Bandon Dunes: Where Golf Is Exactly What It Should Be (Part 2)

After beginning my day with the nine holes that comprise Bandon Dunes' front side, I would be remiss if I didnt note that I fully expected a bit of a letdown as the day wore on. Following a relatively benign tee shot splitting the array of bunkers that dot the 10th fairway, I faced a blind short iron approach that immediately put those thoughts of disappointment to rest.

Players who opt for the longer approach from the left side of the 10th fairway are given a view of the otherwise blind putting surface

The 10th hole at Bandon Dunes is as overlooked a hole as there is at the resort. Built on some of the flatter and more inland land on the golf course, the opening stanza of the second nine has all of the design features that make this golf course so fun to play.

A set of mounds and a fairway bunker push the fairway out left near the landing area, forcing players to decide off the tee whether to test those hazards in order to gain a shorter approach or to instead opt for the left side and a lengthier second shot. Tee shots that do successfully navigate the bunkering are afforded a wedge shot into the elevated putting surface, but are left with that shot being played blindly as additional mounded obscures any look at the flagstick from the right hand side of the fairway.

The sheer diversity of options both off the tee and on the approach make the 10th hole one of the most interesting designs on the Bandon property.

After getting the second nine off to a strategically interesting start, Kidd brings players toward the sea starting with the uphill par-4 11th. Playing into the summer wind, the mid-length two-shotter requires a well struck tee shot followed by an equally deft approach to a green framed by deep bunkers on the front right and a fairly large dune on the left side. The multi-tiered green requires perfect club selection in order to obtain a good shot at three, with any shots hit to the wrong portion of the putting surface leaving three-putt a distinct possibility.

The tee shot at the par-4 11th begins the second nine's trek back to sea

As disappointing as the par-3 15th was, the back side's other seaside par-3 is both strategically and visually breathtaking. Again using the Pacific as a scenic backdrop, the hole requires a well struck long iron to a green fit perfectly between a steep dune on the right and bunker front left that attracts any shot played too close to the stark right-to-left slope that makes up a majority of the putting surface.

Essentially a one-shot version of the road hole (with a steep dropoff to a tiny collection area-the "road"- in the back just prior to reaching the ocean cliff), the 12th hole is the best par-3 at Bandon Dunes and one of the best at the resort. Best played with a hole location on the lefthand side, the hole requires a shot cut back into the slope in order to hold the green while avoiding its multitude of hazards. Par is a well earned score on this breathtaking golf hole.

With the ocean again as a backdrop, the 12th requires a deftly played long iron fit between
bunkers left, dunes right, and a sharp falloff just a few yards beyond the flagstick

 After briefly reaching the cliff on 12, Bandon Dunes returns a bit inland as players climb up to the elevated 13th tee box. Although the fairway is spread out seemingly for miles, the tee shot is deceptively tight, with mounds again serving to require a certain angle of attack to avoid a second shot that is both blind and played from an uneven lie.

Once in the massive fairway, players must decide where to place their second shots in order to attack the built up green. The course's sole wetlands comes into play on the left side, making a shot left of center riskier in return for offering a better angle to the putting surface, which is guarded on the front right by a steep shelf.

Players opting to avoid the wetland can play as far right as they wish but must then navigate that ridge, often with a delicate bump and run being the only option on a true links golf hole.

The elevated tee provides a clear view of the par-5 13th

Reachable in two shots for those with a long drive, the 13th green is guarded by a
steep shelf on the front right

The 14th again starts to bring players back toward the seaside. After navigating around a group of fairway bunkers, the approach is played from a relatively short distance to a green framed by a massive dune in back and a deep bunker in front and to the right. The wide green is generally easy to hit but swirling winds can easily blow an approach enough off line to leave a putt that is difficult to judge and fairly easy to leave well away from the hole.

Again using the ocean as a backdrop, the 15th is one of the more disappointing holes at Bandon Dunes. Though the fog admittedly took a bit of the flair out of the hole when I played it, I was expecting a lot more. While the dune left and sharp drop right certainly make the hole challenging, there is none of the strategic intrigue of the 12th or even of the 6th. 15 requires one shot and one shot only: straight at the hole. The narrow green repels any shot straying a bit off line and the recovery is a bit monotonous, with nothing but a flat green awaiting players when they finally reach the putting surface.

The tee shot on the short par-4 16th is one of the more interesting and scenic shots in golf

But for all the disappointment of 15, the 16th hole at Bandon Dunes immediately makes amends. Played with the ocean on its immediate right side, the reachable 16th features a fairway split diagonally by a sharp ridge moving from left to right. Players looking to hit the broadly sloping green surface must take on that ridge and carry across some 250 yards, risking a blind approach from an uneven and possibly impossible lie as punishment for not making that distance.

