Bandon Trip Report - Mid April, Solo

[spud3]

Well, it’s been a few weeks since I went to Bandon, so this trip report is way overdue. Simply put, it was the most fun I’ve had on a golf course, ever. Everything about the place that you’ve heard is true. Rather than a hole-by-hole roundup, which you can find in a number of places, I’m just going to throw out some observations. Some things to keep in mind: this was my first trip to Bandon, I play to a 9.7 hci (at least I did before the Bandon trip), I went as a single, played six rounds over four days in mid-April, stayed in the Lodge and didn’t leave the resort grounds the entire time.

 

The resort: The service was impeccable. Genuine, happy people dedicated to making your stay a great one. The room was completely comfortable – everything you need in a crash pad. Food was quite good, especially the breakfast offerings in the Lodge and the meatloaf in the pub. Fish and chips was so-so. The Bandon Burger was excellent, the turkey wrap at the turn was perfect. Great brews on tap in the pub. The pub can get busy on the weekend, so a reservation is a good idea. Each evening was spent soaking in the jacuzzi and/or sauna. It made all the golf much easier, though I must say that walking 36 a day was not as taxing as I thought it might be. My hands were more sore than my feet, though my back was pretty tired by the end of the last day. The shuttle service is great but not necessary if you drive down (I live in Portland, so driving was how I got there). You can get from one clubhouse (or practice center) to any other in less than 5 minutes. The practice center is amazing. Tees into the wind and with the wind. Largest putting green ever. Balls included. Superb chipping area, too.

 

Weather: I had three days of sunny skies, mid 50’s temps and 20-25 mph winds. I got one day of the classic Bandon sideways rain, maybe made it to 50F, 25-30 mph winds. It was brutal. More on that later. For the times it is sunny, bring sunscreen and some lip protection. The wind will take its toll. My best friend there was my little jar of Carmex (and the jacuzzi...)

 

Crowds: I stayed Tuesday through Friday, and there wasn’t really a lot of people until Thursday night. Of my six rounds, I played four of them solo, with almost no one in sight. Playing the courses alone was awesome. Time to think my way through the courses, though learning on the job was costly at times. Yardage books are essential without a caddy. Routing is usually well-signed, never got lost. There is (mercifully) a short shuttle cart to get you up to 14 tee on BT. Got to play PD with two fine gents from Australia (hi to Peter and Kevin!), and my second go on BD (in the rain) with Jim from NorCal, Dan and his son from Delaware. Great guys, all of them.

 

Caddies: I didn’t have a caddy for any of my rounds, and was fine with it. The course yardage books are good ones, a must if you don’t have a caddy. The guys I played with on PD and BD had caddies, and they were great (Aaron, Kurt and Adam), encouraging without being obsequious, helpful without being patronizing. I would probably like to use them next time I go, at least for a round or two, as they will probably take 5 strokes or so off your score through greens knowledge and being able to tell you where to miss a shot (or, more importantly, where NOT to miss!). During one round, they offered some info unsolicited, plus I benefitted by overhearing what they were saying to their players. In that case, I dropped $20 on them for the vicarious info. I did not ask at the start of the rounds if they would throw me some nuggets, just felt like I had gained some insights by being in the group.

 

Walking: All the courses are walkable by someone in decent shape. I used one of the resort’s pull carts for all my rounds (the industrial-strength Riksha). If you are thinking of bringing your pull/push cart, don’t. You really need a heavier cart for these courses, as the paths from green to tee can be rough. One guy in our group on the bad weather day had brought his push cart, a sun micro cart just like the one I have at home, which works perfectly fine for our nice cart paths, and the courses completely ate it for lunch. He spent a lot of time heaving and pulling, while the Riksha just rolled along without a care. My legs are feet were tired, but made it through ok. I changed socks and shoes a lot, and that was great advice. I had heard that you can get a power cart with a doctor’s note. I saw only one the whole time I was there.

 

