The story of Mike Keiser and Bandon Dunes is now legend.
He searched America far and wide for true linksland by the sea- and he eventually came to develop Bandon Dunes Resort near North Bend on the Oregon Coast
Over the years the resort has grown from one wonderful links course to a multiple course complex.
I consider it to be without question 'the best golf resort in the world'.
Bandon Dunes Resort is now home to seven world class links courses (including two par courses), and a variety of quality accommodation & dining options.
Throw in wonderful practice facilities, some pretty funky practice putting greens, and some of the best pro shops anywhere- and you have the recipe for a very successful golfing holiday
No surprise- after all, it is ‘the best golf resort in the world’
The courses are:
Bandon Dunes (1999) by David Kidd
Pacific Dunes (2001) by Tom Doak
Bandon Trails (2005) by Coore Crenshaw
Old Macdonald (2010) by Tom Doak
Bandon Preserve- a 13 hole par 3 course (2012) by Coore Crenshaw
Sheep Ranch (2020) by Coore Crenshaw
How good are these courses?
The five full length courses are very well regarded.
All are ranked amongst the top courses in the USA.
That’s an incredible result!
And the par three courses are both extemely popular..
Bandon Trails
Here is a little bit more information on each of the courses:
Bandon Dunes- rated no 30 in the USA, and 68 in the world
The original course gave David Kidd the opportunity of routing a bunch of golf holes on the clifftops.
The course and the gorse have a scottish links feel- but it is the dramatic coastline holes that will stay with you
Pacific Dunes- rated no 15 in the USA, 23 in the world
Pacific Dunes is the course that announced Tom Doak to the world
History now records him as one of the greats of golf architecture
Pacific Dunes is simply one of the best courses in the world!
The combination of picturesque clifftop holes and remarkable inland holes in the dunes is compelling
Bandon Trails- rated no 42 in the USA, 99 in the world
Bandon Trails is given less exposure to the coast and the big dunes than it’s sister courses
After the starting holes explore some beautiful dunescapes, the course turns inland and up into the hills, before returning to the sandhills at the finish
The Course has a different feel to the clifftop courses and with many fairways being tree lined is less exposed to the conditions thanthe others
Old Macdonald was named after C.B. Macdonald who was crucial in the development of golf and golf architecture in America
Macdonald studied the great UK links courses and consequently used this knowledge to incorporate ‘template’ holes in his American course designs.
These templates employed the strategies and look of the famous links holes without being direct replicas
The Old Macdonald course at Bandon Dunes is based on the same design principles.
So the more astute golfer might be able to identify famous holes like The Road hole, Double Plateau or Short as they progress through their round
Bandon Preserve- the par 3 course
Bandon Preserve is an inspired piece of planning!
Left with a small parcel of coastal land ideal for golf, the idea of a classic links par 3 course by Coore Crenshaw was always going to be a winner
Bandon Preserve is amongst the best, if not the premier par 3 course in the world.
It is an ideal way to spend an hour or so after the main game of the day
Sheep Ranch
The clifftop land adjacent to Pacific Dunes has been an intriguing proposition for a long time.
Originally Tom Doak was employed to develop The Sheep Ranch- a series of greens and tees along the coast with mown fairways seemingly heading off in all directions.
It was a fun concept for matchplay- the winner of each hole could choose which hole to head to next…
But commercial reality eventually kicked in.
Coore Crenshaw were invited to design a new course along the coastal cliffs as the next Bandon Dunes offering.
The resultant course has 9 absolute clifftop greens and no bunkering whatsoever!
Bandon Dunes is a Travelling Golfer must play destination!
Golf Tours
The Travelling Golfer can tailor a golf tour for your group.
Suggested itineraries can be found at Great Golf Destinations: Bandon Dunes & Pebble Beach
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