Bandon Trails – BANDON DUNES GOLF RESORT – BANDON, OREGON
Bandon Trails, a Bill Coore/Ben Crenshaw design just might be the most unique course at Bandon Dunes. Sure, all four courses at Bandon Dunes are World Class, but Trails is different than the others. From starting among the tall grass dunes, to winding through wooded forests, with massive elevation changes, a few lookouts that are breathtaking, Trails has it all.
Bandon Trails has challenging contrasts throughout the course. It has two reachable par 4s, yet a massive uphill all-the-way par 5. For par 3s, there is a four story downhill par 3, where a wedge will go a mile, but then there is a 215 yd. par 3, where you need to hit a mile. It has unique characteristics, such as after you finish hole #13, an employee is there to greet you and take your group by supersize golf cart uphill to the next tee. The course has beautiful streams that run along fairways, massive tree lined holes and a finishing green that will have your knees buckle if you are unfortunate to have a downhill putt, as it could easily go 25 feet past the hole. Sound challenging, fun and special?…you bet!
CLUBHOUSE:
A first impression always sets the tone, and the clubhouse at Bandon Trails is terrific. It’s a modern/contemporary clubhouse. The restaurant dedicated to the course is called “Trails End”. Inside, the kitchen is open to the restaurant with terrific scenery as you eat. There is a cool vibe outdoors, with multiple levels/areas of well-appointed patio furniture adorned with glass walls to protect from windy conditions. There are also fire pits to keep you warm on chilly mornings/evenings (is there anything this resort hasn’t thought of?). To the left of the restaurant is the pro shop. It’s not large, but it does have an excellent selection of all the essentials you could want, including some you certainly don’t need such as $250 hand sewn driver covers. (See pictures of clubhouse below)
World Class Golf Accompanied by world class amenities
GOLF COURSE
Hole#1: To kick things off, the opening hole has a blind tee shot through the tallgrass. If you hit the fairway, you are rewarded with an easy approach. Miss the tee shot, and bogey+ is calling your name.
Hole#2: A par 3 that descends about 4 stories to the green. The distance was about 165 yards from the green tees. This normally would be a strong 7 iron for me, but I hit an easy 9 iron, watched it sail in the air for seemingly forever to 15 feet from the pin….ahh, starting to like this course a lot more.
Hole#3: An open par 5 with sand traps all along the fairway. In the distance you start to see the heavy forest that will eventually bring a new charm to the course. It’s a nice stroll as you navigate the natural contours of the fairway. On this hole, my caddy was telling stories of some of the famous people that he had met at Bandon. With the NBA Finals just completed, my caddy shared how Seth Curry shot a 73 on the course…incredible.
Hole#5: An interesting and short par 3, that might as well be an island as there is trouble in front, behind and on the sides. At this time, you really feel all alone on the course without a house or other fairway in sight…very tranquil. (See picture below)
Hole#5: An interesting and short par 3
Hole#8: A reachable par 4 as it plays 299 from the Green tees (remember that the ball rolls forever on these firm fairways). I chose to play it safe with an easy three wood that left me with just 70 yard to go (what was I thinking? I should have gone for it….I didn’t come to Bandon to lay up)
Hole#11: A gorgeous hole that has a gentle dogleg to the right. You start off with a drive that is uphill and bunkers along the right. Do you try to cut the distance by going over the bunkers, or play it safe to the left, leaving a longer approach? I chose to go over the bunkers and was successful. With tall pines in front of you as a backdrop to the green, the approach seems open except for the creek running along the right side of the fairway. The creek goes up through the green and is so pretty to see…don’t putt it too long!
Hole#12: A 220+ yd par 3! You heard it right. It’s grip it and rip it. I chose a 3 wood and with a healthy roll, placed it within 15 feet from the pin. This hole wasn’t as kind to the rest of the foursome, and I heard many moans and groans about its length and high handicap….plenty of “how can a 200+ yd. par 3 be the 18th handicap?” I don’t know but I got par :).
Hole#14: One of the signature holes, starts with boarding a personalized golf cart driven by a Bandon Dunes employee waiting to take you up the hill. (This was put in, due to the unfortunate story of a single golfer playing, having a heart attack while walking up the steep hill and not being found until the next day). The tee box has majestic views and at just 292yds downhill, is reachable in 1. Note, this is not an easy hole…don’t let it fool you. The green can be treacherous as it’s narrow and has zero forgiveness on each side.
Hole#14: One of the signature holes and home of heart attack hill; Thanks to our Friends at Oxford for making sure we looked so good!
Hole#16: Bring your big stick! This will test the longest golfers. A 500 yd. against the prevailing wind uphill the entire way. I hit four good long shots and was still short. The 30 mph win in the face didn’t help. A memorable hole for sure!
Hole#18: This finishing hole will test your mental game. The drive is not the challenging part of the hole, it’s the approach and green that will get you. There is prevailing wind uphill into the green. I took 3 extra clubs, and was pin high. There was just a 10 foot side hill putt remaining…no problem right? One of my buddies had a 15 foot downhill putt first. He hit it moderately, and the wind/elevation took his putt 25 feet past the hole…yes 25 feet. I then babied my putt to within 3 feet. I can’t remember ever standing over a 3 foot putt, knowing if I tap it just a little too hard, I could miss by 25 feet. Thankfully, I made the putt and finished with a smile on my face.
Bandon Trails Course Rating: 4.5 / 5 Stars
If you want to stare at the ocean on 16 out of 18 holes, play the other stunning courses at Bandon Dunes. If you want to be tested with a layout that makes you hit every club in your bag, takes you from open grass lands to tree lined forests, uphill and downhill approaches/tee shots and nature all around, go play Bandon Trails. In my opinion, this is the most unique course at the resort.
Special thanks to Oxford
During our trip to Bandon Dunes, Oxford supplied our team with apparel. Thanks to the crazy weather along the Oregon coast we had a chance to wear everything from shorts and short sleeves to pants and outerwear. On a once in a lifetime trip, our apparel from Oxford was the cherry on the top. Not only did we have a breathtaking experience we looked amazing while doing it! Please visit Oxford to check out the latest in high-performance golf apparel, and dress like a Golf Aficionado!