Featured Interns: The Scotsmen / Rory Campbell And Fraser Johnston

September 26, 2018 by Bandon Dunes

Rory Campbell has a simple way of crystallizing the differences between golf in the United States and his native Scotland.

“It’s all match play and public golf,” Campbell, 20, describes golf in his home country.

Admittedly, Rory and his friend Fraser Johnston are just learning the intricacies of American golf, which is the very point of why they are at Bandon Dunes Golf Resort in the first place. Campbell and Johnston — who are both studying professional golf management at University of the Highlands and Islands near famed Royal Dornoch — arrived together in May as interns in Bandon Dunes’ professional golf management internship program.

It has been a whirlwind: Beginning when they received their visas in May and four days later boarded a flight from Glasgow to Eugene, Ore. — via Philadelphia and San Francisco, and then rerouted thanks to a delay, through Seattle. But the experience has been as enriching as it has been eye-opening, they both say.

One thing, though, has truly baffled them — Americans’ preference for stroke play.

“Match play is just far more inclusive,” explains the 21-year-old Johnston. “If you have a buddy who is just taking up golf, you can play against him in a competitive match. In stroke play, it wouldn’t be competitive at all. Match play is HUGE for keeping interested in the game. I don’t want to go out and shoot 120.”

“More people here go out and have to take a ‘9’ and actually have to hit all the shots,” Campbell adds. “But if I lose a hole in match play, I just go on to the next hole. Even when I play with my dad on a weekend game, we play match play. It was always more competitive and inclusive that way.”

As competitive golfers at their university — which in Scotland is more akin to a college club program than the more formal NCAA-sanctioned athletic programs in the U.S. — Campbell and Johnston know their way around a match. But neither are at Bandon Dunes or university to sharpen their playing skills.

Both are preparing for a career in golf — Rory as a club professional and Fraser with an eye toward golf course design. And they are at Bandon Dunes to soak up everything they can about resort golf in the United States at a place much larger in scale than anything they would find back home.

“I realized I wasn’t a good enough player to play professionally, so I went to Royal Dornoch and joined the golf management program,” Campbell says.

The seed of golf was planted early. Johnston grew up in the small inland town of Paisley, not far from Glasgow. Campbell was raised in the self-described “wee village of Inveraray,” about 60 miles northwest of Paisley.

Their introduction to golf as young children might not be what Americans would envision for a young Scotsman. Both grew up playing tiny parkland-style courses that would often be bogged down by the moisture of the climate.

It wouldn’t be until they began to compete as they got older that they began to immerse themselves in the links game that was born in the cradle of golf.

“Even growing up it was links golf over parkland. I always hit a low ball flight and I loved the chance,” Johnston says. “The ball is never dead until it stops. You can hit a good shot and it ends up in a bunker. I like that feel game instead of just hitting a 152 yard shot and it lands 152. I enjoy the guesswork.”

As their roots grew deeper, they became more intrigued by the golf business as a career. Those interests would become easier to pursue when the university in Dornoch launched the first PGM program in Scotland.

The golf industry in Scotland is different than the U.S. Golf tends to be public and easily accessible, the resorts that are there tend to be smaller than their U.S. counterparts.

They had already come to know Bandon Dunes by reputation. Then they became more familiar through the process of Mr. Keiser and his partners in trying to open Coul Links, a proposed links course designed by Bill Coore and Ben Crenshaw in the northern section of Scotland. Impressed with a Coul Links presentation by Coore, Campbell, and Johnston also became intrigued by Bandon Dunes.

Still, the Oregon Coast was an ocean and a continent away.

“We talked about Bandon Dunes in class as an example of one of the top resorts,” Campbell says. “Then our lecturers went to the PGA Merchandise Show in Florida and met a contact at Penn State’s PGM program who told them about Bandon Dunes’ internship program. That helped open the door to the idea.”

Though they had worked at Royal Dornoch, for two budding golf professionals the opportunity to work at a golf resort the size of Bandon Dunes was irresistible.

“I’ve never worked anywhere with the scale of this,” Johnston says. “Clubs back home you have your golf pro, you have your secretary. You don’t even have a caddy master. But here you have a caddy department. You have a management department. You have golf professionals and a retail department. It’s just a massive, massive operation, and something that I hadn’t experienced ever.”

They were eventually awarded positions in Bandon Dunes’ internship program, which typically includes a little more than a dozen interns at a given time. Even a laborious visa process couldn’t stop them.

