2020 United States Amateur at Bandon Dunes

[tiderider]

12 minutes ago, bladehunter said:

I hope the course looks and plays better in person that it shows on TV.  I realize I’m in the minority, but to me , it’s a lot like chambers bay on TV.  Every hole forgettable . I watched all the coverage and can’t tell you which hole is which.  

i think the strategy used to play the hole might be what a person remembers best ... 

[bladehunter]

7 minutes ago, tiderider said:

i think the strategy used to play the hole might be what a person remembers best ... 

yes I guess.    I should refrain from comment I’m sure.  But looks like a course you’d have to live near to love.  Or be well off enough to play 7/8 times a year minimum.  I say that because it looks to be a course that requires a lot of local knowledge and luck.  Meaning you can’t plop the number 1 player on earth into it blind and have him break par.  Right?  I don’t like places that require that much luck.  OG links courses aren’t that way.    And then again. Could all be the TV thing.  Sometimes angles etc give you tunnel vision type blindness on TV and in person you can see much more.  I hope that is the case.  

[deadsolid...shank]

4 hours ago, Ronnie Mundt said:

go play any of the Bandon courses with a sharp wedge and let us know how you do. You will embarrass yourself. You must learn the low punch to get the ball rolling. Did you see Osborne on 15?

 

Tremendous tournament and cool to see it in TV after playing it so many times. Gupta might be the slowest player I’ve ever seen. Glad he lost.

, I simply asked a question after seeing the depth of some of the bunkers and one particular hole where both players were severely below the level of the green. It looked to me like a good 10-12’, almost straight up, although the camera angle may have deceived me. My question arose from the fact that I don’t see how that shot could have been played without some loft. 
The consensus I the threads here is to leave the lob wedge home. I believe what the people here say, lot of experience speaking. Simply wondering how those particular shots are dealt with. 

[bladehunter]

3 minutes ago, deadsolid...shank said:

, I simply asked a question after seeing the depth of some of the bunkers and one particular hole where both players were severely below the level of the green. It looked to me like a good 10-12’, almost straight up, although the camera angle may have deceived me. My question arose from the fact that I don’t see how that shot could have been played without some loft. 
The consensus I the threads here is to leave the lob wedge home. I believe what the people here say, lot of experience speaking. Simply wondering how those particular shots are dealt with. 

Don’t worry. I see what you are saying .  And yes. A lob or sand wedge is what you’re going to want.   Unless you love opening up a PW or 9 iron to hit the flop.  Lol. Not to mention that I don’t know how many times I heard during the coverage  “ he’s deciding between the lob wedge and full shot or knocked down sand wedge “.   So no.  They didn’t leave their lob wedges home and I wouldn’t either.  But I don’t use a lob wedge to pitch with.  I use it for elevation or for Back foot short sided bump and runs.  When you can’t putt it .  All this mysterious “ it’ll make you look silly “ is just dumb.  It’s so situational that all anyone is doing is showing their weakness and Projecting it onto others.  

[Ronnie Mundt]

1 hour ago, bladehunter said:

Don’t worry. I see what you are saying .  And yes. A lob or sand wedge is what you’re going to want.   Unless you love opening up a PW or 9 iron to hit the flop.  Lol. Not to mention that I don’t know how many times I heard during the coverage  “ he’s deciding between the lob wedge and full shot or knocked down sand wedge “.   So no.  They didn’t leave their lob wedges home and I wouldn’t either.  But I don’t use a lob wedge to pitch with.  I use it for elevation or for Back foot short sided bump and runs.  When you can’t putt it .  All this mysterious “ it’ll make you look silly “ is just dumb.  It’s so situational that all anyone is doing is showing their weakness and Projecting it onto others.  

