Bandon Dunes Resort- Pacific Dunes 

The story of Mike Keiser and Bandon Dunes is now legend- how he searched America far and wide for true linksland by the sea- and how 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 6 world class links 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?

 

At the time of writing the Sheep ranch has not officially been rated- and as good as the par 3 course is, it is not rated with the 18 hole courses

The original four full courses however are very well regarded.

All four being ranked amongst the top 42 in the USA, and top 100 in the world according to top100golfcourses.com

That’s an incredible result!

 

Bandon TrailsBandon 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!

 

 

 

Bandon Dunes 5th HoleThe short par 3 5th hole at Bandon Trails

 

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

 

Enquiries:

For further information please enquire here:

images

pw