Impromptu Bandon solo trip - Nov 2019

[spud3]

Sitting in my room at the Bandon Inn after a pleasant afternoon at the Practice Center, which included a round on Shorty's sandwiched between range and short game sessions. This weekend is a true impromptu run, having only decided for sure to come down last night. Watching the weather, it was just not a sure thing, and by the time I decided to go, the lodging at the resort was all full. So I'm trying something a bit different this time - I've stayed in rooms in town before, but always as a flop the night before to avoid having to leave Portland at 0-dark thirty in order to get a full round in. This time, I'll be staying the whole trip in town, so I'll try and shed some light on that perspective.

 

Pulled in to the Practice Center about 1:30, and the weather was just clearing off from what looked like a foggy and drizzly day. Briefly considered skipping all the practice time and just heading over to see if I could get a slot on Old Mac, but today is the last day before the green fees drop dramatically, plus there was no way I could finish 18 before sunset. Coupled with that, the long drive is wearing on my aging body more these days. I still get super excited when I come down even after all these trips, and I really wanted to get out. But cooler heads prevailed and I spent a nice afternoon getting my head and body off the road and back into this place and these shots on the range, short game area and Shorty's. And only spent $10 (Shorty's donation) vs. $175. I celebrated that with the purchase of a new PD hat, which was sorely needed, and an OM mug, which now completes my collection. Missus Spud will be proud of my thrifty afternoon.

 

I have an early round (7:30) on Trails tomorrow. Forecast is for showers and there's a cold front moving this way. I'm aiming for finishing Trails around 11:30, grabbing a bite and walking on to BD for the afternoon. Tuesday looks like it could be pretty gnarly (forecast is 1" rain and winds sustained at 18, gusts to 40). I'll be on PD at 9:30 before heading back home. Somewhat apprehensive about Tuesday, as PD is just a b*tch when the wind is up. But part of the reason for this trip is a christening of a new Sunice GoreTex jacket and pants combo, as my Zero Restriction set is showing its age. Chances are they will get the full Bandon test on Tuesday, if not before.

 

I'll be trying restaurants in town that I have not been to, as much as possible. Dinner was at Foley's Irish pub. A so-so Foley's burger (cheeseburger with Irish bacon and avocado, $15.95) washed down with a Harp Lager. Fair food, but nothing to write home about. There were eight tv's in a place that only really needs three or four, all tuned to the Niners/Packers game. I had a thought to ask if they could change one to the Golf Channel, but there were a few serious Packer fans in the place and they were making a lot of noise, so I figured it would be best to just cool out and watch the game. Good selection of Irish beers on tap, and a couple regional micros. Nice people. Most of the restaurants are in Old Town, which is right down a short hill from the hotel. An easy walk tonight, but we'll see about how it feels tomorrow after 36 holes in some weather including Trails. I may drive the 1/4 mile for dinner tomorrow.

 

More to come.

[BB28403]

Living the dream! Awesome.

[Pulledabill]

Being in Salem Im looking for a weather window for a day trip. I wil look for a 11amish spot and make a full day of it.Sounds painful on my aging body. I need a Wed or Thr as those are my days off.

[2putttom]

is it raaaaiiiinin' yet ?

[jmiller3483]

Sounds like a great time if the weather cooperates

 

[Slippin_Jimmy]

Sounds like a great trip, I'm jealous. Fingers crossed on the weather, hope you have a great time. Look forward to hearing about the off-resort experience also.

[Mustu]

I can't wait to hear about your Tuesday round. The weather on my phone says historic windstorm with up to 100 mph winds in exposed areas (like maybe PD).

[marks21]

Jealous of all the Oregon residents who are able to take the impromptu trips. I met a few golfers for Portland who are heading back this weekend. Tuesday will be an interesting day. If the forecast holds, I wonder whether they would allow golfers out? With gust 80 mph and up, I would think this would cause some safety concerns.

