No Laying Up - Golf Podcast - NLU Podcast, Episode 137: Bandon Dunes (Part II)

Episode Date: May 2, 2018

In Part II of our Bandon Dunes recap, we break down Bandon Trails and Old MacDonald. Additionally, we divvy up how we would break out 10 rounds between the four Bandon courses, what our favorite... The post NLU Podcast, Episode 137: Bandon Dunes (Part II) appeared first on No Laying Up. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

I'm going to be the right club today. Yeah. That is better than most. How about him? That is better than most. Better than most! All right guys welcome back to part two of our wrap up of our trip to band and dunes. If you missed part one We talked about band and dunes the golf course and Pacific dunes as well as the overall atmosphere at the resort and what that experience is like this episode We're gonna talk about band and trails and Old McDonald as well as breakdown how we would divide up 10 rounds if we had to

choose how we would divide them amongst the four courses. Our favorite holes, our favorite stretches and our lasting memories from our visit out west. So back to our regularly scheduled programming next week should be a really fun one coming on Monday, but until then enjoy our wrap up from Bannon dudes. Bannon Trails. I didn't, I never played this one. I didn't play it five years ago. DJ had seen it before. I core Krenshaw course, and it was the third course built. What did, when I say Bannon Trails, what's the first thing you guys think of? Just the walk, I think, for me, is like, I mean,

it's very obvious why it was named what it is. I mean, the whole thing just feels like a giant nature walk. Yeah. The walks between holes are very intentionally, I don't know, it feels like there were some longer walks between holes, but you don't mind because, you know, it's just like a beautiful, it's literally a trail.

Like it's a small trail. I'm not just saying it with trail. I'm not saying it with trail. We saw a snake on one of the trails we saw. Quite venomous we saw. We saw turkeys. But no, it's a completely different setting. You're back away from the ocean.

You can kind of hear it from that first hole, but you get back into the woods. I was worried about it being a bit constraining, but it somehow maintains like really great width despite weaving through an entire forest. Yeah, I think I'm writing up a piece on it now, and I think where I settled on it is, I think band and trails is the best course on property,

but I don't think it's my favorite. And the reason I can say that, which I know this is very stupid, like I'm very self-effacing about how dumb this is, but you just can't replicate like how you feel hitting shots around the ocean and how you feel with views. And like, it's just a victim of the fact

that it's not on the ocean. And it's almost more of a testament to Corn Crenshaw, I think that they can do something like that that stands up against, you know, the biggest natural benefit you can possibly have in designing a golf course. And they still build something that people say is their favorite. And I don't know, it just absolutely,

completely blew me away. And I really, like, kind of hated it the first time I played it. And I don't know why that is. I guess I just wasn't, I don't know, it just absolutely completely blew me away. And I really hated it the first time I played it. And I don't know why that is, I guess I just wasn't, I don't know, I wasn't thinking about it the right way and I didn't like that my ball kept getting ejected because I kept hitting it at the pin and all these things. And it's like all the reasons that I didn't like it were kind of what made it great.

And this time around we played it twice. And I mean, it was two of the most enjoyable rounds you could possibly have. And it was just awesome. Just there's so much substance there. Yeah. And it's just, it's so subtle. That's what the thing that is so cool, like it's really easy to roll your eyes

when you hear people talk about golf course design is like works of art. But that's literally how I feel when I play the corn crunch shot courses. That you don't, the 20th time you go around, you're noticing things that you've never noticed before and that completely changed the golf hole. And all those things, I mean, it's just,

it's, I'm rambling, obviously, but it's just, it's so, so, so good. But it, to me, it was kind of the way a lot of the holes were just set. You just look at it, you haven't played it yet, but you're like, oh, this is a cool hole. Just look at this. There's nothing that unique about it.

If I described the seventh hole that goes up the hill, it's not that crazy of a hole, but man, it's the way it sits between those trees, and you turn to the drivable eighth hole with they kind of banks to the left, and that just the way those holes sit is just how I pictured a beautiful golf hole that I want to play in my mind. Like at certain points, I felt like I was in Colorado. At certain points, I felt like a beautiful golf hole that I wanna play in my mind.

Like at certain points, I felt like I was in Colorado. At certain points, I felt like I was in New Jersey and Texas and Belgium. Yeah, I was in Australia. There's so much variety. I was gonna say, yeah, I felt like, gosh, you could be in North Carolina for stretches. Yeah, up in the mountains.

You could be in Northern Michigan and stretches. So a couple of things for me, I think one, it was the most penal for me. I certainly tested the limits of the width a little bit. You had a lot of Friday eggs. Some Fridays. And two, I think some of the places you can miss are like just tantalizing enough to try to hit a recovery shot. That man, I took like three or four swings in the ball didn't really move It's like well there goes that whole So it just was I feel like we played it twice and I felt like man

I didn't I felt like I didn't really hit it that well But maybe I was kind of hitting it the same as as other parts, but, but I was getting punished more on the trails. I think it's different than the other three, and I think that it's great that it's different than the other three. It works because it's different. And it's not my favorite there, but I love that it is there. I think it's the way I would kind of sum it up. And like I said, I can totally see how somebody arrives at that. And there might be a day where I'm sick of getting beat up by the wind and hearing the ocean. Like you just want to casual,

I remember the serenity of it, right? That morning that we played, it was a bit cool, a bit foggy and it was just, you didn't really see a lot of other people out there. I think Band-In and Pacific get a lot more play than both McDonald and Trails do. I think it is a million percent essential that you play trails if you're out there. You can't skip it.

And I've heard people say, my dad played it several years ago and he's like, oh, yeah, you don't need to play trails. And I went and played it. I was like, that was a bad take, dad. That was not great. So they're struggling with the greens a little bit on it because it's got like the pose crept in and all that. And I think playing it in the morning is probably better than playing in the afternoon, especially because it just gets a little hot up there too. Like you're not next to the ocean,

you don't get as much of a breeze up there. But I think going out there, it's a little bit foggy first thing in the morning, like that was, I think serene and tranquil. Like you were saying, Salah, it was like the most, and some of the best views on property too, from... Yeah, it's kind of cool how when you're set back,

you can kind of see the actual scale of, you know, all the other courses. And then, you know, people had, before we had played it, we had heard some, like mumblings about the condition of the greens. I thought they actually played much better than some people had made it out to be there, but it was... It was bumpy in the afternoon. It was bumpy actually played much better than some people had made it out to be there. But it was bumpy.

It was bumpy. It wasn't extremely pure. But I mean, when you get down to it, it's like so much of the fun, honestly comes from approaching these holes and coming into them. That's what I take away from it way more than, you know, all the three puts we had.

But we talk about the 14th hole. It's time to address it. I'm going to throw out the flag. Challenge flag? I think 14 stinks. I know it's a controversial hole. It's time to address it. I'm gonna throw it, I'm gonna throw it with a flag. Challenge flag? I think 14 stinks. I know it's a controversial hole. I was prepared to come into it and be like, no, everyone just, you know, like they're just,

just mag because they got ejected on it. It's probably totally fair. I thought 14 was, I really, what we call. Kind of came in trying to like it. Yeah. All right, it's controversial. It's polarizing like all that. And like I just, I had a really good round going there.

