So, I spent the last 4 days of February golfing at Bandon Dunes Resort. For those who haven't heard of it, just google "Bandon Dunes" and you'll find all sorts of information. Here is my first hand report.

In a nutshell, if you are golf nut and are considering a golf vacation, go to Bandon. It's top notch in every category. The courses (three at current count) are all top notch, the staff is very friendly, the service is excellent, the scenery is fantastic. Call it Scotland on the Pacific North West.

Of the 54 holes, there are maybe 3 or 4 total that aren't very, very good. I was especially impressed by the quality of the par 3s. A good mix of short and long, each of them offering high risk, high reward options, as well as safety zones. The bunkering of the courses was very good. Fairway bunkers were strategically placed to make you think about where to hit it, and the greenside bunkers are truly hazards to be avoided. The greens are generally quite large, with varying degrees of contouring.

The par 4s and 5s also forced you to think off the tee. Hitting the fairway is relatively easy, unless you were a total spaz like I was when we played, but being in the wrong part of the fairway puts a lot of pressure on your next shot. Of course, being in the fairway is much better than being in the gorse (nasty stuff) or in the Pacific Ocean.

Another great thing about Bandon is their no carts policy. When was the last time you played three courses and never encountered a cart path?

About the only negative with Bandon is the weather can be iffy. Of the 4 days we were there, we had two days of high 50's F with no rain, one day of high 50s with rain, and one day of nasty British Open weather (high of 48, pouring rain, and windy). The amazing thing is that on the bad weather day, the course was full, and we played in under 4.5 hours. You've never seen as much Gore-Tex in one place as Bandon.

Oh, and I almost forgot the practice facility. They have two back to back driving ranges, one of which was closed while we were there, each capable of holding probably 75 golfers. They also had the biggest putting green I have every seen. At least 4 times the size of the Loch March green. And chipping and pitching areas.

Pictures of the extravaganza can be seen at the following URL. Note the mix of spectacular vistas, horrible lies, and nasty bunkers. And smiling golfers. I'd go back in a second.

http://photobucket.com/albums/a172/J...006/?start=all

Blurry pictures are from the digital camera being in a ziploc bag due to rain.

Truly the way to build a golf resort. I can't wait to see the next course. They have apparently started planning it already and according to the shuttle driver they have room for five.