[spud3]

Wheeew. Long day that started at 6. I decided to skip range time before my 7:30 round on BT, mainly to get some more sleep, but also because I would have had to get up even earlier to get some food beforehand, plus the range may not have even been open before daylight. As it turned out, I had a great quick breakfast sandwich at the Bandon Coffee Cafe. It was basically a sausage egg mcmuffin, but like you made it at home with really good ingredients. Perfect start.

 

I got paired up with three buddies from the Bay Area and we were first out. The weather was clear, but showers were visible on the horizon, so I started off with the Sunice jacket and UA pants and had some slip-on ZR rain pants. As it turned out, there were only a couple showers of any consequence, but it still necessitated a few wardrobe changes. Such is Bandon in the late Fall. The round went pretty smoothly, lots of pars and bogeys, but nothing extreme until 16. My approach shot found a greenside bunker and plugged up against the lip in a classic Bandon lie. Took three to get out. Same thing happened on 17. And as if to punctuate the collapse, I launched two drives into the weeds on 18. Ended up dropping seven shots on the last three holes. Feh. The good news is that being first out meant we could cruise right along. Finished up in around 3:40, just before a very heavy shower hit.

 

A quick bratwurst at the Lodge turnstand while the shower cleared off and a check at the pro shop (love going solo) showed a nice hour-long gap right at noon, so I went out on my own for a great round on BD. Couple more showers, but again, nothing too bad, and overall, 80% of the day was clear and pleasant, with very little wind. Had a fine time on BD, punctuated by a birdie on 12 and a whatta-ya-know birdie on 18, courtesy of dropping a 50 ft bomb on the green.

 

I had about an hour of daylight left, and felt pretty good physically, so I hopped over to finish the day on the Preserve. The weather was totally clear when I teed off, with not a cloud in sight. So I decided to take a chance and leave my rain gear in the car. Total rookie mistake. Got through 6 holes on the Preserve before the heavens opened up. It was comical. I slogged back to the car and drove back to the hotel to get a hot shower and figure out dinner. It was a little strange not just heading back to my room at the Lodge, which is so convenient. In fact I've felt a bit disconnected the whole trip. Staying on site is really part of the experience, at least for me. Not that anyone at the resort has made me feel any less than completely welcome, it's an internal thing.

 

Dinner was at the Bandon Brewing Company, a just-ok pizza with a decent English bitter-style brew. I was thinking about Mexican food, but the reviews and photos on Yelp did not inspire confidence. I admit that PDX has a raging Mexican food scene, so my standards are probably unfairly high. Based on previous meals in town and the ones from this trip I'm still not super impressed with the dinner options in town. No reason to make a special trip from the resort when staying there.

 

The forecast for tomorrow gets worse with each check of the NWS site. An inch or so of rain, solid wind 11-21 mph in the morning, increasing to 23-33 in the afternoon with gusts to 50.  

 

Should be a hoot.

[Edaw68]

Good luck today Spud, should be epic.

[cardoustie]

I am dying to do a trip to Bandon and cover off all courses

Have (more) fun

[spud3]

Back home last night after a wild final day. The dire predictions didn't quite come to pass, but it was still a noteworthy round. More on that in a minute.

 

The day started not as early, as I only had the one round set for today, and a long drive back to Portland looming afterwards. I had planned on having breakfast in town, but the place I was going to go was closed as of 8:00. One thing I've noticed about the businesses in town is they are not really consistent in their hours. Posted opening and closing times seem to be...mmm... 'fluid.' This can be a bit frustrating if you are trying to work around a set tee time. I ended up having breakfast in the Lodge at the resort. My overall impression of staying in town was pretty 'meh' - especially where the food is concerned. Again, I live in one of the best Foodie towns in the world, with fantastic food served at cheap prices basically everywhere. You can't swing a cat without hitting a great brew pub, cart or restaurant. I realize that it isn't fair to expect that from every place I visit, especially a sleepy little Oregon Coast town. That said, I have come to the firm conclusion that there's really no reason to leave the resort for dining during a stay. The burgers, pizza, fish & chips and other standby pub foods are every bit as good or better (and priced) at the resort as they are in town. There is the added bonus of a choice of food themes with the three restaurants at the resort. Things you just can't get in town.

