Bandon Dunes Golf – November 2010
Bandon Dunes Golf – November 2010
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NOVEMBER, 2010
Twenty two years had elapsed since our legendary 1988 Scotland Golf trip. That’s a long time for a sequel. But in many respects our Bandon Dunes Golf trip in November 2010 was a follow-up to Scotland. My Dad, brother Chip, and me had gone on many golf trips since our 1988 Scotland adventure, but Bandon Dunes came closest to matching what we did in Scotland. Like golf in Scotland you don’t just play Bandon Dunes, you live it. But where our golf experience in Scotland had come off without a hitch, Bandon Dunes came in at the other end of the ‘smooth trip’ spectrum.
“The impression of the true old game is indescribable. It was like the dawn or the twilight of a brilliant day. It can only be felt. The charm, the fascination of it all, cannot be conveyed in words. Would that I could hand on unimpaired the great game as it was my good fortune to know it!“ – Charles Blaire MacDonald
Backstory of Bandon Dunes Golf Trip
Bandon Dunes is the closest you can come to experiencing true links golf in the United States. That is what attracted my Dad, Chip, and I to Bandon Dunes in November 2010. We may also have been looking to relive some of the magic from Scotland in 1988. Chip again conceived of and planned the Bandon Dunes golf trip. My Dad was 60 years old when we played in Scotland in 1988. At the time of Bandon Dunes in 2010 he was 82. Whereas we felt like Scotland ‘might’ be our last chance of a lifetime for all of us playing links golf together, we KNEW Bandon Dunes would be. It was our communal golfing ‘last hurrah’ in many respects.
Cover of ‘The Nature of the Game’ – book on Bandon Dunes by Mike Keiser, owner/developer of Bandon Dunes
On the creation of Bandon Dunes – by Mike Keiser, Developer
Mike Keiser conceived of and developed Bandon Dunes in the late 1990s. His idea was to create a true links destination in America. Before Bandon Dunes, there were courses in the US that called themselves ‘links’ courses (e.g. Pebble Beach), but they weren’t true links courses. The typical US golf course is as different from a UK links course as night and day. But Keiser questioned whether a proper links course could even be built here, and, if it could, would US golfers come to play it. US golf is aerial golf on soft, ‘fair’ courses. Links golf is played close to the ground and inherently unfair with ‘the rub of the green’ (unpredictable bounces) a part of the game. Keiser found proper links terrain and soil in Oregon. Bandon Dunes was built and opened in 1999 to great acclaim. It has been a popular golf destination since its opening.
No ‘boogies’ in links golf – and not at Bandon Dunes either
Another issue that must have added to Keiser’s stress level was riding carts, or buggies as the Brits call them (pronounced ‘boogies’ with their accents). True links golf courses do not allow riding carts – it’s a walking game. Yet over 70% of the golf rounds in the US are played using riding carts. I wonder if there was any serious discussion about allowing riding carts at Bandon Dunes. It must have been part of the ‘will they come’ question. But it wasn’t up for debate. True links golf is walking golf. There are no riding carts (or cart paths) at Bandon Dunes. If you wish, you can take a pull trolley or caddy. And pull carts are welcome to be pulled across the greens.
Plan for Golf at Bandon Dunes
Bandon Dunes is in the veritable ‘middle of nowhere’ on the Oregon coast. The nearest ‘big city’ is Eugene, 130 miles to the northeast. Portland is a 250-mile, four+ hour drive to the north. For the adventurous flyers with deeper pockets, many traveling to Bandon Dunes fly into North Bend, a small town on the coast 30 minutes north of Bandon. In 2010 there were four 18-hole courses at Bandon Dunes: (1) Bandon Dunes, (2) Bandon Trails, (3) Pacific Dunes, and (4) Old McDonald. We planned to play all four courses, one per day. Our first course would be Bandon Trails. Four courses in four days didn’t match the ambitious eight courses in seven days from our 1988 Scotland trip, but it was plenty ambitious for us in 2010.
Traveling to Bandon Dunes
Twelve hours of flying and driving to Oregon
Any way we sliced it we were destined for a long day of travel to Bandon Dunes. There are no nonstop flights from Indianapolis to Portland, so we faced 7.5 hours of flying, best case. After the flight, it was four more hours to our hotel for the night. Our schedule had us playing our first round of golf at Bandon Trails tomorrow, so there was little wiggle room if anything went wrong. Connecting flights always add stress from the potential for missed connections and lost luggage – our golf clubs in this case! The first night we would stay in a hotel off-property. Our remaining nights would be in a condo at Lily Pond Lodging on the Bandon Dunes property. The rental van was smaller than expected, but we squeezed all the luggage in.