The first time I'm like, didn't really hit a bad shot and made a bogey, which fine, there needs to be, like a short part four should be difficult, right? It should be a hard birdy, easy par, I think. But there's just no option. If you're not going at the green, there's zero option. To lay it back to a certain number.

Like, there needs to be more of a shelf on the left at some sort of yardage and you should have to hit a great shot to get it up there, but that should at least be an option. I agree. I was coming in trying to really, really, really like it, just for contrarian purposes probably. Then Salim Randy both made birdies. I'm like, I see this is not that hard. Yeah, I really not that hard of a shot. I was a big deal.

I mean, it's like a triple. Yeah, I really not that hard. I was a big deal. I mean, it's like a triple. But yeah, I agree with you guys. It's just, it sends every 15 handicap to play from the same spot short right of it. And it's a shot that like I don't, I don't have that shot. And like, I hit one of the many shots I hit at the whole trip. Yeah. And landed at the exact spot I wanted to.

And you guys were up on the green and you're like, yeah, that didn't even come close. It's happened. Yeah. Tabletop green. I think they're, you know, they, I squid said that they had, you know, lowered their mess with the green three different times and it's still, I think that, I don't know, you got to introduce some option off the tee, like you said, Tron, you got to give somebody,

if there's a benefit towards like playing up the left side and having a 60 yard pitch into it, to a little peak. Yeah, give somebody a place to land it. And even like if you miss the green left, if you can flatten out the green a little bit so the left side stays even like around even with the green surface, then you're not doing the ping pong back and forth of pitching over the green to the right and then coming back to the left. Like it's just there's no way to come into it once you tee off.

I think it's it's kind of a cool chance to teach golf course architecture and the risk reward type stuff can be hard to grasp, probably, for a lot of middle-to-high handicappers. It could be a cool example to open people's eyes where it's like, oh shoot, I could have taken this. If you level off that shelf and then you have a better angle at the green and all that stuff too where you can actually hit a shot that stops and runs up. But it's just a good chance to let people realize their mistake rather than just keep looking in front of them and keep hitting it over the green and over the green. If you haven't played there, it's like if you took the 10th green at Riviera and then you had to play

Straight uphill at it from like 70 yards out and without with would probably a 50 feet uphill Yeah, from the most narrow angle. Yeah, too, you know, but the the scene from the T box is Yeah, well, I was gonna say welcome you know walk walk the listeners through even getting to the 14th tea, right? That's, so you come off 13. 13's all-world. Yeah, 13. And you kind of walk up a little footpath, leaving the 13th green. And there's this vehicle kind of modified with some seats in the back.

This very pleasant guy waiting to drive you from essentially the back of the 13th green up this hill to the top of the hill where 14 t stands. So you take your ride up and then what was cool I think you know that the t is kind of towards your left. Well if you go back right and you know it's maybe 20 steps, you're taken to a part of the property Which squid our caddy told us was Mike Kaiser's kind of first introduction to bandin And it's kind of a hot moment that the owners

Yeah, the owners kind of took him that's the first place they wanted to take him and so kind of getting to the top that hill He kind of got the full view of what banding could be. So I think there's some cool little aspects of the 14th. From my perspective, it's like in a metaphor for life, it's like, you know, stuff's not always going to be perfect into plan. You just got to, you know, sometimes you get lucky, sometimes you don't, you got to hit some shots and see what happens. But I can see where that'd be very frustrating, especially if you have a round going.

What do you think I'm stuck kind of halfway between that and you guys? I like, I don't think it's good, but I also kind of don't care. I think it's kind of where I'm at. I think it's a tool that we're talking about. It's kind of fun that it's not good. Right, exactly. What do you think of the fit? Everything else is so good. DJ, What do you think of the fit? Everything else is so good. DJ, why do you think of the 15? I thought the approach out of the 15th was maybe the best

out of the property. Just really fit my eye. As soon as we cut our periscope, DJ made a doose from 130 yards on the 15th hole. 138. That drive, like kind of over that hill and over those bunkers. That's the thing about 14, that 11, 12, 13 is such an awesome stretch. 11 might be my favorite hole in the whole golf course

It's kind of it's an inverse of 11 at Augusta right the pond is kind of to the right instead of to the left The way that green sits underneath those trees and that whole setting and then like a long par three next it's almost looks like a par four Like kind of the way the whole fairway rolls 13 is great and then 14 is kind of. But that really long par three is a perfect example of kind of what I was saying about just hanging yourself, I think, where you have the entire universe to go right. You can wipe one out there right

and you'll have a nice, easy chip shot onto the green. You got a backslip. Make it comfy for it. Suking it in like 70 degrees. You totally could if you wanted to. And, you know, of the 10 balls that we hit there, there were probably five of them were dead left in those bunkers left, just like the one spot you can't hit.

I was just, I was just, because everybody's like trying to hit it at the pin. I was more than dead one time. It's like, why? Why? Why? But I think, yeah, one of our main criticisms of banning trails is again, kind of consistent with the other courses.

The first 18th holes are completely different parts of the property, not within the trees, kind of just within this. The kind of the same part of the property is as banning a preserve is on some of the two of the weaker holes out there. Yeah, I think they're just connectors. I mean, I think we need to have a clubhouse that you can share with, you know, the preserve and trails and you need to be somewhat close to the lodging, you need to be somewhat close to the other, you know, just shorten up shuttle rides and all that stuff. I mean, I thought one at Pacific Anne trails is, I think I liked

it more than most just because you can kind of do whatever you want. You can drive or you can hit three iron, you can do whatever you're most comfortable with, and it's kind of a handshake, part four. I thought the 17th hole was, like the part three's at trails are crazy good. I think the whole, like the fifth hole, the whole thing at trails was just that, like I was thinking about, I don't, you know, if you're kind of doing the

ranking a whole one to 10 sort of thing, 10 being, you know, the big, bold the big bold dramatic crazy like the holes that get You know put into paintings. I don't know that it has any tens, but it's just all Sevens eights nines like it just does it's like relentlessly good It just might it doesn't necessarily photograph nearly as well as the other course So a lot of people that matters and I can understand I get why it totally get why it does but, it's like number three is a perfect example, I think, the par five, which is,

if you're looking out at it, there's like, it's dead flat, par five, medium length, par five. And you know, there's nothing really, if you're standing on the tee, like even, like there's nothing crazy about it, but you get done playing it and you're like, holy shit, that was a good hole. Because you're just constantly,

like there are probably five center line bunkers down the middle that just make you constantly think on every single shot. And it's just, like I think I was most exhausted when we got done playing trails. It's mentally exhausted. It's up and down. Not even like the walk.

I just mean like from thinking about where I'm trying to chop. Nine is the same way. It's mentally exhausted, up and down. Not even like the walk. I just mean like from thinking about where I'm trying to I'm trying to change the same way as this three, two, like nice just a handsome hole. Beautiful. I want to add one more point and Twitter user, I don't know what his handle is, TBCJab said and I thought it was Andals TBCJab. Oh, Mr. Ramwell. Mr. Ramwell. He said, trails is the girl you marry. And I thought that just encapsulated it perfectly. And I was thinking kind of going on that, it's like, and we can get to Old Mack next obviously. But I think bandins kind of your first high school sweetheart and Pactoons is like the really leaky knockout on.

