Random Bandon Thread

[miss0033]

6 hours ago, hbrar99 said:

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. 

 

So I am headed there in 2 weeks.  We have 6:40 between rounds the first day, so no problem.  However the next 2 days we have 5:10 and 5:00 between rounds (BD and PD both days...).  So a 5:15 pace of play is going to be an issue...  Are they offering any help there?

 

 

[Edaw68]

11 hours ago, miss0033 said:

 

So I am headed there in 2 weeks.  We have 6:40 between rounds the first day, so no problem.  However the next 2 days we have 5:10 and 5:00 between rounds (BD and PD both days...).  So a 5:15 pace of play is going to be an issue...  Are they offering any help there?

 

 

They’re pretty good about monitoring pace and knowing when groups are pushing into the next tee times, it happens a lot in the winter months due to frost delays. 
 

If you’re on the course and it looks tight, just call the pro shop and let them know. They’ll do what they can to rearrange.

[hello18]

Any word on when the Ghost Tree Grill  opens at Old Mac? 

[robdalky]

11 hours ago, hello18 said:

Any word on when the Ghost Tree Grill  opens at Old Mac? 

October if I recall correctly

[knock it close]

Exciting, the name sounds like its going to be a bit more casual but the architect's write up sounds like its going to be the new forge, which I heard previously, so who knows. 

[robdalky]

For loops, I recommend Joe Bentham and Conrad “Con” Korsch.

[ND2005]

Update on the greens as of 08/2023: 

 

Old Mac - Not the most visually appealing but they roll fine, pretty consistent speeds from green to green

 

Sheep - Still quite bad. I probably said "F*** these greens" about 50 times over the course of the round. The two biggest issues I had with them were speed inconsistency and bumpiness. I couldn't make a putt all day after putting pretty well the rest of the trip. 

 

Everything else about the trip was great. 

[graveydellic]

Anyone heard any local rumblings on the status of New River Dunes?  Seems like it was announced ages ago, but recent searches indicate they are running into significant permitting issues as the land is zoned for farm use only, and borders a state park.  Seems like an uphill battle.  If they can't get the course built there, then Bandon as we know it is probably complete in terms of golf, at least once the new Shortys is finished.  

[miss0033]

57 minutes ago, graveydellic said:

Anyone heard any local rumblings on the status of New River Dunes?  Seems like it was announced ages ago, but recent searches indicate they are running into significant permitting issues as the land is zoned for farm use only, and borders a state park.  Seems like an uphill battle.  If they can't get the course built there, then Bandon as we know it is probably complete in terms of golf, at least once the new Shortys is finished.  

 

When I was planning (in 2021) to go to Sand Valley (in 2022) Sedge Valley had already been announced and work was well under way.  When I played Sand Valley (in late 2022) we could see several holes from Sedge Valley had already been seeded, grass growing, and were being watered.  It still hasn't opened and isn't scheduled to open until 2024...  Meanwhile Pinehurst #10 was announced earlier this year and is supposed to open before the end of the year.  Both are Tom Doak projects, but significantly different timelines.

 

So who knows.  These projects all take varying amounts of time.  I believe it is now being called "Wild River Dunes". 

 

I have a friend who sends my instagram links from DMK and others than show them walking the site and working on it.  This is from awhile ago:  

 

 

 

[ND2005]

1 hour ago, miss0033 said:

 

When I was planning (in 2021) to go to Sand Valley (in 2022) Sedge Valley had already been announced and work was well under way.  When I played Sand Valley (in late 2022) we could see several holes from Sedge Valley had already been seeded, grass growing, and were being watered.  It still hasn't opened and isn't scheduled to open until 2024...  Meanwhile Pinehurst #10 was announced earlier this year and is supposed to open before the end of the year.  Both are Tom Doak projects, but significantly different timelines.

 

So who knows.  These projects all take varying amounts of time.  I believe it is now being called "Wild River Dunes". 

 

I have a friend who sends my instagram links from DMK and others than show them walking the site and working on it.  This is from awhile ago:  

 

 

 

project development hugely depending on the weather and the resources of the people building it. 
 
SV is covered in snow 5 months out of the year. Growing season is short. 
 
Pinehurst #10 they were able to start demo work and shaping right away in the middle of winter and were ready to grass a lot of the course in the spring. 
 
Doak has also commented multiple times that the Pinehurst project has been one of the fastest he’s ever been a part of due to how much staff/equipment/other resources the resort has thrown at it

[ALo314]

One month out from our journey to the NW. Getting more and more excited by the day.

[miss0033]

I am 4 days out.  I cannot stop checking the weather (which looks to be perfect... famous last words) and doing the course previews on their website...  

 

Productivity be damned!!!

[Ryan19jwu]

3 hours ago, ALo314 said:

One month out from our journey to the NW. Getting more and more excited by the day.

What dates? Sept 13-17 here. Cannnt wait. 

[jpdx]

8 hours ago, miss0033 said:

I am 4 days out.  I cannot stop checking the weather (which looks to be perfect... famous last words) and doing the course previews on their website...  

 

Productivity be damned!!!

