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.