Hot and heavy. Yeah. And trails is the girl you marry. So, you know, when we get to we get old Mac is old Mac your second wife Well, I think old Mac's like kind of a little like a lit student. Yeah, yeah, it's a little it's a little you know Well whatever that be for you, you know, maybe grunge or a little punk or you know It's just kind of a departure maybe from from your normal face type. Yeah, so Like we talk about that talk about club houses now,

we're gonna talk about. We can? It's a real, the scene over at trails is, like, I wanna move in. Yeah, I was kinda about every actually to go play golf. Yeah, I'm so much. I mean, like, I think, yeah, the fung shway,

it's got, like, you feel like you're in this Japanese zen garden almost. Yeah, tell the people about the spicy Caesar. Oh, so DJ and I had a salad alliance going all week where we would split a salad as an appetizer before every meal. And, you know, the salads were really good everywhere, but man, we got to the trails and they had this like spicy Caesar. And I don't know what the dressing, it just had the perfect amount of kick. It just it worked.

They they they had their gobsmacked. Yeah, they had their salad game dialed in. Pasta, noodles, noodle bowls, like, yeah, rice noodles. My one complaint is I think they could use some bonds eye trees in and around that clubhouse. I think that would really get out there. The landscaping out there was insane, just around, and I'm not one for just to drown on and on and on about, oh, the scene of the clubhouse was awesome,

but just I've never seen an atmosphere and aesthetic fit a course better than that clubhouse. Yeah. Like, just, it's like a minimalist lodge over there. It was, it was, it was otherworldly. All right, listen up. This will only take a second. Just kidding, it'll take about 60 seconds.

Neil here, aka the Merchzar, to talk about the rowguions I picked up from Calloway last month, and O. My. Lanta, am I compressing the golf ball? I asked for a set of clubs that were forgiving for someone who only gets out once every couple weeks as a huge right miss, and can't be ranger-rich out there on the pro-amp circuit like Sully. They recommended the new rogues paired with some extra stiff, 130g shafts to slow down I took all the money off the NLU boys up at Bandon.

I'm getting an extra 10-12 yards on each club, and yes, Airmail and Greens was certainly an issue early in the trip, but I made some in-game adjustments, and you know what? My team and I are pleased with the results. Nippers, scooters, stingers. I'm not hitting any of those shots, but there's no doubt the Rogue Irons have been a game changer for a mid-handicap or like myself, by keeping my high, lazy, and if I may, majestic fade much more consistent. If you're looking for a set of irons that are forgiving and just plain feel good when you hit them, check out CallawayGolf.com to build your custom set today.

Make sure you tell them I sent you and you know what, they'll probably just ask, who's that shwoldo. Alright, old McDonald's. Let's do it. How to farm? The reindeer's getting excited over here. but probably just to ask, who's that swole though? All right, Old MacDonald. Let's do it. How to fall in the rain. He's getting excited over here. Wow.

All right, so for those not familiar with Old MacDonald, it is a Jim Urbina and Tom Doke collaboration. I think it's safe to call it that. It is an ode to CB MacDonald and is it kind of a modern twist on template golf holes. Mike Geiser's favorite golf course in the United States is National Golf Links of America. So they took, I think, 15 different template holes

and kind of sprayed that across this unique land that is banning dunes. It is wider than wide. It is one of the widest golf course I think I've ever seen. Enormous greens and they have Fescue greens there, which are different than all the other greens there. Randy, this one resonated with you in particular. Can you give

us a rundown of what you thought of Omic Donald? Yeah, I loved it. I think spiritually I was at home. It felt like I was, my spirit was born at a place like that. You know, I think early on in the round, Sally, I was walking with you and I was like, is this kind of what it's like to play at a lot of the courses in Scotland and you're like, yeah man, like this is it. I'm like, you know, it might be as good as it gets for me. Kind of first time playing really template holes for me as well, which I enjoyed. I didn't really quite know how I was going to feel about them, but you know, two thumbs up for me, it was fun.

I think the rundown of what template holes are, by the way, Brickestown. I feel like we talk about them all the time, and like, not like I, you know, have known this for 25 years in the talking about it, but I didn't know it when I was there. Basically, just, you know, CB McDonald and Seth Rainer used a lot of the holes they had seen around the world, and the idea of it is supposed to be, I think, that, you know, you can take these golf holes from around the world and place them anywhere, and it to be, I think, that you can take these golf holes from around the world and place them anywhere

and it doesn't really matter what kind of land you have, it doesn't really matter. You basically can't screw them up. And principles and philosophies behind numbers. Yeah, exactly. And so that's where you'll hear us talk a lot about redans and beurits and capules and eaten holes and all those different things.

And they're basically just holes plucked from all around the world and with a couple defining characteristics that you can kind of drop in anywhere. And it's fun to play them, and I'm saying what you or didn't know anything about them until like within the last two years, but it's fun to play them in different locations and see the different twists and what not.

So yeah, I thought, to me, I thought they kind of, and maybe this was the intent, but it strayed kind of far from the templates They were kind is kind of loose. It was not nearly as like stringent as you know a a Seth Rainer golf courses which again, I think was kind of the intent It wasn't meant to be a perfect mimic But like I thought I thought the red day in that this course was kind of weak actually and compared to like Pacific Doons like that was not meant to be a template.

I think we had a bad pain for it too. Yeah, it could be middle. I mean, I hit like 10 feet, it's moving. So quick anecdote that I was just going to get to breakfast before we played Old Mac. A couple of guys sitting near us had asked it if we had played Old Mac yet. I said, now we're getting ready to and they said you know guy a guess. Oh wow let me tell you You know I had it 10 times better than my buddy here and and he beat me those greens are just ridiculous You know clearly I think was frustrated by

The way the greens and in the course kind of brought you know his buddy and into play and you know I gave him some outward sympathy, but in my mind, that kind of validate, like, man, I can't wait to play this. Because again, as kind of an apathetic ball striker, I can get loose at times. But you have not kind of no fear of losing a ball or really being penalized that way. You can get out of position certainly.

So it was just a really relaxing round from that perspective. I got my ass kicked. I mean, you always knew you were going to find your ball. You try to put it in a decent spot. And then you try to make a shot around the green and get a good score. But I thought that the other thing and open it to you guys, the thing I really, really enjoyed about Old Mac was the scale of the property.

It just feels big and open. And it's very, you know, just visually, there's a lot to take in that way. And the second thing that I think's a little underrated there is you always hear the ocean and they only give you a couple of glimpses of it. And I thought, you know, it just kind of works in its own way. And that, you know, holds one through six man, you hear the ocean and you get over the Sahara hole and it gets a little louder. And finally,

it culminates getting up to the green on seven and bam, there it is, like the whole wide view of the Pacific Ocean. I just thought it was really cool how the ocean is always with you, even though you can't see it. It's like playing golf in a big concert show. Yeah. Yeah. Because the the the morning we played it, the waves were really, really, like, really big, really organized sets, like coming in. And so they're loud. And it's just, it's like. And the kind of echo in certain parts, yeah.

