Bandon, Feb 2016

[ogrehack]

Oh, and one more thing: The Bandon Bucket Hat works well when it's raining, but high winds make it flap annoyingly.

 

The best approach I found in those conditions is a cap with a beanie over the top. The Turtle Fur ones from the Bandon Dunes pro shop work great.

You mean a beanie stretched over a waterproof or a regular ball cap?

 

Jacket-wise, in severe wind/rain as above, would a non-golf hooded waterproof jacket work better than your typical non-hooded Gore jacket + hat combo? Have my Sunice Gore gear & planning to get a Bandon bucket, but not sounding like enough for an extreme day. Suggestions?

 

BTW, great write-up Spud3!

[Edaw68]

Oh, and one more thing: The Bandon Bucket Hat works well when it's raining, but high winds make it flap annoyingly.

 

The best approach I found in those conditions is a cap with a beanie over the top. The Turtle Fur ones from the Bandon Dunes pro shop work great.

You mean a beanie stretched over a waterproof or a regular ball cap?

 

Jacket-wise, in severe wind/rain as above, would a non-golf hooded waterproof jacket work better than your typical non-hooded Gore jacket + hat combo? Have my Sunice Gore gear & planning to get a Bandon bucket, but not sounding like enough for an extreme day. Suggestions?

 

BTW, great write-up Spud3!

I had a friend do this in an epic monsoon on Pacific in December. Used a regular hoodie rain jacket, probably did better than me to keep his head fairly warm and dry.

[2putttom]

I was out on the same day last week. I've never seen anything like it.

 

The trick is to not expect that you'll be playing golf. It's really fun (assuming you have decent gear), but forget about anything like a score.

 

Take a flask and embrace it for what it is...

 

...and play old balls.

[glowchoy]

Oh, and one more thing: The Bandon Bucket Hat works well when it's raining, but high winds make it flap annoyingly.

 

The best approach I found in those conditions is a cap with a beanie over the top. The Turtle Fur ones from the Bandon Dunes pro shop work great.

You mean a beanie stretched over a waterproof or a regular ball cap?

 

 

Just over a regular golf cap. The cap bill provides cover from the rain without flapping around, and the beanie keeps it in place in the wind. The Turtle fur beanie is a fleece material that doesn't really get sodden in the rain. It gets wet but doesn't really feel it. It was suggested by my caddie, and it worked great in fairly heavy rain and 30-40mph winds.

[2putttom]

these work well to

 

 

[Matt J]

Oh, and one more thing: The Bandon Bucket Hat works well when it's raining, but high winds make it flap annoyingly.

 

The best approach I found in those conditions is a cap with a beanie over the top. The Turtle Fur ones from the Bandon Dunes pro shop work great.

You mean a beanie stretched over a waterproof or a regular ball cap?

 

Jacket-wise, in severe wind/rain as above, would a non-golf hooded waterproof jacket work better than your typical non-hooded Gore jacket + hat combo? Have my Sunice Gore gear & planning to get a Bandon bucket, but not sounding like enough for an extreme day. Suggestions?

 

BTW, great write-up Spud3!

 

I have a lot more experience layering for weather in the backcountry than I do on the golf course, and I would say, no. First, a hood is only good if it's over your head. If not it collects water and dumps it down your collar. So, you can't really wear anything to play golf that you can't swing the club while wearing or you waste too much time and get more wet taking it on and off. Gore tex rain gear and a gt bucket hat are about as good as you can get IMO. The point becomes moot when you get so uncomfortable you aren't enjoying the experience. That point, for me personally, is when my hands get too cold to feel the club. Several pairs of rain / cold weather gloves that are dry when you start the round are probably the best ticket. Some way to warm your hands before changing into the dry gloves on an especially cold day. Those days are over for this season, I'd guess, in southern Oregon at least. Outside of a heated comfort station the chemical heater packets are probably the best solution. An impermeable glove like dish washing gloves would probably be the next step, but at that point, are you really going to enjoy the round?

