Random Bandon Thread

[eboettne]

On 6/16/2023 at 9:35 PM, miss0033 said:

 

Thanks for helping me manage expectations (upcoming trip in August).

 

Late last August I went to Sand Valley and had the opposite thing happen.  For Polos, 1/4 zips/vests, etc. there was next to nothing in a small, and then just a few more things in a medium.  But nearly everything was available in L, XL and often 2XL.  I asked about it and the guy in the shop said they don't order very many smalls and they are usually gone early.  Also then a lot of the headcovers were down to a single size; and usually fairway or hybrid - a lot of the driver sized head covers were sold out.  I am hoping there are some polos in small and a few headcovers available when I go to Bandon in August.

 

Food service at SV was also very slow.  The resort is newer and only has 2 restaurants in the evening, we would place our drink and food orders right away, drinks would take 20 minutes, food took 45+ minutes each night.  But as of right now, that isn't all that different from most restaurants near me.  My wife and I stopped going out to eat as a simple date night dinner went from being 1.5 hours and $80 to $120+ and a 3 hour 'experience.'

 

I had similar experience at SV with food order but that was in 2019 so chalked it up to being new. One night my buddy never even got food after being there for 2 hours.

[jvincent]

Hey all. I am back home after the Solstice. My golf bag missed our connection in Toronto but according to my tracker and the airline service it's in town and on the truck for delivery.

 

In summary, the Solstice is a great event. Kudos to the Bandon staff for putting on a really first rate event. To top it off we had probably the best possible weather on Tuesday. Not too hot, at most a 1-club wind, and basically not a cloud in the sky all day.

 

We got to the resort on the Saturday night and played Bandon/Preserve on Sunday and Sheep Ranch on Monday. On Monday we played with some other Solsticers (hey Eric and Heath if you read this) and after that the official event activities started.

 

On Monday afternoon there was an informal reception at the Punch Bowl where you could meet / talk with other players, have a few drinks, and hang out.  Most of the guys we talked to were there for their first Solstice. Part of the package included a $75 dinner voucher for any restaurant on site so we grabbed an early dinner to try and get some rest. Really good vibe at the Punchbowl. You could see that everyone there was really excited for the next day.

 

They also had the swag bag samples on display there. The actual bag was delivered to our rooms while we were playing. The contest were a Peter Millar hoodie, Seamus Golf shoe bag, Jones money/tee pouch, an arm massager, and a yardage road sign. The road sign is cool. It will be going up in the basement shortly. Picture of the swag included.

 

We teed off at 6AM on Trails. Our rotation was Trails -> Old Mac -> Bandon -> Pacific. My buddy and I carried for the first two rounds (which not a lot of people did as far as we could tell) and then had a caddie for the last two. Hey Tyler if you are reading this! Our playing times were 2:47, 3:00, 3:10, and 3:30. Our last round would have actually been faster but one of the guys in the group ahead of us had an injury which slowed him down and we actually waited on a bunch of tee boxes. No big deal in the end, but after flying around all day a 3:30 pace felt glacial. As a nice touch all the flags had special Solstice flags. Picture of fat me with a flag on the 18th of Pacific at the bottom.

 

More kudos to the team from Peter Millar, one of the swag bag sponsors, who got around in 10:50 for all four rounds.

 

Holed out on 18 with a nice par to end the event and collected our $100. I'm leaning towards framing it.

 

Some notes for people who are considering playing:

- Don't worry about score. Because of the pace of play you won't have time to properly analyze odd lies, etc and as a result you will hit a bunch of terrible shots over the course of 4 rounds. Laugh it off and move on. The same is true for balls off a tee. By round 3 and 4 you are going to be a little tired and will hit some bad ones.

 

- The first round in the morning for us was really humid and there was a lot of dew. As somebody who wears glasses the humidity had them in a constant state of fog. My morning pair of shoes ended up getting wet so I didn't end up rotating them back for round 3. Adidas Code Chaos are great for being light, suck for water proofness.

 

- Follow on to the point above, extra socks and the second pair of shoes were fine for the rest of the day.

 

- In terms of tiredness, I was actually quite good. At the end of the day the most sore part of me was my feet. My legs were a little sore as was the back but not as bad as I would have thought. Carrying for the first two rounds contributed to that obviously. Caddies for all 4 rounds and I'd have been fresh as a daisy!

 

- Waking up for a super early tee time as a non-morning person sucks.