They arrived in May and the experience so far has been a combination of hard work, rigorous education, and a fair amount of fun on the course, usually playing once or twice a week. (Though not much travel, since neither has a car).

“The golf and people have been great,” Johnston says. “There are different quarks in the culture, but I’m sure people think we have different quarks in our culture. We drive on the wrong side of the road … things like that.”

What other quarks?

“Anything from language, to food, to driving,” he adds. “There are different ways to say things, different ways to do things.”

The pace of play in the U.S. seems a bit less a priority, too.

“Back home you get your foursome, you go out and play in less than four hours, you pick up if you’re making double bogey, you’d get around … then drink after and talk about it,” says Johnston.

“And you’d play match play,” Campbell interjects.

The golf business is different, too.

Rotating every three months, Campbell got his start in the ever-busy Bandon Dunes golf shop before moving to Bandon Trails. Johnston started at Old Macdonald and is now in the Bandon Dunes shop.

And a few things have struck them, including how Bandon Dunes treats its guests and the service Bandonistas have come to expect.

I have in-depth conversations with guests multiple times a day," Campbell says. "Conversations about links golf, what it is like working here. Bandon's guests seem really excited to know more about the resort and a lot of Americans are really interested in what it’s like compared to back home.”

They also find familiarity in the links golf. Bandon Dunes, the favorite of Campbell, is exhilarating, he says. Old Macdonald, the favorite of Johnston, plays particularly close to the Scottish links he finds at home.

“I’ve not been bored on it yet,” he says of Old Mac. “I’ve not played the same round yet, and I don’t think I will. I don’t lose balls. And I’m usually good at keeping the ball on the ground rather than the air. Yeah, I like Old Mac.”

Campbell's parents visited recently, which afforded them both a chance to see more of Oregon and beyond. So far the experience has been rewarding enough that they are both considering the possibilities of extending their stays in the U.S., or if not, returning someday soon.

“So far it’s been great,” Johnston says. “We're lucky to be here learning and I don’t have a bad word to say.”

Stay Cool. Play Links Golf.

August 13, 2018 by Bandon Dunes

The breezes off the Pacific Ocean have shaped Oregon’s rugged coast for eons, creating the natural canvas on which Bandon Dunes now rests. It is this coastal weather that makes true links golf so unpredictable and engaging, and often a welcome relief from summer’s heat.

At Bandon Dunes, that coastal weather is always a source of conversation and a consideration on when to plan your next visit, but the weather has also been top of mind for golfers everywhere, it seems.

This summer has been one for the record books, with points across the country and beyond hitting thermostat-busting new highs. In fact, June & July were among the warmest on record, and August appears to be following suit.

Learning to manage the summer conditions is an important part of golf for many of us, and typically a small price to pay for playing a game we all love, to be sure. Yet a cool breeze this time of year is always a welcome change of pace. And while golfers around the country toil under a sweltering summer sun, Bandon Dunes keeps cool with the natural air-conditioning that the Pacific Ocean provides.

While the dog days of summer are in full swing throughout much of the country, Bandon Dunes is entering its most reliably gorgeous stretch of weather. High temperatures in Bandon average just 68 degrees in August. In September, 67 degrees. And in October, the average high dips to a beautifully mild 63 degrees — about the same average high as one will find here in June.

August, September, and October happen to be three of the driest months of the year, too.

Climate data only gives us so much insight, though. What is truly intriguing is the opportunities those clear, mild days present.

Some quintessential Bandon moments become more likely in August, September, and October. Watching the clear, blue sky seemingly set on fire as the sun fades behind the Pacific Ocean as you play the 16th at Bandon Dunes is a memory of a lifetime. And the chance to see it only increases in late summer and early fall. The late summer and early fall also offer ample opportunity to take advantage of the replay rates, with plenty of daylight to finish a full 36 (or more) holes.

Of course, defying expectations is part of the Bandon Dunes experience, too. While Bandon Dunes offers the chance to simply escape the heat of summer or to stave off the early fall chill in August, September, and October, clear, sunny days are more common throughout the year at Bandon than many might think.

Whether escaping the heat in August, savoring the fall, sneaking in a visit on a surprisingly calm winter day, or getting a jump on the year in spring, the golf season never ends at Bandon Dunes.