[spud3]

I was out on the same day last week. I've never seen anything like it.

 

The trick is to not expect that you'll be playing golf. It's really fun (assuming you have decent gear), but forget about anything like a score.

 

Take a flask and embrace it for what it is...

 

...and play old balls.

 

Hey Jon - Looks like there was some footage shot of the Thursday round!

[spud3]

The bucket hat works great until the wind gets really bad. Under normal deluge conditions, it keeps the rain from running off your head and down the neck of the jacket.

 

When it's as bad as it was last week, the brim on the windward side can snap up or down suddenly, while the leeward side just flaps violently. Fairly annoying when you're standing over a shot.

 

What we found most difficult was maintaining our stance through the swing, especially with a driver. That 460cc is a significant object in that strong of a breeze, and keeping the club on plane became nearly impossible, resulting in some hilarious shots. By the back nine, one guy had resorted to hitting virtually nothing but his 4 iron until the green was reached.

 

He scored the best of all of us on those nine holes.

[The Pearl]

I use a water proof golf hat...baseball style. Pro-Quip sent me one free with my rain gear purchase last year. Worked great, but we did not experience the super storm. The biggest pain playing in the rain is glasses as I don't wear contacts.

[mallrat]

The bucket hat works great until the wind gets really bad. Under normal deluge conditions, it keeps the rain from running off your head and down the neck of the jacket.

 

When it's as bad as it was last week, the brim on the windward side can snap up or down suddenly, while the leeward side just flaps violently. Fairly annoying when you're standing over a shot.

 

What we found most difficult was maintaining our stance through the swing, especially with a driver. That 460cc is a significant object in that strong of a breeze, and keeping the club on plane became nearly impossible, resulting in some hilarious shots. By the back nine, one guy had resorted to hitting virtually nothing but his 4 iron until the green was reached.

 

He scored the best of all of us on those nine holes.

 

Spent 1/2 a bucket of balls yesterday working on that 4 (5 & 6 as well) iron shot for our windy days. Not a full 4 iron but a punch that flys 150 no more than 15 ft off the ground and runs another 15 - 30 yards.

[spud3]

Quick update: just picked up a new 2015 H2No ultralight stand bag on closeout for $175. I was going to wait for the Titleist 4Up StaDry, but this was too good of a deal on what is essentially the same bag. It's even the same color scheme as my H2No cart bag (which I love and has been battle tested at Bandon). I will be breaking it in this spring and next fall/winter.

 

Slightly bigger than my trusty Mizuno Aerolite Micro, and waterproof. Should be able to carry 7-10 clubs with ease. Really excited for this approach!

[spud3]

The bucket hat works great until the wind gets really bad. Under normal deluge conditions, it keeps the rain from running off your head and down the neck of the jacket.

 

When it's as bad as it was last week, the brim on the windward side can snap up or down suddenly, while the leeward side just flaps violently. Fairly annoying when you're standing over a shot.

 

What we found most difficult was maintaining our stance through the swing, especially with a driver. That 460cc is a significant object in that strong of a breeze, and keeping the club on plane became nearly impossible, resulting in some hilarious shots. By the back nine, one guy had resorted to hitting virtually nothing but his 4 iron until the green was reached.

 

He scored the best of all of us on those nine holes.

 

Spent 1/2 a bucket of balls yesterday working on that 4 (5 & 6 as well) iron shot for our windy days. Not a full 4 iron but a punch that flys 150 no more than 15 ft off the ground and runs another 15 - 30 yards.

 

Which means they will run about 50 yards, on those fairways...

[glowchoy]

The bucket hat works great until the wind gets really bad. Under normal deluge conditions, it keeps the rain from running off your head and down the neck of the jacket.

 

When it's as bad as it was last week, the brim on the windward side can snap up or down suddenly, while the leeward side just flaps violently. Fairly annoying when you're standing over a shot.