 

Lodging is a somewhat different story. Bandon Inn is comparably priced to a room in the Lodge or Inn onsite, and every bit as comfortable. They could add a shoe dryer in the room and be pretty much on point. You miss the obvious convenience of not having the drive back to your room (and, walking off a course after a weather day like yesterday, it's a BIG convenience), but it's only a five mile trek. I have also stayed at the Inn at Old Town and, while it is not nearly as well-appointed as either the resort or Bandon Inn, it's a little more than half the price and still a clean and adequate option.

 

If I were to do this trip again (highly likely) and not be able to secure a room at the resort, I'll stay in town and take meals at the resort.

 

As for yesterday, I arrived at PD about an hour before my tee time, hoping that there might be an open slot so I could get out a bit early. The forecast was pretty harsh, and was only supposed to get worse as the day went on (Spoiler alert: it did). No luck. Booked solid with four-balls. The worse news was that my 9:50 slot was just me, sandwiched between a ton of foursomes. I asked about how Old Mac was booked, and same answer. Feh. I decided to head over to the range and put in a dozen swings or so to remind my body what it was about to be doing. The rain was pretty consistent, and the wind was around 10-15mph. Not too bad. When I got back to the pro shop, I walked up with my clubs and the guy at the desk outside said "are you Mr. (Spud)? Both our 9:20 and 9:30 groups have not shown, so you can head out if you like." I was on the tee in about 30 seconds. After much obsession over a beer the night before I had decided to play the gold tees with a half set, sans driver. It's a much lighter setup and has worked well for me in the past during heavy wind. Really glad I did, especially later.

 

The first four holes went really quickly, until I caught the foursome that had gone off about 20 minutes ahead of me. The rain increased steadily, there were spots on the greens that were starting to puddle and the wind was starting to pick up. Especially on the ocean holes. By the time I got to #4 it was probably 15-20, from the east, which would be pushing all tee shots toward the ocean. I was able to keep the ball down for most of the round, with the exception of 13. By that time the wind had really kicked in. It's not the worst weather I've played in, but definitely top three. The gusts (up to 40mph, according to NWS) were strong enough to blow a ball off the tee, and make you really concentrate on staying on plane in your backswing. The advantage of playing PD is that the non-ocean holes wind through some dunes and vales, so there are moments where you are out of the wind, which was a godsend. BD and OM especially are much less protected. I felt bad for those guys out on OM. Been there. Waiting on the tee at 12, I could see a big chunk of the course, as well as a good look at OM, and I was struck by how many people were out. Several were having trouble with their Riksha carts in the wind, and there was at least one umbrella that was turning inside out. Bunch of idiots, to be out in this weather...

 

13 through 16 were really tough. Normally, I love going out solo. I came to realize that playing in this weather is more fun when you have someone to commiserate with. I dragged myself through the final couple holes and felt a sense of relief when I saw the clubhouse looming in the heavy darkness. I tossed my clubs in the car and drove over to the Lodge for a quick shower and change before getting on the road. It's such a nice option to be able to make the long drive home in relative comfort. I made the drive back all wet and cold once before I knew there was a locker room downstairs and will never do that again. Actually, this time, I asked for a locker key when I arrived on Sunday and just used that the whole time I was there.

