Going to Bandon on Saturday, playing Bandon Dunes, Pacific Dunes and Old MacDonald. Any tips on a successful trip? TIA!

First tip is to play the Trails. It's an amazing golf course that rivals Spyglass!

Have fun! I played the four courses in May and it was a blast!

have fun. it will be among the most beatiful sites or golf courses you have ever seen. Pacific is amazing.

Agree with AeroAg, Trails is awesome! My advice:

-Get a caddy; see if James O is available; Brett is also good
-Ask the caddy about the whisky hidden on Bandon...take a sip and put your name in the book
-Pacific really is a great course!
-Play as many rounds as your body can stand. You won't regret it
-The third round is free. At the end of each day, our entire group 10-15 guys would play together for 5-10 holes until the sun went down. Playing, drinking and hanging with the guys while watching the sun drop on the Pacific was awesome!

1. Take lots of PICTURES for our pleasure and your memories...

2. Post said pictures...

3. Tell us what you learned...

4. I'm jealous...

I was just there 2 days ago. And have been doing an outing there every September for the past 11 years. Great place and experience to do it at least once in your life.

Other than that, I hate that golf. It will be cold, rainy, sunny, foggy, windy... before you finish 9. I've always said it's mickey mouse golf where you have no idea where the fairways end and green starts. Rockhard ground with very little grass...and once your ball gets in the pucker brush, don't even go in there since the thorns will poke you in the eyes and you'll go blind.

The caddies are local kids who think they know the course and the game... they don't. They just want your money and want to play the course for free.

Everything is overpriced and they'll rip you off every step of the way.

I don't know the green fees...but I aint paying that kind of money to play golf there. We did get reduced rates last year...$50 per round just because several guys in our outing are local politicians in Coos Bay/North Bend and helped out with the local airport renovation decisions that helped Bandon.

Just my opinion of having done it for the past decade.

That being said,

Take goretex outfit.
Take lots of pictures and have the caddy take pictures of you while you play.
Trails isn't all that...has some goofy holes. Definitely not a true "Links" course.
Make sure your shoes are comfortable.

And if you get a chance, play Bandon Crossing which is on 101 south of Bandon with no affiliation to Band Dunes Resort. We enjoy Crossing more than Dunes.

Then again, if you do it once in your life, this may as well be one of your best experiences. But Bandon is difficult to get to and very isolated.

They are talks of Bandon adding a muni course that will be reduced rates for the locals. They also have a smallish 14 hole par 3 course going up right on the south side of Pacific. You can see this if you go up the steps from the parking lot of the Pacific.

I have yet to play Old Mac... but I'm sure I'll hate it too.

It's definitely not what Golf was Meant to be...

Don't rip me too hard fellas.

^
Not to be a jerk, but if you dislike it so much why do you continue going? Is it mandatory for your company or something? I have always wanted to play all of them but definitely in some nice weather.

Listen Tard..

Our week long outing begins in Coos Bay Oregon, about 25 miles north of Bandon. Then we track on to Bend - high desert Oregon. Along the way we play Tokatee and Aspen Lakes in Sisters. It's an outing that consists of 8 to 12 guys and the course decisions are made collectively. about 6 to 7 guys are from Coos Bay.. and I can tell you none of us are too excited about playing Bandon.

If you've never done it, I can see you'd be excited about it... if you do it twice or 3 times...it'd be ok. After a decade, it's not all that.

[This message has been edited by AggieDruggist89 (edited 9/10/2011 2:10p).]

I just don't like Links golf and harsh weather, that's all.

Give me lush tree lined fairways and warm weather. That's what I like.

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Give me lush tree lined fairways and warm weather. That's what I like.

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I think that sums up why you don't like Bandon.

I personally disagree with almost everything you said about the golf itself. I personally love the hard, windy conditions you get at Bandon. I like having to hit shots on the ground, punches through the wind and puts from 20 yards off the green. It's different golf then what you get here in Texas. I can play green, soft conditions with tree lined fairways almost anywhere, anytime (drought not withstanding).

Your opinion about the cost, caddies, etc is understandable but it's not like Bandon is any more outrageous that Pebble or Pinehurst. It's typical resort golf.

BTW, what holes at the trails do you think are goofy? For someone that hates hard windy conditions, I figured you would have liked the trails the most.

If you hate Bandon and Pacific, you will hate Old Mac. It is probably the most links like of the three on the coast.

[This message has been edited by AeroAg2003 (edited 9/11/2011 10:51a).]

Do you think it's worth paying $275 to play Trails? It gives you the least "ocean side links" experience you'd expect at Bandon.

There's a par 4..short downhill.. impossible green to get on 2.. rolls off to the back and right and also rolls off to the left and I believe there's a bunker there. Also, it's designed by a sip. Ha.

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Do you think it's worth paying $275 to play Trails? It gives you the least "ocean side links" experience you'd expect at Bandon.

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Yeah. I'd pay that. Maybe not every week but I think its worth the money. Of course, I'm one of the guys that would rather play Spyglass or Pasatiempo over playing Pebble again!

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There's a par 4..short downhill.. impossible green to get on 2.. rolls off to the back and right and also rolls off to the left and I believe there's a bunker there. Also, it's designed by a sip. Ha.

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That's 15. Yes, the green is rather tricked up. It's not my favorite. On the other hand, the 12 - 14 turn is unbelievable.

Sip designed or not, I would love to play the trails again. Especially before Pebble or Bandon Dunes. From my vantage, Bandon is the worst of the four at the resort.

This is how I'd rate the four courses:

1) Pacific Dunes
2) Old McDonald
3) Trails
4) Bandon

Thanks for the advice! We played Old Mac, first group off. Foggy, rainy, 50 degrees it looked like and felt like Scotland. I think its a must play because it is so different than any other golf I've found in America. Pacific Dunes was after lunch, and everybody in my group fell in love with it. Some great shots along the cliffs and we caught it with some sunshine and 65 degrees. Having a hard time moving it in front of Pebble Beach for my favorite course, but it may be better. Bandon Dunes was last, found it to be ok. Spoiled a bit after Pacific, but had some really nice golf holes. Thought Pacific had 17 nice golf holes, Bandon maybe just 8. We missed Trails because we had some guys with us that were wore out, another with a partially torn achilles. Somebody send me an email and I'll forward some pictures to you so you can post them for me!! Definately a trip worth taking, not sure If I'll go again but an absolute must see.