Bandon Dunes Golf Resort: Every Course Reviewed
Bandon Dunes opened its first course in 1999 and has spent the 25 years since proving that American golfers would travel to the Oregon coast in the fog and wind to play walking-only golf on terrain that feels plucked from the British Isles. Six courses later, it is the most successful golf resort development in American history and arguably the most significant architectural project in the country since Pine Valley was built a century ago.
Here is what each course is, and how to think about which ones to prioritize.
Bandon Dunes — David Kidd, 1999
The original. David Kidd designed it for Mike Keiser on a budget that would have been laughed at by conventional resort developers, using the natural dune terrain above the Pacific with minimal earthmoving. It opened to immediate critical acclaim and established the template — walking only, caddies available, no frills beyond the golf — that every subsequent Bandon course has followed.
The course plays along the cliff edges above the ocean, with Pacific views on several holes and exposure to coastal wind throughout. It is not the highest-ranked course at the resort, but it has a specific authority that comes from being first. Several of its holes — particularly the ocean-cliff stretch on the back nine — are among the most dramatic on the property.
Pacific Dunes — Tom Doak, 2001
The most acclaimed course at Bandon Dunes and consistently ranked among the ten best courses in the United States. Doak routed Pacific Dunes through a more rugged section of the property — the dunes are more prominent, the terrain more dramatic, the wind more exposed. The course requires complete golf: long irons played into the wind, creative short-game solutions from natural lie positions, and putting on greens that reward reading the ground rather than the hole.
If you play one course at Bandon Dunes, it should be Pacific Dunes. It is the property's masterpiece.
Bandon Trails — Coore & Crenshaw, 2005
Bandon Trails is the inland course — it plays through the forest and meadows behind the coastal dune ridge rather than along the ocean. This makes it the most visually distinctive course on the property, and the most underrated. Without ocean views as a distraction, the design work becomes the entire experience: the routing through natural meadows, the use of existing terrain for hazards, and greens that were shaped by hand to produce the most creative putting surfaces on the resort.
Most first-timers prioritize the oceanside courses and leave Trails for later. That's the wrong call. It is the most rewarding course to revisit, and it frequently places higher on connoisseur rankings than casual visitors expect.
Old MacDonald — Tom Doak and Jim Urbina, 2010
Old MacDonald was designed as a tribute to C.B. Macdonald's template holes — the redan, the Biarritz, the reverse redan — translated into the Bandon landscape. The result is the most visually theatrical course on the property, with greens that look impossible from the tee and holes that play nothing like their appearance suggests.
Hole 3 — the Ghost Tree hole — is the course's signature and one of the most recognized golf images in American resort photography. A par 3 played from a plateau tee to a green that appears to float against the Pacific horizon, with a lone dead tree visible in the foreground. Three versions of this hole as oil painting prints are available in the Natural Birdies collection.
Sheep Ranch — Tom Doak, 2020
The newest course and the most dramatic. Sheep Ranch occupies the most exposed section of the Bandon Dunes property — a headland that drops to the Pacific on three sides, with ocean views from almost every hole and wind exposure that has no equivalent on the rest of the resort. Several holes play along cliff edges above the ocean at heights that make the Ocean Course at Kiawah look sheltered.
Sheep Ranch has quickly attracted a devoted following among experienced Bandon visitors who have played the other courses multiple times. The exposure makes it the most variable experience on the property — it plays entirely differently in calm conditions versus full Pacific wind — and that variability is part of its appeal.
The Preserve — Short Course
The Preserve is the resort's 13-hole par-3 short course, designed as a place to play a quick supplementary round after completing one of the main courses. It plays through the forest and meadow terrain near the lodges, with holes ranging from 30 to 100 yards. The Preserve is not trying to compete with the main courses — it is trying to be a completely enjoyable hour and a half, and it succeeds entirely.
Which Courses to Play First
For a three-round trip: Pacific Dunes, Old MacDonald, and either Bandon Dunes or Sheep Ranch. For a five-round trip: all five main courses in any order. For a second trip: Bandon Trails first — it is the course that reveals itself most fully on return visits.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many courses are at Bandon Dunes?
Bandon Dunes Golf Resort has six courses: Bandon Dunes (1999), Pacific Dunes (2001), Bandon Trails (2005), Old MacDonald (2010), Sheep Ranch (2020), and The Preserve short course (2012).
What is the best course at Bandon Dunes?
Pacific Dunes (Tom Doak, 2001) is most frequently cited as the best course at Bandon Dunes, consistently appearing in top-10 lists of US courses. Sheep Ranch has attracted a devoted following since opening in 2020.
Is Bandon Dunes walking only?
Yes. All courses at Bandon Dunes Golf Resort are walking only. Golf carts are not available. Caddies are available and recommended, particularly for first-time visitors.