Arg's Travel Log

[Argonne69]

A very enjoyable morning for my last round in Bandon and Oregon before heading 5 hours south to Mount Shasta tomorrow. Cool and cloudy with a little fog to start the round, but the fog lifted quickly. Big tip of the straw hat to the group of seven players who let me jump out in front of them. Nice to have the open course in front of me for a quick round, especially with a fairly late 8:30 start. 

 

Bandon Crossings today. OK, it's not Bandon Dunes, but it's a decent prairie/parkland layout that doesn't break the bank. The Dan Hixson design describes itself as heathland style, which is probably an accurate description. They opening and closing holes are fairly open with large native areas, but holes six through fourteen are parkland style with some nice elevation changes. Fairway bunkering was light. Greenside was a little better. Water in play on four holes. Six holes with left/right movement, including two doglegs. 

 

Fairly easy off the tee with moderately wide fairways and light bunkering. Minor misses were no problem with generous rough, but the lie was a coin flip. Big misses on the prairie holes could likely be found and played from the native areas, but would be goners in the trees on the parkland section. Approaches were moderately difficult primarily due to the smallish greens. A handful of holes had decent front bunkering that added to the challenge. Greens had moderate contouring and slope, so while not super difficult, putting was less than easy. Up and downs weren't tricky primarily because the turf conditions weren't iffy. Might get lucky with a good lie, or be hitting off of a thin spot. 

 

The five par 3s were decent. The 14th was the best of the bunch with all carry over a pond/marsh from an elevated tee to a green that was basically an island surrounded by marshland. The 17th was a close 2nd with another forced carry to a shallow green. The five par 3s were also decent. The short dogleg 4th was a very good risk/reward hole. Skirt the inside corner with a good drive, and one could go for the green, but it was a carry over a creek in front of the green. The long 18th was a tough finishing hole with a risk/reward opportunity on the 2nd. A ravine crossed the fairway 200 yds out. Lay up short and it was 200 yds to the green. Carry the ravine and it was a short iron or wedge in. The 3 short 4s were meh. Not much trouble. 

 

Conditions were spotty. Fairways were patchy with plenty of thin areas that were more sand than turf. Several holes had been top dressed, so definitely a lotta sand. Rough was very inconsistent. Bunkers were excellent. Greens were generally good, but a handful were still recovering from aeration. Speed was no more than 9. 

 

Played the Blue tees at 6270 yds (71.4/130). Oof. Definitely ran out of gas today after 3 rounds in two days at BD. Driver was MIA early, but eventually came around. Irons were off and on. Putter wasn't helping much. One birdie, seven bogies, and a double. Nice 18' birdie putt on the par 5 5th, but the real highlight of the round was the "better lucky than good" sandy on the 10th. Caught a little too little sand from the front right bunker, and the ball was destined to airmail the green into the back bunker or worse, but it hit the flag, and dropped down to a foot from the hole. Disaster avoided. Lol. 

 

Going with 6 cows here. Wouldn't classify it as a hidden gem, but it's an enjoyable layout with more than a few tough holes. Would like to see the short 4s with teeth. Nice looking, but conditions are a little dicey. Still, for $50 to walk it's a playable local course if you're looking for a warmup round before hitting the Dunes, or a round to finish your stay without dropping maximum coinage. Not a must play, but certainly worth a visit. 

 

Edited October 9, 2024 by Argonne69

[Argonne69]

Bandon Crossings GC, Bandon, OR 

 

 

 

Go or no-go on the par 5 4th 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Full photo set: https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fo/qdmgskv3si49v9rz79j2m/AIxAhxdQu20CKFL3nU1yW_I?rlkey=c2nk7ig1h682l4nv09xwmvnid&st=vx7udvmf&dl=0

 

Edited October 9, 2024 by Argonne69

[Argonne69]

The RV park was halfway between the course and Bandon, and with limited brewery options in town, I figured I'd stop back and take a shower, a short nap, and grab a nice Barbarian Brewing Belgian Tripel out of the fridge before heading into town for a bite to eat. 

 

 

[Argonne69]

Short drive into Bandon By-the-Sea for a bite to eat. First a stop on the south shore of the Coquille River to check out the lighthouse. Not overly impressive. Glad I didn't drive 20 minutes out to the peninsula to see it up close. 

