Bandon Dunes isn’t just my favorite golf destination—it’s my favorite place to play, period. And somehow, I’m lucky enough to have it right here in my home state. The courses, the caddies, the food, the service, the views—it all comes together in a way that’s hard to beat.
During the PGA Professionals Tournament, members of the Oregon Golf Association were offered discounted rounds on three of the resort’s gems: Bandon Trails, Old Macdonald, and Sheep Ranch. Not exactly the kind of deal you turn down.
Our first round was at Bandon Trails, where I met my caddy for the weekend: Robert… well, just Robert.
Fun fact—there are around 600 caddies at Bandon Dunes. Robert was clearly one of the seasoned pros. Read greens like a book, knew every bounce and break. But for reasons known only to him, he refused to tell me his last name. Said I’d have to wait until the final round.
Fair enough.
At some point, I mentioned my book of golf side games, Great Games for Golf. That’s when things got interesting.
A few holes later, my ball came to rest right on top of a sprinkler head.
Robert looked down, then at me, and asked,
“Are you guys playing Sprinklers?”
I told him I’d never heard of it.
He grinned. Then he explained.
Here’s how it works:
If your ball lands in a sprinkler well with a yardage printed on it, every player in your group owes you that number—in dollars.
My ball? Sitting on a sprinkler marked 136 yards.
That’s $136 from each player…
In a foursome, that’s a cool $408 payday.
But—there’s a catch.
If your ball lands on an unmarked sprinkler head, you owe each of your playing partners $20. That’s a quick $60 loss.
Ridiculous? Absolutely.
Tempting? Also yes.
The beauty of the game is in the odds. It almost never happens—which somehow makes you want to play it even more.
And Robert’s last name?
He finally revealed it as we walked off the 18th green at Sheep Ranch.
“Shanks,” he said.
Of course it was.
Tough name for a caddy… but a perfect ending to the story.
So go ahead—add Sprinklers to your golf game rotation.
If you’ve got the nerve.