 

Some final gear notes: The Sunice Apollo jacket and Narooma pants performed wonderfully. Solid Bandon Stamp Of Approval. Same for the Adidas Climaproof BOA shoes. They are similar to the Nike Bandon shoes, but the BOA disc is located up higher on the boot. The Nike doesn't work for my foot, as the BOA is located right on the crown of my arch. FJ rain gloves worked great, though I still need to find a solution for keeping my hands warm. I had some HotHands inside small plastic bags in the jacket pockets and that was barely adequate. The hand warmers need to breathe a little better. I'll be working on that. Also proving its mettle yesterday was the Titleist StaDry 4up carry bag. One minor design flaw: the bottle pocket is open, so water runs off the top of the bag down and can pool up in the pocket. Not a ton, but enough to be annoying. I will never understand why these waterproof bags don't have drain holes at the bottom of each pocket. Water can't flow up, and if water does get in, it wouldn't pool. I'll have to have a talk with Titleist about that.

 

All in all, another fun trip. Looking forward with the annual trip in March with the WRX crew. This is still my Disneyland...

[bird206]

Great posts! Enjoyed hearing the details about the town, locker room, weather, and gear. I have a StaDry 4up carry bag as well and would agree on it's waterproofing.

[jrg75]

Great trip report, lots of good tips on gear, lodging and food, especially for off-season or shoulder months trips. I had a similar but maybe slightly less harsh experience at Pacific on my first trip. I was lucky to have a playing partner and it was fun but in the four trips I've taken there, its the only round I can remember being happy to see the clubhouse. Can't wait for April!!!!

[tboh]

You're akin to a crack dealer @spud3 ... thank you for your post(s)

[oregongolf]

Nice trip report Kevin. Way to tough it out.

 

I don't stay on site anymore and it's much preferred, but we stay in a very well-appointed rental house. I definitely see the appeal about staying at the resort for all the reasons you mentioned.

[spud3]

Yeah, for your crew it totally makes sense to find a big house. I would be doing the same thing.

[Phireside]

Cool write up. I'm enjoying these trip reports that have been popping up lately. I'm not much of a writer or rememberer but i should do one for my upcoming san diego trip.

[tips09]

Really enjoyed the write ups. Going to try and do an impromptu trip in the new year as a single. Only a 8-9 hour drive ha. Thanks for the entertaining write ups and tips.

[Goiter]

We played Saturday through Friday. Tuesday was on Old Mac. Weather was pretty intense. I loved every minute of it. Granted I was the only one in my group that did. My wife was not a fan. (She did finish) Coming from WI I have clothes to stay warm and GoreTex to stay dry. I would’ve played more but we drove to Coquille Point to watch some serious waves. This last week proved to me winter Bandon is the play. The two days we had frost delays were epic. No wind and sunny skies! We did run into a few days of bumpy greens but playing top 100 courses in the world for $100 is a steal

[Yank8823]

Really enjoyed the write up! LIttle over 7 months out from my 8-man trip in June 2020, got me giddy in my office cube. Cheers!

[dcmidnight]

Awesome writeup, thanks for taking the time to do it.

Would love to hear more about the Adidas shoes, they are first on my list to try before my trip there next October. I bought the Nike boots last year but honestly I thought they were really uncomfortable and hard to put on. The Adidas look so much more manageable with the boa where it is and I've had good luck with Adidas before. Were they comfy enough to walk 36 a day in?

Was actually just wondering if I should try to find the Adidas on sale somewhere today based on your writeup.

[spud3]

Yes, they were very comfy, if a bit narrow. I could easily walk 36 in them. Like I said above, the BOA disc is higher up on the tongue of the boot, so it doesn't hurt the top of my foot. The Nike's were a non-starter even in the pro shop just trying them on. Like most Adidas, the sizing is true. If you wear a size 10, get a size 10. Another nice thing about them is they insulate well, so you don't need heavy socks.

 

Check Fiddler's Green for pricing. It's where I got mine, and they were by far the cheapest. It's also right on the way to Bandon if you're not flying into North Bend.

[dcmidnight]

Adidas has them onsale today for $88. They are already marked down to $119 and then 30% off for Cyber Monday.

Too good a price, couldn't pass it up.

Thanks!