 

- As you can probably imagine the energy level at the dinner after the event was low. Lots of grunting getting up from the chairs.

[mci711]

This should ruffle some feathers. Seems like a majority of people say Old Mac is their least favorite.. GolfWeek came out with their 2023 best of list. Old Mac is ranked 4th in the country and 2nd at the resort. For me I can't really disagree. (Though the list to me loses all legitimacy when you get to Lawsonia at 23 lol)

 

https://golfweek.usatoday.com/lists/golfweeks-best-2023-courses-you-can-play-top-100-u-s-public-access-golf-ranking/?utm_campaign=trueAnthem%3A Trending Content&utm_medium=trueAnthem&utm_source=facebook&fbclid=IwAR3sqB6QvP4NMZ_ksj84jUK72s1EstaOnWboywwtg8VXAGRvmLJln5tJKx8

Edited June 26, 2023 by mci711

[eboettne]

1 hour ago, mci711 said:

This should ruffle some feathers. Seems like a majority of people say Old Mac is their least favorite.. GolfWeek came out with their 2023 best of list. Old Mac is ranked 4th in the country and 2nd at the resort. For me I can't really disagree. (Though the list to me loses all legitimacy when you get to Lawsonia at 23 lol)

 

https://golfweek.usatoday.com/lists/golfweeks-best-2023-courses-you-can-play-top-100-u-s-public-access-golf-ranking/?utm_campaign=trueAnthem%3A Trending Content&utm_medium=trueAnthem&utm_source=facebook&fbclid=IwAR3sqB6QvP4NMZ_ksj84jUK72s1EstaOnWboywwtg8VXAGRvmLJln5tJKx8

 

While I love that North Dakota got some love, that list is... interesting. Sand Hollow way to low IMO  Cascata being 1 place behind Minot Country Club is shocking.  I played Minot CC for the first time last summer and while it's a really fun course, not sure it's quite at that level.

[aa6]

1 hour ago, mci711 said:

This should ruffle some feathers. Seems like a majority of people say Old Mac is their least favorite.. GolfWeek came out with their 2023 best of list. Old Mac is ranked 4th in the country and 2nd at the resort. For me I can't really disagree. (Though the list to me loses all legitimacy when you get to Lawsonia at 23 lol)

 

https://golfweek.usatoday.com/lists/golfweeks-best-2023-courses-you-can-play-top-100-u-s-public-access-golf-ranking/?utm_campaign=trueAnthem%3A Trending Content&utm_medium=trueAnthem&utm_source=facebook&fbclid=IwAR3sqB6QvP4NMZ_ksj84jUK72s1EstaOnWboywwtg8VXAGRvmLJln5tJKx8

 

I think Old Mac gets an unfair shake.  It's fantastic.  I like that course more every time I play it... it's still behind Trails and Bandon Dunes for me, but it's 3rd of the 5 and it's not close for me 🙂

[TexasTitleistUser]

Old Mac surprised me the most on my first trip. Much more elevation than I imagined on some tees and approach shots. Even after being hailed on I liked it. 

[jvincent]

4 hours ago, mci711 said:

This should ruffle some feathers. Seems like a majority of people say Old Mac is their least favorite.. GolfWeek came out with their 2023 best of list. Old Mac is ranked 4th in the country and 2nd at the resort. For me I can't really disagree. (Though the list to me loses all legitimacy when you get to Lawsonia at 23 lol)

 

https://golfweek.usatoday.com/lists/golfweeks-best-2023-courses-you-can-play-top-100-u-s-public-access-golf-ranking/?utm_campaign=trueAnthem%3A Trending Content&utm_medium=trueAnthem&utm_source=facebook&fbclid=IwAR3sqB6QvP4NMZ_ksj84jUK72s1EstaOnWboywwtg8VXAGRvmLJln5tJKx8

 

Old Mac is my favourite course to play at Bandon. 

 

Highlights from my Solstice round:

- Actually hit the ghost tree with my tee shot. First time doing that. 

- Made a fabulous par on #4 playing into the wind.

- Almost drove the green on #14 (almost made it up the hill and rolled back) and and still made birdie.

- Hit one to 15 feet on 16 from behind the hill.

[italianstallion]

3 hours ago, eboettne said:

 

While I love that North Dakota got some love, that list is... interesting. Sand Hollow way to low IMO  Cascata being 1 place behind Minot Country Club is shocking.  I played Minot CC for the first time last summer and while it's a really fun course, not sure it's quite at that level.

