Course Review: Old Macdonald Golf Links

Posted by Rob Rigg
June 2009

Old Macdonald Golf Links (Bandon Dunes Golf Resort, OR)

Par 39
3,853 Yards

Preview Round on June 29, 2009

Cost: $110 for round and $50 for mandatory Caddie plus tip.

Old Macdonald, the fourth course at Bandon Dunes, will open for play in June, 2010. The Resort is currently offering ten hole preview rounds on their latest gem.

Old Macdonald is a tribute to C.B. Macdonald, who many consider the father of modern golf in the United States.
In order to bring the “highest caliber” of golf to the shores of America, Macdonald traveled across Great Britain and played many of its renowned links courses. On his own course designs, such as The National Golf Links of America on Long Island which opened in 1910, Macdonald used “hole templates” such as the Redan, Short and Alps that he found on courses in England and Scotland.

View of one of the new holes growing in at Old Macdonald.

The course that Tom Doak and Jim Urbina have designed at Bandon Dunes has incorporated the spirit of many of Macdonald’s template holes into a spectacular routing which borders Pacific Dunes towards the northern end of the property.

Karl Olson, former super at NGLA, Bradley Klein, long-time architecture focused writer for Golfweek, and George Bahto, author of the C.B. Macdonald biography “The Evangelist of Golf”, have also worked with the Renaissance Team to ensure that Old Macdonald adheres to the spirit and passion of the man it is built to honor. While only ten holes are currently open, this formidable brain trust must be very pleased with their work thus far.

Old Macdonald, while not complete, is a wonderful golfing experience and very reminiscent of links golf on the coast of Scotland as the course is quite open, has wide playing corridors on many holes, is definitely subject to wind, and calls upon the golfer for creativity in scoring.

The course is very walkable, with several ascents but mostly flat to rolling terrain. The scenery, which includes blow out bunkers, ocean views and some amazing tree specimens, contributes even further to what is already an “all world” round of golf.

The Sahara Bunker at Old Macdonald with a unique tree in the background.

I would not be surprised if Old Macdonald surpasses the other three courses to become a favorite of many golfers who travel to Bandon Dunes.

The preview routing differs from the intended final routing, as noted in the hole by hole.

Hole #1 – actually Hole #6 – “Long Hole” – Par 5 – (590/400 yards)

Our preview round started with 30 plus mph winds and a view that would make any links golf junkie excited – a wide open vista with clumps of gorse, fescue, bunkers, ridges, mounds, and the ocean somewhere in the distance.

Adjacent to “Long Hole” Tee at Old Macdonald.

A well placed drive on the left side of the fairway leaves a view to the pin in the distance, but most of the landing area is blocked by Doak and Urbina’s rendition of the “Hell Bunker”, which is spectacular.

 

The “Hell Bunker” crosses the fairway about 120 yards from the center of the green. It is probably the most intimidating man made feature I have ever seen on a golf course. After a big drive, the golfer has a big decision to make on the second, as the bunker confuses lay up strategy because of its size.

“Hell Bunker” at Old Macdonald.

Railroad ties have been implemented to keep the earth in place. Note the steps leading down into the bunker which is a magnificent touch – stairways to hell.

“Hell Bunker” at Old Macdonald from the side.

Once past the bunker, a green awaits that is a lot more undulating that meets the eye.

“Long Hole” Green at Old Macdonald.

Hole #2 – actually Hole #7 – A Phenomenal Original – Par 4 – (377/207)

From the tee, this looks like a short but challenging uphill slog to a green located up on the plateau. Into a 30 mph wind, the second hole on the preview plays a lot longer than its yardage.

Tee at the Second (Seventh) at Old Macdonald.

The approach is blind from the bottom of the hill, so the golfer is fortunate to have a caddy there for guidance.

Uphill approach to the Second at Old Macdonald.

At the top, an incredible view awaits, especially on a clear day.

View from Plateau Green at Old Macdonald.

There is not a lot of room to miss long although there are bunkers that may catch an errant shot that rolls off the back. The green is expansive with sideboards on the left and right. The vista is one of the best on the entire property.

 

Hole #3 – actually Hole #8 – “Biarritz” or “Chasm” – Par 3 (181/126)

With the wind whipping from left to right, the golfer is happy that this putting surface looks so big. Little do they know that a large swale located in the middle of the green will make a putt from the wrong section extremely difficult. In true “Biarritz” fashion, the deep swale is complemented by bunkers that guard the green on the side and the back.

“Biarritz” Tee at Old Macdonald.

