Bandon Dunes.

Three sunshine-fueled windy days at Bandon had us wanting more golf and more Bandon.

In this article, I am going to tackle two questions:

What was it like playing golf at Bandon? Specifically, I’m going to give you a quick run-down of how we spent our three days.

What could it look like to build in Bandon?

I think we’ve found a deal you are gonna want to see. Check out this city lot, located in the city of Bandon, 15 minutes ‘ drive to Bandon Dunes Golf Resort, and a very short distance to the beach. Could this be the perfect site to build your Southern-Oregon coastal golf retreat? Take a look, and let’s write an offer! Call me at (541) 797 - 9939, and I’d love to talk more with you about Bandon.

$155,000 LOT FOR SALE ⬇️

728 Seacrest Drive - Bandon, Oregon

GOLFING AT BANDON ⬇️

Oregon’s Bandon-by-the-Sea is home to Bandon Dunes Golf Resort, a world-renowned golf destination on the southern Oregon coast, known for its rugged coastline, wind-swept dunes, and traditional links-style courses. With multiple award-winning courses designed to embrace the natural landscape, it's a bucket-list experience for golf enthusiasts from around the globe. We recently spent three days golfing in Bandon, and let’s just say, Bandon Delivered!

Here is our three-day itinerary:

Day 1: Drove from Bend, Oregon, to Bandon, which was about a 5-hour drive. We ate a delicious BBQ lunch at Charlotte’s. Golfed Old Macdonald. Ate dinner at McKee’s Pub. I ordered the Pork Shank, with fennel and tomato jus, smoked cheese polenta, grilled broccolini, and gremolata. One of the best meals I’ve ever eaten, I’m a sucker for warm cheesy polenta. Always gets me going.

Day 2: We ate a hearty breakfast at the lodge, classic eggs, bacon, potatoes, and toast. Delicious. After breakfast, we warmed up at the practice facility, putted around the Punch Bowl, played the Preserve, then played a round of golf at Bandon Dunes, and then had dinner at The Ghost Tree Grill. Be sure to order a whole roasted cauliflower for the table. For my main course, I went back to what worked for me on night one, something braised. I ate the braised lamb shank from Anderson Ranch in Oregon · celery root, pistachio gremolata. Again, one of the best meals I’ve eaten in my lifetime, and I’ve eaten some good meals. The only thing I would do differently is not forget my leftover lamb shank in my room fridge. I was so bummed, it would have been a perfect day three snack to eat while golfing Pacific Dunes. Oh well. Next time I’ll remember.

Day 3: We grabbed breakfast burritos at Charlotte’s, warmed up at the practice facility, played a round at Pacific Dunes, and then drove home. On the road, we stopped in Coos Bay for a late lunch at a killer burger spot, Shake N’ Burger. You need to get a burger here.

BOOK RECOMMENDATION BONUS: Dream Golf: The Making of Bandon Dunes, Revised and Expanded. After playing Bandon, I found myself fascinated with the lore, history, and stories I heard along the way. Stories about Shoe, Bandon’s Director of outdoor happiness, stories of Mike Keiser, the visionary behind bringing links golf to America, and David McKlay Kidd (DMK Golf Design), the talented young designer who built Bandon. David also happens to live in Bend, and he designed and built Bend’s only links-style course, Tetherow Golf Resort.

Pictured below: Bend, Oregon, realtors Cole Billings, Chris Swartzley, and Justin Scott golfing the stunning Pacific Dunes course at Bandon Dunes Golf Resort, accompanied by expert caddie Miguel Barajas. A perfect blend of coastal golf, business, and real estate lifestyle on Oregon’s premier links course.

Pictured below: Cole Billings and Justin Scott, Bend, Oregon realtors, sitting outside the Bandon Dunes Golf Resort pro shop.

Cinco De Mayo.

Americans have a lot in common with Mexicans.

Cindo De Mayo Made Simple.

In today’s blog post, we’d like to answer the question, “What is Cinco De Mayo?”.

We love Mexico. Our daughters both started kindergarten at Bear Creek Elementary in their dual-immersion Spanish program. They read, write, and speak Spanish fluently. Cinco de Mayo is a great opportunity to share our love for Mexican people and culture. We’re gonna keep it super simple here. Cinco de Mayo is all about honoring the spirit of Mexican resilience, a day to celebrate Mexico’s fight for freedom and self-determination. A fight that is always worth it.

As Americans, we know a little something about fighting for freedom and self-determination, and this is why we have so much in common with our Mexican friends. Mexicans have a history of fighting for their freedom.

In 1810, the Mexicans resisted Spanish Colonial rule.

In 1862, the Mexicans resisted French Imperial intervention.

The war for Mexican independence from Spain began in 1810 and led to Mexico gaining independence in 1821. Cinco de Mayo commemorates the Mexican Victory over the French at the Battle of Puebla in 1862. This is a time in Mexican history when European powers tried to intervene in Mexico’s affairs after its independence.

In 2022, my family and I traveled to Guanajuato and walked the path of Mexican freedom fighters, along with revolutionary Miguel Hidalgo, the Catholic priest who led the Mexican resistance as they fought against Spanish colonialism, comment, call, DM, or text me if you’d like to hear more about our trip and deep dive into Spanish history. We’re big fans of Mexico and love their shared determination to fight for their country’s freedom and independence.