So that was cool. I mean, I thought it had the best opening and closing holes on the property. I thought, like, some of the pen positions we had that day were like squid. Our cat was like, I've never seen it there. He's like, I haven't seen this here in like five years. I'm not sure who set these pins. Yeah.

But yeah, I mean, like that, that area of the property, um, you know, over like seven, eight and like 15, 16, where you get over to kind of the snack shack and stuff like set into the dunes. That's just a really isolated, cool, unique, like, core of the property. I really like just kind of thinking about your boys at breakfast and how they kind of got nuked by some of the greens. Hey, I think it's sweet. I like that. Yeah, I mean, I do too. B, I think that if you're being really honest with yourself, I mean, I'm just looking at, like, kind of replaying my round in my head and I think that, like, you catch, uh,

it's all about just catching the right side of the slope and sometimes you get it and sometimes you don't. So those times where they got ejected by the wrong side of the slope, they probably got, you know, helped an equal number of times by the other side of the slope. And there were so many shots where I was like, man, like, that wasn't a great swing there and I just other side of the slope. And there were so many shots where I was like, man, that wasn't a great swing there.

And I just happened to catch the slope there right away and it rolled close to the hole. And there were the same number of times where the opposite happens. And so I think that's kind of cool in itself. I think just obviously you want to have good shots rewarded. But I think that just this small element of luck is kind of what golf is about to.

It's an exceptionally strategic course. Yeah, for sure. And I think like you also, you know, as far as, I think people get pissed because they'll go out and three put a bunch and. It's like I hit the green, I shouldn't make worse than par. Right, it's like, well, yeah. The greens are enormous.

Right. And some of the undulation and and pin positions, it's like, you know, it's it's not just about hitting a good lag putt with good pace. It's like, dude, you better pick a good line and it better be, you know, you're just trying to get it maybe 10 feet by the whole as a good result. And I think you you hear a lot of architect's talk about that where they talk about, you know, how they want to protect, how they want to protect a golf

hole or a protect score. Something like that where you hear the guys bitching about three puts, it's like, well, would you rather, I protected the front of the green with a pond or a long native grass or whatever. When you think about it like that, I'll be sitting like, oh, well guess three put You know, what even is a three put man? I thought I thought the Alps holes was awesome. Yeah, it was one of the cooler-ups I was ever played it was fun to I guess when we kind of did our composite ranking of the deposit Composite composite We eat six old Mac holes and we'll get to that was six old Mac holes one as like the best first hole best fifth hole best

So whatever get to that with six old Mac holes, one is like the best first hole, best fifth hole, best stuff, whatever. Looking back at it, there are a ton of really fun golf holes that I loved, and I don't really know what might take us here other than it just didn't feel like it flowed right. Like certain stretches were a bit forgettable, I thought. But you look back at like, man, my third hole is awesome. You're like 16 is awesome. Oh, remember seven, oh yeah, do that with six. That was true.

There's this old dead tree that just kind of stands like hard over the whole. I think the other thing out there too is I think the highs are really high. There is some kind of a some slack in the round. But going back to your point about aesthetics earlier, like I, you know, I like the clean lines of kind of a satirane or CB McDonald. I think it would have been really cool if they would have done something a little bit more angular and a little bit more organized, clean lines in the context of this massive, vast, expansive space.

I think that would have been a cool juxtaposition. I don't know if this is, I think this part of the property, I don't know if it, I don't want to call it the worst part of the entire property, but maybe like the most, the least visually appealing, right? The other two courses are looking at the ocean. Trails is winding through this beautiful forest. This is kind of just an open field, right? It almost sits below the dunes that kind of protect the ocean. So it's probably the least interesting setting, I think, but they, it's kind of the goal, of protect the ocean. So it's probably the least interesting setting, I think. But it's kind of the goal, I think,

is this big, vast field, and we're gonna weave our way through it and make some interesting golfers. And we kind of made this point about trails too, but I think it's just cool. I think those two courses, trails and Old Mac kind of also just work to build up how special the other two courses are too.

I think that's something that when you go to like stream song and it's gotten a little different now that the black course is there and stuff that's obviously has a different feel to it. But by and large it feels like you're kind of playing, you could kind of put any of the golf holes on either course and they feel very, very, very similar. Whereas when you go here it's cool to have different pockets that feel totally unique. So I really like that too. Cool.

I think the Fescue Greens was an interesting element too, for sure. Yeah, they all really rolls differently, especially the first two or three feet. You kind of have to get it skidding a little bit more than maybe rolling at first. So that was kind of an interesting wrinkle. I thought we thought we were gonna have a ton of three-pots. We had a snake competition going the whole way too. And we thought we were gonna have a ton of three-pots out there. We really didn't.

I think it was some of that was just due to squid, kind of helping us think our way around the property a little bit. I think we're just really good too. I think that's probably what it is. But I think we can all agree, there's definitely not a course of this property that's skippable.

You go there, you have to buy all four courses. For sure. All right, so that's it. It's each course individually. Tron, I want you to walk us through your experience. You took a caddy for starting on Monday for our last six rounds. You took our boy, Squid.

Randy, you sampled him on the last day. Neil took him, picked him up for a couple of days. Take me through, kind of, do you usually take caddies, what the experience was like with Squid, and is it something you recommend to people going to band? I would, I would say, I mean, I'm kind of split, like, it's some places I take caddies, it's some places where I've been before,

or, you know, I just don't feel like it's that stimulus for a of a property like I'll do a push card or I carry my own bag but here I just felt like I was gonna get maximum enjoyment out of out of the courses like I don't think I could have played old Mac and had much appreciation for without a caddy like it was just so vast and expansive and I think knowing which lines to take, like he was invaluable. But I think at the end of the day too, it was just kind of adding another guy to our round. Like Squid, he says from Northern Washington drives down, spends about two weeks on property and then drives back up home for a week. So he kind of does that. And I mean, he was probably,

drives back up home for a week, so he kind of does that. And I mean, he was probably, I think, without a doubt, he's the best caddy I've ever had. And just from the element of, he was just a good hang, too. You know? But I think, you know, he was, like, I was able to play band in the first day, finally, out of caddy, but I think just he, to add it to the experience. I mean, DJ, what was your take about me?

Like, like, what? What was the deal? Did you play band in the first day? Yeah. Like, just kind of an idiot. And then you had a caddy come in and you like, just lit the world on fire. I think what did you shoot?

Like, 74 trails that afternoon. And I was like, you know, maybe Tron's just like a really, really, really good player. He's just a moron. And he just can't trust his own. Like he totally got me out of my mind. He just can't trust his own judgment. He doesn't want to tell him what to do. The two times I really overruled that. Like, one on seven at Pacific Doons. And, you know, he was like, you need to lay up here.

I was like, I think I got this man. I know I shouldn't, but I think I got, I mean, double or triple. And then there was one other instance. There was a, I remember, the tee at the, is the maiden hole, I think like 15 or something. 14, 14 at Old Mac. Like yeah, he's like, yeah, just blow one, you know, just way around.

