Sand Valley: Bandon Dunes Sister Resort | Sick Golf Trips Podcast Ep. 14

The Setup

This week we’re joined by Pete Nason, a software sales pro from Long Island who also built a golf app to track every course he’s played. Pete and his crew of college friends have made an annual tradition of destination golf trips, and Sand Valley was their white whale — they waited over a year on the waitlist before finally getting their tee times locked in.

The Format

Eight guys, all tight since college, fly into Madison, Wisconsin and van up to Sand Valley for a long weekend of 36-hole days. They run a snake draft six months ahead of time to build two teams, then play match play every round until Sunday singles. It’s competitive, it’s loud, and there’s a handmade scoreboard hanging in the lodging to keep the drama alive all weekend.

The Hot Takes

• Sand Valley waitlist — Pete’s group waited over a year (possibly two) to get lodging and tee times locked in
• 36 holes a day — they played Sand Valley, Mammoth Dunes, Sedge Valley, and The Lido over the trip
• Par-3 course warm-up — Pete recommends hitting the short course first; it’s casual, relaxed, and the perfect primer for the big courses
• Two-bagger caddies — sharing one caddy between two players kept costs reasonable and built real camaraderie across the weekend
• Match play + singles — draft teams battle it out daily, then Sunday morning is pure 1v1 singles for all the marbles
• Middle of nowhere magic — once you’re on property, you’re locked in. No towns, no distractions, just golf

The Run-It-Back

Pete wouldn’t change much about the trip except maybe building in a little more recovery time between 36-hole days. The caddies became part of the group, the courses exceeded expectations, and the draft format kept every round meaningful. His advice: get on that waitlist early, book the caddies, and don’t skip the par-3 course.