The Sheep Ranch Golf Course at Bandon Dunes opened to the public on June 1, 2020. I played the course on June 5th and came to the gorgeous double green for #3 & #16 that sits on the stunning 5 mile point, the centerpiece of this new Coore-Crenshaw design. We were playing #3 at this point and my caddie, Tony Shuster, handed me a 9 iron for the 135 yard shot into the wind. I pulled out my Titleist ProV1X and aimed toward the right side of the green. The morning mist was rolling up off the Pacific as I hit a pretty little draw that landed just to the right of the hole, took a couple hops and then rolled toward its final destination. There was a split second when it disappeared that time froze...then my foursome and our caddies threw there hands up in a shared eruption of amazement; validating that my eyes were not deceiving me. There must have been some pollen in the air because my eyes became a bit wet as my smile broadened. I've played golf since I was 3 years old, my Grandpa Bill taught me how to swing a club. I played a year in college and love the game. This was my first ace and the first one at the Sheep Ranch since it opened to the public on this exquisite Bill Coore & Ben Crenshaw layout. It's as though God created a course and used man to clear out some gorse to reveal it. The creative shape of those dangerous greens on the edge of the continent are crafted to perfection. Make sure you make Bandon Dunes Golf Resort a destination goal. They have melted into the sandy landscape the best set of challenging courses with the best staff and amenities I've come across. We played 157 holes (8 full rounds plus 1 round at The Preserve) over 4 days. We walked 60+ miles and we were sore, happy & delirious with all of it. It was a golf trip with my best buddy Casey Keefe, who now owes me a bottle of whiskey as is our standing bet for aces. While we did not play our best golf, we loved every moment, links golf is humbling, and that hole in one was only one highlight of many others on the trip...life is good, especially when you're golfing! Sam
