Random Bandon Thread

[drewsaber16]

Just getting back from my first trip! We went Sunday-Thursday. What an experience...have been on some really cool golf trips, but this one takes the cake and will definitely be back. We went with 8 guys and had some amazing caddies that definitely added to the experience. Two of them even joined us to play at the Preserve as a 10some. We started the trip off using Loop Transportation...it was a 10/10 Amos and his staff were amazing! It was definitely on the more expensive side, but came stocked with a host of cocktails, mixers, and beer. They even made two pit stops for us in town to load up on some booze, snacks, etc for our rooms. I have seen some complaints about the greens and by far Pacific Dunes have the best greens followed by Trails and Bandon...the greens at Old Mac were slow but not throwing anything off line. Sheep Ranch had more issues with some of the greens being spots of mud, but we still enjoyed our time at all the courses. I found the service to be ok, but the food to be very good! The Pastrami at Sheep Ranch was memorable, Meat loaf at McKee's, Charlotte's breakfast brisket burrito, and all of the soups were amazing! We stayed night one in Lily Pond which I really liked and then moved to the INN definitely a down grade, but there to golf and little time spent in the room. Our schedule and my rankings are below for those who care! Thanks to this thread for a lot of great insight for all things Bandon.

 

Sunday - Bandon Dunes 

Monday - Sheep then Trails

Tuesday - Old Mac then Preserve

Wednesday - Pac Dunes then Old Mac

Thursday - Trails

 

My Rankings: 1. Trails 2. Bandon Dunes 3. Pacific Dunes 4. Old Mac 5. Sheep Ranch that being said if i were to go back and someone said you could play Trails twice and not play Sheep Ranch I would rather play all 5 courses while up there. What a time and very depressing coming home!

 

Edited July 12, 2023 by drewsaber16

[Ryan19jwu]

I think I need to stop going on golf trips… streamsong last year in April and the greens were garbage. 
 

Bandon coming up in a few weeks. I can’t catch a break with greens. 

[Looper34]

1 hour ago, Ryan19jwu said:

I think I need to stop going on golf trips… streamsong last year in April and the greens were garbage. 
 

Bandon coming up in a few weeks. I can’t catch a break with greens. 

Just the one

I hope.

[AdExec]

Heading out there Thursday next week for the first time. Playing all but Sheep Ranch this trip. Short notice booking so could only get 3 nights booked. Hoping for the amazing weather I’ve been seeing the past couple weeks on the live cams! Going to be a nice break from the Scottsdale heat for sure. 

[Buddyboss32]

Long time reader, first time poster. I've always enjoyed reading the Bandon trip reviews (especially in preparation for my own, first trip). Here's mine:

Our golf itinerary:

Day 1: Trails (evening)

Day 2: Pac (morning), Bandon (afternoon)

Day 3: Sheep (morning), Trails (afternoon)

Day 4: Old Mac (morning), Pac (afternoon), Preserve (evening)

Day 5: Old Mac (late morning), Bandon (evening)

Day 6: Sheep (morning)

 

We had a group of 8 (all first-timers) - all of us travelling in from the east coast. Nearly half flew into Eugene and the other half flew into North Bend. I was part of the group that flew into Eugene; I enjoyed the drive from Eugene into Bandon and wouldn't hesitate to do it again. It's a full 2.5 hours, a lot of it through scenic forest and winding water. The last bit of the drive has a fair amount of traffic lights - so the anticipation building to the actual arrival gets intense! We had a tee time at Trails at 5pm and we cut it pretty close (arrived around 4:30pm). 

 

We stayed in two grove cottages for the entirety of the trip. They are expensive, no doubt, especially if you schedule so much golf that you only spend 7 hours total per day at the cottage. We all agreed that having our own bedroom and bathroom, though, was worth it. Bed is comfortable and the showers are great. Also, I cannot speak for all of the lodging options, but I didn't get the sense that any lodging was truly preferential with respect to location. The resort really isn't that big... so you can easily drive or shuttle around with ease - and the cottages were centrally located. I suppose staying at the lodge would be fun because you would never have to drive for food or drink. (Fun side note: Roger Goodell was in the cottage right next to mine)

 

