A Day at Bandon

[carrera]

@duffer987 Things are very firm all around at SR. Fairways weren't as tight as Bandon Dunes (rock hard and short), but not shaggy. Turf throughout is good...it is just weird to look at putts that appear that they should be fast, yet they aren't. But still fun to play.
Forgot to mention re: SR....during my walking tour in Feb, it appeared that the tee box for 17 would be behind the 16th green. Just like this picture shows. Well, there is a tee spot there, but I will leave it for Bryson or some other bomber....thankfully we walked up to a more playable, but less scenic, shot.
[img]https://s3.amazonaws.com/golfwrxforums/uploads/DCR13VL53XUI/img-2014.jpeg[/img]

[2bGood]

Played them all at-least 10 times except the Sheep Ranch which I have only played before it was a course- so I can't comment on so it is not in the mix for my advice.

As for your question, it is not. - which is the best course at Bandon ?- (Pacific). Or what is your favourite course? (Old Mac),or what is the most fun course? (Preserve), but what is the ONE course should you play.

Hands down I vote Bandon Dunes. It is the most 'playable' course of the 18 hole courses, gives you a great sense of the property and gives the true 'Bandon' experience.

Having said that Pacific is a close second, but it can beat you up a bit more. Old Mac is a great course, but if you going to be down on the coast you want to play one the coast line and enjoy those views. Trails is wonderful course but it not very 'Bandony'.

By the way I think the Preserve is about the most fun I have had playing golf, particularly playing as large groups - Make sure to use putter on your tee shot on 13.

[1lovesputters]

Thanks for asking. I was there 2 weeks ago and played all 90 holes on the full size courses (in 1.5 days)

In 2-3 years when the greens mature, the answer is probably Sheep Ranch IN THE MORNING or mid Morning. Fog (AM) vs. Wind (PM) is the trade off.

My favorite course layout was Trails, but it has little ocean experience so, for 1 trip around, not that one.

Not OLD Mac IMO; some funkiness, but I respect it.

Bandon Dunes will be coming out of the US AM, so in great shape, and the collection of holes on Pacific are wonderful but wasnt in great shape a couple weeks ago.

My ANSWER: Play Pacific Dunes if condition is peak, otherwise go with Bandon Dunes.

[MaxBuck]

Going to try to play at Bandon in a couple weeks. I appreciate the opinions here!

[MuDPhuD]

[img]https://s3.amazonaws.com/golfwrxforums/uploads/U8SJKD09JY2S/screen-shot-2020-07-21-at-9-06-41-pm.png[/img]@puttnforthe8 Pebble Beach is not located at Bandon, and that is the #1 ranked course in the US (Public). @deckmc4868 However, if you want to play the #2 ranked public course in the US, I think Pacific captures the whole essence of the resort pretty well, but you can't go wrong with any of the courses.

[puttnforthe8]

Pretty sure PD and Pebble flip flopped spots last year? and since I do not consider 2020 to be valid; PD will remain #1 in my book.

[MuDPhuD]

@puttnforthe8 Golf digest ranking posted May 2019 had Pebble #1, PD #2. I could not find any 2019 ranking where PD is #1 (but would be glad to be informed otherwise, as I have played both and I like PD more)

[puttnforthe8]

One of the last 2 years it was flopped.. Regardless, I PD is #1 in my ranking and that is all that FKN matters!!!

[2bGood]

The rankings are kind of meaningless at some point. Any course that get near the top of the list is equally great. Personally I think PD is a better course, but PB is more amazing to play given the history.

[PorkChopExpress]

Did you peak at the original 16th tee box? Think it's that spot between the two humps.

[rtraudt]

The problem with a question like this will always be personal preference, and thats the beauty of Bandon. Honestly, as I play the courses more (sadly was last there in February before Sheep Ranch opened), my rankings and feelings have also evolved. If you plan on going back, I'd probably skip SR and give it at least another year to mature. As for the others, I'll try to summarize my thoughts very briefly for someone who hasn't played there before, in descending order of preference. Keep in mind, no answer is truly wrong, as they're all spectacular for various reasons.

Pacific Dunes: obviously "ranked" the highest in publications, if that matters to you, biggest "wow" moments with the coastal holes, lots of fairway undulations, but as a total package the least fun to play for me

Bandon Trails: The perfect afternoon course at Bandon (well, I guess any of them are perfect for an afternoon round really...), as the calm serenity of the place is usually welcome after a morning along the coast, and the variety of holes makes it such a blast to play. But it's probably not what you're looking for out of one round there.

