Random Bandon Thread

[Edaw68]

For those in the drawing, in case you didn’t notice, the link to the waitlist they send (email with your drawing results) does a live update. I’ve moved up 12 places since they started the phone calls a half hour ago. 
 

No idea what this means for chances though. I’m only doing a twosome and we’re flexible on days so fingers crossed.

[graveydellic]

I do think them going to a lottery system probably significantly increased the number of people in the lottery.  Not only having everyone in a group try, but also just golfers in general thinking "oh a lottery, I'll jump into that" because it's human nature to like to "win" even though there are probably thousands in the lottery with no real intent or preplanning of going to Bandon.  I wouldn't want to equate it to the Masters lottery because its different, but there are surely thousands upon thousands of people entering the Masters lottery just because, without ever having a thought of lodging costs, dates, flights, etc.  Just enter to enter.  

[jpdx]

21 hours ago, banister said:

I wonder how long the "line" is. I found out I'm in ~900th place in line. The email says: "We expect to book 40-60 reservations per day until reservations are full. Only one reservation can be made by each applicant.

Poster on reddit said 20,000+ submissions, 1000 selected. 

 

Edited January 7 by jpdx

[ND2005]

2 hours ago, jpdx said:

Poster on reddit said 20,000+ submissions, 1000 selected. 

 

 

Wild. So a 1 in 20 chance of even getting on the list, to say nothing of your position on the list and whether or not your preferred dates will be available still. And this is for the off season...

[dcmidnight]

1 hour ago, ND2005 said:

 

Wild. So a 1 in 20 chance of even getting on the list, to say nothing of your position on the list and whether or not your preferred dates will be available still. And this is for the off season...

 

I'm not downplaying how it looks or what some random guy says on Reddit - but we still have no idea how many people used to call or be on the phone when it was open season. I remember there were something like a few hundred people in line after me on the phone after I booked my trip - after I was on hold for three hours. So...I dont know yet how *actually* bad this is.

 

I think it does mean your group needs to have their act together. You need to know the dates you want, what you want to play when - and everyone needs to be in/available to book if your group gets picked. No more just one guy calls and gets on hold and deals with everything.

[jrg75]

2 hours ago, ND2005 said:

 

Wild. So a 1 in 20 chance of even getting on the list, to say nothing of your position on the list and whether or not your preferred dates will be available still. And this is for the off season...

The new system is a turn off for me.  If the demand stays in the tens of thousands of entries, I'm not optimistic that my single entry will get me back to Bandon on a regular basis.  Maybe I can get my other guys in our group to put in entries but even then, 4-6 out of 20k doesn't bode well for it being a regular thing.  I guess I will just prepare myself for two disappointing emails a year (come on Augusta, prove me wrong!)

 

But, no sour grapes on my end, I have been several times (some solo, some as a group) so I will take my rejection for what had become an annual tradition as an opportunity to explore some new places.  I also understand the demand and their desire to be equitable and probably more importantly, ease the burden on their staff with the phone ringing off the hook (I felt so bad for those nice ladies when they had the January 1 open window).

Edited January 7 by jrg75

[Edaw68]

So I was 44 on the list (got lucky there) and was able to book me and another guy for April. Didn’t get my preferred dates because the last two weeks of April has no lodging resort wide according to reservations agent. (Some kind of PGA event). Got third choice of lodging for middle of the month. Tee times are all good.  This was about 2 hours after booking opened for the Jan-April 2026 window.
 

What I got from this is even with the random drawing and sone pretty good luck (44 out of 1000 is better than I’ve ever done in any kind of drawing in my life), you still might not get advanced reservations if there’s already an even more advanced big group or event who booked ahead of the public drawing.

 

I miss when no one went there because it was too difficult to travel.

[ND2005]

3 hours ago, jrg75 said:

The new system is a turn off for me.  If the demand stays in the tens of thousands of entries, I'm not optimistic that my single entry will get me back to Bandon on a regular basis.  Maybe I can get my other guys in our group to put in entries but even then, 4-6 out of 20k doesn't bode well for it being a regular thing.  I guess I will just prepare myself for two disappointing emails a year (come on Augusta, prove me wrong!)

 

But, no sour grapes on my end, I have been several times (some solo, some as a group) so I will take my rejection for what had become an annual tradition as an opportunity to explore some new places.  I also understand the demand and their desire to be equitable and probably more importantly, ease the burden on their staff with the phone ringing off the hook (I felt so bad for those nice ladies when they had the January 1 open window).

For me what this means in the future - i will throw my name in the lotto and see what happens, but not count on Bandon as a group destination. If I happen to luck into a good spot on the lotto I’ll wrangle the troops together and find a crew for a trip 1.5 years later. But I’ll focus more on other destinations that are more reliable to schedule. 
 
