Bandon Trails · Hole 9
Blue
345
White
270
Gold
205
Red
105
The easiest hole on the course by handicap, the 9th is a short heathland par 4 that offers a genuine birdie opportunity before the back nine begins. The fairway is generous by heathland standards and the approach is a short iron. Don't let the ease lull you into carelessness — Coore & Crenshaw always have a few surprises near the green.
Shot-by-Shot Strategy
Tee Shot
Three-wood or hybrid off the tee — driver is too much club and can run through the fairway into fescue beyond the ideal landing zone. A 210-yard tee shot leaves the perfect short-iron distance. Aim at the center of the fairway; the heathland fescue rough on both sides is punishing despite the hole's generous reputation.
Approach
Short iron into a green that is one of the more open approaches on the back half of the outward nine. The bunker right can catch pushed irons — aim at the center-left quadrant for the safest approach. A low-running shot that bounds onto the putting surface is very effective in dry conditions.
Putting
The heathland green continues the faster pace that began on hole 8. Relatively modest undulations make for straightforward reads, but above-the-hole putts in this firm surface run more than expected. Make a confident stroke and trust your read.
⚠Gotchas — What Kills Your Score
- •The ease of the hole encourages driver — resist. An overlong drive into the fescue beyond the fairway turns a birdie into a bogey.
- •The bunker right of the green is deceptively large. A pushed short-iron catches it more often than the yardage would suggest.
- •Despite being the easiest handicap hole, many players lose strokes here by taking it too lightly after the demands of hole 8.
Wind Intelligence
The 9th plays in a direction that typically puts the prevailing southwest wind at a quartering left-to-right. In a strong wind, the short approach is affected more than a typical short-iron shot — account for drift by aiming 10–15 feet left of the pin and letting the wind bring it back. In a tailwind, the hole plays even shorter and presents a real eagle opportunity for longer hitters.
Hazard Map
- ▲Fescue rough both sides
- ▲Bunker right of green
- ▲Heathland vegetation fringing the approach