Mexicans, like Americans, have always been determined to fight for freedom and self-determination.

I’d like to invite you to share this with anyone you know who is curious about Cinco de Mayo. May we continue to honor and celebrate our shared vision for freedom and self-determination.

 ¡Viva México!

 ¡Viva America!

If you are looking for a way to make a tangible difference in our community at Cinco de Mayo, join me and our church, Antioch, in supporting the Latino Community Association during May. Our church is collecting school supplies for Latino and Latina students in Bend.

Link to Latino Community Association here: Latino Community Association

Link to Antioch Church here: Antioch Church

Sandwich in Bend.

Are you looking for the best sandwich in Bend? We spend a lot of time eating sandwiches. These are our favorite spots in Bend…the list is intentionally short because we’re big fans of keeping things simple and supporting local families. This list is fueled by some of the best people in Bend, great people serving our community through good food. The common thread…GOOD BREAD! New York City Sub Shop has mastered the art of baking fresh bread daily in-house. A few years ago, we showed up to grab a late afternoon sandwich from NYCSS, it was past 3pm, and when we showed up, there was a sign on the door that said, “out of bread, closed for the day”. I walked in and asked what’s up with running out of bread. Andrew, the owner, politely let me know that they make their bread fresh daily, when its gone, its gone. I respect that, and i’ve been coming back ever since that “we ran out of bread” day. There are a few other spots in Bend that operate that way, and I LOVE IT! Our friends at Valentine’s are laser-focused on top-notch ingredients and have outsourced their bread stuff to one of Bend’s finest bakers, Sparrow Bakery. The Sparrow hogie roll is quite possibly the best on planet earth. We buy them in bags of four from Newport Avenue Market for making sandwiches at home. Look for them next time your at Market of Choice or Newport.

We’d love to know which sandwich spot is your favorite…and here are ours!

#1 Valentine’s Deli - link to site

#2 NYCSS - link to site

#3 Blue Eyes Burgers and Fries - link to site (formerly Neighbor Rotisserie). Yes, we know burgers aren’t sandwiches, but maybe they are. Who are you to say they are not? Life’s too short to not eat burgers, err…a beefy inspired sandwich for lunch. Lol.

#1 Valentine’s Deli - (541) 322-2154 - 555 NW Arizona Ave #25, Bend, OR 97703

My wife is a teacher in Bend and each year we seem to find a gift card stuffed into a thank you note from the owners of Valentine’s. These folks love and support our local educators, and they make a seriously good sandwich.

Our favorite…the only sandwich I ever order, is the hot italian. Friends I eat with order the Alburquerque or Ranch Hand. Every sandwich on the menu is incredible. Valentine’s has mastered the art of keeping things simple, using great meat and veggies on delicious bread from Sparrow Bakery.

Hot Italian 🐖

Toasted pepperoni,  salami,  hot  capicola,  ham,  and  provolone  cheese  on  a  Sparrow  hoagie,  topped  with  shredded  lettuce,  tomatoes,  red  onion,  and  pepperoncini.  Juiced  up  with  mayo  and  house  red  wine  vinaigrette

#2 New York City Sub Shop - (541) 330-0444

740 N.E. 3RD Bend, OR 97701

Andrew and his team have been in Bend for a long time, since before Bend had more than 10,000 people. Conveniently located off Third Street, next to Ace and Safeway, this spot is a MUST-VISIT when in Bend. My favorite is a Manhatten, light on peppers, no tomato, served hot. When they ask if you’d like the sandwich hot, say yes, they grill everything up on their flat top, then carefully place it onto their soft bread. The process is systematic, everything is consistent, down to how each sandwich is cut, wrapped, and delivered.

If you’re in town and wanna grab lunch, I’m buying. If you live in Bend and wanna catch up over lunch, I’m buying.

Just call or text me “sandwich” and I’m in for a trip to NYCSS. Your sandwich is on me.

Justin

(541) 797 - 9939

Fabricator in Bend.

Do you have something that needs built?

We know a guy who can build anything.

Meet Rick Mottern.

We’ve spent a lot of time dribbling a basketball up and down the court with Rick over the past few years. Rick is a husband, father, coach, and expert welder. If you are looking for a skilled fabricator welder in Bend, OR who can build anything…Rick is your guy. We had a small project under our kitchen sink that needed some metal fab work done, Rick tackled our project and was great to work with. Whether its a small project like ours, or something large in scope, Rick can custom build anything.

Literally anything.

Anything from custom metalwork, railings, and gates to off-road mods, structural welding, and repairs, Rick brings precision and craftsmanship to every project he gets his hands on. In addition to serving his community through coaching kids sports, Rick serves homeowners, businesses, and industries, by delivering durable, high-quality results on every project in his shop.

Contact Rick today to bring your vision to life!

Rick Mottern

(541) 668 - 6198

Rick also has some pretty cool stuff in his shop, including old cars!

We love old cars ❤️ and we love Rick!

If you’re still reading, and would like a proper introduction, give me a call, i’d be happy to introduce you to Rick, and i’d love to hear about your project!

(541) 797 - 9939

Justin@varsityoregon.com