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Golf returns to its roots in Bandon
By John Gunther, Sports Editor
Friday, April 17, 2009 | No comments posted.
BANDON — Troy and Kim Russell are turning back the clock in Bandon.
The Russells have reopened the former Face Rock Golf Course under the new name Old Bandon Golf Links, and are offering visitors a chance to play with vintage clubs from the 1890s and 1920s.
The course will hold a grand opening Sunday, including lessons on how to use the old hickory-shafted clubs by Randy Jensen, widely considered one of the top players of hickory golf with more than 60 tournament titles.
Sunday’s opening includes a historic talk at 10 a.m., a putting and chipping demonstration with audience participation at 11 a.m., a hitting clinic at 1 p.m. and a drawing for a chance to play a historic round with golfers portraying two of the greats from the past — Old Tom Morris and Bobby Jones — at 2 p.m.
Meanwhile, Old Bandon Golf Links now has several sets of reconditioned vintage hickory-shafted clubs that can be rented by players in packages for use on the course.
For $70, golfers can play 18 holes with a set of 1890s clubs, along with two authentic replica gutta percha balls like the ones that were used during that era. For $55, golfers can use 1920s clubs, along with any of three types of balls from that era, the White Flyer (bramble), ACE (mesh) or Bullet (dimple) balls.
Troy Russell said the idea of offering vintage clubs should help draw golfers from outside the area to the course, but that he hopes the draw locally is that it’s family friendly.
“We want to make it a place for families,” he said. “As good as the golf courses are around here, they exclude families.”
The courses at Bandon Dunes Golf Resort come with prices that are too expensive for many local residents, while the new Bandon Crossings course south of town also comes with a higher green fee.
At Old Bandon Golf Links, the fee is $18 for nine holes and $28 for 18. For families who are golfing together, the first child 15-and-under can play for free, while any additional children will be charged half price.
In addition to the golf course, Russell plans to set up a croquet course and also a spot for bocce ball.
First, though, he is continuing rehabilitation of the course, which was closed by owners Margaret Miller and Jerry Brown in November of 2007 and allowed to grow wild.
The owners asked Troy Russell, a former superintendent at Bandon Dunes, to get the course back into playing shape and then the idea came up for the Russells to lease the course from the owners.
When Troy Russell started working with the course, the grass in the fairways was a couple of feet high, while the grass on the greens was taller than his sneakers. Russell removed 500 bales of grass.
He has worked on getting the fairways back into shape, improving drainage, adding several bunkers and overseeding the greens with links-style grasses.
The work is starting to pay off, and Russell said he can see the difference on the greens nearly every day. The bunkers, meanwhile, add a nice cosmetic touch to the course.
The golf course, which was originally opened in 1927, reopened March 21.
Russell hasn’t changed the routing of the course, which is the shortest on the South Coast, with four par-3 holes, a par of 32 and a length of just over 2,000 yards from the back tees.
He hopes players take advantage of the opportunity to use the vintage equipment, and said with the old gutta percha balls, which travel a maximum of 150 yards, the course plays to a par 36.
In addition to the vintage golf clubs, Old Bandon Golf Links will be the flagship location for McIntyre-White Authentic Golf, which makes vintage golf balls and also vintage golf attire, including hats, argyle socks and plus-fours (pants).
Chris McIntyre and Scott White will be at Sunday’s grand opening and visitors will have a chance to win a round of golf with each of them portraying either Old Tom Morris, with clubs from the 1890s, or Bobby Jones, with clubs from the 1920s.
Old Bandon Golf Links is located on Beach Loop Drive, behind the Best Western Inn at Face Rock.
Advanced tee times are required for people who want to play hickory golf.
For more information, call (541) 329-1927 or visit www.oldbandongolflinks.com.
For more information about hickory golf, visit www.playhickory.com.
The Russells have reopened the former Face Rock Golf Course under the new name Old Bandon Golf Links, and are offering visitors a chance to play with vintage clubs from the 1890s and 1920s.
The course will hold a grand opening Sunday, including lessons on how to use the old hickory-shafted clubs by Randy Jensen, widely considered one of the top players of hickory golf with more than 60 tournament titles.
Sunday’s opening includes a historic talk at 10 a.m., a putting and chipping demonstration with audience participation at 11 a.m., a hitting clinic at 1 p.m. and a drawing for a chance to play a historic round with golfers portraying two of the greats from the past — Old Tom Morris and Bobby Jones — at 2 p.m.
Meanwhile, Old Bandon Golf Links now has several sets of reconditioned vintage hickory-shafted clubs that can be rented by players in packages for use on the course.
For $70, golfers can play 18 holes with a set of 1890s clubs, along with two authentic replica gutta percha balls like the ones that were used during that era. For $55, golfers can use 1920s clubs, along with any of three types of balls from that era, the White Flyer (bramble), ACE (mesh) or Bullet (dimple) balls.
Troy Russell said the idea of offering vintage clubs should help draw golfers from outside the area to the course, but that he hopes the draw locally is that it’s family friendly.
“We want to make it a place for families,” he said. “As good as the golf courses are around here, they exclude families.”
The courses at Bandon Dunes Golf Resort come with prices that are too expensive for many local residents, while the new Bandon Crossings course south of town also comes with a higher green fee.
At Old Bandon Golf Links, the fee is $18 for nine holes and $28 for 18. For families who are golfing together, the first child 15-and-under can play for free, while any additional children will be charged half price.
In addition to the golf course, Russell plans to set up a croquet course and also a spot for bocce ball.
First, though, he is continuing rehabilitation of the course, which was closed by owners Margaret Miller and Jerry Brown in November of 2007 and allowed to grow wild.
The owners asked Troy Russell, a former superintendent at Bandon Dunes, to get the course back into playing shape and then the idea came up for the Russells to lease the course from the owners.
When Troy Russell started working with the course, the grass in the fairways was a couple of feet high, while the grass on the greens was taller than his sneakers. Russell removed 500 bales of grass.
He has worked on getting the fairways back into shape, improving drainage, adding several bunkers and overseeding the greens with links-style grasses.
The work is starting to pay off, and Russell said he can see the difference on the greens nearly every day. The bunkers, meanwhile, add a nice cosmetic touch to the course.
The golf course, which was originally opened in 1927, reopened March 21.
Russell hasn’t changed the routing of the course, which is the shortest on the South Coast, with four par-3 holes, a par of 32 and a length of just over 2,000 yards from the back tees.
He hopes players take advantage of the opportunity to use the vintage equipment, and said with the old gutta percha balls, which travel a maximum of 150 yards, the course plays to a par 36.
In addition to the vintage golf clubs, Old Bandon Golf Links will be the flagship location for McIntyre-White Authentic Golf, which makes vintage golf balls and also vintage golf attire, including hats, argyle socks and plus-fours (pants).
Chris McIntyre and Scott White will be at Sunday’s grand opening and visitors will have a chance to win a round of golf with each of them portraying either Old Tom Morris, with clubs from the 1890s, or Bobby Jones, with clubs from the 1920s.
Old Bandon Golf Links is located on Beach Loop Drive, behind the Best Western Inn at Face Rock.
Advanced tee times are required for people who want to play hickory golf.
For more information, call (541) 329-1927 or visit www.oldbandongolflinks.com.
For more information about hickory golf, visit www.playhickory.com.
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