December Bandon Trip Report

[Edaw68]

Hello everyone, just got back from a week long trip to Bandon, my first December trip. (previous trips in November and January) I changed a couple things for this trip. Prior itineraries have been staying fewer days and cramming more golf in per day. This time, primarily due to daylight concerns, I didn't book any replays. This was mostly due to the resort's practice of not booking tee times within 5 hours of each other that would have then resulted in second round tee times not guaranteed to finish. This time I stayed extra days and left 2nd rounds in a day to play it by ear. I ended up only doing one round a day, not due to daylight but due to being beaten down by the weather. More to follow.

 

I originally booked this for me and 2 golf buddies, but one had to drop out due to having a kid. I ended up scheduling extra days for my wife to come in after my other buddy left.

 

Lodging: I stayed in a Chrome Lake double. Prior trips I've stayed in the Lily Pond. Lily Pond has the advantage of being a little closer to the center of the resort, although with the always efficient shuttle service on property, it was pretty much irrelevant. The Chrome Lake rooms had a little more extra space and two king beds versus two queens in the Lily Pond. If you were looking to cram a lot of people into one room to save money, 3 or 4 in the Chrome lake doubles would be tight but doable.

 

Day 1: After staying in Portland on Saturday night, we left early and made it to the resort about 9:40, plenty of time to hit the range before an 11am tee time at Bandon Trails. Course conditions were good, greens were smooth. I actually had the most birdies on Trails for any round I've played there, but this was offset by some pretty bad "others" (ex- lost 2 balls on #5 somehow) resulting in a high scoring round. The wind was out of the south and blowing HARD, the trees did nothing to block it. For example, on #8 (downwind) I came withing a chip shot of driving it, despite badly mishitting my driver. On #14 (into the wind) I crushed a driver, and only made the fairway by about 20 yards. Luckily this was the dry round of the week, as the rain didn't start until as we were walking off 18.

 

 

Early dinner at McKees, always good.

 

Day 2: 11AM tee time at Pacific Dunes. This round was brutal due to the weather. We ended up able to tee off an hour early because so many people didn't play their rounds. It rained the entire round, enough to have standing water in most of the fairways. The real difficulty was a wind out of the south that was 30mph steady, with gusts much higher. (the starter warned us not to play balls near the cliffs, for risk of getting blown over the edge because they were getting 70mph gusts. I thought he was exaggerating, nope) We quit keeping score after 3 holes, got soaked through rain gear. My gore-tex gear held up for a bit, but I think the only way to stay dry in these conditions would be whatever rich people use to climb Mt Everest. No pictures during the round since it was difficult to even walk or stand up straight. Balls blown uphill on the greens during gusts. On #9 tee we got within an arms length of two deer sheltering in the trees, who looked miserable and unwilling to move despite us being right there. It really was unplayable, but we finished 18. Here's a pic a day later of one of the benches above the Punchbowl blown over by the wind.

 

 

 

After getting back to the room and hanging gear everywhere to dry out, that evening we went into Coos Bay to the casino to watch MNF. Both of us won a little bit at blackjack, but not much. Better than losing money.

 

Day 3: Scheduled to play Old Mac and the Preserve. Off and on rain on Old Mac, longest dry stretch was probably 8 holes. Not as much rain as yesterday. The wind was up again, and again blowing hard. Didn't seem that bad after yesterday, but it was probably a 5 club wind. Tame after yesterdays "who knows how many clubs" wind. On 12 the tees were up since it was into the wind. 151 yards and I killed a low trajectory 20 degree hybrid into it, ended up 12 feet short. Normally that club goes 210 for me. The course was in really good shape, the only one on the resort that didn't end up squishy and soft due to the volume of rain. On 16 they've got most of the gorse that was burned up during the fire from the Sheep Ranch cleaned up.

 

 

Played the preserve in the afternoon, and got lucky to have no rain, only wind. Pretty tough to play a par 3 course in those gusts, but the greens were in amazing shape, like tour quality shape.

 

 

Day 4: My friend left, so I was paired up today for Bandon Dunes at 830AM. On the shuttle on the way to breakfast the lights were off, something I hadn't seen before. I got on the shuttle and there was only one other dude on it, and I could smell his hangover, hence the lights off. Whoever you are dude, I felt for you.

 

This was far and away the best weather of the trip. Only sprinkled for the first 3 holes, and the wind was actually only in the upper teens! I got paired with a guy down for the day for his first time at Bandon, and got to play tour guide. It was fun to see someone have the "wow" reaction on his first round at Bandon Dunes. The course was in great shape except for some squishy spots in the fairways on the back 9 due to the wet weather. The greens were better than any I've seen at Bandon. Easily the funnest round there. I was debating on going back out after lunch at the Tufted Puffin (didn't look crowded and plenty of daylight left) but then the rain started up again, so I didn't play. The weather was starting to take it out of me. Luckily my wife got in late that night, so I wasn't alone in the room.