 
More likely now I will only go back to Bandon as a single, relying on either off-site lodging or late cancellations. 

[dcmidnight]

I just dont know how you can go into the new system knowing what you know - and not have every member of your group enter the lottery. Why wouldn't you do that? If they get chosen it doesn't mean they have to book on the spot but yeah like I said, its going to require a smidge more pre-planning on everyone's part. Just a smidge.

[ND2005]

2 minutes ago, dcmidnight said:

I just dont know how you can go into the new system knowing what you know - and not have every member of your group enter the lottery. Why wouldn't you do that? If they get chosen it doesn't mean they have to book on the spot but yeah like I said, its going to require a smidge more pre-planning on everyone's part. Just a smidge.

we did that this year but honestly it’s hard sometimes being the golf group planner. It’s a lot of people dragging their feet and if you want to make a trip happen you have to take the initiate yourself. 

[dcmidnight]

6 minutes ago, ND2005 said:

we did that this year but honestly it’s hard sometimes being the golf group planner. It’s a lot of people dragging their feet and if you want to make a trip happen you have to take the initiate yourself. 

 

Oh no, I agree - I'm that guy.

 

But when I booked our trip for this year...15 months ago, I knew who was going and about when we wanted to go. I think we just picked "May" at that point and I had flexibility to find an open week. So now, under this system, all four of us would have entered the lottery instead of just me calling and waiting on hold for three hours.

 

 

[jrg75]

15 minutes ago, dcmidnight said:

Why wouldn't you do that?

Big mistake on my part, I'm the group planner so figured I'd take the call; I didn't have an appreciation for the volume even though I've  waited on hold many hours past years and listened to a walk with David Mclay Kidd on loop more times than I can count.  Lesson learned for future years.

[kkelway]

It’s only going to get worse, especially with the whole world watching the PGA Championships in 2026 on the two Dunes courses. That will be spectacular, and I suspect cause another growth wave to the resort. I remember watching the 2020 Amateurs there and wanting desperately to go back again. 

[dcmidnight]

8 minutes ago, jrg75 said:

Big mistake on my part, I'm the group planner so figured I'd take the call; I didn't have an appreciation for the volume even though I've  waited on hold many hours past years and listened to a walk with David Mclay Kidd on loop more times than I can count.  Lesson learned for future years.

 

LOL that was my favorite part of being on hold - I actually brought up the interactive hole map so I could listen to DMK walk me through hole by hole.

[jrg75]

20 minutes ago, dcmidnight said:

 

LOL that was my favorite part of being on hold - I actually brought up the interactive hole map so I could listen to DMK walk me through hole by hole.

My favorite was him pointing out how all the US Am players were trying to fly it into hole 4 with a wedge but they couldn't get it close and they'd be better trying a running shot like a 7 iron or rescue.  Actually tried it and made my only birdie to date on #4.

[EdfromSD]

11 hours ago, kkelway said:

It’s only going to get worse, especially with the whole world watching the PGA Championships in 2026 on the two Dunes courses. That will be spectacular, and I suspect cause another growth wave to the resort. I remember watching the 2020 Amateurs there and wanting desperately to go back again. 

FYI this is the PGA Professionals Championship. Not the PGA Championship that the tour players play. So it will probably have hundreds of additional eyes, maybe thousands. Unless Michael Block is playing of course

[dcmidnight]

12 minutes ago, EdfromSD said:

FYI this is the PGA Professionals Championship. Not the PGA Championship that the tour players play. So it will probably have hundreds of additional eyes, maybe thousands. Unless Michael Block is playing of course

 

I know how great it looks on TV but at some point though, how many "new eyes" is it reaching, right? I mean what % of people that tune into the PGA Pro Championship - which is already pretty small - what % of those folks is going to say hey woah, whats this "Bandon Dunes" place all about?

[Golfnuck]

On 1/6/2025 at 1:39 PM, jrg75 said:

Could have been worse :(.

 

 

Yeah got the same email.  We are looking for an early January time so hoping most, if not all, the demand is for March and April.  4 for 4 struck out.

 

We are part of a group that will be there for the 11th time (if successful) but it is looking like it may be our last.

 

Great for the Resort they are so popular that there is zero accommodation for repeat customers.  

[puttnforthe8]

At least some of you are getting notifications and communications!!

 

I have reached out for 2 straight months to multiple people and email addresses with zero response!  I am really disappointed with what Bandon has become, is becoming!

 

Oh well...it was fun while it lasted!

[dcmidnight]

14 hours ago, Golfnuck said:

Great for the Resort they are so popular that there is zero accommodation for repeat customers.  

 

Now I say this as a repeat customer myself but after 25 years there are...tens/hundreds(?) of thousands of repeat customers at this point. If they offered any sort of accommodation - even jumping to the front of the line -  they would never have any room for new people. It just makes no business sense to me for them to do that.