Day 1: Again, we barely made it for our tee time, but our club travel bags were waiting for us at the starter shack, so that was nice. We just threw them in the rental cars and headed to the first tee. Trails entry / clubhouse if very unique. It feels like the clubhouse is built into the woods - and everything just feels tucked away from the normal world. I also loved the fact that you get a good look at the preserve. If I had to pick one single spot on the property that was my favorite, I think the entry point to Trails would be it. I'm sure it has a lot to do with the fact that it's the first thing we saw. We were introduced to our caddies for the week (they worked hard for their money!) and off we went. It was overcast and in the mid to high 50s. The walk up the hill to the first tee is a great reveal. I've read a lot of good things about Trails, but it was better than I expected; a private and magical walk. The stretch from 9-11 is great, and the second hole, to me, is really cool, as the green looks like it's hidden below in the field. The closing stretch isn't the best, mostly because of the uphill par 5 (just not my cup of tea). Our caddies said that they never had such a late round at Trails and, by the end, the place was completely dead and everything was closed up for the night. We had a quick dinner late at Tufted Puffin (fine food, but the day gets hazy for me at this point), then off to bed for an early wake up. 

 

Day 2: None of us slept well, maybe 4 hours on average. Jet lag or excitement or both? Not sure. Got to Pac Dunes and got some coffee and breakfast (no alcohol is served before 7am, in case you're interested). First groups off. We had a perfect, sunny morning with very little wind. This ended up being our group's best round as far as aggregate net scores. Doak uses the dunes to make dramatic bunkers that impact the visuals on almost every hole; very cool. The first hole seems benign, but the approach has to hit the green. Mine didn't, and I took an 8. The back-to-back par 3s on 10 and 11 are one of the best stretches of the week, and hole 11 ended up being my ultimate favorite. The ocean holes are awesome and it's hard to believe they are real, but the inland holes are just as good. Pac has the best quality greens by far, by the way. We grabbed lunch at Pac (generally speaking, we all were very impressed with the food all week and each location) and headed over to Bandon. The round at Bandon was complete fog for the first 12 holes - we really could not see the ocean. This severely impacted our group's analysis of the course, as we all said during dinner that the course wasn't as good as we hoped. As much as I didn't enjoy or appreciate the course (especially the first and 17th holes), I did have my best round of the week and managed to par all of the par 3s. Luckily we got another crack later in the week. We had planned a dinner at the Forge this night, but, by the time we got off Bandon, we would have had to wait an hour and a half for our reservation. Instead, we got a spot at McKees and were glad that we made the pivot. McKees is great, and the shepard's pie was exactly what I needed after a long day. A few random notes: I did not wear shorts the entire week, and there were even times that I wore a tossil cap. You will be tired if you walk 36 and do not want to wait to eat. The resort isn't as busy as you think it'll be, especially later in the evening (folks seem to get back to their lodging pretty early). There are no real options to eat late. 

 

Day 3: Sheep ranch. Probably a 10 minute drive up the main road. Lots of big crows around the clubhouse (they were a nuisance all week, and will definitely steal your food and break into your golf bag). Finally got some granola golf ball things... ended up eating dozens of them; very good. First groups off again. Another sunny and peaceful morning. You are literally punched in the face by the ocean as soon as you park your car... you see the ocean for almost the entire round of golf. For a few in our group, this course was a clear favorite. For me, the land was just too flat comparatively and the ocean views sort of made the holes all blend together in my memory. It's a very easy walk. The first hole is hard to beat, and the closing stretch is a ton of fun (wait for the walk from 16 green to 17 tee). I also liked the inland hole, dogleg right, with the green framed by the pine trees (maybe #7?). Sheep was a ton of fun; definitely the easiest course. Greens a rough, but, generally, the green quality at the resort did not impact my enjoyment in the least. We had lunch outside at Trails End. This has been said plenty of times on this forum, but it’s the best food at Bandon (and, as noted, it’s at the best location at Bandon). Our afternoon round at Trails this day was our last crack at the course. It’s generally a hard course, but the walk is awesome. One knock is that you hit a tee shot over a road; it just doesn’t fit the course. The first and last holes are in the dunes (similar visually) – and I like that. Dinner this night was a reservation at Pac Grill. It was our most expensive meal, but the food was good and we had fun. My back was getting a bit tight at this point, but it was the worst I physically felt during the whole trip.

