Bandon Dunes Winter Invitational

Tournament Introduction

The most wonderful time of the year is finally here.

Hello friends. Welcome to the 20th Anniversary of the Bandon Dunes Winter Invitational. Seriously? TWENTY YEARS. Do you realize how long ago that was? Jump into my hot tub, pop a can of Chernobly, and take a trip down memory lane with me...

In 2006, the first ever tweet was put out on the internet (and Toey has been trying to get to 10 followers ever since...)
Facebook opened for public use, not just college students (and Rogers immediately started sending friend requests to every girl that hadn't already blocked him...)
The Motorola Razr dominated the cell phone world (and Quinn still has the record for the most 8 bit porn downloaded to a flip phone...)
Bandon Trails publicly opened for its first full season (and somewhere in Idaho, Jared immediately shanked three balls into the woods in a strange premonition of things to come...)
And most importantly, eight brave souls including Daryl Smith, Jason Smith, Nate Smith, Jim Coleman, and Dick Parrot, made the best decisions of their lives and set off a glorious chain of events, leading to the formation of this legendary group of lifelong golf buddies.

Many of you have been part of this great tradition for years, but whether you're a first time entrant or a true OG, the spirit and tradition of the Winter Invitational has held true since that storybook beginning. This is the ultimate week of competition, bringing together a bunch of gambling, degenerate "athletes" all vying to compete at the highest levels of mediocrity. This group truly brings more hacks than you'll find on TikTok. So brace yourselves; the five courses we're about to play offer the silent majesty of a golf winter morn, the clean, cool chill of the Bandon air, and a bunch of assholes stumbling around the resort high off treats from Ricky.

Over the last twenty years, this trip has come to mean so much more than just a reason to play more golf:

From connecting with old friends, to meeting new ones...
From sharing stories of legend, to toasting legends lost…
From popping that first breakfast Coors Light, to downing the tenth shot of Covid Crown...
From hitting play on that initial run of Hot Tub Time Machine, to the final packing of Nate’s 25 year old DVD player...
From the first perfect toss to the center cup, to Jason tossing bags to the ceiling and declaring the entire trip to be fucking bullshit...

A sincere thank you and a raised glass to the legends who continue to join this honored event year after year. Much like Scotty, the new guys don't know, but we have an intriguing mix of newcomers (that's you KB), past champions (eat a dick Christoffersons), perpetual losers (love you anyway Rogers), and returning legends (can't wait to see Jason and Jobe again) in the field. Perhaps most intriguing is the new rule preventing all those double pops (Suck it Jason, no more putts from 120 yards leading to a net eagle).

Over the last twenty years, plenty of things have changed: Danitz has had three whole pubes grow in; One Eye now owns half the gambling debt in Texas; and Nikki has completed her transition and now has smaller tits and a deeper voice than J. However, some traditions will live forever: Jereme will always be willing to shuttle over to The Mill and attempt to summon the ghosts of The Bachelor's Inn; Jobe will still pass out free candy forcing half the group to pass out; and Murph will still stack more chips than Pringles this week.

Drink up, pop those gummies, take your best shots, and enjoy the amazing Bandon property. But PLEASE remember to bring your swimsuits to the hot tub (no one wants to see your nasty old balls), tip your waitress (not that tip Fengler), and treat all resort employees with the reverence and appreciation they deserve (except Wallsy; that guy deserves all the shit you can shovel). Access to the resort is more exclusive than ever and while we used to be able to ask Philipe to hold just about anything (including Jeremy’s pencil dick while he peed on the ninth green) we don't want to jeopardize our ability to create another twenty years of incredible golf memories, celebrate mediocrity with an amazing group of guys, and write a new set of storybook traditions. I wish you all the best of luck and success in the week ahead! You’re gonna need it!

-Your Tournament Director

2025 Rule Changes

The Double Pop Drop:
In an ongoing effort by the tournament committee to ensure the integrity of the competition and allow more teams a chance to claim the coveted trophy, handicaps will now be capped at a max of 18 when calculating a teams net score. Which means, no more double pops and no more bogeys resulting in a net birdie. You're welcome. (We will however still allow double pops for the individual skins game. This allows high handicappers a chance to win skin money, but also creates more competition for the lower handicap players.)

Gross is Good:
There will also now be an optional buy-in "gross" score tournament allowing the lower handicap teams a chance to compete without worrying about all those damn dots on the scorecard. The buy-in for the "gross prize" is $40 per team and will be paid out, winner take all, at the conclusion of the week.