The 2nd Holes at Bandon
How does each course follow up its opener?
As noted, I’m doing an exploration of each hole at Bandon Dunes, going through each course. If you want to start at the beginning, go here.
As someone who started playing golf at cheap, public courses, one thing I always noted was the ones that had a par-3 too early in the routing often got backed up and slow way too fast. What is “too early,” naturally, depends on the specific golf course.
I mention this because I find it interesting that Bandon Trails, Bandon Dunes and Old Macdonald (all designed by different architects) all have a par-3 as their second hole. Pacific Dunes and Sheep Ranch both have short par-4’s.
BEST #2 Hole
For me, it’s fairly clear that it’s the par-3 at Bandon Trails. In fact, I think Trails and Pacific Dunes have the best collection of par-3 holes on property. The one at Trails is a delight - nothing like an elevated tee box, with a hidden bunker to the right. There’s SO much room to miss left or short, and the green is huge. But man, I can’t tell you how many tee shots I see drift right towards that cavernous bunker, which from farther back tees is far less obvious.
“WORST” 2nd Hole
I’m truly not here to crap on the original course, Bandon Dunes, but like the opening hole, the 2nd here is not my favorite by a long shot. Its another par-3 that looks short on the scorecard at 155 yards. You’re hitting from an elevated tee box, but the green is ALSO elevated so being short is very, very, very ungood. This photo (courtesy of GOLF.com) doesn’t really show how boned you are if you are short of the green. The reality is, you’re almost certainly rolling into that pot bunker or into the heather, as the grass elsewhere is mowed down to a crewcut. It’s just HARD, which is fine but again, as a start to a round, following up the tough opener with this is less than ideal.
MOST Underrated Hole 2
This is not the other par-3, at Old Macdonald, which is a fun hole but not a truly memorable one. The two short par-4’s are really good stuff, though. The one at Pacific Dunes is for sure harder because you are going straight towards the ocean which means you’re quite often hitting into a massive breeze. For me, in terms of underrated holes, though, it has to be the 2nd at Sheep Ranch. Everyone remembers the tons of oceanside holes, and for good reason. But this one sticks with me because it’s the first time you truly remember that there are no sandtraps on the course. The tee shot doesn’t have to be a beast - though in the right wind and tee, it is drivable for bigger hitters - and will still leave you with a shorter iron to an elevated green - and if you’re short, you can start using that putter to get you where you need to be. (And if you don’t have that wired, it can be one of those shots you sadly get to try again if you aren’t aggressive enough the first time.)
So, if we are counting, here’s where we are so far:
Best Holes: Sheep Ranch (1), Bandon Trails (1)
Worst Holes: Bandon Dunes (2)
Most Underrated Holes: Sheep Ranch (1), Bandon Trails (1)
Greebs - I'm here to stand up for #2 at Bandon.
While it lacks some of the coastal beauty of others, I find it to a great three, and one of the most fun on property.
I think the problem is that too often people try to play it straight on.
Let's talk about common pin locations.
- Most commonly, the pin is on the back tier, often on the right. When the pin is back there, the play is is to take an extra half club. This hole has one of the best backboards on property, and most balls hit hard up the right will funnel nicely back onto the correct tier. On top of this, because you're aiming long, a poorly hit ball might still make the green, rather then catching the slope at the front.
- Another common pin is front(ish) left/middle. Again, you've got a slope on the left side of the green waiting to be used to funnel a ball in.
*note - this takes the perspective of the green or black tees. But the logic still applies from the forward tees, super fun shots that can similarly make use of slopes.
Relatedly, with 6, 12, and 15 Bandon can't be left out of the sentence of best 3s on property!