Bandon Trip Review - April 2023

[jrg75]

I don't normally do trip reviews but I am coming down off an absolutely fabulous week and am stuck in the Denver airport so I thought I would take the time I have to share how my solo trip to Bandon went.

 

April 10 - Travel Day with Lodging at the Bandon Inn.  

 

Not much to say other than I flew into Eugene from the DFW area and it was a complete mess in Oregon.  Rained non-stop that entire day, I think close to 1.5" total.  I briefly stopped by the resort to see what conditions were like and wasn't surprised to see rivers running across most greens.  I checked into the Bandon Inn and ate dinner at Foley's Irish pub in Old Town.  Lodging was solid as always and I was impressed with some of the new renovations.  Dinner was mediocre at best.  I wanted to eat at Bandon Brewing Co but they are closed Mondays.  Photo of the Bandon practice green on the day of arrival.

 

[jrg75]

April 11 - Bandon Dunes AM, Pacific Dunes PM, Lodging at the Inn.  

 

I woke to the sound of pouring rain and I mentally prepared myself for the worst.  I dressed in full rain gear (Sunice Apollo Jacket and Galway Bay pants, I highly recommend both) and headed to the practice center.  I caught a little drizzle and occasional rain during my drive and warm up session but by the time I made it to the first tee at Bandon, it was basically clear.  Had an absolutely bluebird first 6 holes with brilliant sunshine and very little wind. When our group hit 7, clouds rolled in and it poured on us for 2 holes.  By the time we hit the 9th hole, it was all clear and stayed that way the rest of the day.  Course conditions were outstanding with greens being a little more receptive than usual but overall very smooth.  The gorse is in full bloom and gorgeous.  The 4th-6th at Bandon and 15th-17th are an absolute blast and this trip affirmed to me how great they are.  Here is a photo of the 12th at Bandon, absolutely stunning.

 

 

For my afternoon at Pacific, I got paired with group of buddies from Australia, completely awesome guys that I enjoyed playing with. The weather remained clear and beautiful for the entire round. I was shocked at how little wind there was. On my previous trips, I felt like I was always fighting a 20+ mph wind, particularly during afternoon rounds. For this trip, winds were 10 mph or less. Course conditions were similar to Bandon, greens were excellent. Highlight of the day was hitting driver to pin high but just right of the green on 6 for an easy up and down birdie.

 

I finished the night with dinner at Pacific Grill with the Aussies I got paired with for the afternoon. I drank a few Bandon Pale ales, had a scallop pasta dish which was excellent, and crashed for the night.

 

Edited April 15 by jrg75

[jrg75]

April 12th, Bandon Dunes AM, Bandon Trails PM

 

For my morning round at Bandon, I was paired with a really great group of guys from California.  All were good golfers with everyone shooting in the 70s and one guy close to even par.  I'm a single digit handicap who shoots closer to a 10+ when at Bandon but the group was very accepting and a blast to play with.  Weather and conditions were similar to the day before with the exception of a 2 hole stretch where it hailed on us.  It stopped and the ground was clear by the 10th hole with a little standing water on a few greens.

 

 

 

My afternoon at Trails was fantastic, again zero rain and mostly sunny skys.  The course was in great shape with green conditions similar to BD and PD.  I love trails, the routing and use of bunkers is absolutely masterful.  My favorite stretch is 9-13 and I think #9 and #11 may be two of the best golf holes I've ever played.

 

For dinner I sat at the bar at McKees and enjoyed the Shepard's pie, very tasty.

Edited August 7 by jrg75

[jrg75]

April 13, Old Macdonald AM, Bandon Dunes PM

 

Old Mac, the day started chilly (sub 50s) so I put rain pants and jacket on to start. Weather quickly warmed and by the 5th hole I was playing in just a ¼ zip sweater. Conditions were fair, with the greens being somewhat spotty and definitely slower than BD, PD, and BT. Old Mac has been a lower ranked course in my view, I love the first 8 holes and the last 5 holes but the middle stretch is just kinda meh to me. I enjoyed OM more this trip than in years past as I finally started to embrace some of the quirky bounces/slopes around the greens and really tried to use some of the contours to get the ball closer to the hole. I ended up shooting my personal low on OM (79) and while I still rank it 4th, it will be a must play in future years.

