POLL: Your favorite (& least favorite) course at Bandon Dunes Golf Resort

[Seamus_MacDuff]

With all the discussion about personal rankings of courses at Bandon Dunes, thought it might be somewhat enlightening to put together a poll of everyone's favorite & least favorite courses at the resort.  Please don't respond to the poll if you haven't played all five courses, otherwise the results won't be accurate.

[knock it close]

What no preserve option for favorite?

[Seamus_MacDuff]

3 hours ago, knock it close said:

What no preserve option for favorite?

I don’t think it’s fair to compare Preserve to the five 18 hole courses. Bandon Preserve is a ton of fun, to be sure, but as a collection of only par 3 holes you really can’t compare it to the others. 

[jvincent]

I voted Bandon for my favourite and Trails for my least.

 

But as I always tell people this is the supermodel problem. Which of the five are you going to kick out of bed?

[TreeHugger73]

21 hours ago, knock it close said:

What no preserve option for favorite?

 

Can we call Preserve and the Punchbowl a course? That would win hands down!

[Phreddy]

I feel bad rating Trails as my favorite.  It is the least linksy, has no real ocean views or grand vistas.  And yet, it is where I feel the most at home and play my best rounds.

[mallrat]

7 hours ago, Phreddy said:

I feel bad rating Trails as my favorite.  It is the least linksy, has no real ocean views or grand vistas.  And yet, it is where I feel the most at home and play my best rounds.

I’ve always been a Trails #1 guy but Bandon Dunes is a close 2 for me. The way I’ve always said it is if you could cut out the course and place it anywhere else it would hold up the best. 
 

The hard one for me is Old Mac. I don’t think it’s a great course, but does have a couple great holes, is the funnest round on property. No idea why but I just have fun on that course. 

[snakano]

Not attempting to be a contrarian here, but Old Mac is my happy place. It's the one course I think about the most after Pacific and that's likely because PD was the first course I had ever played there.

 

I absolutely understand why OM is not viewed as the "best" often and that it's the one people say to drop if you only have four rounds. Shoot, Old Mac has a hole I would put at or near the bottom of the Bandon barrel, #12, but it's my absolute favorite course there and will always get a play when I'm lucky enough to spend some time down there.

 

As mallrat said, and I whole heartedly agree with, it's the funnest round on property.

[jkody]

Old Mac is the one I think about most, and if I had to pick one just one round at Bandon, it's 100% going to be there. 

[Cwing]

August 2021 for me.

 

I’d rate Bandon Dunes and Pacific Dunes as a pick’em for best. Loved them all but my least favorite would be Bandon Trails.

Edited December 26, 2022 by Cwing

[ThermalDan]

I played with a group the other day that was planning a trip to Bandon.  The organizer doesn't like Trails or Sheep, so they were playing Pacific 2x, Bandon 2x, and Old Mac.  You have to have regular access to a crazy great course to think Trails or Sheep is worth skipping on a trip!  There has to be a "least favorite", I get it, but worth skipping? No.

[10&8]

1 hour ago, ThermalDan said:

I played with a group the other day that was planning a trip to Bandon.  The organizer doesn't like Trails or Sheep, so they were playing Pacific 2x, Bandon 2x, and Old Mac.  You have to have regular access to a crazy great course to think Trails or Sheep is worth skipping on a trip!  There has to be a "least favorite", I get it, but worth skipping? No.

Never, ever, ever skip Trails. That’s my advice for anyone planning a trip there. 

[Chilidog]

Trails is my favorite. OM is my least. But that’s only because I had to pick one. You can absolutely let the driver loose on that course. I also love that the fairway blends in with the green so it throws off depth perception. But, with all the memorable holes from the others, it’s just hard to overcome. 
 

Playing Sheep for the first time on Sunday. 

[Chanceman]

Bandon, Trails, Sheep, Old Mac, PD

I just cant get my head around PD.

Old Mac is growing on me.

Sheep is pretty cool.

Trails is a very good golf course.

Bandon is always home  for me.

[jrg75]

The "only get" 5 rounds question is easy for me, 1 on each, they are all equal to me if you only get one chance.

 

The 10 or more rounds is where it gets tough.  If 10, give me 3 Bandon, 3 Pacific, 2 Trails, 1 OM and 1 Sheep Ranch.

[cg0rd0noo7]

If I had to rank my favorites:

 

1. Trails

2. Old Mac

3. Bandon

4. Pacific

5. Sheeps

 

 

[JLo_73]

1. Trails

2. BD

3. PD

4. Old Mac

5. Sheep Ranch

[ThermalDan]

I used to go back and forth between Old Mac and Trails as my favorites.  After traveling to Scotland in 2022 and playing The Old Course, North Berwick, and Elie (among plenty others) I appreciated Old Mac even more.

[cg0rd0noo7]

3 hours ago, ThermalDan said:

I used to go back and forth between Old Mac and Trails as my favorites.  After traveling to Scotland in 2022 and playing The Old Course, North Berwick, and Elie (among plenty others) I appreciated Old Mac even more.

I think this a common thought among people who have been to Scotland. To truly appreciate old mac you need to see the originals and play links golf in Scotland.