 

Day 4: First off at Old Mac. Generally, other than the main Bandon store at the lodge, all of the pro-shops are pretty small, and there isn’t as much merch as I was expecting. The group bought a lot here, as we all generally like the ghost tree logo. Hole 3, which goes past the ghost tree and climbs up the main dune ridge, is awesome. Unlike Pacific, which mostly uses dunes as hazards and routing guides, Old Mac has you walking up and down the dunes the entire time. I should have mentioned that our group ranged from a 1 to a 17 index. Three of the eight guys played every round from the black tees. The rest of us played green. All of us were plenty challenged. The ocean hole at Old Mac is also awesome (my second favorite hole on the resort), and you have to stop to grab a beer at the shack before playing hole 8. The closing 3-hole stretch at Old Mac, in my opinion, is the best, as it provides unique challenge and variability. When the new clubhouse is finished, it’ll be a really great closing hole. We had a great two-man best ball match and were tied after 18. We picked a point on the green from which each of our caddies made one putt. Closest to the hole won the game for their team. My caddie came through! Lunch on a sunny, sunny day outside at Charlotte’s. Tons of fun, super great lunch food; must go there. Our last crack at Pac was in the afternoon. Unlike our first round on Pac, the wind was WAY up. I think our group shot roughly 70 shots worse than we did during our first round at Pac. But Pac is such a great course, and you will enjoy it no matter what. Another quick stop at Mckees afterwards, then off to Preserve to tee off at 7pm. Some of the guys played without shoes… and we were the only people on the course. Carried plenty of beers and had fun and got goofy and spent lots of time on the greens to try fun putts. It may be because it was so late in our trip (and after 36 holes on this day), but preserve wasn’t a “can’t-miss” for me. Do it once if you want, have fun, take two clubs. Old Mac and Pac were my two favorite courses, and I loved Charlotte’s, so this was my top day of the trip.

 

Day 5: We skipped our morning tee time at Preserve and teed off at Old Mac around 10:30am. Till this point, our morning rounds took just under 4 hours on average. It’s amazing what a slightly later morning tee time can do to that pace (especially with wind up). It was a bit of a slog at Old Mac and our group scored significantly worse than the previous day. We got nervous that we’d miss our round later in the day at Bandon, so we asked a ranger to adjust our tee times to 5:10pm. Quick late lunch at Tufted Puffin, then off to a late tee time at Bandon. Visibility was not an issue and we were amazed at how cool holes 4-6 were. We also warmed up to the first hole – and everyone fell in love with the course. Unfortunately we didn’t finish the last hole of the round due to darkness. Ordered pizza at Mckees and went back to the cottages to try to pack and sleep.

Day 6: First to tee off Sheep. We were all grateful to have one last walk on such a beautiful piece of property. At this point, we were tired and ready to get a long day of travel started. And I’m ready to end this review. Parting meal at Trails End, of course.

 

Random Notes:

-          None of slept well the entire trip. It didn’t have anything to do with the lodging or beds. Just the excitement and time difference is tough to manage.

-          Play more golf than you think you should. Your body will hold up. Watch out for blisters; buy and take great wool socks.

-          It’s so much fun to see how all of your friends rank the courses. They are all very different and enjoyable.  Be open minded to the courses.

-          Our caddies told us that they never looped for a group that played each course twice. This is crazy. We should all aim to play this much! Speaking of caddies… we were all satisfied and developed great relationships. Tell the caddie master whether you want someone serious, easy-going, etc.

-          We got 5 minutes of light rain the entire time. June is a nice time to visit.

-          There is potential to lose more golf balls than you think you will

-          The food is solid and reasonably priced

-          If playing 36 in a day, you don’t need a ton of time in between rounds. The resort isn’t that big and lunch can be quick. I wish we cut down on breaks and finished golf earlier each day.

-          We booked this trip in December 2021 (took the trip June 2023). There was so much planning, anticipation and HIGH expectations connected to this trip. Somehow, miraculously, the placed lived up to it. It’s golf heaven on earth.

 

Course Ranking, best to worst (they are all super great):

Pac

Old Mac

Trails

Bandon

Sheep

 

If I had 10 rounds again, I would play each twice again. Hope this helps somebody 

[Pepetito]

Great review.  

