finger and can give it a push and let it roll on its own and walk unencumbered.

Of course in it could always be worse and we could be someone who likes SPIs and driving in a cart when they play.

[Mustu]

Always a Clicgear for me. I put my wallet, phone and keys in the compartment and my rangefinder in the basket. The couple of times I've used a rickshaw at Chambers Bay I'm always looking for my stuff. Plus you can send the Clicgear rolling down hills and hope it doesn't tip over (only happened once to me).

[buzlin]

I generally use all three methods.

In general, I'll go clicgear at BD and OM, rickshaw at BT, and carry at PD.

If the weather is going to be terrible all day, either rain or wind, I'll generally carry. Easier to get around IMO, and feels the part.

If it's on and off rain, I'll go some form of cart with the nod going to the rickshaw at PD. Having a place to store or hang wet gear, and having to take gear on and off (sometimes quickly and frequently), makes a cart an easy call.

Clicgear vs Rickshaw: goes to the clicgear because I think they're more stable when hanging gear from, and you don't have to carry the weight like you do with a pull cart, and can let the clicgear roll as mentioned.

If the weather is going to be awesome, I'll cart the morning rounds, and carry the afternoons.

Carrying feels the most pure to me and gives the the most joy in general.

Otherwise, I haven't given it much thought.................

In the end, I think you should use what ever you want. :)

[duffer987]

I'll assume everyone else here got the Bandon US Am Package email?

I really do like how they have seasonal rates to open up such a fantastic place to as much of the golfing masses as they can, but wholly crap $25k/foursome for a 3 night stay! That really is going after the high rollers, good luck to them and I sure they did their research first before finding their price level, but that's pretty bonkers.

[Mustu]

I didn't actually click through figuring it would be more than I would pay. $25k/foursome. Wow. Bet they sell out though.

[spud3]

It's nuts, and I'm hoping it's not a sign of the direction they're heading...

[jrg75]

I got the same email and was shocked when I first looked at the price. Agree with spud3, hope they keep Bandon available for the masses, I think that's how Mike Keiser really envisioned it.

I dont think this is a indication of a major shift in business practices but more about catering to a select group for a very special event. When I added everything up that was included (using some conservative estimates for certain items), I still think it's overpriced but it wasn't as ridiculous as I first thought.

This is clearly not your run of the mill, $2500 three night trip that thousands of retails golfers take every year. I estimate that just using published costs it's probably $4000 per person or $16,000 total. Not sure the VIP experience is worth 9k more but it probably is for some high rollers. Here were my estimates:

4 VIP Passes for 3 days US Am.= est $2000

3 Nights Grove Cottage 3 x $1950 = $5850

1 Round for 4 at Trails 4 x $285= $1140

Caddies for 4 at Trails 4 x $100 = $400

1 Round for 4 at Sheep Ranch 4 x $285= $1140

Caddies for 4 at Sheep Ranch 4 x $100 = $400

Round for 4 at Pacific 4 x $285= $1140

Caddies for 4 at Pacific 4 x $100 = $400

Par 3 contest for 4 at Preserve = $400

3 Breakfasts and 3 Lunches for 4 = est $600

VIP Dinner for 4 = est $500

4 Massages or Links Lessons = est $600

Club Shipping for 4 = est $600

Logo Merchandise = est $800 (who knows, could much higher)

[mallrat]

1st, maybe i’m Weird but was happy with the Riksha but seems like most others prefer their ClicGear. Oh well, guess i’m wrong.

 

NOW, I had a few interesting conversations about Sheep Ranch while I was there. Primarily it sounds like they don’t want to add more lodging. Instead of adding guests to the property it sounds like they want to use it to alleviate play on the other courses and make replays more accessible through the months where daylight hours are short. They talked about how most people couldn’t do 36 this time of year and are hoping that Sheep Ranch will allow that to happen.

Now it also sounds like transportation and the likes might be an issue. They were saying that you won’t be allowed to schedule tight turn around windows when one of your courses is Sheep Ranch. Curious to see how it all plays out logistics wise.

[duffer987]

^Yup. You cannot have shorter than 5 1/4hr replay time intervals instead of the typical 5hr.

Looks like you might be required to take the shuttle initially too, as they build out the infra.

Regardless it should definitely make replays easier in the winter in the short term, hopefully 2020 is a good growing year and come winter 20/21 it'll be in solid nick.

[dcmidnight]

I'm looking at my reservation for next October and we have 6:10 between SR and PD one day and 5:40 between BD and SR the next.