 

Bandon Dunes, weather was great with just a little rain on holes 5-7. I ended up trying the David Mclay Kidd bump and run 7 iron (we all know this one from listening to the walk with DMK on the reservations line) on the 4th hole from the fairway. Low and behold, I hit it tighter than any previous rounds and made the birdie putt. I was hitting the ball great but unfortunately, picked the wrong club on 12 (up against the lip in the pot bunker) and missed right of the green on 15. Wow, if you get out of position on BDs, you are screwed. I went 7 over on those two holes and carded the worst round of the trip, an 87.

 

I had the meatloaf at McKees for dinner which was good but I can't help but think they changed the recipe.

Edited April 15 by jrg75

[jrg75]

April 14, Pacific Dunes and departure

 

I played Pacific early in chilly but clear conditions. Much like the day before, I was bundled up early but was down to just a ¼ zip by the 5th hole.  Pacific is truly stunning but it has some absolutely knee knocker approach shots.  My body was stiff and I scraped around in 44 on the front but manged a 40 on the back.  I birdied 2 and 11 which was a real highlight of the trip as 11 has historically given me trouble.  Overall, just a great way to finish my trip.  I drove to Eugene in the afternoon and flew out the next day.

 

Edited April 15 by jrg75

[jrg75]

Parting Thoughts:

 

Service was nothing short of exceptional. I know there have been some discussion that things have dropped off and I myself commented about trips in 2021/2022 where demand and staffing shortages was putting some pressure on their historically high levels of service.  I saw none of that this week, everything was perfect.  I hope that means Bandon has solved some of the challenges coming out of the covid years.

 

I went as a single and was paired with lots of strangers but everyone was absolutely awesome to play with.  For anyone contemplating a solo trip, I say go for it.  I met some truly great guys and even exchanged numbers with a few with talk of meeting for golf in the future.

 

I also saw none of the excessive rowdiness that I complained about in the random Bandon thread.  While there was lots of guys having a great time, I didn't see anyone acting foolish.  Perhaps my past trip where a intoxicated group was chasing Canadian geese on the course was a one off.

 

Pace of play all week was excellent.  Mornings were 4:10ish and afternoons maybe a little longer.  I rarely had to wait to hit a shot.  I scheduled with the 5 hour gap between each days times and always had plenty of time for a quick lunch.

 

Food was okay, nothing that I will lie awake dreaming about but everything was good.  Pacific Grill has the best menu and McKees has the atmosphere. The ghost tree grill, once opened, is going to be a great location right off OM 18.

 

My Course Rankings:

1. Bandon Dunes, just a fun golf course that has a mix of everything (views, strategy, playability)

2. Bandon Trails, the best routing with every hole framed so perfectly by it's surroundings.  I think 9-13 is my favorite stretch on property.

3. Pacific Dunes, visually stunning and a good mix of short/long holes.

4. Old Mac.  Quirky with perhaps a few holes going overboard, especially with the slopes on the green.  If you embrace it for what it is, it's a fun ride.

5. Sheep Ranch.  I didn't play this trip because of the greens but have 4 rounds in there.  Even if conditions were perfect, it would rank last for me (last in a group of absolutely wonderful courses).  It has some excellent holes and the views are out of this world.  I just think it feels cramped.  

This was my 7th trip and one of the best I've had.  Bandon is truly a special place, big thanks to everyone on the Random Bandon thread for all their advice and major props to Mr. Keiser for having the vision and courage to build and share this place with the world.

[SouthHope]

Great post! What's the best time of year to avoid rain and hail?

[jrg75]

6 hours ago, SouthHope said:

Great post! What's the best time of year to avoid rain and hail?

For sure June-Sept are your best months for dry weather.  I've mostly gone in April-May and have been very lucky with good weather.