Definitely an interesting list. I’ve been fortunate enough to have played over a quarter of this list. Pasatiempo behind Sheep Ranch is, excuse my being curt, a joke. Other than that I do think Old Mac is well above Bandon Dunes. In retrospect I feel I have to give benefit of the doubt to Trails being the best as I played my worst round there but the adventure of that walk really salvaged my feelings that day. Pacific is second for me because the inland holes are just so so good. Old Mac can’t possibly be lower than third given Bandon Dunes’ weak interior holes and finish. 

Edited June 27, 2023 by italianstallion

[jpdx]

Old mac had been my favorite every trip and remains so. Im torn on #2, its either bandon dunes or pacific dunes as i feel like i switch between them. Trails and sheep ranch switch between 4 and 5. Trails was my least favorite on my very first trip, but has grown on me. I dont understand the hate old mac gets honestly. 

Edited June 27, 2023 by jpdx

[VNutz]

17 hours ago, mci711 said:

This should ruffle some feathers. Seems like a majority of people say Old Mac is their least favorite.. GolfWeek came out with their 2023 best of list. Old Mac is ranked 4th in the country and 2nd at the resort. For me I can't really disagree. (Though the list to me loses all legitimacy when you get to Lawsonia at 23 lol)

 

https://golfweek.usatoday.com/lists/golfweeks-best-2023-courses-you-can-play-top-100-u-s-public-access-golf-ranking/?utm_campaign=trueAnthem%3A Trending Content&utm_medium=trueAnthem&utm_source=facebook&fbclid=IwAR3sqB6QvP4NMZ_ksj84jUK72s1EstaOnWboywwtg8VXAGRvmLJln5tJKx8

Everybody has their favorites, so I give it a pass. Some friends just returned and Old Mac was their favorite. That's fine, but there's no way it's a better course than Whistling Straits. I don't get too caught up in the rankings, but Sheep Ranch's rating is way too high IMO. As @italianstallion said, there's no way it's above Pasatiempo, let alone many others. And only 1 spot behind Bethpage Black, that rating is simply too high.

[mci711]

3 minutes ago, VNutz said:

Everybody has their favorites, so I give it a pass. Some friends just returned and Old Mac was their favorite. That's fine, but there's no way it's a better course than Whistling Straits. I don't get too caught up in the rankings, but Sheep Ranch's rating is way too high IMO. As @italianstallion said, there's no way it's above Pasatiempo, let alone many others. And only 1 spot behind Bethpage Black, that rating is simply too high.

 

Not to get too off track of Bandon, but Pasatiempo may be the best public layout in the country. 

[dcmidnight]

Been fortunate to play a decent amount of the T25 and I still think its absolutely maddening that PB is #1 on these lists. I was fortunate to play it twice and I think that every golfer should have the life experience of teeing off on 18. Its incredible. But from a playing perspective nearly half the course is uninspiring...to me. Same with Spyglass at 14.

 

Are 5 of the Top 11 public courses in the country really at BD? I just dont know about that.

[italianstallion]

3 hours ago, dcmidnight said:

Been fortunate to play a decent amount of the T25 and I still think its absolutely maddening that PB is #1 on these lists. I was fortunate to play it twice and I think that every golfer should have the life experience of teeing off on 18. Its incredible. But from a playing perspective nearly half the course is uninspiring...to me. Same with Spyglass at 14.

 

Are 5 of the Top 11 public courses in the country really at BD? I just dont know about that.

6 of the top 10 are Oceanside or near a big body of water. 10 of the top 20 have that same characteristic. The bias of being near a big body of water is very much apparent here (I’m in full agreement with your comments regarding Pebble). As @mci711 said, Pasatiempo is arguably the best publicly accessible course in the country but they somehow found 11 courses to put before it. 
 

Part of that could be I’ve played enough seaside golf that oceans/large lakes no longer do it for me. But I stand by the fact that golf courses should be rated…not views. To bring this back to Bandon, that’s what’s good to see about Old Mac’s inclusion where it is…with just half a hole of ocean views, the course would  stand on its own no matter where it was located. 

[jpdx]

I think my favorite thing about old Mac is how Tom Doak drew inspiration from some of the most famous holes in the world and as a homage to CB MacDonald. Although not replicas of those holes, I can only gather what it’s like to play them as there is a good chance that I will never be able to play some of the original ones and hopefully this gives me a good feeling of what it is like.