Just blow and wear. Yeah, I think I'm gonna go for it. Yeah, cool man. Maybe you did it like this, daft bunker and just ended up whipping a couple times. I think like, I don't know, I don't usually take caddies unless it's like provided for or expected and I think it's mostly because you can kind of get the feeling of obligation towards you need to, need to converse with somebody, need to entertain. You know what I mean? And kind of like, it can be distracting a bit from your round.

You don't want it to be in position. Right. But I thought Squid was like the perfect guy. And that's probably, and looking back to five years ago when we had a caddy named Bevin, like he added to the experience he was there in the right capacity and wasn't, there was not like a huge ego you were dealing with, right? He was like there to make sure you had a really good time just like the rest of the staff on the property. So, you know, we've had some of the caddy experiences at other courses that they won't necessarily name. It's kind of like, you know, people are inserting themselves in a situation that they

probably shouldn't be and whatnot. I don't think you ever, like, we never once got that far. No, like, I wanted to go, I wanted to come play with it. Yeah. We played, we played the preserve with them afterwards. Like, we I wanted to go owner and become play. We played we played the preserve with them afterwards. Like we wanted him to hit shots. We wanted he used a stick too. But I mean, he was money with reading pods. Like he helped everybody read pods and kind of, you know, bounce something off of them.

And just as preparedness to like he didn't. You can tell he'd been around that place so many times because he just he knew right away, you know, you know, you could tell he'd been around that place so many times, because he just, he knew right away, you know, you know, you want to hit it here, you know, this putts going to do this. He was just a, and he was helpful to all of us. Someone tongue in cheek, he was a pro's pro. I mean, he was super prepared. So I really only had the intention of having a caddy for like three rounds. That was kind of my budget. And then I, I kind of did a snap cost benefit analysis about right after my first round with Squid,

whose last name is Kalimaro, by the way. So they call him Squid. And I just, like there was no way I could go back, like between, you know, just, like I was getting to the tee early, I was getting to the ball early. I was just, I could soak it all in, and I was so overwhelmed by the sensory experience and overload that it could just gave me more time

and kind of peace of mind to actually, you know, really internalize it all. So. And that's, and essentially how it works is, you know, you have a caddy from when you start, and they are your caddy until you tell them they are no longer your caddy. You can switch it up every day if you wanted to, if you didn't like your guy, we got recommendations from people.

I know Bryson and D'Shambo's current caddy used to work out there and a bunch of guys that we know have had him and they're like, that guy is awesome. Wish he was still there. But, but yeah, I would unequivocally like I had no, through one or two holes, I was like, yeah, this is my guy. There's the week. Like there's no, there's no going back. There's no, there's no reason to make a change. Yeah. All right. It's time is judgment day.

You are each given 10 rounds to play on this resort. How do you divide your 10 rounds amongst the four courses? We're going to exclude preserve from this. How would you divide your 10 rounds among the four courses at Bandin Dunes? I'll start. Three old Mac, three pack, three bandin, one trails. And what is your ration? You said you were kind of getting punished a bit off the tee at trails a little bit.

That was your kind of reasoning. Yeah. For you personally. But for me personally, I think trails, like DJ said, it's probably the best course there. But like if I go to the coast of Oregon, I want to play holes by the ocean, I think. So that was, that was my reasoning for Pacific Dunes and Band-A-Dunes specifically. I just had so much fun at Old Mac.

So the only course we didn't get to play twice. So I would definitely take a few more looks at that. Trails is a great course. Yeah, I'm going to the others more often. Listen, no offense to anyone. Yeah, I don't know how else to say it. It's We're not here to judge. We're not here to criticize anybody's you can anybody can do whatever they would want with their 10 rounds. So Tron, you're up next. I've been going back and forth on this and I think I'm finally I go for Pacific three Pacific, three trails, two band and one old Mac. Wow. I think Pacific is just, you know, it's the highest highs.

It's got I think two of probably the four best three-hole stretches on property. It's got a little bit of variety. There's a couple, a couple of negative points to it, but I think on the whole it's just the most spectacular and the most memorable. Trails was, like you guys said, trails was the best golf course, but I also thought it was, it was such a cool, relaxing, fulfilling experience as well, especially in the fog and all that. Band-in, I think too. I would start my trip playing band-in every time as well. I'd probably start my trip playing band-in and then probably play like the morning of the last day or something like that.

And then one old Mac, I just, I liked old Mac. I think the other ones are just that good. I just I didn't think old Mac I'd quite the same character to it. I'd be very very equitable with mine I mean I'd I really really loved all four of them But I would say three Pacific three trails and then two a piece on the other two just That was how I had it when those are the slight edge. I think Pacific and trails get the slight edge, but they're all so good. I've changed my mind since we started the pod.

And I'm going three bandin, three trails, two Pacific, two old Mac. I had three Pacific in there, but part of me, I don't wanna say like, I definitely definitely don't wanna say I've figured out Pacific, but I feel like I understand it, and I feel like bandin, for me, in my game, it's a better exercise of my mind,

and kind of it from in trails, is kind of more than the same way. It works my mind a lot more, and is more of a journey. I don't know if that makes any sense, but Pacific, I can't feel like, and maybe Pacific would be a little different from the tips and we were playing the one-ups, but kind of felt like I know how to play those

golf holes relatively well, but bandin, man, that got me twice. It was my two highest scores of the trip, we're at bandin and I don't know why and that's just kind of got me perplexed to be like, all right, I want to go and figure that course out. What are the four, how would you rank the four? I actually would rank, the course is band-in, Pacific, trails, old Mac. Try on. Like, just not experience, just golf course?

Yeah. Whatever that means to you. Well, I mean, going back, I think experience wise, it's specific, but I think if we're just talking about the architecture and the design of the golf course, I would say trails Trails I would say Pacific and band and are probably tied And then old Mac slightly below. Okay ready. I would go band-in

Doons Pacific doons God, this is gonna be weird. Brails in Old Mac, but like Old Mac's fine. Almost like that. It doesn't have to be, it doesn't have to be. That's what I'm ranking them by my experience. I guess, or whatever people usually rank it by, which I guess is usually experience

inside, say Pacific, Trails, Old Mac, Band-in. Yeah. I think what's so cool maybe is the idea of going back and like, like, Sully and DJ and coming away after the next time, if we're so fortunate, with like a totally different ordering. Yeah, like, well that's one thing that always kind of sticks with me about playing these golf courses.

It always seems like there's like a bit of a built-in conundrum or like contradiction to them, which is that like the first time you play them is probably almost your least favorite time around them or they're set up, you know, the strategic elements of them and stuff are set up such that, you know, you don't really figure them out, quote unquote, until maybe even like the fourth or fifth time that you play them. And the trick with that, or the weird part about that, is that getting out to ban and is a big, expensive undertaking that for a lot of people is a once in a lifetime thing. And so it's kind of this weird, I don't know,

I don't know how I feel about that, but it's kind of just a weird, just a weird conundrum I guess. And I think some of it too is, but it definitely makes you want to keep going back. Like I'd love to go play Old Mac late in the afternoon, like September, August or September day with, you know, kind of a warm light in the air and stuff, like I kind of burned out. I think that would be awesome. Yeah. And you could, you could play the ground game so much around there.