[Double Mocha Man]

2 hours ago, Buddyboss32 said:

(Fun side note: Roger Goodell was in the cottage right next to mine)

 

Ah, the perks of running a small football upstart...

[me05501]

On 6/27/2023 at 10:06 AM, 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.

 

It must be hard for the raters to separate the golf courses from the property they occupy. 

[hbrar99]

Some great reviews of recent trips. Heading out in 2 weeks with a buddy for who it will be his first trip out to Bandon. Quick trip, Friday - Sunday. We are playing Trails, PD and SR, then BD. For those that have just been, how were the greens at OM and Sheep Ranch? Were they similar or was OM in better condition? 

 

[miss0033]

8 hours ago, Buddyboss32 said:

Long time reader, first time poster. I've always enjoyed reading the Bandon trip reviews (especially in preparation for my own, first trip). Here's mine:

Our golf itinerary:

Day 1: Trails (evening)

Day 2: Pac (morning), Bandon (afternoon)

Day 3: Sheep (morning), Trails (afternoon)

Day 4: Old Mac (morning), Pac (afternoon), Preserve (evening)

Day 5: Old Mac (late morning), Bandon (evening)

Day 6: Sheep (morning)

 

We had a group of 8 (all first-timers) - all of us travelling in from the east coast. Nearly half flew into Eugene and the other half flew into North Bend. I was part of the group that flew into Eugene; I enjoyed the drive from Eugene into Bandon and wouldn't hesitate to do it again. It's a full 2.5 hours, a lot of it through scenic forest and winding water. The last bit of the drive has a fair amount of traffic lights - so the anticipation building to the actual arrival gets intense! We had a tee time at Trails at 5pm and we cut it pretty close (arrived around 4:30pm). 

 

We stayed in two grove cottages for the entirety of the trip. They are expensive, no doubt, especially if you schedule so much golf that you only spend 7 hours total per day at the cottage. We all agreed that having our own bedroom and bathroom, though, was worth it. Bed is comfortable and the showers are great. Also, I cannot speak for all of the lodging options, but I didn't get the sense that any lodging was truly preferential with respect to location. The resort really isn't that big... so you can easily drive or shuttle around with ease - and the cottages were centrally located. I suppose staying at the lodge would be fun because you would never have to drive for food or drink. (Fun side note: Roger Goodell was in the cottage right next to mine)

 

Day 1: Again, we barely made it for our tee time, but our club travel bags were waiting for us at the starter shack, so that was nice. We just threw them in the rental cars and headed to the first tee. Trails entry / clubhouse if very unique. It feels like the clubhouse is built into the woods - and everything just feels tucked away from the normal world. I also loved the fact that you get a good look at the preserve. If I had to pick one single spot on the property that was my favorite, I think the entry point to Trails would be it. I'm sure it has a lot to do with the fact that it's the first thing we saw. We were introduced to our caddies for the week (they worked hard for their money!) and off we went. It was overcast and in the mid to high 50s. The walk up the hill to the first tee is a great reveal. I've read a lot of good things about Trails, but it was better than I expected; a private and magical walk. The stretch from 9-11 is great, and the second hole, to me, is really cool, as the green looks like it's hidden below in the field. The closing stretch isn't the best, mostly because of the uphill par 5 (just not my cup of tea). Our caddies said that they never had such a late round at Trails and, by the end, the place was completely dead and everything was closed up for the night. We had a quick dinner late at Tufted Puffin (fine food, but the day gets hazy for me at this point), then off to bed for an early wake up. 

 