[puttnforthe8]

On 6/27/2023 at 10:52 AM, italianstallion said:

6 of the top 10 are Oceanside or near a big body of water. 10 of the top 20 have that same characteristic. The bias of being near a big body of water is very much apparent here (I’m in full agreement with your comments regarding Pebble). As @mci711 said, Pasatiempo is arguably the best publicly accessible course in the country but they somehow found 11 courses to put before it. 
 

Part of that could be I’ve played enough seaside golf that oceans/large lakes no longer do it for me. But I stand by the fact that golf courses should be rated…not views. To bring this back to Bandon, that’s what’s good to see about Old Mac’s inclusion where it is…with just half a hole of ocean views, the course would  stand on its own no matter where it was located. 

 

Here we go again...Pasatiempo is a super course...it is not the best (or even close).  But it is your opinion, and this is mine.  So all good. 

 

In the same vain, Pebble is no where close to being 1st either imo.   That list is 💩

 

And at a personal/local level - they have Quintero in AZ at 93; when it would not even make the top 20 or 30 in AZ if a person is being honest.

 

 

Edited June 28, 2023 by puttnforthe8

[mci711]

7 minutes ago, puttnforthe8 said:

 

Here we go again...Pasatiempo is a super course...it is not the best (or even close).  But it is your opinion, and this is mine.  So all good. 

 

In the same vain, Pebble is no where close to being 1st either imo.   That list is 💩

 

And at a personal/local level - they have Quintero in AZ at 93; when it would not even make the top 20 or 30 in AZ if a person is being honest.

 

 

 

Layout wise, how is Pasatiempo "not (even close)" to being one of the best public? I'd be really interested in what you think is a good course. Like you said, no right or wrong answers/every has a their own opinions, but we must have VERY different opinions. 

[italianstallion]

38 minutes ago, puttnforthe8 said:

 

Here we go again...Pasatiempo is a super course...it is not the best (or even close).  But it is your opinion, and this is mine.  So all good. 

 

In the same vain, Pebble is no where close to being 1st either imo.   That list is 💩

 

And at a personal/local level - they have Quintero in AZ at 93; when it would not even make the top 20 or 30 in AZ if a person is being honest.

 

 

 

I did caveat my comment with the word "arguably" 😉

 

To give you an idea of where my mind is at, in no particular order my top 5 includes Pasatiempo, Bethpage Black, The Ocean Course, TPC Sawgrass, and Southern Pines. 

[miss0033]

7 minutes ago, italianstallion said:

 

I did caveat my comment with the word "arguably" 😉

 

To give you an idea of where my mind is at, in no particular order my top 5 includes Pasatiempo, Bethpage Black, The Ocean Course, TPC Sawgrass, and Southern Pines. 

 

Southern Pines, post renovation I assume?  There were about 2 weeks from opening last time I went down. 

 

I have only played a handful of the list and several I either accept that I never will (Pebble Beach for instance) and several others I have little to no interest in playing (Shadow Creek, among others).  Going to Bandon soon, looking forward to playing there as well as checking off some bucket list courses.

 

I absolutely love Tobacco Road, it is probably my #1.  Mammoth Dunes #2.  The Quarry at Giants Ridge #3.  Sand Valley #4.  I might have a type...  hahaha.  Tot Hill Farm is probably my #5...  (sorry, I will excuse myself from the room...)

I enjoyed Mid-Pines much more than Pine Needles (based on the list looks like others have similar opinions).  I played Pinehurst #4 pre-renovation and while I enjoyed the round, it wasn't something I would go out of my way to play again.  I have to assume the renovations have changed that.  I haven't played #2, (#8 or #9).   Would love to play #10 when it opens and maybe check off a few others.

(Like I said, I haven't played very many at all from that list).

[puttnforthe8]

2 hours ago, mci711 said:

 

Layout wise, how is Pasatiempo "not (even close)" to being one of the best public? I'd be really interested in what you think is a good course. Like you said, no right or wrong answers/every has a their own opinions, but we must have VERY different opinions. 

 

Well...I will give you one item - this could be just me - and pretty much everyone know which hole is the prime example of 'stupidity' for that design feature.   Elements are fine, just don't abuse them - front to back is fine, but when you get silly, it drops in my mind.  18 redan greens would suck.   Just like Quintero in AZ - All par 3s exactly the same; 75% of the par 4s the same hole.