The trough in the middle of the green is amazing to behold for any golfer who has never seen a “Biarritz” before. Doak and Urbina have done a fabulous job of integrating this template into the rugged environment along the Oregon coast by tweaking the shape of a “typical” Biarritz green to ensure that the swale looks quite natural.

“Biarritz” Green at Old Macdonald.

The tee shot caught in the valley has a big climb to get to the hole. Clearly, this is not an undulation but a deep scar in the green that is several feet below the other sections of the putting surface.

Swale at the “Biarritz” at Old Macdonald.

Hole #4 - actually Hole #9 – “Cape” – Par 4 (415/280)

The “Cape” is a heroic hole that challenges the golfer to bite off as much land as he can on the drive. This inland version is much tamer than its predecessor at the Mid Ocean Club in Bermuda, but it is still a good hole. A safe play to the left will leave a mid to long iron approach, while a long drive that skips past the bunkers can leave a gap wedge into the green.

“Cape” Tee at Old Macdonald.

An errant drive may find one of these fairway bunkers that looks like it has been a part of the land for hundreds of years. You will not find a lot of fluffy sand on Old Macdonald.

Fairway bunker on the “Cape” Hole at Old Macdonald.

These large greenside bunkers wait patiently for an offline approach, although the contoured green can defend itself well enough on its own.

Approach to the “Cape” Green at Old Macdonald.

Hole #5 – actually Hole #10 – “Bottle” – Par 4 (470/345)

Off the tee, the golfer encounters a series of fairway bunkers that cross the fairway at longer intervals, beginning short-left and ending far-right. The golfer must be realistic about distance in order to choose the safe and appropriate line, always factoring in the wind.

“Bottle” Tee at Old Macdonald.

The approach is to a raised green that is protected on the front with a bunker. The shot below from wide right shows that the “Long” fairway is not such a bad line to come in on.

“Bottle” Green from “Long” Fairway at Old Macdonald.

Anything short will lead to the classic links conundrum of wedge versus putter . . . it is never easy to clip it off the short grass to a raised green.

Short of “Bottle” Green at Old Macdonald.

Hole #6 – actually #11 – “Road Hole” – Par 4 (460/325)

Designed in the spirit of the most famous hole in golf, the “Road Hole” at Old Macdonald is a lot of fun.

Into the wind, this hole plays pretty long so a drive too far left can turn it into a three shotter. The optimal line is over the edge of the long grass and safely onto the fairway.

“Road Hole” Tee at Old Macdonald.

While the famous “Road Bunker” is visible from the tee, its presence is much more daunting on the approach as the size and depth become apparent. Try not to be distracted by the gorgeous natural blow out bunkers and dunes in the background.

Approach to the “Road Hole” at Old Macdonald.

The only soft sand on the property awaits the golfer in the bunker. Note how the strong wind has pushed the sand half way up the right side, while the flag whips in the background.

A testy putt awaits the golfer who needs to skirt the bunker to attack the pin at the “Road Hole”.

There is no road or path along the back of the green, just a tightly mown collection area that leads to some long grass.

“Road Hole” Green at Old Macdonald.

Hole #7 – actually Hole #14 – Original – Par 4 (330/230)

The seventh is a drivable uphill par four when the wind is helping, but probably not in a cross-wind. The hole has some “Cape” like qualities in that an attack on the green will require a long a precise carry over hazards. The right side of the fairway actually provides the best line into the green for a wedge approach.

Tee shot at #7 on Old Macdonald.

The fairway has a strong camber that starts high on the right side. Although the lie may not be flat, it is possible to get a wedge close from here.

Approach to the Seventh at Old Macdonald.

The green is large with sweeping undulations. A large bunker will gobble up anything long and leave a challenging “out” to a green that is running away with a sharp drop off the front.

Seventh (Fourteenth) Green at Old Macdonald.

Hole #8 – actually Hole #3 – “Sahara” – Par 4 (355/245)

“Sahara” is currently playing as a reachable par four, but it will become more challenging once the regular tees open – which are located at the bottom of the hill to the left of the picture below. The preview tee boxes are located slightly behind the “Sahara” bunker and provide a panoramic view of the entire property, including many of the new holes which are “growing in”. A long drive at the green gorse straight ahead will lead to a wedge or putter to the putting surface.

“Preview” Tees on “Sahara” at Old Macdonald.

The dune that this hole runs across is spectacular, with long grass, sand, gorse and old trees creating a fascinating landscape.

Dunescape on the “Sahara” hole at Old Macdonald.

The large green is sunk into a little bowl with side and back boards to help keep the ball on the putting surface. The tees for “Hogback” are just behind the green in the short grass, a very linksy touch.