You don’t need to leave the club at home, but trying to play any kind of shot that you typically play on your regular course around the greens with the severe slope and tight lies will get you in a tremendous amount of trouble, unless you are as good as some of these guys (+2 or +4) that almost won the US Amateur. And plenty of them were embarrassed around those greens; the limited TV coverage showed it so think about all of the fvck ups they didn’t show. I’m not passing judgment on anyone’s game, I’m telling you from first hand knowledge having played a bunch of rounds at Bandon Dunes.

[m d g]

On 8/18/2020 at 10:28 AM, The Pearl said:

I have close to 50 rds in at Bandon.  The short-game wedge train wrecks are legendary, even for lower hdcp players.  Played with a guy who says he was a 3 hdcp and he hit the ball like it. He laid sod over the ball about 5 times in the first 9 holes.  He finally capitulated and started putting or using his 7/8 iron.

My wife and I did an anniversary road trip there three years ago in October. The weather was perfect and we had a great caddy (Jason).

 

We weren't told when we booked it, but they had punched the greens on the main course (Bandon Dunes) so we played Old MacDonald and Pacific Dunes. First, the scenery is spectacular.

 

Second, you had better be able to use an 8 or 9 iron to chip (or a putter from 30 or 40 yards out).

 

The reason? The fairways were the tightest and firmest I've ever encountered. It was almost like hitting off of a hardwood floor. If you didn't make perfect contact it would be thin or fat.

 

Very hard to adjust to for a decent player (7-8hcp) used to the green fairways of Northern California.

[m d g]

Hope this is not a double-post...my first attempt seemed to get lost.

 

I am a decent player (7-8 hcp) used to the green fairways of Norther California. The fairways at Bandon (Old MacDonald in particular) were the tightest and firmest I've ever played.

 

It was very difficult to hit any kind of a chip shot with a wedge. Heck, even regular 7-irons needed perfect contact not to be thin or fat. It was like hitting off of a hardwood floor : )

 

Using a putter, even from 20 or 30 yards out is highly recommended unless you are a short game wizard...I don't care what your index is.

[bladehunter]

2 hours ago, Ronnie Mundt said:

You don’t need to leave the club at home, but trying to play any kind of shot that you typically play on your regular course around the greens with the severe slope and tight lies will get you in a tremendous amount of trouble, unless you are as good as some of these guys (+2 or +4) that almost won the US Amateur. And plenty of them were embarrassed around those greens; the limited TV coverage showed it so think about all of the fvck ups they didn’t show. I’m not passing judgment on anyone’s game, I’m telling you from first hand knowledge having played a bunch of rounds at Bandon Dunes.

I’m only +1 at the moment.  Maybe I need a chipper ?!   But seriously.  The shot shank was talking about was to a raised green over a bunker.  You’d chip over the trap to a raised green with a putter or 6-8 iron ?  How? 

[ThinkingPlus]

1 hour ago, bladehunter said:

I’m only +1 at the moment.  Maybe I need a chipper ?!   But seriously.  The shot shank was talking about was to a raised green over a bunker.  You’d chip over the trap to a raised green with a putter or 6-8 iron ?  How? 

Go with the putter.  You will have to lay it wide open though.  LOL.

[bladehunter]

1 hour ago, m d g said:

Hope this is not a double-post...my first attempt seemed to get lost.

 

I am a decent player (7-8 hcp) used to the green fairways of Norther California. The fairways at Bandon (Old MacDonald in particular) were the tightest and firmest I've ever played.

 

It was very difficult to hit any kind of a chip shot with a wedge. Heck, even regular 7-irons needed perfect contact not to be thin or fat. It was like hitting off of a hardwood floor : )

 

Using a putter, even from 20 or 30 yards out is highly recommended unless you are a short game wizard...I don't care what your index is.

Very interesting.  This maybe the disconnect.  I play off hard pan based courses weekly.  Red clay. Not sand based.  Bermuda will grow on anything. Including cartpath.  You can find this from SC to Texas.  Also why I believe I hate high bounce irons and wedges.  And yet that’s a minority opinion around here as most prefer wide soles etc. which makes sense if you play off wet sand based tracks. 

