Bandon Dunes' 16th hole draws raves and razzes for its unconventional design.
The 16th hole at Bandon Dunes Resort’s namesake course was the most controversial during the construction phase and it continues to be a lightning rod for debate for those on a Bandon Dunes Golf Vacation.
Set along beach-side cliffs, this 363-yard par four requires a heroic drive across a deep, gorse-filled chasm to a fairway that is split transversely into upper and lower levels by a grassy dune.
When the wind is swirling, landing the ball in the preferred upper portion can seem more like a stroke of luck than skill, but the hole, whose green seems to perch on the edge of space and time, could hardly be more beautiful or dramatic. Love it or hate it, you certainly won’t forget it.
Course architect David McLay Kidd admits that he took the hole in an entirely different direction from what he and owner Mike Keiser had originally discussed. But what could have cost him his job proved to be one of the defining moments in the course’s creation.
“It gave me the confidence to push design ideas; to go with my instincts and not the convention of what’s fair and unfair,” he says. “A lot of that has been dreamed up in the last two or three generations and it’s often the ruination of good design.”
Read more about the design of Bandon Dunes here
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{ 2 comments… read them below or add one }
You guys need a NEW architectural editor!!! The sheer beauty of Bandon Dunes #16 effectively precludes any ‘meaningful” debate. The real culprit of controversy award handily goes to Bandon Trails #14. The preceding walk (or ride) from the serene 13th coupled with arrival to the most elevated tee in all of the Pacific Northwest conspire to only warm up the criticism or pleasure to come. The perch, shape and cant of the 14th’s green unfailingly provokes anything from brutal criticism to masochistic joy. NOBODY walks off this hole without a strong opinion, mostly expressed while muttering out loud. Hell, the resort ought to put a psychiatric booth (ala Peanuts) on the way to the next tee. No shortage of colorful language would be found here….often the evidence of real controversy.
Bandon Trails #14 needs work. It’s penal at every opportunity. The tee shot is very difficult to keep on the left side. It all funnels down to the diviot riddled right side. Getting the approach to hold the green is wishful thinking. When you hit through, you roll down to another very difficult chip shot. I like challenging holes- but this hole allows no relief and good shots are still penalized. That said, the other 17 holes are spectacular and I love Bandon Trails. 14 is an outlier and I imagine will eventually be fixed.