“Sahara” Green at Old Macdonald.

Hole #9 – actually Hole #4 – “Hogsback” – Par 4 (510/325)

“Hogsback” is a long two shotter that can easily turn into a three shotter if the drive is not pured and appropriately placed on the left side of the large spine that runs along the length of the hole. This is one of the most enjoyable tee shots of the round and the reward for crushing one is a long walk between drive and approach.

“Hogsback” Tee at Old Macdonald.

The natural beauty of the site at Old Macdonald is staggering as is evident in the photo below.

“Blow out” fairway bunker on “Hogsback” at Old Macdonald.

Both of these drives took advantage of the slope and were over three hundred yards. The approach is challenging as a deep swale runs across the front of the green which means any shot that lands short, which is a necessity, needs to land in the trough or upslope to kick onto the green without running over.

Approach to the Green on “Hogsback” at Old Macdonald.

The wind is clearly ripping at the flag below, links golf at its best. The swale will catch any approach that lands too short which creates a difficult up and down.

Short of “Hogsback” Green at Old Macdonald.

While the green may look large and flat, there are subtle undulations that can move a putt several feet offline if the golfer is not careful. Once again, the greenside bunkering looks like it has been there for years.

“Hogsback” Green at Old Macdonald.

Hole #10 – actually #5 – “Short” – Par 3 (165/100)

The preview round ends with an entertaining one shotter across a little valley to a mammoth double green that slopes severely, in levels, from back to front. The green is surrounded on the sides by huge bunkers that should be avoided at all costs. While the green appears huge, it can be difficult to find the proper level, especially in strong winds.

“Short” Tee at Old Macdonald.

The two tee shots below are safe as they found the correct tier, while another drive long and left will face a massively sloping downhill putt that could easily run down past the pin to the front level, or off the green.

“Short” Green at Old Macdonald.

The “Short” green is actually a massive double which links up with the putting surface on the “Bottle” hole. The huge undulating contours that can be found on many Old Macdonald greens are obvious in the picture below. The scale of Old Macdonald is overwhelming, in a very good way, for any golfer who is used to playing tree lined courses at home.

Double Green at Old Macdonald.

Old Macdonald will probably become a favorite of many visitors to the resort, which says a great deal about the course because it only touches the ocean a couple of times, unlike Bandon Dunes and Pacific Dunes which have several epic stretches along the bluffs.

The scale of Old Macdonald is much bigger than any of the other courses because of the open vistas and elevation changes around the edges. Pacific Dunes and Bandon Trails are both incredible courses with exquisite attention to detail and superior routing, but Old Macdonald may have something that they are missing in its obvious and powerful tie to the links courses of Scotland that C.B. Macdonald used as a foundation for NGLA, his masterpiece.

Old Macdonald is a very walkable course, certainly a 3.75 out of 4. The “Ocean” hole (currently number two) has a steep climb, although a golfer could take a few clubs and leave his bag at the bottom and then pick it up on the way to the Biarritz green. There are some other elevation changes throughout but nothing overwhelming. For most of the round, this track is fairly flat and rolling. The Old Macdonald property is like a big bowl with a few holes moving up the dunes on the periphery, but most of the holes run through the flattish middle.

In terms of Architecture, the team at Renaissance have once again done an incredible job with a phenomenal piece of land. Macdonald’s templates have not been copied, but used for inspiration and taken to another level by Doak, Urbina and team. When Old Macdonald opens, it will appear as if the course has been there for many, many, years – a testament to its creators. Aesthetically, Old Macdonald competes with Trails and both of the Dunes courses which boast a series of ocean holes. The rugged and beautiful nature of the property is spectacular and the old world links golf flavor of the course must be seen to be believed. Old Macdonald receives full marks for Architecture and Aesthetics.

Strategy is important for scoring at Old Macdonald, but like St.Andrews, the course is incredibly playable for all levels of golfer due to the wide fairways. The greens are very big and tricky because of a mix of large and subtle undulations, but they are definitely a fair challenge. Smart play and a good strategy can result in excellent scoring, so stay focused and enjoy this “all world” golfing experience.

TWG Rating for Old Macdonald Golf Links:

3.75 / 4 – Walkability

4.0 / 4 – Architecture and Aesthetics

2.0 / 2 – Strategy and Playability

9.75 / 10 – Total

All Photos by Rob Rigg, 2009
Review by Rob Rigg, 2009

The Walking Golfer Course Rating System

Total is out of 10 Points

0 – 4 points – Walkability

0 – 4 points – Architecture and Aesthetics

0 - 2 points – Playability and Strategy