To Experience True Links Golf This Fall

CALL (855)417-1854

Links Golf: Brown is beautiful

July 18, 2018 by Bandon Dunes

Every July during The Open Championship, images of faded green and brown fescues beam back to the high-def televisions of the United States, where golfers are accustomed to the manicured emerald green fairways of parkland golf.

Links golf — the original style of course design that came about naturally along the coasts of Scotland — is often misunderstood by the uninitiated, especially during The Open Championship. This week at Carnoustie, the siren calls have predictably come again.

Of course, the whole idea of Bandon Dunes Golf Resort is rooted on this most traditional style of the game. And we happen to think the faded green and brown turf (we prefer the term “tawny” actually) of links golf is quite beautiful and presents the most enjoyable form of golf.

George Peper, an authority on links golf who co-wrote True Links with Malcolm Campbell, describes (with help from the British Golf Museum) links golf as “a stretch of land near the coast on which the game is played, characterized by undulating terrain, often associated with dunes, infertile sandy soil, and indigenous grasses such as marram, sea lyme, and the fescues and bents which, when properly managed, produce the fine, textured, tight turf for which links are famed."

“Formed more by Mother Nature than man,” the original courses in Scotland gave birth to links golf, Peper wrote in his 2010 book, adding that only 246 of the 30,000 courses worldwide are true links courses.

As most any Bandonista knows by now, Mr. Mike Keiser set out to bring links golf to the United States. Bandon Dunes, Pacific Dunes, and Old Macdonald (whose namesake, C.B. Macdonald, brought the foundation of links golf to the U.S.), are three of those true links courses described by Peper (Although Bandon Trails plays exactly like a links course, it is just inland enough to not make the list).

When Bandon Dunes opened in 1999, links golf was almost entirely absent from the U.S. In America, parkland-style courses — think Augusta National — dominated golf course design for the entire 20th century.

Why did Keiser envision bringing the classic links designs back to the U.S.? He had made a habit of playing the great links courses of Scotland, Ireland, England, and Wales. And he had come to love the style.

Links golf is played differently than the aerial game so common at American parkland courses. At Bandon Dunes — like Carnoustie and St. Andrews — those tawny fescues laid over sand create a naturally firm and fast surface. Coastal winds are ever-present. The undulating, uneven surfaces factor into every shot, and the tight lies of the fine fescues dictate club selection.

These characteristics force golfers to play a game closer to the ground. Wedges play a diminished role in links golf, giving way to bump-and-run shots that are often a much smarter play. Lower ball flights are prized to minimize the effect of those winds. With tight lies that characterize those firm, fast fescues, a putter is almost always a reliable weapon ... even from the fairway.

“Wind and water, hillocks and hollows, mounds and pits, marram-grass and bents — these are the hazards of the links; and while they are all difficult to contend with, there is not one of them which cannot be overcome by the skill of the golfer,” wrote Robert Hunter, an early 20th century author and golf course architect.

Links golf encourages imagination. Rarely is there just one obvious route to the hole. Recovering from a bad shot often comes down to finding the alternative route or a different kind of shot.

This is where the magic of links golf really comes from, even if it takes some getting used to for American golfers. Just ask Tom Watson, a five-time Open winner who embraced links golf more than any other American professional.

Embed from Getty Images

“Even though I won the Open in 1975 and 1977, I still didn't like the way the game had to be played on links courses because I was so conditioned to play the ball high in the air.” Watson said in a 2009 interview. “Links was the antithesis of how I played. I started to realize I had a love for links golf in 1979 when I made the decision to stop fighting it and play the ball along the ground and not get upset when the bounces didn't turn out the way I wanted. I think it goes back to my childhood when I had to play the ball along the ground because I couldn't get it up in the air and I couldn't hit it far enough so I had to bounce the ball onto the greens [laughs].

“American golf is so predictable it sometimes becomes boring,” he added. “Everybody plays the same shot the same way. Whereas links golf is so unpredictable. That's its beauty.”

As American golf fans watch the greatest golfers in the world battle Carnoustie this weekend, remember that those tawny fescues are no accident. As young Spanish star Jon Rahm said this week upon his arrival: “I forgot the fact the R&A lets Mother Nature set up the course.”

Letting nature dictate the game? At Bandon Dunes, this sounds like music to our ears.

Hickory Players Time Travel at Bandon Dunes

August 14, 2017 by Bandon Dunes

For the Auld Golf Society, forget what golf is MEANT to be. This was truly and unapologetically exactly how golf USED to be: complete with genuine antique hickory-shafted clubs, vintage replica golf balls, and of course, knickers and other era-appropriate clothing.

