For
everything beyond
golf: Pebble. Part of me loves the simple,
hang-your-coat-on-a-hook-and-go-play atmosphere of
Bandon
Dunes, but
I’m afraid
I also have a
taste for
foie gras and
fine Chardonnay.
Bandon is
not just below
Pebble in this area;
it’s avowedly below just
about
every major golf
resort. And
Pebble
isn’t just ahead of
Bandon;
it’s ahead of the
world.
World-class
practice
facility: Pacific. Granted, it’s a van ride away, but hey, so
is
Pebble’s—and only one of them is worth the trip.
Take
your wife
to: Pebble (see above).
Take
the guys
to: Pacific (see Best bang for the buck).
Should
all this comparing and
contrasting have you primed for an on-site tour of your
own,
you’ll
need to consider a few logistical particulars. First,
ease of
access
is
a point in favor of
Pebble.
Granted, Monterey is no
straight shot for
anyone
starting on
the East Coast—you’ll need to make
at
least one connection.
That
said,
Bandon requires at
least
two
connections—in Portland
and
then in tiny
North Bend, where
you’ll have to
board a van and make a
40-minute
journey.
Second,
do you plan on venturing
off-property at any point? With attractions
like
17-Mile Drive
and the
elegant village
of
Carmel, the
Monterey Peninsula serves
up
diversions
aplenty. Pebble has a
decided advantage
here,
but
don't overlook
Bandon
Dunes’ namesake town,
Bandon-by-the-Sea:
It’s a charming
little fishing
village in its own
right.
I
haven’t taken a true stand
until I specify which of these meccas you would be
best off
spending
the rest of your life at. And yet the best answer I
can offer
is—either. What I learned from my one visit
to
Bandon Dunes is
this: As
an
idyllic place
to stay and
play golf it has only
two peers—the
Monterey Peninsula
and the
town of St. Andrews.
Color
me a confirmed
Bandonista.