When i get 7 days out, im constantly checking weather, course previews and the live cams. Ill also re read dream golf

[PM SENT]

On 8/6/2023 at 3:30 PM, robdalky said:

For loops, I recommend Joe Bentham and Conrad “Con” Korsch.

I mostly lurk in this thread and site but since you listed their names I went ahead and called to request those two for my group. Going Aug 30-Sept 4

[Double Mocha Man]

On 8/6/2023 at 12:30 PM, robdalky said:

For loops, I recommend Joe Bentham and Conrad “Con” Korsch.

 

My qualifications for a caddie is that he/she be clever, witty and conversational.  Knows the course. Knows the history of the course.  And be able to share a single malt scotch with me on the course.

[chaffeeba25]

Just got back from 9 rounds at Bandon.

 

Sheep Ranch Greens weren't the best but they were still very playable.  There were 5-6 greens that were worse than others and with the views coming down the stretch you nearly forget about them.  Speeds were slower than the other 4 courses and the 3-10 footers were the toughest to hole because some of the bumps and conditions.  Wind was also up for us when we played both rounds there so that was also a factor.  Overall I wish they were better but it didn't sour the overall opinion of our 16 man group.

 

Old Mac greens weren't bad at all IMO.  Again, we played it in the afternoon and caught a windy day so wind was a factor when putting.  If I didn't read this post that OM was having some issues I probably would have never noticed.  Super fun track and would love to play it again in the morning when winds are down.

 

Greens at Trails, Pac and Bandon were all fantastic and putted very similar in speed and condition.  These three were by far my favorite and I go back and forth on the rankings between Trails and Bandon.  Played my best round at Pac but still favor the other two.  Played Pac once in the morning and once in the afternoon and it was like playing two different courses.  Finding fairways wasn't hard but catching upslopes on into the wind shots was challenging for me.

 

Ghost Tree Grill still looks to be a few months out for those asking.  Still a lot of finish out needing to be done to the interior.

 

The Preserve is a must for those who are on the fence.  Probably one of the harder walks IMO.

 

9 rounds of golf equated to 65.2 miles walked.  As others said, change socks and shoes between rounds.  I found wearing sandals between rounds even if it was just an hour also helped.

 

Loopers:  Donnie, Bobbi and Chris were amazing.  Was lucky enough to get all three with the changing format of our group tournament and enjoyed all three.  I'd say 90% of the caddies our group had were legit.  My only regret was not taking one on all rounds due to availability.  When requesting, over request for rounds and you can always cancel as you get closer.  Way easier than asking to find one at the last minute.  Caddy Master said cancelling late wouldn't be any harm since they could easily get re-requested and not miss out on any revenue.

[Looper34]

Really looking forward to my upcoming trip. I was hoping for some input on dinner options. I don't mind paying for a good meal, especially a good steak but I'm hesitant to go The Forge after seeing some recent lackluster comments here. Besides Mckee's, what else is a good option? We would be open to driving to a nearby place as well. TYIA.

[Lions1988]

How many months out should you request/book a caddie?

 

[italianstallion]

1 hour ago, Looper34 said:

Really looking forward to my upcoming trip. I was hoping for some input on dinner options. I don't mind paying for a good meal, especially a good steak but I'm hesitant to go The Forge after seeing some recent lackluster comments here. Besides Mckee's, what else is a good option? We would be open to driving to a nearby place as well. TYIA.

 

Went in June and all of us were braced for the worst based on the complaints we read on the Forge. We all left dinner feeling the complaints were either overblown or the resort had since cleaned up the service/prep. Everyone enjoyed the meal.

[ND2005]

3 hours ago, Looper34 said:

Really looking forward to my upcoming trip. I was hoping for some input on dinner options. I don't mind paying for a good meal, especially a good steak but I'm hesitant to go The Forge after seeing some recent lackluster comments here. Besides Mckee's, what else is a good option? We would be open to driving to a nearby place as well. TYIA.

had the bone in strip at the forge and it was quite good. 
 
we ate at pacific one night, it was fine but nothing to write home about. 
 
McKees is easy and convenient. 

they really do need at least one more good dinner option.
 

I agree with posters above that the new facility at Old Mac looks like it has a ways to go still. 

[ALo314]

On 8/9/2023 at 6:01 PM, Ryan19jwu said:

What dates? Sept 13-17 here. Cannnt wait. 

Sept 10-13

[ND2005]

On 5/5/2023 at 11:52 PM, puttnforthe8 said:

 

 

Last funny story. I was in the Bandon Dune pro shop spending my winnings and all of the sudden I heard a loud crash. There was a guy outside on the first tee box waving into the pro shop that he was sorry. He shanked his driver so bad that it hit the pro shop window and shattered the outside glass but not the second pane on the inside. It was the first swing of his stay at Bandon. 

 

 

 

 

The window has been fixed, but more recently someone managed to lodge their tee shot on the roof of the pro shop!