Day 2: None of us slept well, maybe 4 hours on average. Jet lag or excitement or both? Not sure. Got to Pac Dunes and got some coffee and breakfast (no alcohol is served before 7am, in case you're interested). First groups off. We had a perfect, sunny morning with very little wind. This ended up being our group's best round as far as aggregate net scores. Doak uses the dunes to make dramatic bunkers that impact the visuals on almost every hole; very cool. The first hole seems benign, but the approach has to hit the green. Mine didn't, and I took an 8. The back-to-back par 3s on 10 and 11 are one of the best stretches of the week, and hole 11 ended up being my ultimate favorite. The ocean holes are awesome and it's hard to believe they are real, but the inland holes are just as good. Pac has the best quality greens by far, by the way. We grabbed lunch at Pac (generally speaking, we all were very impressed with the food all week and each location) and headed over to Bandon. The round at Bandon was complete fog for the first 12 holes - we really could not see the ocean. This severely impacted our group's analysis of the course, as we all said during dinner that the course wasn't as good as we hoped. As much as I didn't enjoy or appreciate the course (especially the first and 17th holes), I did have my best round of the week and managed to par all of the par 3s. Luckily we got another crack later in the week. We had planned a dinner at the Forge this night, but, by the time we got off Bandon, we would have had to wait an hour and a half for our reservation. Instead, we got a spot at McKees and were glad that we made the pivot. McKees is great, and the shepard's pie was exactly what I needed after a long day. A few random notes: I did not wear shorts the entire week, and there were even times that I wore a tossil cap. You will be tired if you walk 36 and do not want to wait to eat. The resort isn't as busy as you think it'll be, especially later in the evening (folks seem to get back to their lodging pretty early). There are no real options to eat late. 

 

Day 3: Sheep ranch. Probably a 10 minute drive up the main road. Lots of big crows around the clubhouse (they were a nuisance all week, and will definitely steal your food and break into your golf bag). Finally got some granola golf ball things... ended up eating dozens of them; very good. First groups off again. Another sunny and peaceful morning. You are literally punched in the face by the ocean as soon as you park your car... you see the ocean for almost the entire round of golf. For a few in our group, this course was a clear favorite. For me, the land was just too flat comparatively and the ocean views sort of made the holes all blend together in my memory. It's a very easy walk. The first hole is hard to beat, and the closing stretch is a ton of fun (wait for the walk from 16 green to 17 tee). I also liked the inland hole, dogleg right, with the green framed by the pine trees (maybe #7?). Sheep was a ton of fun; definitely the easiest course. Greens a rough, but, generally, the green quality at the resort did not impact my enjoyment in the least. We had lunch outside at Trails End. This has been said plenty of times on this forum, but it’s the best food at Bandon (and, as noted, it’s at the best location at Bandon). Our afternoon round at Trails this day was our last crack at the course. It’s generally a hard course, but the walk is awesome. One knock is that you hit a tee shot over a road; it just doesn’t fit the course. The first and last holes are in the dunes (similar visually) – and I like that. Dinner this night was a reservation at Pac Grill. It was our most expensive meal, but the food was good and we had fun. My back was getting a bit tight at this point, but it was the worst I physically felt during the whole trip.

 

Day 4: First off at Old Mac. Generally, other than the main Bandon store at the lodge, all of the pro-shops are pretty small, and there isn’t as much merch as I was expecting. The group bought a lot here, as we all generally like the ghost tree logo. Hole 3, which goes past the ghost tree and climbs up the main dune ridge, is awesome. Unlike Pacific, which mostly uses dunes as hazards and routing guides, Old Mac has you walking up and down the dunes the entire time. I should have mentioned that our group ranged from a 1 to a 17 index. Three of the eight guys played every round from the black tees. The rest of us played green. All of us were plenty challenged. The ocean hole at Old Mac is also awesome (my second favorite hole on the resort), and you have to stop to grab a beer at the shack before playing hole 8. The closing 3-hole stretch at Old Mac, in my opinion, is the best, as it provides unique challenge and variability. When the new clubhouse is finished, it’ll be a really great closing hole. We had a great two-man best ball match and were tied after 18. We picked a point on the green from which each of our caddies made one putt. Closest to the hole won the game for their team. My caddie came through! Lunch on a sunny, sunny day outside at Charlotte’s. Tons of fun, super great lunch food; must go there. Our last crack at Pac was in the afternoon. Unlike our first round on Pac, the wind was WAY up. I think our group shot roughly 70 shots worse than we did during our first round at Pac. But Pac is such a great course, and you will enjoy it no matter what. Another quick stop at Mckees afterwards, then off to Preserve to tee off at 7pm. Some of the guys played without shoes… and we were the only people on the course. Carried plenty of beers and had fun and got goofy and spent lots of time on the greens to try fun putts. It may be because it was so late in our trip (and after 36 holes on this day), but preserve wasn’t a “can’t-miss” for me. Do it once if you want, have fun, take two clubs. Old Mac and Pac were my two favorite courses, and I loved Charlotte’s, so this was my top day of the trip.