 

 

Next stop was Bandon Fish Market (Fish and Chips Chowder House), a small shack on the waterfront. I was originally thinking burger, but it'll be a while until I'm back near the ocean. Started with a tasty bowl of smoked salmon chowder. Nice and thick. The fish and chips were fine, but nothing to write home about. Didn't care that their "chips" were French fries. Lol. A chip is a nice, thick edge of potato. 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited October 9, 2024 by Argonne69

[Argonne69]

Enjoyed my 25 days in Oregon, but time to move on. Impressive collection of 19 courses played, but to be fair I did pick out the best of the bunch. Would have been nice to visit Silvies Ranch, but that will have to wait for a future trip. 

 

Bandon was fantastic, but Bend was no slouch. Portland was also top notch. Definitely a state worth considering for a golf trip even if you factored out Bandon Dunes. 

 

[tad950]

If you’re into cheese, Face Rock Creamery on the north end of Bandon is worth a visit. And their ice cream cones (Umpqua, not house made) are a bargain. Then again I don’t ever remember you mentioning dairy 😄. 

[spud3]

Tony's Crab Shack is the best food in town.

[buckI]

9 hours ago, tad950 said:

If you’re into cheese, Face Rock Creamery on the north end of Bandon is worth a visit. And their ice cream cones (Umpqua, not house made) are a bargain. Then again I don’t ever remember you mentioning dairy 😄. 

Yes he has…cheese on the burgers😂

[Argonne69]

10 hours ago, tad950 said:

If you’re into cheese, Face Rock Creamery on the north end of Bandon is worth a visit. And their ice cream cones (Umpqua, not house made) are a bargain. Then again I don’t ever remember you mentioning dairy 😄. 

 

Ferdinand's Ice Cream Shoppe in Pullman, WA 

 

 

[Argonne69]

5 hours ago, spud3 said:

Tony's Crab Shack is the best food in town.

 

Yeah, that was the 2nd option, but it should have been #1.

 

[Guest]

1 hour ago, Argonne69 said:

 

Ferdinand's Ice Cream Shoppe in Pullman, WA 

 

 

Are those cheese curds🤔....didn't know they were made outside of Wisconsin!

[Double Mocha Man]

33 minutes ago, ode said:

Are those cheese curds🤔....didn't know they were made outside of Wisconsin!

 

Oregon has some great cheese curds...

 

Once saw them in the making at the Tillamook Cheese Factory.

Edited October 10, 2024 by Double Mocha Man

[Guest]

4 minutes ago, Double Mocha Man said:

 

Oregon has some great cheese curds...

 

Once saw them in the making at the Tillamook Cheese Factory.

That is awesome.....I was semi-joking🙃......cheese curds = yum 😋 

[Argonne69]

Ugh. Long day. Nearly 6 hours driving to Mount Shasta. It took me over 2 hours heading east out of Bandon to reach I-5. OR-42 is another twisty road with limited passing zones. The speed limit is 55 mph, but I could only average 40 mph with the blind curves. To add to the fun there was a dense fog, and I was driving into the rising sun for the first hour. The cherry on top was a 10 minute stoppage as maintenence crews cleared a rock slide. Unluckily I was the first vehicle the flagman stopped, so when we got the go ahead there had a to be a half mile of vehicles behind me. Like I needed any more stress. Lol. 

 

 

I drive south on I-5 was very scenic, but plenty of mountain passes to climb. The high point on the entire length of I-5 sits near the Oregon/California border, and it was a six mile climb up a lot 6 degree grade, and then back down again. There were some a couple more steep grades until reaching the Mt Shasta area. Highlight was catching my first glimpse of the mountain. Pulled over at a rest stop to snap a photo. 

 

 

Would have been nice to take the route along the Oregon coast to the California border, but it would have added an hour to the already long drive. 

 

Settled it at the KOA in Mt Shasta. Fairly small park, but standard KOA look and feel. Got lucky with a site out in the open. Most of the sites are wooded. Gravel pad is not quite level, but Bessie's wheels are still touching the ground. 

 

 

Not a lot of beer options in the area. Probably going to stay in an take care of of some business. I usually spend an hour booking RV parks and golf courses on travel days, but with the long drive I pulled out of Bandon early. Watching the PGA at Black Desert Resort in Utah. I played the course back in May. Great looking layout with the black lava rock. 

