Got the green light at home - Bandon first timer, going solo

[Goiter]

I stay at Three Rivers Casino in Florence a good bit on the way down. There are a few other good hotels to just put your head down. Some good food in Florence and a little over an hour maybe an hour and a half to the resort. About 3-3 1/2 hrs from Portland. For me about the perfect distance to keep the back from getting tight on the drive.

Thanks!

[Goiter]

I stay at Three Rivers Casino in Florence a good bit on the way down. There are a few other good hotels to just put your head down. Some good food in Florence and a little over an hour maybe an hour and a half to the resort. About 3-3 1/2 hrs from Portland. For me about the perfect distance to keep the back from getting tight on the drive.

Thanks!

All booked up :(

[Matt J]

Rooms at The Mill in Coos Bay are fine and run about 100 bucks. There are a bunch of random motor lodges up and down the 101, most are pretty dingy.

 

Hard for folks to realize that the south coast is pretty remote and economically depressed. It is the perfect place for a resort as there is very little competition. Funny, a lot of guys around here (2.5 hour drive) want to drive down, play one round at the resort, and play somewhere else. I always decline as I'd rather play at the resort or at home, not pay for a goat track.

[Goiter]

Rooms at The Mill in Coos Bay are fine and run about 100 bucks. There are a bunch of random motor lodges up and down the 101, most are pretty dingy.

 

Hard for folks to realize that the south coast is pretty remote and economically depressed. It is the perfect place for a resort as there is very little competition. Funny, a lot of guys around here (2.5 hour drive) want to drive down, play one round at the resort, and play somewhere else. I always decline as I'd rather play at the resort or at home, not pay for a goat track.

 

Thanks, It doesn't need to be fancy. Worst case we pull into the resort and sleep in the car :) Probably be a 17 hr travel day

[duffer987]

We are flying into Portland from PLEASE STOP SNOWING/GET ABOVE 0*F GREEN BAY on March 2nd around 5pm. First round isn't until Sunday at 10:50. Looking for some recommendations on somewhere to stay a night on the way. Probably going to get as close to the resort as possible. Would like to get there fairly early Sunday to get our clubs and hit a few balls

Florence - Old Town Inn. We've stayed there two years in a row now and it's perfectly fine.

Couple blocks to Main Street for a few pints and a meal. Next morning have breakfast up the road at the Little Brown Hen Cafe. 1h15min to Bandon.

We typically have an 11-11:30 opening tee time on our first day when we go and it works perfect.

[2bGood]

1. Yes the punch bowl and practice tee will be open. Yes you get onsite rates for arrival and departure days. Yes staying offsite the first night is a good option unless you want to grab a few beers and hang out with the other golfer on night one.

 

2. Your call. Ideally you want to play each course twice and the preserve once. 1st to learn the course and second time to really enjoy it. You also need to be prepared for some bad weather, it would be a bummer to only play your favourite course in a monsoon.

 

3. Just keep reading and reading and reading. For me it BD, OM, PD, Trails. Asked me a year ago it would be different and a year before that different again. I don't think it is fair to say BD and PD are head shoulders are above the rest. On my trips I typically play BD, PD, OM the same amount (depends on what is open) and Trails a bit less. PD might be the nicest course, but I enjoy BD more (more playable and nearly as spectacular). Sorry bit there is no right answer on this one. BUT there is no wrong answer either.

 

3a. All the course are pretty wide open. If you are a decent golf you will have a tough time losing a ball on any of the courses

 

4. Sounds like you know your preference on caddies. They have some great ones at BD. I might use them once or twice during a week long trip

[philsRHman]

Nothing to really add with this post other than I LEAVE FOR BANDON DUNES IN EXACTLY 3 WEEKS AND I'M TOTALLY FREAKING OUT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

I feel like all I can do is eat, breathe and dream Bandon. I'm spending hours looking at thermal shirts and base layers on Amazon. I read reviews on QB-style hand warming pouches for an hour last night and didn't pull the trigger because I had paralysis by analysis. And that was a stupid pouch!

 

I emailed Zero Restriction to ask how/if I can hem my pants (no real answer other than try a place in Seattle).

 

I bought new shoes and packed them in my gym bag to start breaking them in.

 

I've read about caddies. I've read what to do while waiting for Bandon. I've read what brings you back to Bandon. I've search Expedia 20 times for a motel and read reviews and can't pull the trigger on any. I spent 2 hours on that ridesharing app someone mentioned, thinking about whether I want to rent a Tesla, Caddilac, or Kia for my drive down, when in reality I'm just going to get a Thrifty rental car. I've been auditing my socks and long sleeve shirts to determine what I still need to get in the next three weeks.