 

Day 5: We skipped our morning tee time at Preserve and teed off at Old Mac around 10:30am. Till this point, our morning rounds took just under 4 hours on average. It’s amazing what a slightly later morning tee time can do to that pace (especially with wind up). It was a bit of a slog at Old Mac and our group scored significantly worse than the previous day. We got nervous that we’d miss our round later in the day at Bandon, so we asked a ranger to adjust our tee times to 5:10pm. Quick late lunch at Tufted Puffin, then off to a late tee time at Bandon. Visibility was not an issue and we were amazed at how cool holes 4-6 were. We also warmed up to the first hole – and everyone fell in love with the course. Unfortunately we didn’t finish the last hole of the round due to darkness. Ordered pizza at Mckees and went back to the cottages to try to pack and sleep.

Day 6: First to tee off Sheep. We were all grateful to have one last walk on such a beautiful piece of property. At this point, we were tired and ready to get a long day of travel started. And I’m ready to end this review. Parting meal at Trails End, of course.

 

Random Notes:

-          None of slept well the entire trip. It didn’t have anything to do with the lodging or beds. Just the excitement and time difference is tough to manage.

-          Play more golf than you think you should. Your body will hold up. Watch out for blisters; buy and take great wool socks.

-          It’s so much fun to see how all of your friends rank the courses. They are all very different and enjoyable.  Be open minded to the courses.

-          Our caddies told us that they never looped for a group that played each course twice. This is crazy. We should all aim to play this much! Speaking of caddies… we were all satisfied and developed great relationships. Tell the caddie master whether you want someone serious, easy-going, etc.

-          We got 5 minutes of light rain the entire time. June is a nice time to visit.

-          There is potential to lose more golf balls than you think you will

-          The food is solid and reasonably priced

-          If playing 36 in a day, you don’t need a ton of time in between rounds. The resort isn’t that big and lunch can be quick. I wish we cut down on breaks and finished golf earlier each day.

-          We booked this trip in December 2021 (took the trip June 2023). There was so much planning, anticipation and HIGH expectations connected to this trip. Somehow, miraculously, the placed lived up to it. It’s golf heaven on earth.

 

Course Ranking, best to worst (they are all super great):

Pac

Old Mac

Trails

Bandon

Sheep

 

If I had 10 rounds again, I would play each twice again. Hope this helps somebody 

 

 

Thanks for sharing, interesting about the pro-shops.  In relation to what is online, should I expect more than what is shown online or about the same?  Hoping there might be a few more head cover options, and a few more polos as well.

 

Right now my upcoming trip had 1 round on arrival day, then 2, then 1, then 2.  I think you've convinced me to add a round on day 3 and go 1-2-2-2...  Already playing BD twice, now trying to decide which other one to play twice (more like see what is even available).  Also was planning a "sleep-in" day then with a late morning tee time.  But I'd rather play quick and get done earlier like you said.

 

36, then 53, then 18 at Sand Valley got me pretty tired, but part of the issue was the 96* heat when we went.  I am thinking heat will be much less of a problem...

 

So yes, you helped at least me so far, haha.

 

Curious about drinks/water refills.  At Sand Valley there were coolers every 5-6 holes with powerade, water, and snacks (peanuts, granola bar, peanut butter crackers, etc.) in them.  Being a "no plastic bottle zone" I am thinking Bandon might be different.  Are there water refill stations scattered about?  Any on course snacks?  Hoping not to have to carry a huge water bottle all around the course because there is no refill spot.

[spud3]

You'll find a lot more in the pro shops (and gift store in the Lodge) than you see online.  While each course's pro shop is small-ish, each one has lots of items that are branded for that course, so it pays to wait until you've seen what each one has to offer before deciding what to buy.  The main pro shop has items from all courses, but not as much as each individual shop.

 

As for on-course refreshments, each course has a turnstand, located more or less halfway through the course (for BD the turnstand is at the main lodge).  These all have the full range of quick food and beverages (and the all-important protein balls).  Some routings take you by them more than once, plus there are a few water fountains scattered throughout the resort.  No need to carry a huge water bottle, as you can fill your bottle at any of the turnstands if you miss a fountain.