 

Morning round at Mount Shasta Resort tomorrow, and Lake Shastina Golf Resort on Saturday. 

 

Edited October 11, 2024 by Argonne69

[StoutKing]

2 hours ago, Argonne69 said:

Ugh. Long day. Nearly 6 hours driving to Mount Shasta. It took me over 2 hours heading east out of Bandon to reach I-5. OR-42 is another twisty road with limited passing zones. The speed limit is 55 mph, but I could only average 40 mph with the blind curves. To add to the fun there was a dense fog, and I was driving into the rising sun for the first hour. The cherry on top was a 10 minute stoppage as maintenence crews cleared a rock slide. Unluckily I was the first vehicle the flagman stopped, so when we got the go ahead there had a to be a half mile of vehicles behind me. Like I needed any more stress. Lol. 

 

 

I drive south on I-5 was very scenic, but plenty of mountain passes to climb. The high point on the entire length of I-5 sits near the Oregon/California border, and it was a six mile climb up a lot 6 degree grade, and then back down again. There were some a couple more steep grades until reaching the Mt Shasta area. Highlight was catching my first glimpse of the moutain. Pulled over at a rest stop to snap a photo. 

 

 

Would have been nice to take the route along the Oregon coast to the California border, but it would have added an hour to the already long drive. 

 

Settled it at the KOA in Mt Shasta. Fairly small park, but standard KOA look and feel. Got lucky with a site out in the open. Most of the sites are wooded. Gravel pad is not quite level, but Bessie's wheels are still touching the ground. 

 

 

Not a lot of beer options in the area. Probably going to stay in an take care of of some business. I usually spend an hour booking RV parks and golf courses on travel days, but with them long drive I pulled out of Bandon early. Watching the PGA at Black Desert Resort in Utah. I played the course back in May. Great looking layout with the black lava rock. 

 

Morning round at Mount Shasta Resort tomorrow, and Lake Shastina Golf Resort on Saturday. 

 

Summiting Shasta is a good hike.  Should be some nice brews in Redding

[Argonne69]

13 minutes ago, StoutKing said:

Summiting Shasta is a good hike.  Should be some nice brews in Redding

 

I was looking at it longingly. Lol. A bit out of my league, though. It's a 10 mile hike with 7500' of climb. My max to date was a 4000' climb. Maybe some day, but not on this short visit. Looking at the reviews on AllTrails, it's a 12 hour day starting at 3 to 4 am. Not for the novice. 

 

I'm an hour north of Redding, so I'll have to take a pass on their breweries. On Sunday I head southeast to the Lake Almanor area. 

 

Edited October 11, 2024 by Argonne69

[StoutKing]

7 minutes ago, Argonne69 said:

 

I was looking at it longingly. Lol. A bit out of my league, though. It's a 10 mile hike with 7500' of climb. My max to date was a 4000' climb. Maybe some day, but not on this short visit. Looking at the reviews on AllTrails, it's a 12 hour day starting at 3 to 4 am. Not for the novice. 

 

I'm an hour north of Redding, so I'll have to take a pass on their breweries. On Sunday I head southeast to the Lake Almanor area. 

 

No doubt it's a full day.

 

If you do stop at the original Sierra Nevada brewery in Chico - the food is just as good as the beer.

[StoutKing]

I think you are playing in Truckee right?  Hopefully you get there soon.  Winter comes early in those parts.

[Argonne69]

39 minutes ago, StoutKing said:

I think you are playing in Truckee right?  Hopefully you get there soon.  Winter comes early in those parts.

 

Yeah, I arrive next Friday. Edgewood Tahoe and Old Greenwood will be closed after this weekend. I have rounds booked at Incline Village Championship and Gray's Crossing. 

 

From there I'll head to the Auburn area with rounds at Darkhorse and possibly Ancil Hoffman near Sacramento. 

 

I booked rounds at Bailey Creek near Lake Almanor, Grizzly Ranch, and Whitehawk Ranch next week before arriving in Truckee. 

 

Edited October 11, 2024 by Argonne69

[StoutKing]

Just now, Argonne69 said:

 

Yeah, I arrive next Friday. Edgewood Tahoe and Old Greenwood will be closed after this weekend. I have rounds booked at Incline Village Championship and Gray's Crossing. 

