Old Macdonald, which was the fourth 18 hole course to open at Bandon Dunes Golf Resort, pays homage to the legenedary architect Charles Blair Macdonald. Macdonald (1855 - 1939) was a key figure in the Golden Age of American golf course architecture. He design philosophies were based on different hole designs or templates from the greatest holes in the British Isles that would test a great player's game while allowing mediocre and poor players angles and options to score well. He designed countless classics but two of the most notable are Chicago Golf Club and National Golf Links of America.
Old Mac, as its commonly referred to at Bandon was designed by Tom Doak and Jim Urbina. They took the templates that Macdonald made famous and plotted 18 unique but recognizable holes are the Northern end of the Bandon Dunes property.
I always find it hard to separate how I played and the course itself. I suppose my views might be skewed based on my play or you could argue that the course suits my eye and game better and therefore that’s why I had more fun at a particular place. Either way, I think Old Mac might be my favorite of all the Bandon courses. I found it challenging but fair and adequately rewarding of good shots. I also think that its just a ton of fun. The course has quirks and character and feels unique and familiar all at the same time.
As with most courses that I write about there’s plenty of literature on Old Mac so I won’t try to outdo everyone that’s written about it before. Rather, I’ll share a few of my favorite aspects and holes on the course.
The Bunkering
The bunkering at all of the Bandon courses is great but for whatever reason I found the bunkers at Old Mac to be absolutely superb. The shaping and the placement in relation to each hole is masterfully done and they’re about as pretty as a sand trap can get.
The Ghost Tree
The 3rd hole is framed, well a better word might be “defined”, by an iconic Port Orford Cedar. The hole is fashioned after Macdonald’s Sahara design which forces golfers to attack a hole that is nestled behind a dune or mound causing the tee shot to be blind. The hole could be driven by longer hitters but that forces you to have to flirt with the ghost tree. The safe play is well right of the tree out into a massively large fairway.
Par 3s
Hole 5 - Short, 160 yds Par 3
Aptly named, Short is the shortest hole on the course. The green is divided into multiple quadrants by massive slopes. The coolest pin location if front to front-left. There is a bit of a trough at the bottom of the green with a dramatic backstop that allows players to throw balls into the hill and watch them spin back to the pin. Get your cell phones out as this is the prime location on property to witness a hole in one!
Hole 8 - Biarritz, 181 yds Par 3
Standing atop the highest part of the course, with the ocean behind you, the 8th hole is just a cool hole. The Biarritz, which derives its name from a hole designed by Willie Dunn in Biarritz, France, is a long par three that falls down to a green with a deep swale running the middle of it. Distance control is key here as being on the wrong end of the green can be problematic to say the least!
The Alps
The 16th hole is another great template. The Alps starts with a relatively demanding tee shot. You want to hammer a ball as far down the right-center of the fairway as possible for the ideal angle into a completely blind approach. The green is obscured by a huge mound ("The Alps") and golfers must use a pole atop the hill and their caddies to guide their approach. The green is large and slopes from back to front. Throw a long shot into the green and hope that your ball rolls back towards the hole. Skill is helpful here but enjoy the madness as there's definitely some luck involved with this approach.
Grades (where 1 is significantly below average and 5 is significantly above)
Scenery: 5 stars
Design: 5 stars
Condition: 5 stars
History: 4 star
Practice Facilities: 5 stars
Experience: 5 stars
Click here for a more detailed breakdown of how I think about course ratings.
Closing thoughts: Old Mac is fun. PERIOD! I surprisingly did not play this course on my first two trips to Bandon. Hopefully those two trips will be the only two trips that I ever take to Bandon where I don't get to play this course.