Chris “Auld Mac” McIntyre and the other members of his Auld Golf Society share a similar — but at the same time altogether different — philosophy. Like most Bandonistas, they relished the bonding experience of their recent trip to Bandon Dunes, which happened to be the first for many of the golfers in McIntyre’s group.

“We take the advanced technicality of the modern game out of the equation, preferring instead a philosophy that if you’re going to play hickory golf, let’s play it how it was,” says McIntyre, who lives near San Diego.

Bandon Dunes has hosted some unique events over the years, including the Speedgolf World Championships. But the Auld Golf Society’s inaugural Bandon Dunes event was unusual and unconventional by just about any standard. To fully grasp it you must understand McIntyre, a one-man walking golf history museum.

He first eschewed the advantages of the modern game in favor of hickory and three-legged tees in the late 1990s, and instantly fell in love with the historical version of golf. For McIntyre, the hickory game was less about scoring and distance, and more about shot making and fun.

An 8-handicap with modern equipment at his peak, McIntyre immersed himself in the hickory game. He found and then fully restored, genuine antique clubs shipped from Great Britain. A toolmaker by trade, he wanted more authentic golf balls to play, so he founded (and later sold) the McIntyre Golf Company that makes balls to the exact specifications found more than 100 years ago. He has even helped foster an online community of hickory golfers.

“The challenge in doing something like this is to get people focused on the right thing, and the right thing, in this case, is playing a match with your friends using all the rules and the games that golf’s founders did,” McIntyre said.

After years of organically growing this pure version of the old game, McIntyre was left with one last thing to do: plan an event that truly celebrates his unique, historically accurate version of the game. And to accomplish this crowning achievement, he had to find a host facility that made sense.

“Bandon Dunes was the first place that popped into my mind,” said McIntyre, who had made multiple trips to Bandon Dunes before. “If I was going to do something my way, I gotta do it there. I had a pretty good picture in my mind. … I saw how we could use these courses as a way to really get people there, keep them drawn into what it is we are trying to do, and then get to go play the game the way it was on these wonderful courses. It made perfect sense to me.”

With the help of Durel Billy, McIntyre’s friend and a fellow hickory golf enthusiast who created a hickory golf club in his home state of Washington, they began to plan.

The weekend would start with a turn on Shorty’s, but the real event would be held over two days of golf contested on Bandon Dunes and Old Macdonald. It would have to be nine-hole matches, played in pods between similarly skilled players and without handicaps.http://bandondunesgolf.com/blog/shortys-bandon-dunes-practice-center

“Wearing our knickers and being there playing original clubs, playing an era ball, in that setting was truly special,” said Billy, who had never before visited Bandon Dunes. “Doing it there just amplified that special feeling, and Chris is to be commended for his vision and keeping with the soul of what this is all about.”

With twenty hickory golfers traveling from all over the country, the inaugural event was a hit — and not just from tee to green. Playing the old style game on courses so traditionally designed was an almost spiritual experience.

“We’re already planning on going back again next spring,” McIntyre said. “I think everybody that walked away from it just couldn’t say enough good things about the courses, the views, the games, the people, the fun, and everything. I want to do it again and I want to do it even better.”

Both men are hopeful that this is just the beginning. To be certain, they have no grand illusion that a mass of golfers will turn the clock back a century or more. But they do dream of a day when golfers will ease their hyper focus on driving distance and score in relation to par, and focus instead on what makes golf great.

In other words, playing golf as it was meant to be.

Ensuring a great walk is never spoiled

July 19, 2017 by Bandon Dunes

The sun fades over the Pacific Ocean as you relax with friends, enjoying a beverage, and trading memories made over the course of a very long day. After walking 36 of the most beautiful holes most golfers will ever see, you’re inevitably tired but overcome with a sense of joy.

The moments to cherish at Bandon Dunes Golf Resort differ with each Bandonista, but few are as universally satisfying as those following a 36-hole day. It’s a rite of passage, woven into the fabric of what makes this place special. (It’s also a pretty great way to save a bit with our replay rates.)

Of course, no easy journey is ever as gratifying. Walking 36 holes at Bandon Dunes, a journey that can stretch to around 12 miles requires endurance and preparation. In the end, you don’t want to be the player who fades down the stretch or worse yet, quits before the day’s journey is complete. Take if from us, your buddies will never let you hear the end of it.