 

From there I'll head to the Auburn area with rounds at Darkhorse and possibly Ancil Hoffman near Sacramento. 

 

It's too bad Haggin Oaks butchered their course.  It's hard to believe it was a MacKenzie at one time.

[Mullenboy]

On 10/9/2024 at 6:39 AM, Argonne69 said:

 

No, unfortunately I haven't. I figured at some point I'd run into a fellow WRXer, but our community here is rather small compared to the greater golf population. I certainly don't increase the odds with the number of early morning solo rounds I play.

 

I tried like heck to meet you when you were near San Jose, CA.... invited you to my club... no interest in either thing.  So maybe it's me.  🙂  But my impression was you preferred to remain more anonymous.  Or maybe I am just a dick?  Don't answer that.  🙂 

[Pepetito]

Well thats not awkward or anything now.  Thanks Mullenboy.

[Argonne69]

Stopped for gas in Oregon before crossing into California yesterday, and paid $3.49 a gallon for regular. Passed a Chevron station near Mt. Shasta and it was over $5 a gallon. Ouch.

 

[Double Mocha Man]

Skip those reservations for golf courses. Just make reservations at gas stations along your route. And cash in some of your 401k.

[imkirby34]

1 hour ago, Argonne69 said:

Stopped for gas in Oregon before crossing into California yesterday, and paid $3.49 a gallon for regular. Passed a Chevron station near Mt. Shasta and it was over $5 a gallon. Ouch.

 

 

California Gas = $$$

California Chevron Gas = $$$$$  - Gotta pay extra for that Techron.

[imkirby34]

14 hours ago, Argonne69 said:

 

Yeah, I arrive next Friday. Edgewood Tahoe and Old Greenwood will be closed after this weekend. I have rounds booked at Incline Village Championship and Gray's Crossing. 

 

From there I'll head to the Auburn area with rounds at Darkhorse and possibly Ancil Hoffman near Sacramento. 

 

I booked rounds at Bailey Creek near Lake Almanor, Grizzly Ranch, and Whitehawk Ranch next week before arriving in Truckee. 

 

 

I think you may enjoy Gray's Crossing.  I feel fortunate to have played there, Old Greenwood, and Coyote Moon, on a single trip 10+ years ago.  I haven't played Ancil Hoffman, but that was one of the courses we almost played a few weeks ago when we played Darkhorse, Lincoln Hills, and TheRidge.  The other course we almost played was Bartley Cavanaugh which is at the very south edge of Sac on I-5 - it's literally right next to 5.

[Mullenboy]

5 hours ago, Pepetito said:

Well thats not awkward or anything now.  Thanks Mullenboy.

Awkward was begging to meet up and being denied.  🙂

 

Hey I am smiling.  This whole tour Argonne has done has been very fun to follow.  But if he says he has failed to meet up with locals... it really seems to be his choice, not his bad luck or anything.  And that too is fine!

 

 

[Argonne69]

1 minute ago, Mullenboy said:

Awkward was begging to meet up and being denied.  🙂

 

Hey I am smiling.  This whole tour Argonne has done has been very fun to follow.  But if he says he has failed to meet up with locals... it really seems to be his choice, not his bad luck or anything.  And that too is fine!

 

 

It's generally a matter of timing, as schedules don't usually align. I've traded messages with numerous members here, but most of the time the planets don't align. 

 

I'll be in San Jose in a month with a little more flexibility in my schedule. Hopefully we'll cross paths. 

 

[Mullenboy]

15 minutes ago, Argonne69 said:

 

It's generally a matter of timing, as schedules don't usually align. I've traded messages with numerous members here, but most of the time the planets don't align. 

 

I'll be in San Jose in a month with a little more flexibility in my schedule. Hopefully we'll cross paths. 

 

Sounds good.  I'd like that.

[rooski]

24 minutes ago, Argonne69 said:

 

It's generally a matter of timing, as schedules don't usually align. I've traded messages with numerous members here, but most of the time the planets don't align. 

 

I'll be in San Jose in a month with a little more flexibility in my schedule. Hopefully we'll cross paths. 

 

 

I was going to try hard to figure out how to join up for a round to be part of the thread, but once one starts trying to actually plan it out, the 7:30AM Tuesday morning tee times 3 hours away from the house are a lot more difficult to work out than you'd think for a guy with a M-F career lol