Those tee shots that instead follow the left side are faced with a straight shot to a green framed by the ocean cliff along the right and back sides, with a deep pot bunker penalizing any approach missing left of the hole location and catching the slope design specifically for players lacking the courage to take on the cliffs.

Certainly controversial, the 16th at Bandon Dunes is one of the great short par-4's in the game of golf.

Playing left of the fairway bunkers on 17 provides players with a surprisingly good angle
of approach into the green

 Strategically, I had as much fun on the 17th as I did on any hole at the resort. Framed by a ravine down the right side that cuts into the fairway near the landing area (a la 8 at Pebble Beach), the mid-length par-4 provides options galore both off the tee and on the approach.

Tee shots that take on the ravine utilize a slope that carries the ball down to an even lie and a short approach, risking a lost ball in the process. On the other hand, those who shy away from the hazard must contend with a set of deep fairway bunkers lining the left side ready to catch tee balls lacking in sufficient courage and solid execution. Even a well executed shot down the left leaves the less courageous player with a longer approach over the ravine to the two-tiered surface.

BUT, there is a third option which I was able to discover on this penultimate hole. Needing to finish +1 on the final two holes to break 80, the last thing I wanted to do was to find the ravine. With a block being my primary miss, 17 was a nightmare as it appeared to me off the tee.

Surveying what lie in front of me, I noticed that there was little rough left of the fairway bunkers to deter a shot played out toward the distant 14th fairway. Figuring I couldnt go wrong with that play, I aimed at a mechanical box out in the rough and found myself left of the left bunkers.

Reaching my tee shot, I immediately realized I had uncovered one of Kidd's hidden tricks. Left of left on the 17th left perhaps the best angle of attack into the green, the ravine no longer preventing a shot from landing short and running up onto the putting surface.

Although the rough forced a run-up shot, this option was perhaps better than even the best case alternative, with the wind behind and from the left making a run-up the prescribed means of attack. Even with a slight push of my 6 iron approach shot, I found myself just 20 feet from the middle pin location, an easy two putt finishing out one of the more satisfying pars in my life as a golfer.

Looking back down the 17th fairway toward the seaside tee box

While I reached the 18th tee very happy to have successfully navigated the ravine on 17, my battle with the deadly hazard was not yet complete. Needing to just avoid the right side on my way to the imposing lodge behind the par-5 finishing hole, I found myself gravitating toward it as I played my final tee shot. A fairway bunker and gorse bush left of the massive fairway encourage a more courageous shot down the right side, challenging death by ravine.

Fortunately, my blocked tee ball wound up one foot from the edge of the hazard. Had I been left-handed, breaking 80 might have been suddenly made a difficult task but thankfully I found myself with an open angle from which to put the ball back in position for attacking the final green.

After crossing a set of fairway bunkers right and reaching the second landing area, I was again faced with a knockdown middle iron to a green sweeping from left-to-right with the prevailing wind. One more solid approach left a benign 30 footer and two putts later, I had my 78.

The lodge provides a good aiming point for navigating the par-5 18th

In no small part thanks to that score, I was eager to get back out on the course after a round that was as enjoyable as any I have ever had. Unfortunately, I had to wait a few hours for that chance, with the next tee time not coming until later in the afternoon at Pacific Dunes. But at Bandon, even lunch overlooking the links is a pleasant experience and personally, I was in no position to complain.

Bandon Dunes: Where Golf Is Exactly What It Should Be (Part 1)

Even after spending just 30 or so hours at Bandon Dunes Golf Resort, I am a full-fledged convert. Though the resort in the middle of nowhere (Eugene is the nearest "city", a full 3 hours away) has racked up just about every accolade possible in its 14 years of existence, what makes Bandon special is the feeling it seems to leave with each and every golfer fortunate enough to grace its fairways, a feeling that is hard to describe but might just make Bandon the golf equivalent of Mecca and the resort the game's Kaaba.

In my first of hopefully many pilgrimages to this holy site on the Oregon Coast, there was only time to take in the first two tracks, Bandon Dunes and Pacific Dunes, in addition to a late afternoon run around the recently opened 13-hole par-3 Bandon Preserve. Though a tee time gap prevented me from taking better advantage of the resort's famed "play two and the third of the day is free" deal, a costless round on the Preserve was more than worth it after a long battle against the elements on the big tracks.

I have way too much to say about this place to confine it to just a single post. Rather than cut thoughts short, I am going to start out with just the front nine on Bandon Dunes in this post.

Sunrise over the 18th green as I get in a few putts before my 7:20 tee time 

Early morning is no doubt the best time to play Bandon Dunes. Although I guess it is probably the best time to play any of the four courses at Bandon so in that case its a darn tough choice. But teeing off into the rising sun beside the Lodge was the perfect setting to begin a day out on the links at Bandon Dunes.