So what is a Bandonista to do to get ready? Well, it comes down to three things: Preparation, fueling up properly on and off the course, and rest before and after your round.

Preparation

It’s funny, when taking a big golf trip most any golfer will take the necessary steps to sharpen their golf games. But many will neglect a pre-trip fitness routine. They should not.

More than half of all golfers in a recent USGA study say they opt for a cart if one is available. With that in mind, it’s fair to say that walking 18 holes, much less 36 holes, is hardly standard operating procedure for many golfers.

You don’t have to become a workout warrior to get ready. But before making a trip to Bandon, consider changing your cart habit and walk your rounds. In addition, whether it be a brisk cruise around the neighborhood or some extended time on the treadmill, make a habit of walking as much as you can in the weeks ahead. Simple things like opting for the stairs instead of the elevator at work, or parking at the back of the grocery store lot, can make meaningful contributions to your pre-visit fitness regime.

Trust us, your body and your golf game will thank you once at the resort.

Fueling up

Eating properly is a crucial piece that is often taken for granted by recreational golfers, but not eating right over 36 holes at Bandon can leave you feeling sluggish and your golf game in a heap (or vice versa). After all, a walking golfer burns on average twice as many calories as a golfer riding a cart.

When you play 36, chances are you’re going to have an early start and you will have time between rounds for lunch. Eat a full meal before both rounds, opting for lean proteins, fruits, and vegetables, for extra energy. Bandon Dunes has no shortage of restaurants, of course, and both breakfast and lunch options are available at each golf course.

A refuel during each round is typically necessary, too. Be sure to tuck some energy bars, fruit or your favorite snack in your bag from the on-course turnstands. You’ll find quick eats (and your favorite cold beverages, of course) at Bandon Dunes (at the turn), Bandon Trails (accessible on Nos. 7, 8, 10 and11), Pacific Dunes (near No. 4 tee and No. 12 green, with incredible views), Old MacDonald (off No. 7 and 15 greens, and serving the best “snack shack” views in the world), and The Preserve (accessible on Nos. 4, 8, and 11).

And whatever you do, don’t forget to drink plenty of water.

Proper rest and stretching

On the course, it’s time to exert yourself. But before, during, and after a 36-hole day, golfers should take extra care of their bodies. Stretch and warm up before each round, including the second round of the day, and stretch after the final round. We have all heard of the breakfast and lunch ball off the first tee but don’t rely on them for your warm up session!

After the day is done, enjoy a Swedish, deep tissue or sports massage from a certified therapist in our massage center. Bandon Dunes guests have access to our workout facilities, Jacuzzi, and sauna. And a trip to The Labyrinth, a maze intended for walking meditation, will return a golfer to a relaxed state of mind.

Do it all right, and you’ll be ready for another 36 the next day!

2017 Bob Norquist Oregon Junior Amateur

July 7, 2017 by Bandon Dunes

The 87th Bob Norquist Oregon Junior Amateur has taken Bandon Dunes by storm and the smiles from all the participants couldn't be brighter! #GrowTheGame

Be a kid again at the Oregon Junior Amateur at Bandon Dunes!

Looper Cup 2016

November 16, 2016 by Bandon Dunes

The 2nd Annual Looper Cup has come to a close. If you followed last year's Looper Cup, you'd know that Pine Valley squared off against Bandon Dunes in a fun yet competitive match. In an effort to celebrate the successes of these decorated caddie programs we hosted a friendly competition and this year we added Pebble Beach into the mix. Four teams squared off: a Bandon Dunes team, Pine Valley team, Pacific Dunes team and the newly added Pebble Beach team. Each player had to qualify for a spot on their squads.

Conditions this year were a little up and down, but smiles were ear to ear.

Bandon Dunes No. 7:

Bandon Dunes No. 5:

Bandon Dunes No. 6

As the last round on Pacific Dunes came to a close, the players shuffled up to Pacific Grill for some grub and to talk about how the event played out. Pacific Dunes No. 18:

While gathering to take the group photo, the clouds broke and lit up the Punchbowl with a fantastic golden light. A wonderful ending that left us all looking forward to next year. In the end, the Bandon team finished on top, but it was the new friendships forged in the spirit of the game that everyone will recall. These loopers had a fun and competitive match and we hope to see them again soon!