[Philomathesq]

2 minutes ago, ThinkingPlus said:

Go with the putter.  You will have to lay it wide open though.  LOL.

Gotta use the bounce. ?

[ebrasmus21]

13 hours ago, bladehunter said:

I hope the course looks and plays better in person that it shows on TV.  I realize I’m in the minority, but to me , it’s a lot like chambers bay on TV.  Every hole forgettable . I watched all the coverage and can’t tell you which hole is which.  

 
Ive never heard anyone describe Bandon as forgettable.  If you get the chance, Blade, go play there.  I think your opinion will change.  

[deadsolid...shank]

1 hour ago, ebrasmus21 said:

 
Ive never heard anyone describe Bandon as forgettable.  If you get the chance, Blade, go play there.  I think your opinion will change.  

Did you make it out there E?

[bladehunter]

2 hours ago, ebrasmus21 said:

 
Ive never heard anyone describe Bandon as forgettable.  If you get the chance, Blade, go play there.  I think your opinion will change.  

Yea that’s what I was saying , that it has to be better in person than TV.  Much like chambers bay.  When you watch either for days and can’t tell which hole they’re on , it bugs the crap out of me.  
Doubt I’ll ever play it.  I don’t see travel in my future for 10 years or so if ever.  With the gut punch of this year plus a 12 year old I have to get to adult hood , I have a better chance of falling over than a golf trip.  

[dakpery]

This thread makes me want to get the golf channel/ package.

[The Pearl]

15 hours ago, deadsolid...shank said:

, I simply asked a question after seeing the depth of some of the bunkers and one particular hole where both players were severely below the level of the green. It looked to me like a good 10-12’, almost straight up, although the camera angle may have deceived me. My question arose from the fact that I don’t see how that shot could have been played without some loft. 
The consensus I the threads here is to leave the lob wedge home. I believe what the people here say, lot of experience speaking. Simply wondering how those particular shots are dealt with. 

Valid point.  You will have some shots where you have to pitch over or over AND up bunkers. No question about it. Very, very difficult for the regular golfers.

[ebrasmus21]

2 hours ago, deadsolid...shank said:

Did you make it out there E?

I went in 2018.  Could not have had a better time.  

[The Pearl]

16 hours ago, bladehunter said:

yes I guess.    I should refrain from comment I’m sure.  But looks like a course you’d have to live near to love.  Or be well off enough to play 7/8 times a year minimum.  I say that because it looks to be a course that requires a lot of local knowledge and luck.  Meaning you can’t plop the number 1 player on earth into it blind and have him break par.  Right?  I don’t like places that require that much luck.  OG links courses aren’t that way.    And then again. Could all be the TV thing.  Sometimes angles etc give you tunnel vision type blindness on TV and in person you can see much more.  I hope that is the case.  

I have never played any of the Bandon courses and felt that it was "goofy golf" or that luck was involved beyond what any regular course might offer.  It is links golf so if you get the classic links golf results for shots that look fine but are just off the wrong line and feed into a bunker or a run off area.  Bandon Dunes, the first course and where match play took place is very fair and I believe the easiest course on the property (I have not played the Sheep Ranch).  If the wind is down, a competent player can score well on the course.

 

Also, #16 gets the buzz, but I think the two best holes are #4 and #5.  TV will never do the place justice because the magic of Bandon is experiencing the physical sensory overload of the expansiveness, the wind, the sound of the ocean, and the visual beauty of the entire property. While each hole may not seem to stand out, it is the mosaic and flow of the entire course that makes it amazing. 

[EricWGolf]

There are only 2 golf destinations that I know of where people come back and, without exception, say that it exceeded their expectations:

 

1. Augusta National to watch The Masters in person;
2. Bandon Dunes

[bogeypro]

23 hours ago, Carolina Golfer 2 said:

Tobacco Road and Royal New Kent are Mike Strantz designs.   