 

 

 

Day 5: Back at Pacific Dunes, and back to rain and high winds. Steady mid 20's and gusts in the 30's easily. I got paired with 3 guys for this round, fun dudes to play with. One guy was 79 and pushing his own clubs around. That's what I hope to be. We had a bit of everything for the weather on this round. Sun, rain, wind, hail. The hail sucked. On #12, it was blowing hard enough with the hail that it was painful. Still, better than a few days ago. I noticed the greens today, and Pacific is having problems, especially compared to the other courses on the resort. Especially the cliff side holes, where the greens are getting splotchy and have dirt spots.

 

After this round I went into the town of Bandon with my wife for tourist stuff, since on my previous two trips I never left the resort. Some cool ocean viewing spots.

 

 

When we got back we walked one of the trails on the resort and found the Labryinth (not hard to find, there are signs leading the way). It's a peaceful spot in the woods. There's an elk that hangs out near it judging by the tree scrapes and late season bugling.

 

Day 6: Bandon Dunes at 840AM. Windy and rainy again, sometimes the rain would break. All week the wind has been out of the south, but today it was out of the west, straight off the ocean. 4 or 5 club wind again. I was paired up with a threesome that ended up canceling due to the weather conditions, so I played as a single. My wife walked the front 9 with me. The wind off the ocean was different, and blowing hard. On #7, straight downwind, 370 yard hole, I hit driver, sand wedge. On #8, straight into the wind, 340 yard hole, I smoked a driver, smoked a 20 degree hybrid, and then hit a 9 iron onto the green. Big difference. After the front 9 my wife went back to the room to pack up, and on the back I ended up having a foursome behind me join up on 15 and we played as a fivesome the way in. Three of them were Bandon rookies, having a great time despite the conditions. Cool dudes to play with, sorry I don't remember your names. Another note: this was the first time I've tried using rain gloves (footjoys) and they work well. If they dry out thought, switch back to a regular glove.

 

 

I was originally scheduled for one more night and a round on Trails in the morning. but after a week of pretty miserable weather, my wife and I decided to leave a day early. The front desk was really easy to deal with and they didn't charge me the last night lodging, despite just suddenly checking out at 2:30. I vouchered the round on Trails and will use it my next trip. FYI, the vouchers are in gift card form, good for golf or merchandise, and good for life.

 

Overall, I had fun (always do at Bandon) but I don't think I'll plan a December trip again. Any single weather condition at a time (rain, wind, hail, etc) I think would have been fine, but having multiple days basically unplayable wore me down. The low winter prices make it so I don't feel bad it though. According to weather averages, December is the wettest month at Bandon, so I think I'll try a slightly drier average month. On past trips the stories of wind being less in winter than summer have been true, but not this one. For those of you who wonder about getting in 36 a day during the short daylight winter months, it's doable, but you need the first 2 or 3 tee times in the morning, so book early. As a single I noticed most of the courses seemed pretty open in the afternoons, so I probably could have walked on with no replay tee time and been fine.

[Chris_NH]

Nice report, Edaw - and it sounds like you had a mostly enjoyable trip despite the weather. Thanks for the pics, too. I particularly like the 4th one where that iconic tree on the 17th tee is visible.

[Mr22putt]

Is Bandon that busy in Dec & Jan...or even Nov & Feb?
With 4 courses....one might think that it's pretty easy for a single to walk onto a course...maybe a small wait time....especially in Dec & Jan.

I've still gotta cross it of my bucket list....it's a 10-11 hr. drive.
Not liking the 40% Cdn $ exchange premium nowadays....gas is still cheap....even with a 40% exchange rate premium....gas at Costco in Bellingham is $1.99 or $0.73/litre Cdn $ vs. $1.23/litre Cdn I paid today....gas in the US is 60% cheaper..that's stupid.

[glk23]

I know this will probably be sacrilegious, but that sounds like zero fun to me. I absolutely hate playing in the rain and 3-5 club wind to go with it, no thank you.

[Edaw68]

[quote name='Mr22putt' timestamp='1450062382' post='12716978']
Is Bandon that busy in Dec & Jan...or even Nov & Feb?
With 4 courses....one might think that it's pretty easy for a single to walk onto a course...maybe a small wait time....especially in Dec & Jan.

I've still gotta cross it of my bucket list....it's a 10-11 hr. drive.
Not liking the 40% Cdn $ exchange premium nowadays....gas is still cheap....even with a 40% exchange rate premium....gas at Costco in Bellingham is $1.99 or $0.73/litre Cdn $ vs. $1.23/litre Cdn I paid today....gas in the US is 60% cheaper..that's stupid.
[/quote]
During the winter they close one course a day for maintenance and keep 3 in the rotation. It's not super crowded, and as a single getting on wouldn't be difficult even with a course closed every day. It seemed like there was plenty of room on all the courses, but due to the bad weather there were a lot of cancellations, so that had something to do with it I'm sure. From chatting with starters, November through February seems to be the time that people nearby (like less than half a days drive) tend to show up.