“Golf as it was meant to be.“ – Bandon Dunes’ slogan
Snowy drive to Bandon Dunes through Oregon’s coastal mountains
For days before the trip we were aware that we wouldn’t have sunny, blue sky days for golf at Bandon Dunes. The weather forecast was ‘ugly.’ But like Scotland, bad weather is part of the mystique of Bandon, and all links-land. Play had never been suspended at Bandon Dunes in its 11-year history. Even so, snow in Oregon’s coastal mountains as we drove to Bandon caused some concern. But, we thought, Bandon sits on the coastal ‘banana belt’ where warm ocean currents serve as a giant heat sink. Temperatures rarely get below the 40s in winter and above the 60s in summer. The snow would disappear and we’d be fine. Remember, golf had been played every day in Bandon Dunes’ history. Yes, remember that! We’d be fine.
Bandon Dunes Golf Day #1 – Bandon Trails
First glimpse of golf at Bandon Dunes – perfect U.S. links golf
Mike Keiser’s vision of creating the perfect links golf setting in America had come true. At least that’s what our first impression was as we stood on the opening tee of Bandon Trails. We felt like we had been transported to Scotland. Even the weather was perfect – gloomy skies, temperatures in the 40s, and steady rain. Such conditions might scare people away at other places in the US, but not at Bandon Dunes. The course was packed. Bandon Trails was the third course to open at Bandon Dunes, in 2005. It is generally considered the most difficult Bandon course. There is little room for error. The layout starts on a massive sand dune. Then winds through gorgeous coastal forest before returning to end on the dunes.
“Bandon Trails . . . takes its rightful place on the short list of pilgrimages all golfers must make before they die – because odds are golf in Heaven can’t compare.“ – Golf Magazine
A unique Bandon course – most holes wind through coastal forests
Bandon Trails is unique among Bandon Dunes’ courses because it has no holes on the Pacific Ocean coast. The first two and last two holes play through reclaimed sand dunes. Those four holes have a more traditional Scottish links course feel to them. The remaining fourteen holes play through coastal forests. Compared to the other courses at Bandon Dunes, the fairways are more narrow, and landing areas are less forgiving and less generous. I didn’t know any better then, but having played all the courses, I consider Trails the most demanding test of golf. Aside from the starting and finishing holes, it felt less ‘links-like’ than the other course. But it was a visually stunning course in its unique way.
Youtube video – Bandon Trails conditions
Foggy night at the Mill Hotel in North Bend
After our round at Bandon Trails, we headed north along the Pacific coast to North Bend. Our plan was to spend the first night at The Mill Hotel. It’s now (2023) part of a much larger complex called The Mill Casino Hotel and RV Park. I guess that’s an illustration of the power of casino money. We had survived our first round, but we were definitely feeling the hypothermic effects of five hours of golf in 40-degree temperatures and steady, sleety rain. It was an exceptionally foggy night. Our room windows looked as if they had been painted over with neutral gray paint. The fog gave us more worries about the weather. You can’t play golf in that type of fog. Fortunately, the skies had cleared the next morning. It looked like a great day for golf.
Bandon Dunes Golf Day #2 – Pacific Dunes
Not a great day for golf as it turned out – Driving to Pacific Dunes
The sunshine from our early morning at The Mill didn’t last long. The rain started almost as soon as we started the 30-minute drive to Bandon Dunes. And it wasn’t the typical misty, light links-land variety. This was full-on, real rain. In addition, the temperatures in the 40s from the previous day had dropped into the upper 30s. Yikes. When we arrived at Pacific Dunes Chip asked me to walk to the top of a nearby hill and impersonate the Rio de Janeiro ‘Christ the Redeemer’ statue. I’m still not sure why. Either he just liked to watch me suffer walking up the steep hill, or perhaps he thought the ‘sacrifice’ would invoke some spiritual help for our round (it didn’t!). Despite the inclimate weather, we were excited to play Pacific Dunes.