Old Mac: Maybe my #1, and if you're an architecture nerd who doesn't have access to older classic courses, the chance to play a Redan, Biarritz, Hog's Back, Double Plateau, etc. it will have excitement in spades. Far and away the most fun greens on the property from my standpoint. But obviously, you don't see much ocean if that matters. And I think it takes more than one time through to truly appreciate it or enjoy it to its fullest, because the lines to play can be more difficult to decipher the first time around (like the Hog's Back, and just how important it is to be on the left side!).

Bandon Dunes: I think this course is the best example of what Bandon was originally meant to be, which is obviously fitting being the original course. Starts in the "town" with a straightforward handshake par 4, ends with a par 5 that brings you right back to the start, hits the ocean the most during the round (well, less than SR I think, but I haven't played there), and allows you to play the holes in so many different ways. Mike Kaiser likely prefers Bandon, because the conditions are almost always the best here. You will likely pull every club from your bag at least once at Bandon, with the variety of tee shots and approaches. If I had just one round, this would be the one.

Bottom line, whatever you choose, you won't be wrong.

[2bGood]

I wish I had written that myself as it perfectly sums up my own views on Bandon.

[carrera]

Great post @rtraudt . I would only quibble with part of your comment about OM...the redan there looks and feels nothing like a redan anywhere! I looked at my notes after the round (Doak's hole by hole summary) and had to try to figure out where the redan features were. After four plays of the hole, I still don't see it.
But great summary. You should play SR...you will enjoy it.

[az2au]

I get why you think that after playing North Berwick, NGL and Mid Ocean but in 6 plays at OM I can see it. Definitely not in the same league though. Honestly my favorite is Mid Ocean for being laid out exactly as I understood the hole needed to be. I'm also going to state that this has nothing to do with the fact that I explained the concept and how to play it to my foursome at Mid Ocean and then pulled off the exact shot I described to like 3'.

[carrera]

@az2au yes, my home course was featured in Hunter's "The Links" as a Redan example, and I've enjoyed playing many, including "reverse" redans. The pin position on last visit for both days was up front or middle, so we didn't get to experience the diagonal front to back roll on any shots. The left bunker being positioned farther back than front left also confuses the look. Anyway, I enjoy Old Mac and would gladly play it as many times as possible on a visit.

[njlam]

I am a Bandon veteran and have been there over 20 times.

I have an annual group that has gone the same weekend in November for the last 15 years and while everyone will argue which of the 18 hole courses in the best, no one argues with where we have the best time. The Preserve is the most fund when you are playing with a large group.

While my order of preferences have always been

BDBTPD OMI was fortunate to play the Sheep Ranch twice earlier this month and really liked it. This course has the most ocean views and they are spectacular.

While it is not my favorite, I think the course enjoys elements of the other 4 courses, so if you only can play one, the Sheep Ranch may give you a little of everything in one round.

Having only played it twice, I am not sure I like it more than BD or BT, but I definitely like it more than OM. While PD is very popular, I have only scored well there a few times. I can honestly say I like SR better than PD.

[duffer987]

It's Right->Left and slopes Front->Back; otherwise yes it doesn't bear much resemblance to the North Berwick version.

OM is best played knowing it's a pastiche but not looking too closely for the like-to-like copies :-)

[MaxBuck]

Playing next week at Pacific Dunes. I appreciate the insights here.

[puttnforthe8]

Officially the only person on golfwrx to ever be able to interject the word "pastiche" into a golf post! Massive Kudos!!!

[duffer987]

I like werdz ;-) And also to serve as a heads up if someone went there thinking they were getting a like for like replication, which didn't some tacky course in Vegas or Florida do?

Edit: Royal Links I was thinking of

[deckmc4868]

Thanks everyone for chiming in! Day booked! Driving down on Sunday and staying the night. Got Pacific Dunes in the morning on Monday and Bandon Dunes in the afternoon. Then driving back. Was hoping to trade Sheep Ranch for Bandon but it's closed that day. 

 

To anyone who hasn't booked there but wants to go sometime... I couldn't be more impressed with the customer service! Helpful from start to finish. 

 

Can't wait to report back! 

[rtraudt]

On 8/19/2020 at 2:35 PM, deckmc4868 said:

Thanks everyone for chiming in! Day booked! Driving down on Sunday and staying the night. Got Pacific Dunes in the morning on Monday and Bandon Dunes in the afternoon. Then driving back. Was hoping to trade Sheep Ranch for Bandon but it's closed that day. 

 

To anyone who hasn't booked there but wants to go sometime... I couldn't be more impressed with the customer service! Helpful from start to finish. 

 

Can't wait to report back! 

You won’t be disappointed! That’s really about the perfect one day Bandon routine, and you will leave wishing you could just stay and play those two courses again...and then realize that there are three more full courses, plus an all world par 3.  You will be back...?