Ten ways to make a trip to Bandon Dunes more enjoyable

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The 145-yard par-3 14th hole on the Pacific Dunes Course, deigned by Tom Doak at the Bandon Dunes Golf Resort.

May. 31, 2010
By LINKS Magazine

If you've ever stood on a tee and felt the ocean breeze in your face; if you've ever hit a perfect knockdown into the wind; if you're ever had a pint of Guinness after a day of exhilarating golf, you'll love the Bandon Dunes Resort. Because a day at Bandon is one of most soul-satisfying experiences for a golfer.

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If you're headed there for the first time, here are 10 ways to make your visit even more enjoyable.

1. If you haven't already, read Dream Golf by Stephen Goodwin. It will give you an extra sense of appreciation of what makes Bandon so special, and it will provide an insight into Mike Keiser, the man whose vision made the place possible.

2. Don't keep score. It will distract from the pure joy of playing shots you've never tried before, like that waist-high 5-iron that flies for 75 yards before rolling for 100 more.

3. All the courses are perfect for match play, so forget everything your golf instructor ever told you about playing smart and go for everything.

4. Allow for plenty of roll. More so than anywhere else in the U.S., Bandon's courses were designed to be played along the ground -- perhaps even more so than through the air. Everywhere, there are slopes, humps, bumps and swales that you can use to get the ball to the hole.

5. Leave your lob wedge at home. You won't need it.

6. No matter where you are on the course, when your caddie hands you a putter, use it. You can -- and should -- putt from almost anywhere. It is a much better alternative to chipping or pitching, especially off the tight lies.

7. For lunch, try the restaurant at Pacific Dunes. Order the "burger dogs," like the ones served at the Olympic Club in San Francisco.

8. If you're looking for post-36-hole comfort food, go to McKee's Pub and have the meatloaf or the chicken and dumplings. For steak, go to the Gallery in the Lodge. Also at the Gallery, Bandon's private label pinot noir from a local winery, King Estate, is very, very good.

9. Bandon Trails is the resort's third wheel, primarily because of its inland setting. The views aren't as spectacular as at Bandon and Pacific, but don't be fooled: Trails could be the most complete test of golf among the courses. You'll definitely use every club in the bag.

10. Even if it's not on your itinerary, play Old Macdonald, the resort's fourth layout. Its concept, setting and atmosphere make it unlike any course ever built. For a flavor of what "Old Mac" is all about, stand on the middle of the 8th green, which is 75 yards long and 40 yards wide and is bisected by a swale. Old Mac has the biggest greens of any course in the world, larger than the surfaces of the Old Course at St. Andrews.