YouTube Video – Conditions driving to Pacific Dunes
An experience as close to the Old Course at St. Andrews as it gets
No other course at Bandon Dunes comes as close to playing a 1000-year-old Scottish links course as Pacific Dunes. As the Bandon website says, “Pacific Dunes doesn’t feel like it was built as much as it was discovered. Rippling fairways remain just as they were found, and natural bunkers line the landscape as they have for centuries.” Pacific Dunes was opened in 2001, the second course at Bandon Dunes. It quickly surpassed Bandon Dunes in world golf course rankings. In 2005 Pacific Dunes was ranked the #1 resort course in the US, just ahead of Pebble Beach. Visually it is stunning – the most scenic of all the Bandon courses. It competes with Bandon Trails as the most challenging of the four courses at Bandon Dunes.
“Numbers are as irrelevant here (Pacific Dunes) as at the Old Course at St. Andrews. It’s just man against course – and weather. And golf really doesn’t get much purer than that.“ – Golf Magazine
10th hole at Pacific Dunes – 3-par, 206 yards
Spectacular course – rough playing conditions
To say that playing conditions were ‘tough’ when we played Pacific Dunes is like saying ghost peppers are ‘hot.’ The words don’t do the reality justice. A short YouTube video below gives you a better idea. Temperatures were in the upper 30s, and the wind was steady at 35 MPH. Some wind gusts had to be over 50 MPH. Rain constantly fell the entire round, and it was cold enough that the rain was ‘thick’ (sleety, with ice in it). At times rain squalls would come that dumped truly spectacular quantities of rain. Yes, tough conditions indeed. The craziest conditions I had ever played in. Only one other round ever exceeded it… Bandon Dunes the next day! Craziest thing… the course was packed, and we were waiting to hit on every shot.
YouTube video – tough playing conditions at Pacific Dunes
Bandon Dunes Golf Day #3 – Bandon Dunes
Lily Pond Lodging – best place to stay on the Bandon Dunes property
We moved into the Lily Pond Lodging for the last three nights of the trip. The Lily Pond has been the favorite spot to stay on the Bandon Dunes grounds since it opened. It’s centrally located within walking distance of McKee’s Pub and the Bandon Dunes and Bandon Trails clubhouses. The rooms are large, with two queen beds, a sitting area, a private deck, and a fireplace. Rates vary by season. In 2023 a night at Lily Pond is $450 from July-September. After November 20th (our visit timing), a night is $210. In 2010 it was the best place to stay. Before golf, we walked over to the McKee’s Pub dining area for breakfast. I had my usual ‘heart healthy’ choices! Everyone at McKee’s is a golfer – ‘golf talk’ surrounds you while you’re eating.
Worse weather forecast for 3rd day of golf – is that even possible?!
In the morning, the news lit up with warnings of a rare winter storm in the area. The Eugene, Oregon Register-Guard newspaper was even more alarming, predicting 2″ of snow in the Bandon area. Temperatures were expected to get down into the 20s overnight. After what we had experienced during our Pacific Dunes round, it didn’t seem the weather could worsen. But it appeared that it was going to! If there was any bright spot, at least we had experience dealing with the weather from our first two rounds. We had proper rain gear and base layers. Today more warm clothes were added. Dad was still feeling some hypothermia effects from the first two days. He wisely decided to sit out the Bandon Dunes round.
‘Wrath of God’ round at Bandon Dunes
I made a fatal mistake at breakfast. As we discussed the forecast for gnarly conditions, I commented that “conditions can’t be any worse than what we had yesterday.” Oops. Reflecting on our round later, I realized that when you’re playing a course as close to heaven-like as Bandon Dunes, God must keep very close tabs on it! Some mere mortal throwing down the weather gauntlet perhaps prompted the ‘Big Guy’ to say, “you want it worse… well, ok then.” Whether it was the wrath of God or the severe winter storms rolling in, the weather was the worst of our trip during our Bandon Dunes round. It was the worst weather I have ever attempted to play a round of golf in. Even colder, wetter, and windier than our Pacific Dunes round.
