Bandon Trails

How can you get people away from the clifftops at both Dunes' courses? Build something like Bandon Trails-that is how. Although set inland, I highly recommend a round at the Trails. This is probably the most difficult of the four courses, yet still enjoyable for all handicaps. As part of the resort, you have access to all that the resort offers.
The routing takes you through dunes, forest and a meadow and returns in the dunes. The holes look like they were already there waiting for somebody to just play them. This course does have the most holes with elevation change. Many holes are uphill in nature. If here during the summer, the last three holes are uphill and into a wind-definitely a challenge to keep one's score at par for this set. Despite being set inland, the course still plays like a links with firm and fast conditions. Ground game options and using the contouring of the greens and ground come into play or at least you should use them-they are there for a reason. Hard to pick out a signature hole as all of them are top notch. The 14th is probably the easiest to remember. Despite being a driveable par 4, the strategy of risk reward comes into play. If you are not on the left side, you have a blind uphill approach to a narrow target. If on the left side, all opens up to you. Many, if not all, of the holes have this type of strategy. In other words, the fairways are wide, but you need to hit the correct side of them to score well. Bunkering is abundant, yet perfectly placed. Dare to flirt with them and you are rewarded with an easier approach. The greens are excellent with contours that provide challenge but not of the clown's mouth variety. They are also divided into sections and hitting the proper section is key to avoiding a three putt. Bring your lag putting. The course has par 3s and 5s that run in different directions and lengths. Great sets of both. The par 4s are enjoyable and you never see the same thing twice-all are unique.
If at the resort for multiple days, do spend a round here. Can't say that it is my favorite of the four courses, but Trails is not to be missed. It does offer something different and unique. Do it as a second round of a 36 hole day.

First off, as a test of golf, Bandon Trails is as good as it gets, and that includes the other three championship courses at Bandon Dunes. It's not on the ocean, but you can hear the ocean. And it's also very linksy, with a lot of up and down holes, some elevated tees, and some difficult elevated greens. Fairways are more than generous, but it's the approach shots to these well protected greens over cavernous bunkers that help make this such a tough test, It's not exactly easy to putt either. With all that said, Trails is plenty scenic, even without the seaside holes, and it's never boring.

As Mscheelar said below, Bandon Trails is unique from the other 3 courses. Routed through the giant pines and with much more of a North Carolina feel (at least for this Southerner), this is a great choice on windy days but shouldn't be missed regardless. The 2 driveable par 4's are a blast and the views and contours are special. I found this to be the most difficult of the 4 courses, although my ballstriking that day would've made any course difficult. Many greens have false fronts so short shots roll back off the green. All 4 courses at BD are fantastic, and this one, like the other 3, is a must play while at the resort. This was the most challenging course to walk for our group (elevation changes and tees farther from greens than the others). This course also gives you the least amount of room off the tee, BUT, it's not a narrow course by any means.

I was able to finally play Bandon Trails this week, not only was it a stark difference from the rest of the courses on property, it was a ton of fun and very difficult.

For the majority of your time on Trails, you forget you are at the ocean. There is plenty of solitude, but the course itself still has that links feel to it. It can be a wild ride at times, but very fun.

There were some very quirky and unique holes, plenty of monstrous bunkers and tough shots, I would say Trails is the toughest of the 4 courses.

We were incredibly lucky with the weather, 70 degrees and perfection, that also led to a bit of a slow round, nearly 5 hours.

Overall Trails is a must play, although I did miss the ocean at times, and I would probably rank Trails as my 3rd or 4th favorite course at Bandon.

This course has really grown on me over the years. When it opened I thought it a cut below Dunes and Pacific. This was possibly because I'd come to expect the spectacular ocean views and classic links play. Trails in many ways reminded me of some of our classic Canadian mountain courses with the forests, ponds and elevation change.

But when you start to realize that there are NO weak or boring holes and that there are a bunch of unique and really fun holes one concludes that this is a great golf course in its own right. It includes ( for a medium hitter) a drivable par 4 followed soon after by a par 3 where you might hit driver depending on the wind. Then there is the notorious 14th; a par 4 with a table top green just about impossible to hit. With our group there is always a bet of some kind for anyone who can hit the green or make a par....and we are all single digit players.

The conditioning is always great. The greens are usually a little faster than the others at Bandon and quite sloped. The walk is a bit tougher than the other 3 courses and the pace a bit slower . We always prefer to play it in the morning when the legs are fresher when playing 36.

Have wanted to play Bandon since they first opened Bandon Dunes years ago. For a variety of reasons we never made it until this last Thanksgiving. We only got to play Bandon Dunes and Bandon Trails this time, but we intend to play Old MacDonald and Pacific Dunes this year.
It's a 4.5 hour drive from our home but it was worth every minute spent in the car. The Trails itself is worth the trip. The course is set back in the trees and is just flat-out gorgeous. We played it in 2.5 hours, which made it even better.
Dunes on the other hand didn't impress us as much. Maybe the 5 hour round had something to do with it. The highlight of the Dunes is number 16, a par 4 that runs by the ocean. That has to be one of the greatest holes I've ever seen. I could play that one hole 18 times in a row and I would call it an outstanding day of golf.

Played it for the first time during my 40th birthday trip. It was great, but I was well off my game that day and found the course extremely difficult - the most difficult course at Bandon Dunes Resort.

Felt that it played long and there seems to be a lot of trouble, both off the tee and around the greens.

The views are great too, but there are none of the ocean, which makes you spoiled because you see the ocean so much from both Bandon and Pacific.

Probably my least favorite of the 4 at Bandon, but it's still a solid track.

Bandon Trails unlike Bandon Dunes and Pacific Dunes is completely inland. Although you don't get any ocean holes that doesn't limit this golf courses beauty. If it was by the ocean, it might be the best golf course on the property.

Often at Bandon Dunes you hear that Old Mac or Pac Dunes are the best, followed by Bandon Dunes, which implies that Bandon Trails is "4th best". Totally unfair ... Bandon Trails is a GREAT course and if located anywhere else in the world it would be a destination in itself! Also, I think it is the most scenic of all the Bandon courses ... so by all means play Bandon Trails!