 

I'm like in this insane land of complete obsession, panic, excitement and fear. I worry I'm going to burn out and three days before I go, I'm going to be sick of it already. I've stayed up until 1-2 a.m. every day since I started considering the trip and it's NOT HEALTHY.

 

Maybe I should start putting down teh phone and laptop at night and just read Dream Golf, which I haven't even cracked open yet. But then I worry, only 3 weeks left, get everything set and then relax. I'm losing my goddamned mind and I don't know if I love it or hate it!!!!!!!!!

[duffer987]

You've got enough time to order a pair of these and have them delivered: https://www.ebay.com...Ae-CA:rk:2:pf:0

 

I ordered from these guys, but haven't worn them in the rain yet. They are nice and light and do have these snap buttons that enable you to self-hem them.

 

See my comment above for a place to stay up the road in Florence.

Shoes schmoes. Apply a few coats of spray and yes wear them around the house in the evening.

[2bGood]

Rooms at The Mill in Coos Bay are fine and run about 100 bucks. There are a bunch of random motor lodges up and down the 101, most are pretty dingy.

 

Hard for folks to realize that the south coast is pretty remote and economically depressed. It is the perfect place for a resort as there is very little competition. Funny, a lot of guys around here (2.5 hour drive) want to drive down, play one round at the resort, and play somewhere else. I always decline as I'd rather play at the resort or at home, not pay for a goat track.

 

Thanks, It doesn't need to be fancy. Worst case we pull into the resort and sleep in the car :) Probably be a 17 hr travel day

 

Can't say I would ever contemplate sleeping in my car before playing 36 holes on my bucket list course. Mind you I did wake up at 1am to play the Old Course. :swoon:

[spud3]

River House Inn in Florence. Close to old town and good restaurants, right off 101, perfectly adequate place to crash for a night. If you end up going all the way to Bandon, Inn At Old Town provides the same. Nothing fancy, but it'll do.

[spud3]

Nothing to really add with this post other than I LEAVE FOR BANDON DUNES IN EXACTLY 3 WEEKS AND I'M TOTALLY FREAKING OUT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

I feel like all I can do is eat, breathe and dream Bandon. I'm spending hours looking at thermal shirts and base layers on Amazon. I read reviews on QB-style hand warming pouches for an hour last night and didn't pull the trigger because I had paralysis by analysis. And that was a stupid pouch!

 

I emailed Zero Restriction to ask how/if I can hem my pants (no real answer other than try a place in Seattle).

 

I bought new shoes and packed them in my gym bag to start breaking them in.

 

I've read about caddies. I've read what to do while waiting for Bandon. I've read what brings you back to Bandon. I've search Expedia 20 times for a motel and read reviews and can't pull the trigger on any. I spent 2 hours on that ridesharing app someone mentioned, thinking about whether I want to rent a Tesla, Caddilac, or Kia for my drive down, when in reality I'm just going to get a Thrifty rental car. I've been auditing my socks and long sleeve shirts to determine what I still need to get in the next three weeks.

 

I'm like in this insane land of complete obsession, panic, excitement and fear. I worry I'm going to burn out and three days before I go, I'm going to be sick of it already. I've stayed up until 1-2 a.m. every day since I started considering the trip and it's NOT HEALTHY.

 

Maybe I should start putting down teh phone and laptop at night and just read Dream Golf, which I haven't even cracked open yet. But then I worry, only 3 weeks left, get everything set and then relax. I'm losing my goddamned mind and I don't know if I love it or hate it!!!!!!!!!

 

We've all been there. The good news is that it will all resolve once you get onsite and make a coupe swings. Then it'll pass in a blur.

 

Then you come back.

[duffer987]

I have to say, I'm happy the weather looks pretty crap Sat, mixed Sun, and chilly Mon - or all this Bandon talk would have me gassing up the car and checking about open slots for the long weekend :)

[philsRHman]

You've got enough time to order a pair of these and have them delivered: https://www.ebay.com...Ae-CA:rk:2:pf:0

 

I ordered from these guys, but haven't worn them in the rain yet. They are nice and light and do have these snap buttons that enable you to self-hem them.

 

See my comment above for a place to stay up the road in Florence.

Shoes schmoes. Apply a few coats of spray and yes wear them around the house in the evening.