One thing I'd recommend if your drive is 10 or 11 hours (that's what mine is) is to drive most of the way there (to say Eugene or Cresswell) and get a cheap hotel for the night. That way you can easily get a late morning round on your first day there, and save a bit on lodging fees, and break the drive up a bit.

[Edaw68]

[quote name='glk23' timestamp='1450063038' post='12717030']
I know this will probably be sacrilegious, but that sounds like zero fun to me. I absolutely hate playing in the rain and 3-5 club wind to go with it, no thank you.
[/quote]
I totally understand. I'm the golf nut in my group of friends, they look at me funny when I say I'm playing in certain conditions. The constant wind and rain together were tough.

That being said, on two previous trips I only had one day of bad weather, and a couple stretches of really lucky good weather. If you're willing to pay a little more, the odds of good weather go up substantially in the spring/summer/early fall months.

[Mr22putt]

[quote name='Edaw68' timestamp='1450063624' post='12717060']

One thing I'd recommend if your drive is 10 or 11 hours (that's what mine is)
[/quote]
Thx
Do you live in Bellingham?
Good tip about staying elsewhere the 1st night.

I'd likely go with a friend....but I think Bandon is good as a single too.
Bandon attracts pretty serious golfers....so I even think one would be able to chat it up (if desired) with others golfers in the bars and restaurant at night.

Is it busy between Dec 24 to Jan 1...I assume it's open on Xmas??

[ryu123]

great report; loved the detail about the deer.

About 12 years ago I played Pacific in a driving rainstorm. (My buddy wisely stayed in the Lodge & got a rain check.) On #3, I hit a long, wind assisted drive. My second shot must have gone over the green into the gorse - I never found it. I got to the 9th hole and had to give up. It was so windy that my carry bag was acting as a sail, so I had to crawl 100 yards just to get below the ridge line, and then walked in. No rain check.

But the next day we played Bandon in a light rain, and had a lot of fun. The fairways remained firm & the greens rolling. My point is even during a light rain, the courses are very playable.

I've been going almost annually since 2001 (usually in the off season) and every year it gets busier. At least there's no state sales tax. Even for Canadians, $100 US per round is a good deal, compared to the West Coast courses in the same category as Bandon, such as Pebble Beach, Spyglass Hill (& maybe Chambers Bay).

[Edaw68]

[quote name='Mr22putt' timestamp='1450064559' post='12717124']
[quote name='Edaw68' timestamp='1450063624' post='12717060']
One thing I'd recommend if your drive is 10 or 11 hours (that's what mine is)
[/quote]
Thx
Do you live in Bellingham?
Good tip about staying elsewhere the 1st night.

I'd likely go with a friend....but I think Bandon is good as a single too.
Bandon attracts pretty serious golfers....so I even think one would be able to chat it up (if desired) with others golfers in the bars and restaurant at night.

Is it busy between Dec 24 to Jan 1...I assume it's open on Xmas??
[/quote]
East side of WA. Yeah, most everyone who goes during the winter tend to be pretty avid golfers. (look how many WRX'ers end up there during the off season) I'm guessing it wouldn't be too busy Dec 24 to Jan 1, but the best way to find out is to call reservations and ask. They're super easy to work with. Just tell them how long you want to be there, how many rounds, and desired lodging, and they'll help you out.

[Edaw68]

[quote name='ryu123' timestamp='1450101205' post='12718040']
great report; loved the detail about the deer.

About 12 years ago I played Pacific in a driving rainstorm. (My buddy wisely stayed in the Lodge & got a rain check.) On #3, I hit a long, wind assisted drive. My second shot must have gone over the green into the gorse - I never found it. I got to the 9th hole and had to give up. It was so windy that my carry bag was acting as a sail, so I had to crawl 100 yards just to get below the ridge line, and then walked in. No rain check.

But the next day we played Bandon in a light rain, and had a lot of fun. The fairways remained firm & the greens rolling. My point is even during a light rain, the courses are very playable.

I've been going almost annually since 2001 (usually in the off season) and every year it gets busier. At least there's no state sales tax. Even for Canadians, $100 US per round is a good deal, compared to the West Coast courses in the same category as Bandon, such as Pebble Beach, Spyglass Hill (& maybe Chambers Bay).
[/quote]
Yeah, the normal rain doesn't really soften up the courses. It's just been raining every day there, a lot, for a while, so it eventually accumulates. I think the amount of rain they got would have resulted in some GUR ropes being put out on my home course.