STAFF FEATURE: INTERVIEW WITH SCOTT MILLHOUSER

June 28, 2016 by Bandon Dunes

The cool morning air hits you in the face as you step out of the shuttle. You rub the sleep out of your eyes. The driver grabs your clubs out of the back of the shuttle, sets them down, shakes your hand and gives you and your three best buddies a quick piece of golf advice, "Enjoy the morning walk, gents!"

You make your way towards the Bandon Trails clubhouse to check in and gear up for the busy day of golf. As you walk into the golf shop, there is a tall, wide-smiled golf professional waiting there who greets you with a "Good morning, sir! Anything I may help you with today?" He answers all your questions, and you make your way to the first tee feeling prepared for the day.

What you might not have found out during the haze of an early morning is that staffer who helped in the shop is not only enhancing your daily golf experience but is also making big moves in our local community to help bring the game of golf closer to our next generation!

Known around the resort as our junior golf guru, Scott Millhouser is not only the Head Golf Professional at Bandon Trails, but he's also the Head Golf Coach for Bandon High School and helps teach the Southwestern Oregon Community College men and women's golf teams.

We sat down with Scott between clinics to talk to him about his involvement with coaching young golfers, embodying the Bandon Dunes golf experience and balancing all of that with family life and two young kids at home.

Hey Scottie, thanks for all you do to ensure our guests and local juniors have the best golf experience possible. Let's start out with some history, where are you originally from, how long have you lived in Bandon and worked at the resort?
Thanks! I am originally from Dallas, Oregon. I have lived on the South Coast of Oregon for just over 11 years while working at Bandon Dunes Golf Resort.

Wow, the time sure does fly around here. Tell us, how do you balance work, play, coaching, and family life at home?
First, I have a wonderful wife who understands I am living my dream job. The culture at Bandon Dunes makes us feel like part of a larger family. My family enjoys playing golf, so we play where I work. Occasionally my young son will come to high school golf practice with me so we can spend more time together and the kids on the team have been great to him. We also enjoy the resort’s walking trails, and we do our best to get to the beach whenever we can.

A balanced life for sure! How long have you been coaching high school and junior golf around Bandon?
I started volunteering as the boy's Assistant Coach for Bandon High School nine years ago. I officially became the boy's Head Coach in 2012 and just finished my fifth season. This year I also took over as the girl's coach and have really enjoyed coaching both boys and girls golf. I've been involved with our junior golf programs at the resort since 2005. A couple of seasons later I realized that I wanted to follow through with the progress we had in our summer junior golf programs into the high school golf season.

How did your teams finish up this year?
We had our best turn out with sixteen boys and six girls this year! Both teams had a lot of fun and made solid progress in their games throughout the season. We had our top ranked girl win a few tournaments along with our top ranked boy winning a handful as well. Both kids have been participants in our summer junior golf programs over the past five years, and it has been incredibly fulfilling to see the progress they have made since they first attended our junior golf programs. Looking forward, we are excited to start building on the successes of this year and are lucky to have a number of returning players.

That is great stuff! Expand more on teaching golf to youngsters. What's rewarding about it? How do you ensure that your students balance fun and competition out on the course to keep them coming back for more?
Teaching golf to kids is extremely enjoyable. We try to provide a safe learning environment that cultivates confidence and character. This level of confidence allows them to have fun and be themselves. Their excitement for life, golf, and anything fun is contagious. It’s rewarding to see their reaction when they make their first putt or hit their first drive in the air and is longer than they expected. They smile, laugh, and cheer, and instantly you know they are hooked on golf. Once they hit a good shot, they cannot wait to show off what they have learned. We provide them with instruction followed by a brief competition. By keeping the competition short, they are left wanting more, and it helps bring them back week after week!

What is the best way to get kids excited about golf?
The best way to get kids excited about golf is to let them be themselves. Only focus on what they are doing right, because nobody likes being told what they are doing wrong. If you provide them with fun games and encouragement, they will remember that they had a great experience on the golf course and crave more.

Speaking of great experiences, when you take them out on our courses what is their reaction to the scenery? Does it remind you of the excitement we see in our adult guests?
Absolutely! Both our juniors and adult guests have the same reaction to our courses. It's like kids in a candy shop. They start dreaming about the next hole they are going to play and the enjoyment it will bring them.

Lastly, if there is a guest who is enquiring about junior clinics how should they go about finding more information?
They can email me at smillhouser@bandondunesgolf.com or call my office at 541-347-5973. It is worth noting that a lot of our clinics are complimentary and conducted at our Practice Center. They can also check out our summer clinic schedule available at this link! Thanks for helping promote junior golf!

