Oregon Drift

By John Gunther, Sports Editor

BANDON — Ken Nice has been at Bandon Dunes Golf Resort since it opened. The current resort greens superintendent arrived during the tail end of construction on Bandon Dunes and has been directly involved in the grass growing portion of development for Pacific Dunes, Bandon Trails and, now, Old Macdonald.

He’s got some authority when he says Old Macdonald might be the best example of links golf on the resort, and perhaps in the United States.

“Of the four, it is the closest thing to St. Andrews and a true links golf experience,” Nice said of the resort’s courses. “It’s probably as close to a true links golf course that you can find in the U.S.”

Nice said the combination of the terrain and the contouring around the greens link Old Macdonald to the oldest courses in Scotland.

“It has big open spaces, but you still have to plot your line of attack accordingly,” Nice said.

The course, which was built by Tom Doak and Jim Urbina as a tribute to Charles Blair Macdonald, often referred to as the father of golf in America, will open to the public next June. But resort visitors have been able to play the first 10 holes that were built this summer in preview rounds.

The response has been overwhelmingly positive.

“People are thrilled,” Nice said, echoing thoughts of others around the resort. “That’s what you want to hear.”

Nice said Doak and Urbina have done a masterful job following the plan to build a course as Macdonald might have done if he had the same piece of property.

“The template holes were inspired by C.B. Macdonald, and all his holes were inspired by the best links courses in the United Kingdom,” Nice said.

What golfers are finding at Old Macdonald are often large, wide-open fairways, with many bunkers and monstrous greens. Several of those greens have great contours.

“There’s a lot of big contouring, but a lot of big square footage, too,” Nice said. “You’re talking about half an acre on some of those greens.

“There are, within those greens, a lot of flat areas. They’re still quite fair. You just have to pick the right club and get to the right areas.”

The biggest of the greens, on what eventually will be No. 8, measures about 20,000 square feet with a huge swale in the middle of it. For comparison, the previous largest green at the resort, the monstrous 17th at Bandon Dunes, measures about 13,000 square feet, Nice said.

“No. 8 can be the difference between a wedge and a 4-iron,” Nice said of tee shots depending on the location of the pin. “It’s pretty dramatic with club selection.”

The 10 holes now open include tributes to a number of classic courses and architects, as well as two originals by Doak and Urbina, both uphill par 4s. The first of those, No. 7, is one of two greens overlooking the beach and ocean — the only two to come near the bluff.

The first 10 holes were planted early in 2008. The final eight were seeded earlier this year.

Nice is pleased with the growth of all 18.

“The 10 holes are really starting to play good,” he said. “The final eight holes are on pace to be in really great shape before opening day.”

The 10 preview holes come with a total yardage ranging from 3,152 to 3,853 yards. The final yardage will be up to 7,100 yards from the tips.

The preview round rate is $110 and golfers also are required to take a caddie, which is $50 plus a tip.