 

That aside, I loved the look of Bandon Dunes, I was supposed to go in October, but have had to back out due to COVID and the travel restrictions required.   I've never played a links course in Scotland or Ireland, but I have to imagine Bandon is the closest thing the US has to those.  

I knew that... not sure why I put Doak..  thanks for the correction.   

[Carolina Golfer 2]

19 minutes ago, bogeypro said:

I knew that... not sure why I put Doak..  thanks for the correction.   

Ha. No problem, my brain often thinks one thing and my hands type something different. 

 

[Ronnie Mundt]

3 hours ago, EricWGolf said:

There are only 2 golf destinations that I know of where people come back and, without exception, say that it exceeded their expectations:

 

1. Augusta National to watch The Masters in person;
2. Bandon Dunes

This.

[deadsolid...shank]

11 hours ago, ebrasmus21 said:

I went in 2018.  Could not have had a better time.  

What happened to my invite!??

[deadsolid...shank]

11 hours ago, The Pearl said:

Valid point.  You will have some shots where you have to pitch over or over AND up bunkers. No question about it. Very, very difficult for the regular golfers.

Thanks Pearl, I guess I could have worded my initial question better. But for the guys leaving their 60*s (or whatever their loftiest wedge is) at home, how do you go about playing that shot?  Take your medicine and just  play around the bunker? Or the s*** without the bunker, I’m not sure I could putt the ball hard enough to get up that kind of slope. 

[ebrasmus21]

14 minutes ago, deadsolid...shank said:

What happened to my invite!??

That was before you were my homie.  

[Steele47]

I'm betting Ollie will be Low Am at the Masters.

[OrangeGravy]

On 8/17/2020 at 7:15 PM, Yuck said:

I think Ollie O has more upside potential than the Winner.

Agreed. I was thinking the very same while watching the final. 

[The Pearl]

10 hours ago, deadsolid...shank said:

Thanks Pearl, I guess I could have worded my initial question better. But for the guys leaving their 60*s (or whatever their loftiest wedge is) at home, how do you go about playing that shot?  Take your medicine and just  play around the bunker? Or the s*** without the bunker, I’m not sure I could putt the ball hard enough to get up that kind of slope. 

If you are a good chipper/pitcher of the ball, and by good I am going to say at a low single digit hdcp. level...you can use your wedges. I have gone to BD with a minimalist set up. I have only needed a shot that required my SW to get up and over something maybe once a round. The courses usually are designed to avoid this type of shot which might be common on a "regular" course.  Usually your ball will be in the bunker OR if it runs off the green there will not be anything to pitch over. 

 

 

 I never carry a LW so I can't speak to that.  

 

As far as slopes go, most people putt WHENEVER possible, but you can certainly run a LW/PW or any iron that works for you. 

 

And yes, sometimes you might have to play away from the pin or pitch to another part of the green to make your shot easier to execute. 

 

[FakeClubPro]

On 8/19/2020 at 11:10 PM, bladehunter said:

Very interesting.  This maybe the disconnect.  I play off hard pan based courses weekly.  Red clay. Not sand based.  Bermuda will grow on anything. Including cartpath.  You can find this from SC to Texas.  Also why I believe I hate high bounce irons and wedges.  And yet that’s a minority opinion around here as most prefer wide soles etc. which makes sense if you play off wet sand based tracks. 

 

I hate trying to hit wedges/short irons off of hardpan.     Any tips besides a chipper?

[gvogel]

41 minutes ago, FakeClubPro said:

 

I hate trying to hit wedges/short irons off of hardpan.     Any tips besides a chipper?

Try using a putting stroke, with the toe of the wedge down further than the heel, standing close to the ball as if you were putting.  It works well for shorter pitch shots.  Don't be afraid to bend your left arm, taking wrist action out of the stroke (one more thing that can go wrong).