Whereas I think it'd be really, really cool to play trails in late October, and in some kind of fall light, and windy and brisk. I think season-wise, and just time of day, and playing a course in the morning or the afternoon is just massive distinction is there and you're going to get a totally different experience. All right, let's do our favorite holes.

How do we want to do it? By course or just your favorite hole on the entire property? You're driving, but. Maybe by course first and then everybody has to pick. Band and Doons favorite hole. The winner. For me is number 12, the par three first hole on property. I think we described it pretty well.

Yeah, earlier. So I won't go into too much detail. Yeah, mine's number four. The hole that opens up to the ocean. This map in the face. Yeah, it's cool. It's a green. I think that can be overstate like a hairpin turn that goes right at the ocean.

It's kind of the same shot into the green as 12. They are very similar and yeah. But this has the T-shot element to it. That's one that hits me the most. I think I'm not gonna, I mean 16, I think for me, like it's the big postcard hole, it's kind of the signature hole if there's one, but it's just, we kind of alluded to it earlier,

but like I just don't know that I've seen a hole like it. I mean, it's crazy Five for me long punishing par four It the hazard kind of cuts in on the left and then you've got this bunker up. It's just really long skinny. You got this bunker that Runs all the way along the right of it covered bunkers up there that I mean, it's probably a 70 hour long bunker and that's just it's a stout golf hole and it's on a cool piece of the property. It's kind of a horseshoe green. It feels like with, you know, some dunes and

choose your route off the team. It's a couple of center line like puffs of grass. You're not even bunkers, but puffs of grass in the middle. So you got choose left or right. Five is up there for me as well. All right, Pacific dunes, favorite hole. I think, I think 13 of Pacific is my favorite hole in the middle. So you got to choose left or right. Five is up there for me as well. All right, Pacific do its favorite hole. I think I think 13 of Pacific is my favorite hole in that course. Part four, the water along the left. I'm going right behind it. Number four, the long part four, the water down the right is such a, it's like a litmus test of a T-shots. Like, you want to bail left, there's bunkers here waiting for you, and your angle's going to suck. You play closer to the cliff along the right. It doesn't feel right to call it a hazard.

You play close to the cliff on the right. You have an angle into the green. That's like, it's a really hard hole. That's my favorite hole out there. How much did you love it the first time you played it? Not that much. As I ate. That green was not holding anything.

The green didn't hold like a nine iron, which I was a little bit a little perturbed at, but I think Dough could probably be sitting on that hill smiling at me being kind of fuming about that shot. But I think for me it's 11, the Part 3. I'm very biased towards the ocean holes, I guess, but it's fair. That's why you're out. Yes, yeah.

I mean, you're coming off number 10, which is maybe like my second favorite hole, which is just this big downhill part three that you just feel like you could launch into the ocean from up on top of that dune. And then 11 plays kind of right next to the ocean. The thing I think I loved about it was both times, well, I guess last time we were there more so with really heavy wind, it's playing straight into the wind, and it's 130 yards or something, and I think last time I was there, I hit three iron, this time I hit pitching wedge. It's just like, but the greens wild too, like there's a couple spots where if you miss,

you're just completely just boned, and there's a couple spots where you can kind of find like an accidental sliver of green. I mean, it's just, I don't know, I think that whole green complex is really... Back to back part three, you know, it's just a cool look too. Yeah. It's all completely like rugged and blow out in front of the green.

It kind of looks like it shouldn't be there. Well, so that's what I think, I kind of, I don't know, that's almost what I liked more about Pacific than band, and I think I was having a hard time putting my finger on it earlier, which is like those little areas, I think about a whole number six advantage, that's part three. And it's just kind of like the ocean's gorgeous,

but it's just kind of this kind of a blob, part three, and it's really pretty because you're looking at the ocean, but like that's what I think dogged it so well, and it's really superficial almost, but he just does such a good job of kind of landscaping that stuff to just look totally wild. And trails does a good job of kind of landscaping that stuff to just look totally wild.

And trails, that's a great job of that too. Plus, like that, just that little stretch out there, you feel like you're like, I felt like I was like washing up on the beach in an inception. Right. Exactly. Yeah. Randy? I think my favorite was four.

I think 10 and 11 is kind of the coolest aspect of Pacific, just back to back part 3s. And I think the most, maybe overlooked underrated low key, favorite hole was 6, the short part 4 with the kind of slender green build up on the whole side. I thought that was a cool hole. You would like to slender green? Yeah. But I think 4 is probably all in all, my favorite. All right, banded trails.

I'm going with number 11. Like the T-shot, the whole fairway slopes down to the right and then it goes, sits down to this green, I've referenced earlier with a pond of the right. This kind of super long green that just set back, right up against the edge of the forest. I think that that hole is. It's so cool how that green keeps going

all the way up. Oh, I'll follow up to the edge. I'm still thinking about that hole. Like if you say banded trails, I think about that golf hole. You could convince me that seven holes at Bannon Trails are my favorite holes. I think so too. But just like top of my head, I don't know,

I think it's a tie for me. Taboro, Tronza, Ty, cop out, familiar. I think it's a tie between three and nine, the two par-fives that were just strategic as fuck. And I just, I'd really loved to have both of those holes played. Yeah, I mean, I thought five was like five reminded me of number five at Role-Mell or in West. Yeah. Like clanged one off the stick, almost one of the bunker, not a particularly good shot. But I think four at trails is

such a strategic cool par-four, but I think 13 four at trails is such a strategic cool part for but I think 13's probably my favorite whole on trails like it's just a cool part of the property and it's a really fair part for but like if you miss short or right I'm gonna approach shot like a daffiest bunker. Randall. I'm gonna go with the part three, number five. Kind of a very short part three. Angulating green, not quite Beeritzi, but a little bit of a Beeritzi adjacent. Yeah, symptoms of a Beeritzi. Yeah, I really signs you're feeling all right. And then it's more of a bishnitz. Yeah, yeah. Number five.

Well, it could play drastically different depending upon where the pin is each day. Old Mac. Alps, Alps, Alps, Alps, Alps, Alps. Yeah, 16. I know, I was thinking that one. I think that the, I mean, I think it's probably the most popular answer for people to play there.

But number three, the Sahara Hole, the Ghost Tree, and the Blind T-Shot that shot that you can whip one around. And I thought it was really cool to have a punch bowl, 18. Yeah, that was the best finishing hole for Cher, definitely. So yeah, let's do that now. Hold up, my favorite. So number 14, the Maiden Hole.

Oh, nice, that sounds good. I think it's kind of a short four, all up the hill, the greens kind of set in where you have a natural backstop you can use and kind of once you do climb up there and reach that green, you turn around and you've got the whole property, the ocean back out behind you. That those clothes.

I ejected so hard, I hit the canopy. You know, I'm a birdie's for the kids there. Yeah, I'm ready through it about, I'd say 50 to 60 feet up on the hill. Up on the hill. Can't all the way down. P to about two to about six feet. Gonna whip through this next part pretty quick. We'll put this up in the show notes on the website.