[bigeasygator]

Just got back from six days at the resort with a group of 28.  Our itinerary was as follows:

 

- Monday - arrival, stayed in the town of Bandon, played an evening round at the Preserve, dinner at McKee's

- Tuesday - check in (stayed in Chrome Lake lodging), afternoon round at Old Mac, group catered dinner at the St. Andrew's room

- Wednesday - morning round at Sheep Ranch, dinner at McKee's, Night Glow Golf round (Holes 1, 2, 3 and 9 at Bandon)

- Thursday - morning/afternoon rounds at Trails, PM putting contest at the Punch Bowl, dinner at McKee's

- Friday - sunrise round at Preserve, afternoon round at Bandon, catered family style group dinner at Trail's End

- Saturday - afternoon round at Pacific, dinner at the Forge

- Sunday - early AM departure

 

This was my second trip to the resort, with the last one coming in November 2018.  A few quick highs/lows:

• I thought the service at the restaurants and the food was great.  I know we had a couple catered dinners which aren't usual, but it wasn't too hard to get a table at McKee's, service was pretty prompt, and the food at every location was really good (highlights were Trails End and the Forge).  Also, Charlotte's was a great spot to grab breakfast/lunch at the practice facility ahead of your tee time.  Was told the Forge will be moving to a new location (not sure if that is what the Old Mac Grill is going to be, as I heard it was moving there, but also heard a sports bar was going in somewhere) and is being replaced by an Italian restaurant.  
• Despite being fully booked, the resort never felt crowded anywhere for us, including the restaurants, courses, Punchbowl, and practice facility
• The greens at Old Mac and Sheep Ranch were rough.  Old Mac was our first round, and struggles there were probably compounded by getting used to the turf and the nature of the green complexes at Old Mac which I find to be a bit more tricked up.  Sheep Ranch was just rough from a bumpiness and consistency (speeds) perspective.  I had a TON of three putts there resulting from leaving lag putts long or short and missing a bunch of 5-10' putts (some was on me, but definitely was compounded by the greens).  The greens aren't so bad they aren't playable, but they likely will impact scoring.  Trails, Bandon, and Pacific were about perfect though.
• Caddies were great - Chris and Alan were on my bag at different times during the week.
• My personal rating for the courses now goes Bandon>Trails>Pacific>>SR>Old Mac.  I had the four courses I played last time in the same order, but Pacific jumped up for me a bit more and it's kind of a toss up between it and Bandon right now for which one I like more...but I'm keeping Trails a steady second 🙂
• Had windy conditions at Old Mac and VERY windy conditions at Pacific.  Played some good golf, and some bad golf.  Scores were:
  • Old Mac - 87
  • S/R - 85
  • Trails - 77
  • Bandon - 77
  • Pacific - 80 (first time I've ever seen a PCC adjustment in GHIN, so 80 felt about like 75 haha)

It definitely took some time reacquainting myself to the turf and courses, as it's much different than playing on the grasses I usually play.  All in all, the place, the golf, and the experience was just as magical as I remember and we're already planning our return.  

 

[hh2nd]

On 7/17/2023 at 4:23 PM, Jetsguy1792 said:

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

 Chris Capo is fantastic. 
 

Headed there on Tuesday and have him for 7 rounds. Absolutely cannot wait. 

[spud3]

Just saw an announcement on social media that there's a new dinner menu at Pacific.  I checked out the other menus and quite a few have some new items and some deletions/changes.  Most notable is the much-loved grilled cheese at Pacific has morphed into more of a traditional grilled cheese.  Sad about that.  The pastrami hoagie at SR remains (thank the gods!), and McKee's menu has shrunk a bit more.  Pacific's dinner menu has been totally revamped, and there's some good looking entrees on there.  It looks like prices have gone up a couple bucks here and there.

[ND2005]

1 hour ago, spud3 said:

Just saw an announcement on social media that there's a new dinner menu at Pacific.  I checked out the other menus and quite a few have some new items and some deletions/changes.  Most notable is the much-loved grilled cheese at Pacific has morphed into more of a traditional grilled cheese.  Sad about that.  The pastrami hoagie at SR remains (thank the gods!), and McKee's menu has shrunk a bit more.  Pacific's dinner menu has been totally revamped, and there's some good looking entrees on there.  It looks like prices have gone up a couple bucks here and there.

I guess we had the “new” menu at pacific. It was fine. My least favorite dinner of the trip. Would probably just do another night at McKees next time. 
 
 

[robdalky]

On 8/12/2023 at 9:24 AM, PM SENT said:

I mostly lurk in this thread and site but since you listed their names I went ahead and called to request those two for my group. Going Aug 30-Sept 4

Awesome. I’ll be excited to hear about your experience!

[graveydellic]

I wish the resort would have just one "upscale" restaurant, and the rest casual, bar food, etc.  I understand there is better margin in higher end food, but everytime I go I just end up eating nearly all my meals at McKees, just because after a long day of golf I am tired and not interested in "fine" dining at the Forge or Pac.  I just want something fast and simple. I'll be disappointed if they do end up putting an Italian restaurant in, just doesn't seem like the right move.  

 

To each their own, but for my money, just give me more casual bars and extensive bar food menus.  

[007iron]

15 hours ago, spud3 said:

Most notable is the much-loved grilled cheese at Pacific has morphed into more of a traditional grilled cheese

 

Mega bummer - bacon grilled cheese was the best between rounds!