 

Thanks, those pants look good but the description says I can shorten to 31". I'm so short and fat that I probably need 38Wx28L or else I will be stepping on them. Going to the dry cleaner tomorrow to see if they can hem. I've read all the threads on rain pants for short guys and have some options but would rather not miss a chance to alter brand new ZR pants. I'd much rather spend that money on a better fitting rain jacket, since the ZR one is very nice but isn't great to play in, being very baggy.

 

River House Inn in Florence. Close to old town and good restaurants, right off 101, perfectly adequate place to crash for a night. If you end up going all the way to Bandon, Inn At Old Town provides the same. Nothing fancy, but it'll do.

 

Bingo! Inn at Old Town is booked. $60 and done. One less thing to worry about. Thank you.

[ceejay81]

Rooms at The Mill in Coos Bay are fine and run about 100 bucks. There are a bunch of random motor lodges up and down the 101, most are pretty dingy.

 

Hard for folks to realize that the south coast is pretty remote and economically depressed. It is the perfect place for a resort as there is very little competition. Funny, a lot of guys around here (2.5 hour drive) want to drive down, play one round at the resort, and play somewhere else. I always decline as I'd rather play at the resort or at home, not pay for a goat track.

 

Thanks, It doesn't need to be fancy. Worst case we pull into the resort and sleep in the car :) Probably be a 17 hr travel day

 

Can't say I would ever contemplate sleeping in my car before playing 36 holes on my bucket list course. Mind you I did wake up at 1am to play the Old Course. :swoon:

 

Time for you to go take a trip to Bethpage to play and camp out! LOL

[The Pearl]

OP,

 

The best pants available for short guys is Pro Quip. They have them all the way down to 29 in inseam with XXL in the waist.

 

golfsupport.com is a British company that sells Pro Quip. With the exchange rate, they often run about half price vs. buying from the Pro Quip US web site.

 

The only hitch is the delivery time might be nip and tuck before you leave. I can't remember how long it took for my suit to arrive last year. But it might be something to look into for the future.

 

 

We always stay at the Bandon Inn. Great people and the rooms were recently upgraded.

 

 

Three weeks is still plenty of time to get in some semblance of shape. Even walking every day for an hour will help tremendously. Add in some hill work and maybe moving some weights. You can pick up a ton of good cardio in the weight room. High-intensity training is probably better than trying to crank out 5 miles or so. Not to be a buzzkill, but don't worry about the walk as it is Bandon so the probability of having great weather the whole time is low. You most likely will have a forced rest due to mother nature.

 

In lieu of a caddie, take the buggy, unless you are willing to play with a minimalist set.

 

 

Finally, the course yardage books you can order are really good and great for studying to pass the time.

 

 

 

There is no fear with going solo. I think some of us would agree that it might be the preferred method as opposed to having one or two guys in your party not all in or dragging the group down.

[buzlin]

phils, I would also consider doing some light stretching everyday. what ever you feel your body needs. i'll add that wide knee squats are awesome for your glutes and opening your hips (yes, glute activation is real, thanks Tiger!), but be careful and move slowly. it would be awful to strain something or worse yet, throw out your back due to being overly tight, especially with all the travel.

[philsRHman]

In all my reading, I haven't seen much discussion of which tees to play. I see all four courses check in sub-7000 from the tips. Normally I choose tees in the 6600-6900 range. I'm a 3 handicap and hit 7 iron in benign conditions about 165 -- so not golfwrx long, but no slouch (you're a tremendous slouch). I also don't want to be "that guy" playing the back tees if no one else does.

[philsRHman]

phils, I would also consider doing some light stretching everyday. what ever you feel your body needs. i'll add that wide knee squats are awesome for your glutes and opening your hips (yes, glute activation is real, thanks Tiger!), but be careful and move slowly. it would be awful to strain something or worse yet, throw out your back due to being overly tight, especially with all the travel.

 

Great advice. The gym here at work (where I've only been like 4x in two years) has a cage-looking contraption with lots of stretches on a board. I plan that, especially since I've got very very tight hamstrings, lower back and hips. I will probably gain more from daily stretches than working out, but if I'm down there, might as well hit the treadmill too LOL. I'm also trying to figure out if I can fit my foam roller into my luggage. I know they have some on site but I love using it last thing before bed and first thing on mornings I'm playing.

[duffer987]

Go Greens first time through, move back if you find it too short next time through.