But we did the composite ranking. We all kind of voted on our best first hole, best second hole, best third hole at each course. And here's how it went. The best first hole was Old third hole at each course. And here's how it went. The best first hole was Old Mac, second was trails, third, Old Mac, four was bandin, five was bandin, six Pacific, seven Old Mac, eight Old Mac, nine trails,

10 Pacific, 11 trails, 12 bandin, 13 Pacific, 14 Old Mac, 15 bandin, 16 bandin, 17 17 band and 18 Old Mac. Kind of surprising there's only three holes from Pacific that won. Again, it's not necessarily representative of the course, it's like choosing the best fourth hole was impossible. That was the hardest one. But not sure what the really is to gather from that. Alright, what's your guys favorite, did you have a favorite three-hole stretch? I know three. I know I like eight. I mean I put this as my quote-unquote least favorite course, but 15, 16, 17 at Bannon was like just disgusting. It was gross. Yeah, it was completely gross. Randy, how good those holes were? My favorite three-hole stretch was 5 through 7 at Old Mac. I think some of that was, it

starts with a short, so a little part three that was a really funky pin location the day we played at Cool green and then six funky being really really diplomatic It was on this little tiny Like the size of this kitchen table Yeah, and it was something you'd see it. It was like a little ledge sitting off like half dome Really wide green, but I mean I thought I was gonna like seven putt that green. Yeah, yeah, terrifying So they probably hit the best shot of all of us but I thought I was gonna like seven putt back. Yeah, yeah, terrifying.

So you probably hit the best shot of all of us. And I think we actually had easier putts that once we got up there being on the left side. Our only broke like seven feet. Yours broke like 12. So five then six is a long par five, which I think just when we were playing it early morning, it was kind of, I posted a picture on Instagram,

it was kind of ethereal. Just, you had a little bit of marine layer. It was just, man, if anything kind of harkened to what I think of as like Scottish golf, it was kind of being right there on the sixth hole. It's kind of like an inverse of 14 of St. Andrews, right? Hellbunker there, and yeah, it's kind of a blind second shot over there. Yeah, goers up by the green.

And so then seven, seven, you know, the tee shot on sevens, whatever. But it's an uphill second set to, you know, this green kind of between the dunes again. And again, you climb up and man, you've heard the ocean now for six holes, you know it's there and you get to the top there and you just get the full view.

And then there's this snack shack that's like set you back at the dunes, like it's like a bomb shelter. That's really cool. I think, you know, maybe not necessarily like the best three holes from an architecture standpoint, I don't know, but it was my favorite three hole stretch. And before Trump, before you give yours just, you knew you saying that,, the options that come about,

it's like, I might go six, seven, eight of that, because the eight is like the spirits. Well, like part three. Yeah, and I wanted to cheat, because it really starts on three, with the Sahara, with the ghost hole, or with the ghost tree, yeah. That's the tree, that's when you start thinking about old Mac,

and that's why I think you need to play it a couple times, is you start to think like, oh shit. Yeah. Man, there's so many good holes on that golf board. Right. All right, Tron, what's your favorite three-hole stretch? Oh my gosh, man. Pacific 11, sorry, yeah, Pacific 11, 12, 13 is crazy good. Trails, I think trail's 11, 12, 13 is probably my favorite three-year stretch, just because 11,

we've talked about that one, 12, that just really, really cool, central part three. It's long, there's a million different ways to play it. And then 13 is just like this low key, just awesome part four, like back through the woods. And there's like the anticipation of going up the hill afterwards and seeing that reveal and all that but I would say

that or band and dunes 4.5.6. That's my winner 4.5.6. We've talked about four the par four that opens the water we talk about five the long par four that plays along the water and then six that appreciate DJ kind of shooting on number six it is the poster that I bought and the poster that I have from band and dunes is the part three six. A cool man. So yeah, I actually really like that whole. It's cool for you, man.

It's like I can, dude. No, it is. Like the green is, I thought the green is really cool on that whole. He's covering his tracks. I just, well, not that cool, but I thought it was pretty cool. I thought it was cool hitting four iron for 160 and do it the first time around.

And that's the same reason I like 11 on Pacific dunes. Yeah, I mean, it's, yeah. And that was a lot of the reason why I thought it was cool hitting four iron for 160 and do it. Totally. It's the first time around. For sure. And that's the same reason I like 11 on Pacific Doomsday. Yeah. I mean, it's, yeah. And that was a lot of the reason why I thought I was actually just point, play the course the second time around, because you add that variable in and it's just, it's a wildly different golf course. And I think it's, it needs that win to really. Oh, for sure.

Yeah. All right. This is going to be our last little segment here. I'll, what are, what are the things that are the things that are gonna stick with you the most from this trip? When you talk about it, what are the three, five, maybe things that kind of resonate with you or that you feel in your soul as you walk away from bandin?

Check for ticks. Oh. Number one. Codd little tick out there that didn't discover for maybe a day and a half or so. He's just going to buy a telescope. He's going to buy a telescope. So that's Jimmy Walker.

I have many other things as well, but we'll start there. Link's golf is pretty fun. Yeah. Yeah, I'm a big fan. My number one is the feeling of compressing the balls against that kind of turf. And it's kind of this different ball flight that even happens. It goes a little lower, but that was I remember five years ago, like having trouble compressing the ball against the firm turf in August. But man, that was some of the most and I think that has a bigger effect on me playing around with golf than I'd like to think, but the feeling you get when you actually hit

like strike an iron shot is something I really, they really resonate with me after around. And I loved hitting all types of shots. You could hit wedges off that turf way better than I could remember. And that's just something that I definitely take with me. I think it's kind of a blessing and it curves for you because you have like, I think it resonated with me

like just how freaking good you are. All right, go off. Like, some of the long irons that you were hitting on, especially when it was windy that day and fighting the ball against the wind there. So I think that you probably enjoy courses a lot more than we would just solely because you're playing so well, certainly, you know, sometimes.

But that's also a curse if you're not playing well then. But I would say my, I think like my seminal, or one of my seminal moments was just sitting at lunch at Pacific. I'd replayed Pacific the first time. And you're kind of up on this, you know, in this back deck there and you're looking out over the punch bowl. And the whole, kind of the whole expanse of the properties out there with you. And the weather was perfect. It was like, you know, 68 degrees and sunny and you're drinking,

you know, every one of the bars has like really, really good beers on tap and, you know, it's like I felt, I felt replenished and I'll fill it at that moment in time. I think one of the other things is just how valuable it is to walk a golf course. We can talk about that. There's no cards out there. There's no cards, for sure. I think that all of us, I don't know how to put words in your guys' mouth, I think all of us kind of enjoy slash maybe even prefer walking when we can.

I don't think we do it as much as we probably should or would like to, but just for time purposes or whatever. And I think the reward out there is so much more. Yeah, and I think it's more of like when you're playing a golf course for the first time. I think I would, and not that this was like my first time there, but it was for you guys, but like I think it's just so valuable to walk it because the golf courses meant to be It's meant to be taken in it at three miles an hour. If the course is set up to be walked, I don't know. If Florida here, I don't desire a lot of these courses to be taken in it at three miles an hour. If the course is set up to be walked.