UPDATE:
Scott's illustration has been featured on a custom club cover from Seamus Golf!

Big thanks to @seamusgolf for creating this head cover for my very close friend and Head Golf Pro at #bandontrails Scott Millhouser. Scott is a class act and this is an image of his beautiful, smooth, buttery golf swing!! Big love to him and #seamusgolf #whyilovethisgame #pga365 #oregongolf #bandondunes #bandondunesgolf @bandondunesgolf #pnwgolf #playerswanted #pacificdunes #enjoyyourwalk @boo_her @kempersports

A photo posted by Brian (@mands_on) on Oct 7, 2016 at 6:03pm PDT

Short Par-4s at Bandon Dunes ft. Grant Rogers

January 26, 2016 by Bandon Dunes

We asked you a few weeks back via our social channels which short Par-4 on-property gives you the most trouble and three different holes led the charge. Pacific Dunes No. 6, Pacific Dunes No. 16 & Bandon Trails No. 14.

In this day and age, when hitting the ball longer seems to get everyone excited, it is small but sneaky holes such as these that will test your mental toughness and often leave you wondering how an obvious "birdie hole" turned into a bogey or worse. To get the inside scoop on how to navigate these architectural gems we sat down with Grant Rogers, Director of Instruction at Bandon Dunes Golf Resort. Check out his thoughts below!

Q: Grant, what is your favorite aspect of the short Par-4's around Bandon Dunes Golf Resort?

A: The short Par-4’s at Bandon Dunes Golf Resort are great because you can substitute skill and strategy for power and distance. The architects didn’t make any of the short Par-4’s easy, they made them challenging! Everyone has a chance to play the short Par-4’s well at Bandon Dunes Golf Resort, but you will still have to hit some great golf shots or be lucky!

Q: Our followers mentioned Pacific Dunes No. 6 and No. 16 specifically as two troublesome holes. Care to share your secrets for successfully playing these two holes on Pacific Dunes?

A: You should be thinking about the 6th and 16th holes at Pacific Dunes when you are heading to the first tee from the parking lot! You should have the feeling that these holes will be waiting for you! The tee shots are really critical on both of these holes.

You have to hit your tee shot to the right side of the 6th fairway to have the best chance of getting on the green with your second shot. On the 16th hole, you have to hit your ball to the left side of the fairway, which gives you a much better angle for your second shot.

On the 6th hole, I usually putt the ball up the hill to the green. Rolling the ball always seems easier to me than hitting a perfect wedge shot from a tight lie. On the 16th hole, you need to take a little bit more time on your second shot. I usually have good luck taking an easy swing with a light grip using a lofted club. Try to remember that when you reach the green it is not over! Unless I am really close I try to lag my first putt on both of these greens. Downhill putts on both of these greens can be fast.

Q: There were also multiple mentions of Bandon Trails No. 14 being the toughest short Par-4 on property. How would you mentally approach No. 14?

A: The 14th hole at Bandon Trails is a classic golf adventure. It is not the toughest short Par-4 on property unless you think it is. The tee shot is actually pretty easy, if you hit your ball somewhere you can find it. Mentally you should try to convince yourself that you can hit the green with your second shot. If you do, you should be happy, if you don’t, don’t worry, you still might be able to make a miraculous par or birdie!

Q: We love your tales of adventure while on the links. Which story comes to mind when thinking about one of these holes?

A: The night before I was playing a golf tournament at Bandon Trails a golf professional asked me how I was planning to play the 14th hole. I told him that I was planning to hit a drive down the center of the fairway, hit a wedge shot into the bunker on the right side of the green and then get up and down for a par. The next day the same golf professional asked me how I had actually played the 14th hole at Bandon Trails during the golf tournament and I told him that I hit my drive down the center of the fairway, hit a wedge shot into the bunker on the right side of the green and got up and down for a par!

Q: Classic! Any closing thoughts for our readers?

A: Developing a strategy for playing classic golf holes like the short par-4’s at Bandon Dunes Golf Resort will help but ultimately your golf ball will have to take some pretty good bounces for you to play them well. Remember really great golf holes are always challenging!

Thanks, Grant!

If you've been to Bandon and struggled with the links golf conditions, try traveling in a bit early and spend an afternoon or more with Grant. Check out the instruction page on our website to find out how to contact him or this Golf Digest article for more stories from Grant!