LOOPERS AND WARM-UPS
Whether you play just one course (shame on you) or them all, consider a caddie for at least one round. They’re an intrinsic part of the Bandon experience and, thanks to Director of Caddy Operations Vincent Quattrocchi’s leadership and founder Mike Keiser’s commitment to their art, amount to the finest group of loopers extant.
Want more? A beer-in-hand putting contest on the sprawling 18-cup Punchbowl, which is situated a few yards from Pacific’s first tee, is all but required, while a work-out-the-kinks circuit of Shorty’s Practice Center is a great way to start each day.
PERFECTION ON A PLATE
When it comes to food and beverage, Bandon does it right. Credit Executive Chef Don McCradic for creating menus at the resort’s half-dozen eateries that keep the core customer in mind — big burgers and sandwiches, manly salads and, when dinner rolls around, comfort-food entrees like lamb shank and meatloaf (the McKee’s Pub staple that got McCradic his job), all washed down with a local craft beer or Oregon pinot. At the same time, he and his crew manage to stretch the boundaries of what “golf course chow” should be, especially at the Pacific Grill, an award-winning, locally sourced seafood showcase.
Bandon even builds a better macaroni and cheese — a big, steaming dish of al dente pasta clad in a sinful sauce of white cheddar, grilled chicken, pancetta bacon and green chiles. It’s the best belly-busting 13 bucks you’ll ever spend.
NOW IS THE TIME
One of many unique qualities about Bandon Dunes is that no moment, thought, vista or flavor fades behind the light of another. Every memory you gather and savor develops its own indelible shine; few destinations can stir such feelings in a golfer. How Keiser and Co. managed to gain that high station so quickly and authentically is now the stuff of do-whatever-you-can-to-get-there legend.
The next 20 years starts right now.