 

Personally, I think Bandon Trails is a fantastic course and I enjoy it more every time I play it.  I think Forest Dunes is a superb course.  I like a lot of other courses too.  

 

 

[Looper34]

2 hours ago, italianstallion said:

To give you an idea of where my mind is at, in no particular order my top 5 includes Pasatiempo, Bethpage Black, The Ocean Course, TPC Sawgrass, and Southern Pines. 

Couldn't agree more, Southern Pines is a definite up and comer and the Black is great.

Played Black 3 weeks ago and finally pared 15 after getting shellacked every time I've played that hole for about the past 3 decades. Yeah, I'm talking about it.

[graveydellic]

Anyone know when December '24 reservations will open up?  Staff on the phone didn't know, but I figured it was on some sort of set or rolling date.

 

After debating for months, I did just book a trip for December of this year.  Tee times we're pretty mediocre on Dec 17/18 but I figure there will be more flexibility closer to the dates per usual.  Usually I am a single but tentatively going with my dad this time around.

[VNutz]

36 minutes ago, graveydellic said:

Anyone know when December '24 reservations will open up?  Staff on the phone didn't know, but I figured it was on some sort of set or rolling date.

 

After debating for months, I did just book a trip for December of this year.  Tee times we're pretty mediocre on Dec 17/18 but I figure there will be more flexibility closer to the dates per usual.  Usually I am a single but tentatively going with my dad this time around.

It has to be soon. My group just booked for November 2024 a week or two ago.

[graveydellic]

One more Q, anyone stayed at Round Lake?  They look really nice, just wondering how people have liked them compared to other options.  It was all that was available but I was ok with it considering I have stayed in all other lodging options.  

[Edaw68]

5 hours ago, graveydellic said:

One more Q, anyone stayed at Round Lake?  They look really nice, just wondering how people have liked them compared to other options.  It was all that was available but I was ok with it considering I have stayed in all other lodging options.  

Probably the “nicest” rooms there. For me not necessarily worth the extra cost, but spacious, nice shower, good location.

[doc52]

16 hours ago, graveydellic said:

One more Q, anyone stayed at Round Lake?  They look really nice, just wondering how people have liked them compared to other options.  It was all that was available but I was ok with it considering I have stayed in all other lodging options.  

I prefer the Round Lake rooms.

Edited July 6, 2023 by doc52

[graveydellic]

Bandon now sending out emails pre-arrival regarding greens on OM and SR.  They must have gotten enough complaints where they felt it warranted to be forthcoming.  Resort speak for "the greens aren't as good as we want them to be"

 

"Before your arrival, we would like to inform you that we are in the process of a poa annua transition on the greens at two of our courses.  Both courses continue to improve, with Old Macdonald being further along in the transition than Sheep Ranch"

[ND2005]

1 hour ago, graveydellic said:

Bandon now sending out emails pre-arrival regarding greens on OM and SR.  They must have gotten enough complaints where they felt it warranted to be forthcoming.  Resort speak for "the greens aren't as good as we want them to be"

 

"Before your arrival, we would like to inform you that we are in the process of a poa annua transition on the greens at two of our courses.  Both courses continue to improve, with Old Macdonald being further along in the transition than Sheep Ranch"

 

Got the same email. Does that indicate things have gotten worse or just finally acknowledging the issue?

 

Majority of my group is first timers so I wanted people to get to see all 5 courses. Our replay rounds are all on PD/BD so they'd only be hitting Sheep and OM once...

[Looper34]

On 7/7/2023 at 1:34 PM, graveydellic said:

Bandon now sending out emails pre-arrival regarding greens on OM and SR.  They must have gotten enough complaints where they felt it warranted to be forthcoming.  Resort speak for "the greens aren't as good as we want them to be"

 

"Before your arrival, we would like to inform you that we are in the process of a poa annua transition on the greens at two of our courses.  Both courses continue to improve, with Old Macdonald being further along in the transition than Sheep Ranch"

I guess that's the resorts way of saying "tough luck", which is a shame because they haven't lowered the rate or offered some type of credit.

[birdhays]

I played both OM and SR twice at the end of May. OM greens slow but rolled pretty true. Only the third green had some spotty areas. SR greens aren’t great but they aren’t terrible and didn’t impact my enjoyment of the course.

[ALIF]

Trails was my favorites, old Macdonald 2nd, Pacific dunes 3rd, and Bandon dunes 4th. I’m almost sure that heaven must look like Bandon trails.