Big resorts, short munis and a competitive dream
On what turned out to be a perfect day at Bandon Dunes Golf Resort in Oregon, the second green of Bandon Trails is covered in hail as the authors line up their birdie putts. (Jason Rusk/Golf Week)
In April, I attended the 2022 US Junior Amateur Media Day at Bandon Dunes Golf Resort in Oregon. Traveling west included perks. It’s a round of golf with then-defending champion Nick Dunlap on the resort’s Bandung trail layout.
Bandon Dunes is America’s golf mecca and a must-see for anyone who loves the game. Each of her five full-size 18s at the resort rank among the best modern public access courses in the United States. Pacific Dunes and several other courses also rank slightly higher than trails on Golfweek’s best-of lists. The layout is preferred by many, especially among advanced players.
Something clicked that day for me, a short hitting scratch golfer. For some reason, I hit 80 more often than 70. I didn’t want the day to end.
I tried to convince the rest of the group to continue, but after soup at the Trail Clubhouse, no one wanted to join me at the Pacific Dunes for the bad weather bonus round. I did it alone as there were very few other groups on the course as it started in the very low 40s and went all the way down to subzero.
Usually I follow 18s dog and great rounds. Not that day. Back at Pacific Dunes he hit an even par 71 off the tee, one on the leeward par 4 (6th) and two on the par five he hit two on. This is a rarity these days. I had no observers and no one to sign my card. But his three hours at Pack Dunes were as close to perfection as I could have imagined. When darkness fell on the 18thth Green, I recorded a short video for my wife and told her to come home the next day and not worry if the plane crashed and that anything would be okay after the best day of golf of her life. rice field. .
I used just one ball all day. I travel a fair amount, but I can’t store a lot of memorabilia because I pile up memorabilia from every course I’ve played deep inside his home office. But the Bandon Trails and Pacific Dunes balls have earned a place of honor among all my memorabilia.