Bandon Dunes Trip

by Jim Mancill, PGA Head Professional, Port Ludlow GC

Old Macdonald Golf Course

Bandon Dunes in mid-December on the south Oregon coast. That’s where our group of eleven golfers from the Port Ludlow Golf Course headed for an epic golf getaway to the Bandon Dunes Resort.

(L to R) Jeff Forville, Roger Haskin, Mark Shafer, Bob Murphy, Linda Haskin, Alan Wolf at Shorty’s

A trip to Bandon would not be complete without a mix of sunshine, a little sideways rain, and, of course, 30 mph winds to make things interesting. We got them all. The group played the fantastic 19-hole short course called Shorty’s (designed by Rod Whitman, Dave Axland & Keith Cutten, 2024) on day one, followed by Bandon Dunes (designed by David McLay-Kidd, 1999), Pacific Dunes (designed by Tom Doak, 2001) and finishing up at Old Macdonald (designed by Tom Doak & Jim Urbina, 2010).

(L to R) Jeff Forville, Jim Mancill, Bob Murphy, Erik Leonard at Bandon Dunes 1^st Tee

As with any trip to the Oregon coast in December, weather was the most challenging thing to plan for. In the weeks ahead, our forecast continued to look bleak in terms of “good” golf weather, but it didn’t dampen the spirits of the group as we headed down to gather for four days of

epic golf.

No escape for Roger Haskin

Punchbowl putting course

There is nothing more exciting or challenging as playing golf on true links golf courses, and the opportunities to try new and different shot making. For those of you who have not had the opportunity to make the trip down the coast to play Bandon, I hope you do as it is truly an experience that every golfer should have. And for the those of you who have, and most definitely the ones who have been multiple times, I am sure that each visit is special and provides memories for a lifetime. One of the great pleasures of playing golf is the time we spend with others and sharing the enjoyment of the journey each and every round. Our Bandon adventure was even better, as we spent our four days playing golf, enjoying good food, and reliving the rounds with our stories of the day.

It is a pleasure to share a few of our photos from the trip and hope that we will be able to bring you more from future golf adventures! See you on the trails!