 

What we found most difficult was maintaining our stance through the swing, especially with a driver. That 460cc is a significant object in that strong of a breeze, and keeping the club on plane became nearly impossible, resulting in some hilarious shots. By the back nine, one guy had resorted to hitting virtually nothing but his 4 iron until the green was reached.

 

He scored the best of all of us on those nine holes.

 

Spent 1/2 a bucket of balls yesterday working on that 4 (5 & 6 as well) iron shot for our windy days. Not a full 4 iron but a punch that flys 150 no more than 15 ft off the ground and runs another 15 - 30 yards.

 

Which means they will run about 50 yards, on those fairways...

 

And fly about 100 yards into the wind...

[mallrat]

Well trip #6 is in the books and quite the adventure. Couldn't get on Trails because of a college golf tourney. Got there Sunday and checked in then off to the range. Something went seriously wrong with my swing from my last round 2 weeks ago until then but that's golf. Off to Pacific with some questionable weather overhead. That questionable weather turned into a downpour all 17 (saw lightning on the green on 17 and headed in). Interesting to play through standing water and streams that had formed on the course. Couldn't really tell what kind of condition the course was in.

 

Woke up Monday to sun and a questionable forecast so hit the range and headed to Old Mac. Course was in outstanding shape, I had forgotten how much I really enjoy golfing there with around 10 - 15 wind gusts. The weather just got better as the round went on called and cancelled our round on Preserve and traded it for 18 on Bandon. Just a perfect round, had some gusts up to 20 mph but just a blast. A few holes had recently been top dressed and those fairways were very sandy but that was only 3 - 4 holes.

[spud3]

Agreed on the condition of OM. It was in the best shape of all the courses. I had a similar experience on BD. Impromptu, solo, and it turned out to be the highlight of the trip (other than the two 50ft birdie putts!)

 

How did the 4 iron knockdowns work?

[mallrat]

Only hit 2 or 3 and worked well when hit. I picked up a serious flaw in my full swing and played like hot garbage. Haven't shot higher than an 84 since June and only broke 90 once. I didn't even get to the 3rd day in my write up but 20 mph sustained with 30+ gusts. One of my friends hit his drive on #9 on Pacific, it started out a bit right of the path going up the hill and then the wind got it, ended up blowing all the through the adjacent fairway and went a net -10 yards, craziest thing I've ever seen on a course.

 

The 3rd day was misting in the morning and wet but not really a hard rain. Wind picked up gradually but never really silly. Then for our second round that day on Pac things got silly. To give you an idea I'm not a big hitter at all, a big drive for me is in the 270 range with roll, well just ripped one on #2 at Pac and hit the downhill slope just short of the green side bunker and was 20 yards out. Just got in the wind and flew forever. Stopped keeping score after #5 as the conditions were just silly but had a blast. We were all pretty tired at that point and just had fun. To give you an idea of the wind on #4 I went driver, 3 wood, 8 iron, just silly.

 

We each put $10 into a pot for the caddies to have a KP contest on #15 at Bandon, pretty cool seeing them rip a 6 iron into a 15 mph wind and fly the green. I think most downplay how good they actually are.

 

Had a great weekend and can't wait to go back.

[duffer987]

^You mean for cliched WRXers. 270, with or without roll is big ;)

The good thing about going offseason is scores schmores, you are playing about the best golf we have access to publicly in the Western 1/2 of the continent. Sounds like the weather we had two years back, where a 4I was needed on the par 3 14th. This year it was wedges.

 

The best part is this:

 

Had a great weekend and can't wait to go back.

:)

[mallrat]

^You mean for cliched WRXers. 270, with or without roll is big ;)

The good thing about going offseason is scores schmores, you are playing about the best golf we have access to publicly in the Western 1/2 of the continent. Sounds like the weather we had two years back, where a 4I was needed on the par 3 14th. This year it was wedges.

 

The best part is this:

 

Had a great weekend and can't wait to go back.

:)

 

Yeah I might need to resign from this board because i'm only around a 250 average.

