Issue link: http://read.dmtmag.com/i/456631
As golfers, many of us have a bucket list of golf courses that we would like to play at least once before we leave this earth. For me, as well as for probably 90% of golfers who enjoy traveling and playing different golf courses, Bandon Dunes was definitely on that list. While Bandon Dunes certainly has "bucket list" qualities, it's not a place golfers are content visiting just once. Bucket list activities typi- cally are individual and personal. However, Bandon Dunes is a very special place tucked away along a stunning coastline that naturally brings people together. And who would want an amazing experi- ence with their friends just once? Just like a kid on a rollercoaster. Wouldn't it be more fun to ride the rollercoaster more than one time? Or even ten times? All four 18-hole courses at Bandon Dunes can each be classified as a masterpiece as they are equally impressive. During our visit to Bandon Dunes, we had the pleasure of sitting down to visit with Erik Peterson, Director of Communica- tions for Bandon Dunes. Erik was very insightful and provided us with several interesting perspectives about Bandon Dunes. First of all, Erik shared, if you were to ask 10 different people to rank the Bandon Dunes courses from 1 to 4, you would get different answers from just about every per- son. Secondly, all four courses are ranked inside the "Top 50" on GOLF Magazine's list of "Top 100 Courses in America." No other property (public or private) has more than two. And, lastly, all four courses are the same price to play. If one course was more popular than another, it stands to reason that it would be priced differently. We also discovered in talking to Erik that Bandon Dunes Golf Resort had been chosen by the USGA to host the inaugural U.S. Women's Amateur Four-Ball Championship. The event, which will be held May 9-13, 2015 at the resort's Bandon Dunes Course, replaces the U.S. Women's Amateur Public Links and is the USGA's first new champion- ship since 1995. Bandon Dunes' remote location is actually a positive because getting there becomes part of the entire experience. Erik expressed how he enjoys standing out in front of the main lodge as guests arrive. They pile out of their Suburban together and high-five as if to say, "We made it! Let's do this!!" He added, "I can't think of another golf resort where the experience begins before you even arrive." Old Macdonald by Wood Sabold