 

Generally, you'll want to schedule/reserve as much golf as you think you might play, then cancel any second round if you are too tired.  Having said that, planning for one "easy" day mid-trip where you can sleep a little later and just play one round is, IMO, the way to go.  YMMV.

[Jetsguy1792]

I’m sure it’s been discussed but the thread is so long and hard to find. Anyone have caddy recommendations. 

[Double Mocha Man]

14 minutes ago, Jetsguy1792 said:

I’m sure it’s been discussed but the thread is so long and hard to find. Anyone have caddy recommendations. 

 

Get one.   😃

 

 

 

Edited July 17, 2023 by Double Mocha Man

[spud3]

Do search on "Bandon Caddies" in the NW forum and you should find about 317 threads...

[graveydellic]

Just an FYI - December 2024 is available now for booking.  First time I've actually booked my annual pilgrimage well in advance, so it was nice to have pick of the litter on tee times and lodging.  Got a corner room in the lodge, and first tee time out on Pac/Sheep the days I am there.  No info or bookings yet on the new Shorty's.  Call volume was less than expected I was told.  

 

Random tidbit but I was curious - the reservations folks were on property until earlier this year, but whatever original building they were in is being renovated.  They are now in a Bandon office in Coos Bay and will be for 5+ years (my guess is permanent).  

[knock it close]

Also on the water front Bandon sells the pint size yeti water bottles for $20 in all their shops, perfect for the round and great stocking stuffers. 

[AdExec]

I’m heading out tomorrow morning from Scottsdale. 
 

Anyone been there recently that can advise on wardrobe for the trip? Looks like mid 60s, partly cloudy, ~ 5-15mph wind, and low chance of rain. 
 

packing polos, pull overs and leaning towards more shorts, less pants. 
 

I see the Solstice participant in shorts and polo with under layer. Can I assume shorts and pullovers will be ideal for this weekend? 
 

Thanks all. Excited to get out there. 

[ND2005]

11 hours ago, AdExec said:

I’m heading out tomorrow morning from Scottsdale. 
 

Anyone been there recently that can advise on wardrobe for the trip? Looks like mid 60s, partly cloudy, ~ 5-15mph wind, and low chance of rain. 
 

packing polos, pull overs and leaning towards more shorts, less pants. 
 

I see the Solstice participant in shorts and polo with under layer. Can I assume shorts and pullovers will be ideal for this weekend? 
 

Thanks all. Excited to get out there. 

 

I always overpack but layers and options are the key. 

 

Just would note that mid-60s on the oceanfront with a breeze feels significantly cooler than what you might expect based on the temperature number alone.

[jpdx]

15 hours ago, knock it close said:

Also on the water front Bandon sells the pint size yeti water bottles for $20 in all their shops, perfect for the round and great stocking stuffers. 

i wish they had them for each course

[knock it close]

28 minutes ago, jpdx said:

i wish they had them for each course

I do too and I wish they added some more colors since I have one of every one. Last years yeti limited edition yellow would've been awesome and the army green and periwinkle this year are nice too. 

[jvincent]

13 hours ago, AdExec said:

I’m heading out tomorrow morning from Scottsdale. 
 

Anyone been there recently that can advise on wardrobe for the trip? Looks like mid 60s, partly cloudy, ~ 5-15mph wind, and low chance of rain. 
 

packing polos, pull overs and leaning towards more shorts, less pants. 
 

I see the Solstice participant in shorts and polo with under layer. Can I assume shorts and pullovers will be ideal for this weekend? 
 

Thanks all. Excited to get out there. 

 

Everyone has their own temperature tolerance but having layers is a must.

 

You should be fine in shorts. On the top I generally wear an Under Armour base layer with a polo and then have a pullover (or rain jacket/vest depending on the forecast) available in case it gets cool.

 

I played this year's Solstice and it was about 50* when we teed off and got up to the mid-60's and sunny. I used my rain vest as an extra layer for the first round but played the rest of the day without it. The wind will make a difference in what you need and it wasn't very windy that day.

 

I generally err on the side of being warm since you don't want to start tightening when a cool afternoon breeze hits you in the back.

 

 

[B4ster]

May have missed this in all of the threads, but do people usually just change at their lodging between rounds or do you bring your change (socks, layers, etc) with you at start of day? 