I don't, if Florida here, I don't desire a lot of these courses to be played to go walk. With some exceptions, but this is meant to be walked. There's no option. And I think it's not even like the walk between holes and all that stuff, but it's more just like you just notice things as you're walking by them, you know, and that you would fly past in a cart if you're trying to get them to have a cart. I saw some like, Spanish moss. I don't know if it was Spanish moss, but Spanish moss looking stuff up in like the trees

on band and trails. I was like, you know, how sweet is that? And I probably don't notice that if you're just whizzing by on a cart. When I was digging with your radio. Well, so the next thing I had down was just what I'll take with me is the variety of the resort. And I kind of touched on this earlier, but just, you know, how different the courses can feel, how different the clubhouses feel, how different, you know, the even the menus are. It's just really cool to be able to go to one place

and get kind of that wide variety of experience. I also had the sound of a golf ball hitting a firm green. Like, it's just a totally different, you know, sound that it makes and it just, it sets you up for such a different sound. I think what, John, what are your, like, justified criticisms of Barn Bogle was that slopes weren't necessarily running out. Balls weren't running out the way that the slopes were in design to be played. The way the slopes play here was, it was so perfect.

Backstop. Yeah. 100% matched the design. Backstops were actual backstops and you could use kickers and all that stuff. So just hearing the balls hit the firm greens to, it was like a reminder, like, all right, with your approaches you're not you don't need to lay in the ball right next to the hole. I think for me the noodle bowl at trails. I'm gonna take

that one with me. I ate a lot of like Asian food in the Korean Vietnamese food but that was that was kind of a good amalgamation of what those different cuisines. I like thinking about the underrated holes. I know I've named, I feel like every time you've asked me my favorite thing I've named the thing from the poster, but some of the holes that stick with me are like, number one at Old Mac, the double plateau,

was like, I thought just really classy. It was just, it's so in front of you, but it still makes you think it's still, it's just really cool. I thought there were 50 holes like that at trails. I think the, was it number four, the hogs back, just a giant ridge through the middle of the fairway that defines the entire hole. It's something that, it's a good reminder, you don't need to be able to see the green

on every T-box. You don't need to have a flat fairway. Like who says you need to have a flat live or second shot? And all that stuff, the whole property is just such a good example of how you can make interesting golf holes without doing anything crazy. I mean, then just using the tools that you have. My next one I got to, well just the sound of the ocean and the yellow flowering gorse is something that's going to stick with me for a while. Probably the last big thing I have is to make sure you stay hydrated, especially if you're going to do a lot of walking and the sun's out. I had a bit of a faint the last the last evening. I got out of a

four bottle. Yeah drive DG. I was pretty dehydrated and probably a lot more tired than I realized and kind of stood up and whole things got things got shaky so definitely stay hydrated. Last one I had was the deafening sound of the ocean and just kind of you realize when you come back in the clubhouse after the round how your ears are actually kind of ringing a bit from from the ocean and I mentioned earlier but the first moment when you get to the cliff and you realize how high you are this like, not only are you views of the ocean, like you get an aerial view of the ocean. We hit balls off the cliff into the ocean, which pretty much everyone doesn't. Seeing how long it took to barely get a ball to land was like, whoa, even more perspective for how high up you are.

So that's the, as the things I'm taking with me. Yeah, I think on that front, at no point does it even, I kind of struggle with it because it didn't feel real. You're so far above the ocean, so high on these cliffs and kind of detached from this whole scene, where you're just like, whoa, this is. Well, and that's why I think I gravitate in some ways towards Old Mac and trails.

It's like, okay, I can comprehend this. You can appreciate it. Yeah, and I know what's good and what's bad because I have something to compare to, whereas the other two are like, holy shit. Like, I don't even know how I'm like, how am I supposed to feel right now? Like, this is insane.

But I think the thing that will stick with me the most is, like, I worked in hospitality for like almost a decade and like, I worked for Roots Carlton, I stayed it, probably 15, you know, really awesome four or five star hotels around the world with them. And like, at no point, it has my, did my experience with Ritz Carlton even come close to the hospitality that we saw all week.

Like, if you're slightly out of position, the Ranger, just like, they have the deftest little subtle touch or, you know, like there's just, everything is just so nuanced and detailed and well thought out where like all the menus, just there's this, you know, you can get, you can get a turkey sandwich and get all four or five club houses, but like they're all gonna have

their own little things. They're all gonna have the chaskeys for the atmosphere and the ambience. Or, you know, like I think like like the the Irish bar what's it called? McKee's like they like I could have sat I could eat an every meal in there and still want to go back the next night. Yeah it's very repeatable. Yeah so much variety you can go back to the same.

Everything was just so everything's so authentic. Shout out to Neil too by the way we didn't log all the podcast equipment out to Oregon so he was he's got to go back to the same. Everything was just so authentic. Shout out to Neil too, by the way. We didn't log all the podcast equipment out to Oregon. So he's got to go back to New York. He was unable to be here to share his takes. He is our stable for champion. We all owe him some money. I owe you guys some money too, because me and Rady lost a lot in that last year.

We got a lot of ass thrumps. A lot of presses going on. You're at the Big Gutenberg on your team. Yeah, we just kept pressing. Things were moving quickly for me. 18, I think we had what? We had like 11 open bets. And yeah, maybe my only criticism,

conditioning of the bunkers, I thought, was a little inconsistent. A lot, some with huge amounts of saying, like enormous amounts of saying, I had one lie that was completely bare. Well, I thought it was tough where, the ball is a little wet rolling into the bunker. It's going to pick up a lot of that sand. But I thought it was actually like Barn Boogle. I was totally frustrated with the sand. I thought there was way too much sand in bunkers. I felt like

that it streamed song, especially on blue down there. But here I felt like there was truly, in a lot of the bunkers, it was a half-shot penalty, which I thought was totally adequate. I can't imagine trying to maintain those bunkers when the wind is up the way it is, which is, well, I think they probably just have to dump, dump sand and every, however. I thought they were a lot more playable

than some of the ones that we played at some other resorts. Definitely. So, all right, I hope we captured everything within two hours. I think we at least came somewhat close. And I think, but I think that is kind of a testament to how much this experience kind of resonated with us. This was no, this was not an ordinary golf trip.

This is, if not very top of ones we've taken, I've taken, I think I rank it no worse than the top two or three that I've ever taken. It was amazing. I think it's important for people to either go or make a goal to make it out to this place. So I feel like I understand golf better after visiting a place like this. And I think it's something that should be celebrated and we should all appreciate. And lastly, I just like thanks to all the people who came up to us and introduced themselves throughout the world. The community was strong. That was like, it never gets old, it was really cool, and like,

kind of humbling and stuff, so thank you. Yeah, so with that, we're going to wrap it. Thanks to everyone for sticking around for two hours, and we'll be back with your regular. Cheers. Crap on. It's getting right club. Be the right club today. That's better than most. How about him? That is better than most. Better than most.

That is better than most. Better than most.