[spud3]

We each put $10 into a pot for the caddies to have a KP contest on #15 at Bandon, pretty cool seeing them rip a 6 iron into a 15 mph wind and fly the green. I think most downplay how good they actually are.

 

Great idea!

[mallrat]

We each put $10 into a pot for the caddies to have a KP contest on #15 at Bandon, pretty cool seeing them rip a 6 iron into a 15 mph wind and fly the green. I think most downplay how good they actually are.

 

Great idea!

 

They actually were talking about a group of 18 that comes out in the summer and everyone of them puts $100 into a pot for a caddy KP contest on #11 on Pac Dunes. If anyone gets a hole in 1 it gets doubled. They were saying that there used to be some serious angling to get on the bags of that group and a the caddies make a lot of back room deals with each other like a sharing program.

[duffer987]

We each put $10 into a pot for the caddies to have a KP contest on #15 at Bandon, pretty cool seeing them rip a 6 iron into a 15 mph wind and fly the green. I think most downplay how good they actually are.

 

Great idea!

 

They actually were talking about a group of 18 that comes out in the summer and everyone of them puts $100 into a pot for a caddy KP contest on #11 on Pac Dunes. If anyone gets a hole in 1 it gets doubled. They were saying that there used to be some serious angling to get on the bags of that group and a the caddies make a lot of back room deals with each other like a sharing program.

 

I can believe it! $180 prize with the chance to get $360!

 

Hmm... maybe my math is off a bit there? ;)

[spud3]

We each put $10 into a pot for the caddies to have a KP contest on #15 at Bandon, pretty cool seeing them rip a 6 iron into a 15 mph wind and fly the green. I think most downplay how good they actually are.

 

Great idea!

 

They actually were talking about a group of 18 that comes out in the summer and everyone of them puts $100 into a pot for a caddy KP contest on #11 on Pac Dunes. If anyone gets a hole in 1 it gets doubled. They were saying that there used to be some serious angling to get on the bags of that group and a the caddies make a lot of back room deals with each other like a sharing program.

 

I can believe it! $180 prize with the chance to get $360!

 

Hmm... maybe my math is off a bit there? ;)

 

Remind me not to join a group that has Duffer managing the $$$... :rofl:

[buzlin]

I'm having bad Bandon withdrawal. Been checking this forum multiple times a day to see if anyone has anything at all to say. Only 11.5 months until the next trip. Anyone want to talk about which course is their favorite? :)

[duffer987]

I'm having bad Bandon withdrawal. Been checking this forum multiple times a day to see if anyone has anything at all to say. Only 11.5 months until the next trip. Anyone want to talk about which course is their favorite? :)

 

Ha! Me too. Going to spend 4 days on the RTJ Trail at the end of the month. Looking forward to see one of my best mates and a couple other cool guys for some good golf, bbq, and beer, but ya, well it's still not roadtripping to Bandon :(

 

Bandon | Old Mac | Trails | Pacific

I do wonder if playing in months other than Nov or Feb would change my order, but I doubt it.

[spud3]

I'm having bad Bandon withdrawal. Been checking this forum multiple times a day to see if anyone has anything at all to say. Only 11.5 months until the next trip. Anyone want to talk about which course is their favorite? :)

 

+1000

 

It has been said in another Bandon thread that the only bad thing about going there is that, at least for a while, everything else is a let-down. I am surprised there aren't more trip reports.

 

The withdrawal is not helped by the rain we've been having here, which will apparently continue through the weekend, effectively washing out the chance to play at all.

 

My fave was OM this year, only because it was the one course that I played where weather was not a severe issue

[duffer987]

I'm having bad Bandon withdrawal. Been checking this forum multiple times a day to see if anyone has anything at all to say. Only 11.5 months until the next trip. Anyone want to talk about which course is their favorite? :)

 

+1000

 

It has been said in another Bandon thread that the only bad thing about going there is that, at least for a while, everything else is a let-down. I am surprised there aren't more trip reports.