I got the same email and I dont think its worth overreacting to the Am package pricing. I took that as a very one off special offer for a very limited access event - lodging wise. I didnt see it as any more pricey than say some of the pro-am package prices I've seen at PGA tour stops. If didn't mean that particular location was changing their lodging rates - or the rates of anything - it was just a $$$ package for that one-time event.

[Roadking2003]

Looks nice. But only four rooms. Our group doesn't share bedrooms. But half of us could have stayed there. Maybe next time.

[jjr]

Thanks for all the comments on carts,we'll be using a clicgear and a sun mountain while we're there, only 18 per day but lots of putting,chipping and the preserve. I guess we could carry but we've been using carts for many years and love them, plus, we're 60 & 65, almost seniors!! haha.

We'll be there for 4 days starting 2/10 we need another twosome we can have some bets with, we're happy to play any of you kids who want to take some money off us :) we'll even play you straight up if we haven't heard of you.

[buzlin]

My black friday special Adidas Climaproof BOAs arrived. Stoked. They fit way better than my Air Bandons, which never really fit my feet. The Adidas are way more stiff, which should be nice when they get broken in, hopefully. Random.

[dcmidnight]

You're at least the third person I know that bought them in anticipation of going next year - including me haha. I had bought the Nikes and honestly thought they were just impossible to get on my feet - the outer shell just would not peel back enough and it was a real pain. I ended up returning them. By contrast these are super easy to get on and the boa dials them up tight. I look forward to breaking them in over the next year - and that will guarantee that its sunny with zero rain when I go LOL.

For $75 shipped, it was too good to pass up.

[mallrat]

I have a pair of those and love them. Comfort wise I could wear them mid summer if they weren’t so warm. I was sold on them last year on a day we got an inch and a half of rain at Bandon and I wore them for 36 and my feet were more sweaty than wet but basically bone dry.

[spud3]

I just applied the Bandon Stamp Of Approval to my Adidas a couple weeks ago. Along with the new Sunice Gore Tex gear, and Bandon bucket hat, I was totally dry after a really wet round.

 

I didn't get nearly as good of a deal, but they are worth the full MSRP if the Nikes don't fit well.

[erichake]

But there are more pounds/sq in under our feet than there are where a push cart's wheels contact the ground. What's even more insane is courses that don't want you bringing a push cart onto the tee box. Those 2/3 wheels do less "damage" than a player's two feet which are each supporting ~100 lbs.

[mallrat]

But you can’t help people walking on a green. It’s about minimizing wear on the turf.

[Roadking2003]

I think the big issue is wearing a path around the green. If everybody avoids the greens and walks around them, they will wear a path because they all go over the same space. If you walk over the green, golfers will scatter since their balls will be all over the green.

[JNewsted]

Alright BandonBuds. First timer questions (ETA 30 days).

 

I'm flying into SFO, then North Bend. Is that teeny tiny airport going to lose my sticks? (I've got a ~40 min layover in SFO...) Or should I ShipSticks it?

Planning on renting a car at OTH too. Should be pretty easy, no?

I'm head to ankle GoreTex, but all your talk about those Adidas boots has me feeling the peer pressure. I've got a couple pairs of GoreTex ECCOs that I know are fine, but will I feel more legit WRX if I get the BOA boots? :)

 

[duffer987]

I think BandonBud is a strand of weed you can pick up in town ;-)

Never flown into OTH, but if you are going Origin -> SFO (only 40mins) -> OTH, man that is tight. SFO is not the best airport to have a narrow layover window. The 'good' news is, if there is a ground delay at SFO, OTH would be one of the very first flights to get delayed too being regional and not impacting many people.

We drive or use Eugene, so I cannot speak from personal experience, but from talking to people at the resort who have gone OTH, I'd Shipsticks my clubs to Bandon.

Car hire is a car hire. I've dropped off there before at Hertz, it's a small operation as you'd expect, but again it's just a car rental, book, show up, collect keys.

I've been 9/10 times - yes I am forgetting - all in Nov or Feb and am still using my regular spikeless shoes after all these years. Spray the crap out of them, bring two/three pair, shoe dryer in room and never an issue. If it's freezing as it was a few days a couple weeks back, I wear these full cushion Darn Toughs (https://www.gobros.com/darn-tough-socks-mens-hiking-boot-sock-full-cushion-black-dt1405.html) and they keep my feet well warm.