“Picture a cross between Pebble Beach and Carnoustie – with a pinch of Pine Valley for good measure – and you have Bandon Dunes.“ – Golfweek Magazine
‘Wrath of God’ round at Bandon Dunes
Bandon Dunes was the first course opened on the grounds in 1999. The course sits high on a bluff above the Pacific Ocean. It is entirely exposed to the elements and ever-present ocean winds. Visually it has the classic look of a Scottish links course. Holes 14-17 run along the coastal bluff and are truly spectacular. They reminded me of the best of the best from classics like Pebble Beach and Turnberry. We played Bandon Dunes in biblically ‘challenging’ conditions. Thirty-six degrees, 40 MPH wind, heavy rain, sleet, and ice. It wasn’t so much a game of golf as a survival challenge. A remarkable and telling feature of that day… the course was completely packed! Even in those conditions, we waited to hit every shot.
We didn’t know it then, but it would be the last golf of the trip
Dad had chosen to take the day off. By the end of the round, we all felt we should have joined him! Conditions continued to deteriorate throughout the round as the predicted winter storm came onshore. Despite the miserable playing conditions, we never lost our appreciation for the Bandon Dunes courses. All the courses we had played were among the most beautiful examples of links golf in the world, and we knew it. After the trip, we would return to our local courses in Indiana. As much as possible, we tried to soak it all in. I pulled out the yardage book and compared the marketing photo to our view to lighten the mood. Ouch. We didn’t know it, but Bandon Dunes would be the last golf we played on the trip.
YouTube Video – ‘Wrath of God’ round at Bandon Dunes
Bandon Dunes Golf Day #4 – Old MacDonald
18th hole, Bandon Dunes
“No golf for you”
Remember when I said earlier that golf had NEVER been suspended in the 11-year history of Bandon Dunes?! Well… On our last morning of playing golf, we walked over to the Bandon Dunes clubhouse to see what was happening. Golfers from all the different lodging areas were wandering around aimlessly. It reminded me of an episode of ‘The Walking Dead’ TV show. That’s how we felt too – sort of lost and bewildered. The snow was beautiful, and the weather had cleared out for the most part. But it was cold – 25 degF. The clubhouse immediately broke the bad news. For the first time in its history, no golf would be played at Bandon Dunes that day. “No golf for you!” Since it was our last day, the news was a bit crushing. But there was little we could do.
“The hottest course in America right now (Old MacDonald) – looks like it was lifted, cleaned and placed from the West of Scotland.“ – Golf Digest Magazine
Figuring out what to do
Chip had a great idea as we were brainstorming what to do. “Let’s head over to Old Mac and walk the course.” Hmmm… not a bad idea at all, brother! If we couldn’t play the course at least we could walk it to see all the holes up close. We drove over to Old MacDonald and were immediately told that they weren’t letting anyone on the course. Bummer! They did inform us that the par 3 course, Bandon Preserve, would likely open up in the afternoon. Well, that wasn’t what we had planned but it was at least golf. It turned out we did get on Bandon Preserve in the afternoon but there were so many people on the course that it was an emotional let-down. Only three holes were played before we decided to call it quits.
An epic Bandon Dunes golf trip ends… by shopping!
I hate to admit it, but our trip ended not with some life-changing putt sunk on the 18th hole… but with shopping! Yep, shopping. The par-3 golf hadn’t been satisfying, so we looked for something else. We learned that the Pro Shop was selling all their leftover merchandise from the season. Prices were supposed to be outstanding. If you can’t keep a bunch of disgruntled golfers happy with golf, bribe them! We weren’t the only disenfranchised golfers with the idea of going shopping. The shop was jammed! It was hard to even move around and browse. But the prices were incredible. I bought a $280 Ping bag, with the Bandon Dunes logo, for $75. It wasn’t the ending to the trip we envisioned, but it was still fun to do together.
YouTube video – No Golf For You!
Conclusion – Bandon Dunes Golf 2010
Our Bandon Dunes golf trip differed from the type of trip they put in their marketing material. Those slots are reserved for the beautiful, sunny days in August. But I wouldn’t trade our golf at Bandon for anything. It was unique, to say the least, and exceptional in its way. In many respects, the tough weather conditions added to the links-like atmosphere of the course. It was like a backpacking trip with disappointing weather, like my 2017 Great Smoky Mountain NP hike, where there were no views on a hike known for outstanding views. Those letdowns simply give you a reason to go back. I do plan to go back to play at Bandon Dunes again at some point. Sadly, a return trip won’t be with my Dad and Brother. Knowing that makes the time we spent at Bandon Dunes in November 2010 all the more important to me.
Dad walking to Bandon Dunes Clubhouse – “No Golf for You!”