 

The withdrawal is not helped by the rain we've been having here, which will apparently continue through the weekend, effectively washing out the chance to play at all.

 

My fave was OM this year, only because it was the one course that I played where weather was not a severe issue

 

Ya playing rounds with your chin tucked in your collar and navigating standing water can take the shine off. This past Nov my friend got to experience Pacific as an actual golf course with some class holes, as opposed to a 6 mile walk through a monsoon, which we had the previous year.

[buzlin]

I'm having bad Bandon withdrawal. Been checking this forum multiple times a day to see if anyone has anything at all to say. Only 11.5 months until the next trip. Anyone want to talk about which course is their favorite? :)

 

Ha! Me too. Going to spend 4 days on the RTJ Trail at the end of the month. Looking forward to see one of my best mates and a couple other cool guys for some good golf, bbq, and beer, but ya, well it's still not roadtripping to Bandon :(

 

Bandon | Old Mac | Trails | Pacific

I do wonder if playing in months other than Nov or Feb would change my order, but I doubt it.

Bandon was by far my favorite prior to this last trip. Then it was Pacific. Followed by Trails and OM tied. This last trip, Pacific moved clearly into the top spot. The intimidation is gone now, and I can enjoy the course for it's shot value and challenge. Bandon and Trails tied for second, only because the ocean holes still elevate Bandon. OM is a distant fourth, for now. I know OM has a lot to offer, and I think as I play it more and more, I'll like it more and more, but for now, it stays in last place.

[duffer987]

I'm having bad Bandon withdrawal. Been checking this forum multiple times a day to see if anyone has anything at all to say. Only 11.5 months until the next trip. Anyone want to talk about which course is their favorite? :)

 

Ha! Me too. Going to spend 4 days on the RTJ Trail at the end of the month. Looking forward to see one of my best mates and a couple other cool guys for some good golf, bbq, and beer, but ya, well it's still not roadtripping to Bandon :(

 

Bandon | Old Mac | Trails | Pacific

I do wonder if playing in months other than Nov or Feb would change my order, but I doubt it.

Bandon was by far my favorite prior to this last trip. Then it was Pacific. Followed by Trails and OM tied. This last trip, Pacific moved clearly into the top spot. The intimidation is gone now, and I can enjoy the course for it's shot value and challenge. Bandon and Trails tied for second, only because the ocean holes still elevate Bandon. OM is a distant fourth, for now. I know OM has a lot to offer, and I think as I play it more and more, I'll like it more and more, but for now, it stays in last place.

 

Obviously we are rating super models or our favorite Astons here. It is a fickle thing :)

 

After my first trip I had Pacific as my fave, but a lot of that had to do with getting out for a replay round where I was pretty much the only person on the first 13 holes or so and I could loop 5,10,11 a few times before coming in via 7 when it got dark.

Since about trip three it's been Bandon - Old Mac - the other two flip flopping.

I can see why folks might find Old Mac too open or with too many template/homage holes, but for me I like the long putts and bump and runs and how the wind can really turn around holes there.

For me Pacific gets marks taken off for the number of 'non-links' approaches to greens it has, not that every hole needs to have a ready made path via the ground.

[jchungum]

Three weeks until my fourth trip to Bandon. I can't foresee another trip for a few more years, and I plan on trying Cabot as my next adventure. Year one has a quick round on Pac and I was hooked. 2013 was a last minute invite, and 2014 was my own planned trip. This year is with a few close friends, but I didn't expect to go until January. I've got all my gear and bought Nike Bandon 3s to prepare for the worst. My current ratings are:

BD, PD, Trails, OM

[The Pearl]

Just returned. My trip was a disaster. High winds and horrific rain. 6 rounds scheduled. We made it out for only 3 rounds and walked off of 15 on BD. I think there was only 5 holes the whole trip that were playable in "normal" conditions.

 

The bright side was that we did get a break for a few hours and I got to play The Preserve. What a great short course and the views were amazing. It is still absurdly expensive though.