The 1st fairway provides plenty of room to get off to a good start

The 1st hole is a perfect introduction to what golf is all about at Bandon Dunes. Flanked to the right by the Lodge, proshop, and neighboring McKee's Pub, the fairway provides plenty of room to get the round going on a good note. Tee shots must stay left of the ridge separating the course from the "village" (not a difficult task), with the best angle coming from a tee shot played straight at the fairway bunker and utilizing the left-to-right slope.

The elevated 1st green is tough to hold and a great preview of things to come

After a relatively benign tee shot, the fun begins. The first green, many times accessible only by way of a long iron approach, is elevated above a massive swale, with collection areas ready to gobble up shots that stray too far to the right or fail to climb up to the medium sized putting surface.

But the approach shot at the first can also serve as a preview of what is to come at the 2nd. Previously played from a tee box behind the 1st green, the first par-3 at Bandon Dunes has undergone a 45 degree rotation since its opening, now leaving players with a tee shot that must cross the deep ravine to a putting surface lying atop a stark ridge and protected by a sharp falloff on the right side that collects any shot struck less than perfectly to a righthand pin location.

The long par-3 2nd hole made even more difficult by the blinding early morning sun

 The trek to the coast begins as players reach the top of the dune and the 3rd tee box. A definite scoring opportunity, the third requires a tee shot that stays left of the bunkers and gorse on the right side and at the same time close enough to those hazards to leave an open angle to the elevated green. Tee shots that stray too far from the right hand side make the hole a definite three-shotter, with the massive bunker short left ready to gobble up any ill-conceived attempts at reaching the green in two.

The elevated tee shot on the par-5 3rd must avoid the gorse to the right 

While the 3rd green is just a couple hundred yards from the sea, it is the 4th hole that truly complete the walk to the beach. After a blind tee shot that reveals no secrets, the hole opens up to the most spectacular vista on the property. Tee shots that avoid bunkers left and gorse right leave players with a mid-iron approach to a green that is bordered by mounding on both sides, a series of small bunkers on the left (with the mounding serving to feed balls toward said bunkers), and of course, a backdrop of pure Pacific Ocean unparalleled in the game of golf.

The tee shot on the par-4 4th hole is blind, leaving no hint of the challenge to come

After reaching their tee shots, players are faced with this approach to the 4th green.
Doesn't get any better 

Though the 4th takes the cake when it comes to scenery, the par-4 fifth is arguably the best two-shot hole on the entire property. With a fairway tucked between the ocean cliff and a steep sand dune serving simply as the prelude to a dune-enclosed green complex, the 5th is one of those holes that cannot help but come up in each and every 19th hole conversation back in the lodge. Natural green sites are what make Bandon the mecca that it is and the 5th at Bandon Dunes is about as natural as it gets.

Tee shots on the par-4 5th must shoot the gap between the cliff left and sand dune right

Looking back at the 4th green from the oceanside tee box on the 5th

The 5th green is perfectly set between the competing sand dunes,
with a massive bunker carved out on the right side

 The first of three oceanside par-3's at Bandon Dunes, the 6th hole is very much a love it or hate it design. With the ocean again providing backdrop, the mid-length par-3 features a green that falls off on every side, to a collection area short and right and to clifftop gorse both left and long. Shots that do manage to find the putting surface are rewarded with many a flat putt (rare at Bandon Dunes), but the great majority that miss leave no easy means of recovery.

There isnt much room to land the ball on the breathtaking par-3 6th green

Marking the northernmost spot on the course, the 6th green gives players a glimpse of the
10th and 11th holes at Pacific Dunes

 After a relatively non-descript par-4 7th, non-descript other than an elevated green fronted by one of the sharpest ridges on the course, the par-4 8th heads back off the ridge and toward the water. Starting from an elevated tee box, the shortish par-4 puts Kidd's Scottish heritage on display both in the style of bunkering and in the use of fairway for strategic means. Bunkering short of the green makes the left side of the fairway (the most accessible portion of that fairway) a difficult spot from which to approach the guarded and tiered putting surface.

A design straight out of the Scottish highlands, the 8th heads briefly toward the water as
the trek back to the clubhouse begins

 Completing the brief trek back to the lodge, the par-5 9th sweeps from left to right around a set of four bunkers that split the fairway near the landing area and another duo closer to the destination of layup shots. Players who successfully avoid those obstacles must choose their approach club wisely as the long green puts club selection at a premium and penalizes mistakes with a series of ridges that make long putts almost impossible to stop dead.

Returning to the clubhouse, the long and narrow green at the par-5 9th puts club
selection at a premium

The opening stanza of my Bandon experience was enough in itself to keep me wanting much much more. Take away the rest of the day and I'd be sold on the concept of this resort on the Oregon coast. Sold on its simplicity, its authenticity, and its devotion to keeping golf what it should always be: fun.