[bcc624]

Edit: doesn’t matter

Edited January 10 by bcc624

[MilesVJackson]

My question about the new reservation system: like spud, i live in the portland area, and for the past few years I've bopped down to bandon in january when the weather allows.  I usually call about a week before I plan to go, and there are always lots of tee time options.  Last January, three of us played sheep ranch, and there were open midday tee times both before and after we went out.  With the new reservation system, are they going to allow people like spud and I to schedule quick trips on the fly?  If not, it seems like they'll be losing money and leaving lots of tee sheet openings in the offseason.

[kkelway]

11 minutes ago, MilesVJackson said:

My question about the new reservation system: like spud, i live in the portland area, and for the past few years I've bopped down to bandon in january when the weather allows.  I usually call about a week before I plan to go, and there are always lots of tee time options.  Last January, three of us played sheep ranch, and there were open midday tee times both before and after we went out.  With the new reservation system, are they going to allow people like spud and I to schedule quick trips on the fly?  If not, it seems like they'll be losing money and leaving lots of tee sheet openings in the offseason.

Absolutely. The system is only for advanced reservations when they open a new block of dates. Once that priority window passes (I’d imagine for any new block it takes 3-4 weeks?), whatever is available can be booked by anyone. So I think you can call now and book anything from now til Dec 2025 whatever’s available, and that’ll keep rolling forward as the priority system is completed. 

[spud3]

6 hours ago, bcc624 said:

Many repeat customers want Bandon to be closed off to new customers and make Bandon more exclusive and private for their own self-interests.

And you are making this claim based on...?

[knock it close]

4 minutes ago, spud3 said:

And you are making this claim based on...?

Well I would love that, it's completely selfish but I would love them to continue to guarantee my groups trip like they were doing previously. 

[bcc624]

2 hours ago, spud3 said:

 

Edited January 10 by bcc624
A

[Golfnuck]

1 hour ago, spud3 said:

And you are making this claim based on...?

 

I don't know if he may have been referencing my comment "Great for the Resort they are so popular that there is zero accommodation for repeat customers." 

 

If he thought that I was insisting on having some sort preference due to repeat business he was missing my point. 

 

I fully understanding that when a business is super successful they do not need repeat business to sustain them.  That is literally my comment.  If Bandon or any business was struggling then one solution is to try and get repeat business.  

 

Clearly this is not the case with Bandon.

 

However if, and I know this will never be the case with Bandon, they need to approach repeat business, this may alienate them in the future.

 

With Bandon I think their preferred model is to cater to the jetsetters (ie New York investment bankers flying into Bandon on their private jets).  This make business sense.  Heck if they could close off the courses for only those type of customers and charge them millions (think super yachts) for each trip they could make way more money without the wear and tear.

[spud3]

I think you all need to (re-)read Dream Golf.  Mike Keiser's stated purpose in creating the resort was to serve "the Retail Golfer."  Now, I think the popularity of the place has shifted that priority somewhat (and I've complained about that a lot in these forums), but I think as long as he's alive, they will continue to at least attempt to fulfill that stated purpose.

 

My question to bcc624 was what evidence supports making the preposterous claim that "many repeat customers want Bandon to be closed off to new customers and make Bandon more exclusive and private for their own self-interests"?

 

I'm one of those repeat customers, and I know a lot more personally, and met a lot more in my visits there, and none have ever expressed such a desire.  If that assertion is borne of frustration at not being able to book a trip, I get it. Bandon is a victim of its own success.

 

Everyone is also entitled to their opinion, but to make a blanket inflammatory statement like that (without hard evidence) is irresponsible.

[Live Free7]

One of my favorite part of the Bandon experience is being with someone on their first trip and watching them fall in love with the place.  And part of me wants as many people as possible to experience what Mike Keizer envisioned and built.  This does directly conflict with my desire to play there more frequently or be able to schedule my trips there consistently.  However, at the end of the day.....I believe the more people that have the Bandon experience rightfully increases the awareness of what an absolutely phenomenal place it is.  Regardless of the difficulties in scheduling.....I'm so thankful Mike Keizer built what he did.

[jrg75]

22 minutes ago, Live Free7 said:

One of my favorite part of the Bandon experience is being with someone on their first trip and watching them fall in love with the place.  And part of me wants as many people as possible to experience what Mike Keizer envisioned and built.  This does directly conflict with my desire to play there more frequently or be able to schedule my trips there consistently.  However, at the end of the day.....I believe the more people that have the Bandon experience rightfully increases the awareness of what an absolutely phenomenal place it is.  Regardless of the difficulties in scheduling.....I'm so thankful Mike Keizer built what he did.

Well said, I feel the exact same way.