The courses: First off, these courses are hard, even without the wind. I played the green tees all days and that was plenty of length for me. My goal was to break 90 for each round, and I did that except on Trails, which was my next to last round and the fourth in two days and is certainly the hilliest and the toughest walk. I jokingly told the starter that the courses should have a sliding Slope rating, depending on the amount and direction of the wind. He said I am not the first person to suggest that. They are hard, but they are wonderful. The design of each has its own beauty and character, and I would be hard pressed to name a favorite. I loved them all. It would be cool to live here and get to play them all and get to know them all like I know my local courses here at home. I can only imagine that they would become even more enjoyable as you got to know the intricacies of each one. My only gripe about the design was the 520 yard par 5 that plays into the wind on OM. For the average golfer, making that green in three is simply impossible. They all will test every aspect of your game, especially the short game. There are lots of approach shots that are to elevated (and I mean ELEVATED) greens, and if you don’t put your ball on the green, you will have something ugly for your next shot. You will hit your 4-iron and hybrid. A lot. Leave your 60 wedge at home. The best advice I can give is to practice your low, running shots and long putts. Really. You’ll use both more in one round on any of these courses than you have your whole life. Even off the tee with a driver. I learned quickly that a fade turns into a monster slice into a 25 mph wind. I read that you won’t lose many balls, but I lost plenty, especially on Trails. Shots that wander too far from the fairway get eaten by the dense underbrush, or in the gorse that lines the rest of the courses. The gorse was in bloom, though, so it made for a wonderful golden framing of the holes and a light perfume in the air. Truly a beautiful sight in the setting sun. The sand in bunkers is Oregon Coast beach sand, much finer and heavier than fluffy white sand. You have to really go after it, which can be tough when you are faced with a 150 foot drop to the Pacific Ocean as the result of a bladed shot. Speaking of which, there are many holes, especially on BD and PD, where the views are quite distracting. But these are the problems we love to have. The Preserve was a total hoot to play, though kind of steep at $100. You won’t need any more than a 6-iron, and that’s if the wind is up. Your hci will probably go up after your stay. It’s worth it. When the pro at OM asked me how I like my first round, I answered that I’d never had so much fun shooting 89.

 

Greens: Preserve greens are perfect. BT greens are the fastest, most like what I normally play. OM greens are the largest and most undulating. PD greens are the smallest and toughest to hit. BD greens are the slowest, especially with rain and wind.

 

Gear: several items I read about here on GolfWRX came in super handy, most notably the Nike Golf Sleeves. You’ll do a lot of layering on and off, even when it’s sunny, as the holes nearer the water are much cooler than those inland, even a few dozen yards. BT is definitely less windy. I wore long pants and a light pullover on top of a regular golf shirt and was totally comfortable on the non-rain days. Your raingear is probably inadequate. What works in a Portland shower will not work in a Southern Oregon Coast monsoon. The rain will blow horizontally, dripping off your face, down your neck and soak whatever you have on under your rain gear. Rain gloves are helpful, provided you don’t try to take them off when putting.

 

Hope this is helpful for other first-timers. I cannot emphasize enough that this was the coolest golf thing I’ve ever done, and plan on returning as soon as possible. Don’t let the idea of going alone deter you from making this trip. Even if you just play 18 per day, the courses are that good and the resort that complete.

[kekoa]

Great review and i commend for doing it solo. I might have to do the same one day very soon.

What did the entire trip run you if i may ask?

[spud3]

Total cost, including 3 nights lodging, six 18 hole rounds of golf (and one round on the Preserve), food and gas was just under $1700. Worth every penny. Maybe not every year, but every two or three, for sure. I would consider going in March or even February. The rates would be even lower and there would still be a decent chance of good weather, for at least a couple days. Could probably do the same trip in March for around $1200.

[Chris_NH]

Great report, and in harmony with what I experienced on my first trip about a month ago. I'm glad you had such an enjoyable trip.

The one area I disagree slightly is the difficulty of the courses (absent wind). I find that most of the trouble comes off the tee, because the holes are designed with risk/reward decisions as you stand on the tee box. So, with a caddie (we had a forecaddie) and if one is driving the ball well, I found that the courses were not overly difficult. Like you, we played the green tees (I'm an 11 index and was mid-80s for 3 of my 5 rounds).

I wonder if perhaps the lack of a caddie on the tee was more costly than you realize in terms of strokes?

Frankly, I love the forecaddie thing, and would highly recommend it to people going as a group. It's the best balance IMO between cost and information.

Good on you for dropping some cash to the other guy's caddie too.

[spud3]

After some reflection, I would tend to agree with what Chris says. When I was driving the ball well, the scores reflected it. When I missed with the tee shot, the course ate my lunch. Part of the problem was that I had never played in such high winds. Definitely agree that the knowledge of the caddy would have helped tremendously score-wise, but I still really enjoyed the tracks. Forecaddie is the ultimate solution. Had one at Tetherow (another Macleay-Kidd design in Bend) a couple years ago, and it was very helpful.

[BigHunk]

Great report,thanks for posting.
Im going solo july 8-9-10,working on my K/D shots,chipping with my hybrid and lag putts.I bought the yargade books but I am taking a caddie for all 4 rounds.Playing to a 12Hdcp at my course here and planning to play from the green tees also with a goal of breaking 90 as well.

Thank again for the report.

[Tupperwolf]

Great report. I have been lucky to play at Bandon twice (BD, PD and OM) and reading this has really struck a chord. I'm aching to get back there.

[YoungJedi]

Absolutely great review! Getting so pumped!

[Edaw68]

It's a year and a half late, but I wanted to thank Spud for this review. His review of a solo trip is what convinced me to do Bandon as a solo golfer. Now I'm addicted, and I leave this weekend for my 3rd time there in 13 months.

[spud3]

Glad to help.

Make sure to write up a trip report when you get back. We're entering the time of year when a lot of WRX'ers make their trips, and we all love hearing about each other's experiences. I know I learn something about my own game each time I go, and reading the experiences of others is always very enjoyable.