Bandon Trails, Bandon Oregon
Waking up and getting a bagel with coffee at 7am in Bandon Oregon before this round felt like home. The small town of Bandon has an awesome feel to it with multiple local seafood spots as well as a couple bars and stores. The morning before this round my dad and I stopped downtown on our way to play the gorgeous Bandon Trails. I wasn’t expecting what I saw when playing the first 3 holes of this golf course. The first hole is a linksy funnel. All you have to do is stay on the right side of the fairway which gives you have an easy sub 90 yard shot into a fairly large, but quick green. This might have been my favorite hole on the course but that could just be because I put my ball exactly where I wanted to. The second hole is an amazing par 3 that’s downhill about 50-60 feet onto a large green. These first two holes weren’t much different when playing Pacific Dunes the day before. When arriving at the 3rd hole the stage was set for the rest of the round. Large open fairways with bunkers layering as far as the eye can see. Playing this course wasn't what I expected coming into the round, but it was more than enjoyable. The greens at Bandon Trails were tough because there were many false fronts that wouldn't come close to holding a ball. The many par 3’s on this course were all unique whether it was the 220 yard par 3 12th, where I missed a birdie putt on, or the 17th that had such an organic layout and ate my ball that was missed right of the green side bunkers. This course was unbelievable and is a must play when making the trip to Bandon.