165yd 7 iron will fit in just fine there off the greens IMHO. Bear in mind it's going to be windy and chilly, so you'll get through your bag in a typical day.

That said, if it isn't windy a lot of Pac for example can turn into a wedgefest or at least 8I-or-less-fest.

[Sushiyoshi]

I have to say, I'm happy the weather looks pretty crap Sat, mixed Sun, and chilly Mon - or all this Bandon talk would have me gassing up the car and checking about open slots for the long weekend :)

 

I am going to be there Fri-Mon. ☹️

[DFinch]

I’ll add another thumbs up for Bandon Inn. Good value there. Stayed there twice.

 

 

[Edaw68]

Second vote for the greens, that’s pretty much everyone’s normal tee unless you’re legit tour long.

[mallrat]

I stay at Three Rivers Casino in Florence a good bit on the way down. There are a few other good hotels to just put your head down. Some good food in Florence and a little over an hour maybe an hour and a half to the resort. About 3-3 1/2 hrs from Portland. For me about the perfect distance to keep the back from getting tight on the drive.

Thanks!

All booked up :(

 

We stayed at the Old Town Inn last time. Nothing special but $75 a night in a clean room

[Goiter]

Rooms at The Mill in Coos Bay are fine and run about 100 bucks. There are a bunch of random motor lodges up and down the 101, most are pretty dingy.

 

Hard for folks to realize that the south coast is pretty remote and economically depressed. It is the perfect place for a resort as there is very little competition. Funny, a lot of guys around here (2.5 hour drive) want to drive down, play one round at the resort, and play somewhere else. I always decline as I'd rather play at the resort or at home, not pay for a goat track.

 

Thanks, It doesn't need to be fancy. Worst case we pull into the resort and sleep in the car :) Probably be a 17 hr travel day

 

Can't say I would ever contemplate sleeping in my car before playing 36 holes on my bucket list course. Mind you I did wake up at 1am to play the Old Course. :swoon:

The first day is only 18 :) Then 36 36 36 18

[tboh]

Damit ... I hate every single one of these threads!

All I want to do is play golf smoke drink gamble & play golf

Press & press mther fckers!

[tboh]

Jealousy has got the best of me ... damit!

[philsRHman]

I was just looking at Bandon's blog and the write up of shorty's. I was surprised to see that the holes have a lot more length than I expected. What's the difference between Shorty's and the Preserve (other than 4 more holes). Seems like on paper the two would scratch the same itch.

[schneidm10]

I was just looking at Bandon's blog and the write up of shorty's. I was surprised to see that the holes have a lot more length than I expected. What's the difference between Shorty's and the Preserve (other than 4 more holes). Seems like on paper the two would scratch the same itch.

 

Preserve is way more scenic. Shorty’s is along the practice facility in the forest. Preserve is up between trails and across the cliff from Bandon. The course is awesome and has views almost as good as the big courses.

[spud3]

Shorty's = Camry

Preserve = BMW

 

Absolutely serve the same purpose, but the Preserve is located on a fine piece of land in between Trails and BD, with some great views, highly crafted holes (Coore & Crenshaw designed) and until recently perfect fescue greens. It's closed now for the greens to transition over to poa. It also costs a good chunk of change to play, but all proceeds go to the Wild Rivers Alliance

 

Shorty's is almost as much fun, without the views and the design pedigree. Several of the holes serve double duty as target greens for the South range, so it's only fully open Thur-Sun afternoon. Even when it's "closed" though, you can still play a few of the holes that aren't part of the range. There's no fee, but an honor box near the first hole

 

Shorty's is the place to go work on your short game. Preserve is where you go with a bunch of your buddies to cap off a long day with some really cool short iron holes with a drink. It can get fairly rowdy

[Matt J]

I was just looking at Bandon's blog and the write up of shorty's. I was surprised to see that the holes have a lot more length than I expected. What's the difference between Shorty's and the Preserve (other than 4 more holes). Seems like on paper the two would scratch the same itch.

 

I've never played the Preserve, but I've played Shorty's a bunch. Shorty's is free and it's part of the practice facility. Sometimes it is closed when the range is being maintained. It is maintained like a Municipal course, the greens are cut quickly when the practice greens are mowed, the fairways are just mowed to the same height as the range, etc. - you mostly see range balls scattered about on it. as the range uses NXT golf balls that are labeled Practice.

 

The Preserve is, to my understanding, more like a real "executive course." It is maintained to the standards of the "big" courses. There are tee times and pairings and a real scorecard.