[Edaw68]

2 hours ago, B4ster said:

May have missed this in all of the threads, but do people usually just change at their lodging between rounds or do you bring your change (socks, layers, etc) with you at start of day? 

Lots of variables. Depends on time between rounds, meal plans, are you on the shuttle or do you have your own car for storing gear, etc.  Probably not one definite answer. 
 

I usually have my own car there so for quick sock and shoe changes I’ll do it there. But if there’s lots of time between rounds I have gone as far as a shower and complete clothes change.

[B4ster]

40 minutes ago, Edaw68 said:

Lots of variables. Depends on time between rounds, meal plans, are you on the shuttle or do you have your own car for storing gear, etc.  Probably not one definite answer. 
 

I usually have my own car there so for quick sock and shoe changes I’ll do it there. But if there’s lots of time between rounds I have gone as far as a shower and complete clothes change.

Kinda what I figured. We’ll be shuttling everything once on property playing 36x4. 

[spud3]

If you're taking the shuttles everywhere, keep in mind that you can take a small gym bag along and drop it at the reception shack at each course.  They'll keep it safe for you there.  You can load it with extra shoes, balls, clothing and any other gear you might want to have on hand between rounds, if you don't have enough time to go back to your room.

[Stai]

We're going for the first time next month. Is there a place to shower between rounds at each course or do we need to go back to the room? 

[Edaw68]

3 hours ago, Stai said:

We're going for the first time next month. Is there a place to shower between rounds at each course or do we need to go back to the room? 

Back to the room, except for Bandon, which has a shower/locker room in the basement of the Lodge. 
 

As a practical matter, no matter where you’re staying on property it’s only a few minutes to your room anyway.

[hello18]

On 7/20/2023 at 8:53 AM, knock it close said:

I do too and I wish they added some more colors since I have one of every one. Last years yeti limited edition yellow would've been awesome and the army green and periwinkle this year are nice too. 

I regret not buy one of each color. In November I am going to not make that mistake again. 

[Ryan19jwu]

Any update on the greens?

[hbrar99]

20 hours ago, Ryan19jwu said:

Any update on the greens?

Just got back from a quick weekend trip. Did not play OM, but played all the rest. Trails, BD and PD were all fantastic. PD was as good as I have ever played them. 

 

Sheep Ranch was slow and a little bumpy. Not unplayable, but it was difficult for me to adjust to how much firmer I needed to hit putts. We still enjoyed our round there. It was my buddy's first trip out there and he really wanted to play. Unless you've played there a bunch, I would still play it. I always believe when I am up there that I play Sheep Ranch to enjoy a beautiful walk and hit crazy shots in the wind. So with that in mind, we had a lot of fun and both had our low rounds of the trip. 

 

My caddie told me that OM was much further along in the transition and the best he thought its been in years. He told me the normal transition process used to take 4 years, but they tried a new crosshatch and brushing (if I remember it correctly) to spread the natural Poa and its been successful. We could see that they started that process at Sheep Ranch. He believed they could transition nicely within a year. Interestingly, he told me they don't seed it with Poa because the natural Poa is much stronger and heartier than any of the seed they can buy, so they start with fescue and allow the dominant grass in the area to takeover. 

 

Another thing to consider. The starter and caddies both told me that play is way down on both Sheep Ranch and OM since the email went out about the greens, and a result play is up on the other courses. Friday, we played a 5 hour 15 min round at Trails. Saturday morning, the first 2 groups were super slow and we played with a couple that we continually had to push. We played a 4 hour 30 min round teeing off at 7:20. We played Sheep Ranch as a 2some with groups in front of us at 1:10 in under 4 hours. BD Sunday at 8:00 was a 4 hr 30 min round. Pace of play on BD, PD and BT was atrocious. Marshal's only response was that they were packed due to people not wanting to play the OM and SR. 

 

Last note. We took the United flight and it was a disaster for my buddy, as his clubs didn't make it. I have never been in July, and was surprised that the flight was full of groups of 8. If you are heading over and checking in on any day, try to check in before 1:30 pm or wait until after 4:00. We didn't get in before the rush (we rented a car) and it took us an hour to check in as big groups were trying to figure out who was in what room and how to charge everything. We barely made our 3:30 tee time and there were people behind us as well. 

 

Hope that helps. Let me know if you have any other questions.