Driving to Bandon for a Weekend - Am I Crazy?

[WestCoastHacker]

I have been looking at heading down to Bandon for quite a while. I might have a chance in mid-October however, my schedule would look like this:

 

Friday - Leave work at 3pm and drive 9.5 hours to Bandon, getting in around 12:30am.

Saturday - Play 36 holes (Bandon and Old MacDonald).

Sunday - Play 18 (Pacific) and drive 9.5 hours back home.

Monday - Back to work.

 

Am I crazy? Or is Bandon Dunes that good that the nearly 20 hours of driving I'm looking at would be worth it?

[TML]

it's that good. If people have never been to Bandon, they will call you crazy. I call you sane and other people crazy. Enjoy the best true golf resort in the world.

[FSCMatt]

If I had the option to do that I would do it. I've never been to Bandon and I would do about anything to make it there. I say don't pass up the opportunity. Maybe go into work early on friday so you can get off of work earlier so Saturday isn't as long of a day?

[Arizonalefty59]

Get a rental car so you don't have to put all of those miles on your car.

[H8 3putts]

Well worth it.
Did something similar a few years back, midweek in February though.
Drove up from the bay area after work. Got in early hours.
Pacific and Bandon the first day.
Bandon Trails the following morning and then back in the car for the drive home.

Long couple of days but an absolute blast.
Cops are a bit keen once you turn off I5 and head cross country to Bandon. Thankfully a talking to was all that resulted. Must have been a golfer

[spud3]

Do it.

[sharkiesj]

I'd do it to, but that's a long way to drive to not play all the courses. You're leaving out Preserve and Trails. Do it when you can have a Fri. off and drive up Thurs. night. That way you can play all the courses and be back at work on Mon. Mid-Oct. be very watchful of the weather. You can't expect sunny days and no rain. You'd have to plan for pouring rain or at least some wetness.

[duffer987]

Assuming you live right at the border in White Rock or Sumas, you can get there in 9hrs maybe, otherwise you better add in an extra hour or so. You've got to cross the border and maybe get stuck in some traffic from Everett to Olympia.

That said, no you are not crazy, but I would take a day off to get 3 days worth of playing and go for it
I've driven San Fran to Bandon and back twice in the past 12 months, (Fri afternoon to Monday evening & Weds afternoon to Sunday evening).

I'd also play 36 on Sunday before driving back. Be first out, get a replay in and you can still be home by 2 or 3 am.
I'd also echo the previous poster about a rental car if you think there is any possibility of something going wrong with your car, get a rental.

One last thing, after doing that drive twice now, next time I do think I will fly into Eugene and drive the couple hours from there instead. It's never a problem getting there, but that loooooooooong drive home after a ton of golf is knackering.

[dpark]

No brainer. Do it.

I live closer to Bandon, and in the winter, if the weather is favorable, we will make a Tues/Weds decision, drive down very early on Friday, play Friday afternoon, one or two rounds on Saturday depending on when we can get out and how much light is left, another round on Sunday and drive home.

The first round is $75 starting in mid-November and the second round is $40. It really is a no-brainer, especially if the weather is good.

[Chico]

Can't beat it. best golf experience I have had to date.

[WestCoastHacker]

It seems like it is "that good". I'm doing it.

Thanks all.

[2putttom]

Well alrighty then it's settled. Where ya gonna stay?

[DD4442]

Do it. If the weather sucks you can always go back the next weekend.

[cmabbott04]

I say DO IT! Take some buddies and some beers, never will regret it! I have done the same with some courses a similar distance

[TML]

I may have to book an emergency trip up there now. I love the resort. Now that my swing is in great shape, I love to be back up there.

[WestCoastHacker]

I got some bad news today. A project deadline shifted at work which will likely end up killing any chance of me getting that far away from the office on my planned weekend. I probably won't know my schedule until a day or two before. I'll call Bandon on the Thursday prior to the weekend and figure out what the tee time availability is but by that time it'll be a crapshoot as to whether or not I can get on.

Planning for Bandon 2014 begins now.

[Golf-Junkie]

Dude, its 9/5 hours from SF - we do it every year. Its a heinous drive, but man when you're there - youve made it to the end of the earth. So pure.

When are you going? What weekend?

[WestCoastHacker]

An update. I just got back from Bandon from the first time. I went down with a few buddies on a Thursday and came back on a Sunday. I can now fully agree with what has been said above. 20 hours of driving in one weekend is absolutely worth it to play a few rounds at Bandon. No question about it.

[cdnrockies]

[quote name='WestCoastHacker' timestamp='1396568771' post='9015049']
An update. I just got back from Bandon from the first time. I went down with a few buddies on a Thursday and came back on a Sunday. I can now fully agree with what has been said above. 20 hours of driving in one weekend is absolutely worth it to play a few rounds at Bandon. No question about it.
[/quote]

Awesome that you had a great time!

I drove the 16 hrs each way in Feb to only end up playing 36 holes after getting rained out...lol.

Did it again in March...haha!

Bandon is a very special destination.

[mringwelski]

9.5 hours to play the top resort in America on the edge of the continent? People from all over the world would be happy to be 9.5 hours away,

[cinnepa]

you son of a ...............

[BirdieRoll]

This is why I'm so excited about Sand Valley. Granted, no ocean views, but it'll be an easy drive for those in Brainerd, Rochester, the Twin Cities, Milwaukee, Madison, and Chicago. Will be a huge success.