[spud3]

Good writeup.

This past week's weather has been remarkable. I think we're up to 10 inches of rain this month already. We normally see around 5 inches in the Portland area. I've heard this week's precip described as a Hundred Year level of rain. Which might have some creedence, except we had another of these near Halloween. But this global warming thing is just a hoax, right...?

I agree that the heavy weather days really take it out of you. PD seems particularly nasty when the weather is really ugly. Maybe because the others are varying degrees of less penal for shots that stray?

Regardless, Edaw gets a full round of applause for braving this stretch out there on the courses.

[jeremyblre21]

[quote name='Edaw68' timestamp='1450103156' post='12718142']
[quote name='Mr22putt' timestamp='1450064559' post='12717124']
[quote name='Edaw68' timestamp='1450063624' post='12717060']
One thing I'd recommend if your drive is 10 or 11 hours (that's what mine is)
[/quote]
Thx
Do you live in Bellingham?
Good tip about staying elsewhere the 1st night.

I'd likely go with a friend....but I think Bandon is good as a single too.
Bandon attracts pretty serious golfers....so I even think one would be able to chat it up (if desired) with others golfers in the bars and restaurant at night.

Is it busy between Dec 24 to Jan 1...I assume it's open on Xmas??
[/quote]
East side of WA. Yeah, most everyone who goes during the winter tend to be pretty avid golfers. (look how many WRX'ers end up there during the off season) I'm guessing it wouldn't be too busy Dec 24 to Jan 1, but the best way to find out is to call reservations and ask. They're super easy to work with. Just tell them how long you want to be there, how many rounds, and desired lodging, and they'll help you out.
[/quote]

I'm going for my 4th trip (1st winter trip) December 25th - 29th. When I booked the trip in November it sounded like I had full pick of tee times, dinner reservations, and rooms. This is unusual for me as I typically go in July and August and book 6 months in advance.

I have the first tee time 2 out of my 3 golfing days and could of had it everyday. Originally I thought i'd attempt to play 36 a day but now I'm considering pushing back the tee times and just going for 18. I might make the decision when I get there but it appears the winds have been 15 - 35mph and heavy rain every day.

Does it make sense to bring 2 pairs of rain gloves? How well do things dry at night? Any other recommendations from your previous trip?

[Edaw68]

[quote name='jeremyblre21' timestamp='1450145981' post='12721468'][quote name='Edaw68' timestamp='1450103156' post='12718142']
[quote name='Mr22putt' timestamp='1450064559' post='12717124']
[quote name='Edaw68' timestamp='1450063624' post='12717060']
One thing I'd recommend if your drive is 10 or 11 hours (that's what mine is)
[/quote]
Thx
Do you live in Bellingham?
Good tip about staying elsewhere the 1st night.

I'd likely go with a friend....but I think Bandon is good as a single too.
Bandon attracts pretty serious golfers....so I even think one would be able to chat it up (if desired) with others golfers in the bars and restaurant at night.

Is it busy between Dec 24 to Jan 1...I assume it's open on Xmas??
[/quote]
East side of WA. Yeah, most everyone who goes during the winter tend to be pretty avid golfers. (look how many WRX'ers end up there during the off season) I'm guessing it wouldn't be too busy Dec 24 to Jan 1, but the best way to find out is to call reservations and ask. They're super easy to work with. Just tell them how long you want to be there, how many rounds, and desired lodging, and they'll help you out.
[/quote]

I'm going for my 4th trip (1st winter trip) December 25th - 29th. When I booked the trip in November it sounded like I had full pick of tee times, dinner reservations, and rooms. This is unusual for me as I typically go in July and August and book 6 months in advance.

I have the first tee time 2 out of my 3 golfing days and could of had it everyday. Originally I thought i'd attempt to play 36 a day but now I'm considering pushing back the tee times and just going for 18. I might make the decision when I get there but it appears the winds have been 15 - 35mph and heavy rain every day.

Does it make sense to bring 2 pairs of rain gloves? How well do things dry at night? Any other recommendations from your previous trip?[/quote]
One pair of rain gloves is fine, they work better wet anyway. There was a shoe dryer in the room, it helped. My gear dryer ok at night, but they have clothes dryers at the lodge to use if needed.

[DexterC]

Mr22putt, Have been 3x to Bandon in last 5 yrs as a single. Each time grouped with interesting/cool people. Yes, the golfers are serious but also seem to enjoy the experience regardless of how the round is going, If I had an issue is that it is a bit of a b**** getting to Bandon from Calgary. Have gone through San Fran 2 and Portland once with only 1 flight delay (foggy in San Fran so flight from Bandon was delayed by 5 hrs.) Despite the logistics and our crappy dollar I would say check off your list as soon as possible.
Cheers