Bandon Trails on GSPro: The Underrated Bandon Gem

Bandon Trails on GSPro is the most overlooked course at Bandon Dunes, and that is a shame. Bill Coore and Ben Crenshaw designed a routing that moves from open dunesland into dense coastal forest and back out again, creating a variety that no other course at the resort can match. The GSPro community version captures that variety well enough that Bandon Trails deserves a spot in every sim owner’s library.

The Coore and Crenshaw Design

Bandon Trails does not get the attention that Pacific Dunes or the original Bandon Dunes course gets, but regulars at the resort will tell you it is the most strategic test of the bunch. Coore and Crenshaw built a course that demands shot shaping and club selection above power. The opening holes play through sandy, dunes-like terrain. The middle section dives into a forest of shore pine and Sitka spruce where the fairways tighten and the visuals shift completely. The closing holes emerge back into the dunes with Pacific Ocean views.

The GSPro version gets this routing right. The transition from open to forest and back is visible in the LiDAR data. The forested holes play tighter in simulation, and the tree penalty is appropriately severe — you are not playing out from under a shore pine in real life, and you should not expect to in the sim.

Course Quality Assessment

The green complexes are Bandon Trails’ strength. Coore and Crenshaw built some of the most natural-looking greens at the resort, with false fronts and run-off areas that punish approaches from the wrong angle. The GSPro version preserves these contours adequately. Approaches that land short feed back off false fronts in the sim, just like they do in real life.

The fairway bunkering is also well represented. Bandon Trails uses bunkers sparingly but effectively — they are positioned to collect shots hit to the fat side of a green or the inside of a dogleg. The GSPro version has them in the right places.

The one area where the simulation struggles is the forest atmospherics. The real Bandon Trails has a quiet, enclosed feel through the middle holes that is difficult to replicate on a screen. The GSPro version plays correctly, but it cannot reproduce the sensory experience of walking through a coastal forest.

How to Access Bandon Trails on GSPro

Bandon Trails is a free community-built course on the GSPro course server. Search for “Bandon Trails” in the SGT course library and download through the GSPro client. No Patreon subscription required.

It appears alongside the other Bandon courses in your library. The full set of five Bandon courses — Bandon Dunes, Pacific Dunes, Bandon Trails, Old Macdonald, and Sheep Ranch — are all available and represent one of the best course collections in sim golf.

Who Should Play This Course

Players who appreciate strategic design will love Bandon Trails. It is not a bomber’s course. The forested holes demand accuracy off the tee, and the approaches require thinking about pin position rather than just firing at flags.

Higher handicappers will find the opening and closing holes playable but should move up a tee box for the forest stretch, where the fairways tighten significantly.

FAQ

Is Bandon Trails available on GSPro?

Yes. Bandon Trails is available as a free community-built course on the GSPro course server. It is part of the SGT course library and included with any GSPro subscription.

How realistic is Bandon Trails on GSPro?

The LiDAR data captures the routing and elevation changes well. Green contours are well represented. The forest atmosphere is difficult to fully replicate in simulation, but the playability is high.

Can I play Bandon Trails on other simulator software?

Bandon Trails is primarily available on GSPro. E6 Connect and FSX Play do not currently list it in their course libraries.

How does Bandon Trails compare to the other Bandon courses in GSPro?

It is the most varied of the five Bandon courses, alternating between dunes and forest. It rewards strategy over power. Pacific Dunes and Sheep Ranch are more dramatic visually, but Bandon Trails has the best variety of any course at the resort.

What wind setting should I use for Bandon Trails?

Medium wind is ideal. The forested middle holes are protected from wind, so high wind settings create an unrealistic contrast between the exposed opening and closing holes and the sheltered middle section.

How do I download Bandon Trails on GSPro?

Open the GSPro course server, search “Bandon Trails,” and download. It appears under B in your course library alongside the other Bandon courses. Free with any GSPro subscription.