Top golf resort a short drive away

Newest course opened in 2010

The 14th hole at Old Macdonald which is Bandon Dunes newest course. It opened to the public in 2010 in Bandon, Ore. Photo courtesy of Wood Sabold

Bandon was recently rated by Golf Digest Magazine for the first time as the number one golf resort in America, knocking the world-famous Pebble Beach Golf Links off the top spot.

Bandon Dunes has earned the No. 1  ranking for four fantastic golf courses, exceptional customer service, excellent lodging and food, and its affordability, especially in the winter.

Bandon’s quick journey to the top

Bandon has reached the number one golf resort ranking in just 12 years, which is remarkable in the golfing world.  Three of the four layouts are rated by Golf Digest in the top 15 of America’s greatest 100 public golf courses. The fourth course, Old Macdonald, which hosted the prestigious U.S. Public Links Championship last summer, is sure to join their company when the biennial ratings come out next year.

The resort’s mission –– “Golf as it was meant to be” ––  is embodied in everything it does. There are no motorized golf carts –– golfers either carry their bags, hire a caddy or use a push cart. And unlike many modern golf course “communities,” there are no pricey houses lining the fairways obstructing the stunning ocean-front setting.

The courses have a natural look featuring brown grasses and fairways with wild-looking, fierce sand bunkers all over the place. The golf holes seem like they were more “discovered” than man-created with tons of earth and sand moved with hulking machines. Mark Bergmann, the resort’s guest services manager, referred to this as Bandon Dunes’ “infamous minimalism.”

Resort owner Mike Keiser, who became wealthy with his Chicago-based Recycled Paper Greetings card company, bought 1,215 acres north of Bandon along the coast in 1991 for $2.4 million.  

Keiser had fallen in love with the oceanside courses of Scotland and Ireland and searched for the right land to buy and create a “links-style” golf course.  Links refers to the hard-packed sandy ground and dunes which lie between the ocean and inland soil. All four Bandon Dunes courses play hard and fast year-round because of their sandy bases. That’s a fact Del Norte golfers will appreciate during the rainy winter months. 

Photo of the Bandon Lodge with McKee’s Pub on the far left at the Bandon Dunes Golf Resort. Photo courtesy of Wood Sabold

It opened to rave reviews and almost immediately started attracting golfers from all over the country.

Two years later, the Tom Doak-designed Pacific Dunes opened for play. It is also a Scottish links course with elements of Irish layouts. It was recently rated No. 2 on the list of greatest public courses behind Pebble Beach.

Both these courses do not look like any other course in America.

Bandon Trails, designed by former two-time Masters’ champion Ben Crenshaw and his partner Bill Coore, opened in 2005. It opens and ends amid huge sand dunes with the rest of the majestic and demanding holes winding through meadows and forest.

The fourth course, Old Macdonald, which opened in 2010, was inspired by the work of C.B. Macdonald, who, in 1910, designed one of America’s greatest links courses, The National, located on Long Island, N.Y. It was created by Tom Doak, Pacific Dunes’ designer, in partnership with Jim Urbina. It features wide fairways, intimidating bunkers and vast, undulating greens. 

Old Macdonald features golf holes which emulate ones from famous courses around the globe, including courses in Scotland, Great Britain and The National in New York. The more one knows about these classic holes the more Old Macdonald is appreciated. However, the course is spectacular if one plays it without this historical knowledge.

On May 1, 2012, Bandon Dunes will open a unique, 13-hole, par-three course, Bandon Preserve. Like Bandon Trails, it will be designed by Crenshaw and Coore.   

Bandon Preserve’s layout, featuring gorgeous ocean views from every hole, will be located on the land just north of the first tee at Bandon Trails. The Preserve will not be your father or grandfather’s pitch-and-putt, par-three course. As witnessed during a preview tour, these holes will challenge and stun golfers’ minds with nasty bunkers, high grass, tough greens and varying wind conditions. Bandon recently announced it is now booking tee times for the Preserve. 

The resort envisions Bandon Preserve as an option for golfers who might want to start or finish their day with a quick and affordable par-three round, or have it sandwiched between two 18-hole loops.

Winter getaway

Considering that it is only two hours away from Crescent City, Bandon Dunes can be considered a vacation getaway for  golfing buddies, a foursome, a bigger group or even a couple. The lodging is understated –– like everything at the resort –– but excellent, and the customer service is unmatched along the North Coast. 

The food and drinks are top-notch. The meatloaf and mashed potatoes in McKee’s Pub is not to be missed. The ocean view from the elevated Pacific Dunes Grill is spectacular. The Trails End restaurant at Bandon Trails has an adjacent glassed-in room with a fire pit. Be sure to enjoy the outdoor fireplaces outside McKee’s Pub and the Pacific Dunes Grill. For relaxation, the Bandon Dunes Lodge also features a sauna and hot tub for men and women.

For the fashion-conscious, the pro shop at Bandon Dunes has been rated the No. 1 golf shop for several years running by Golf Magazine because of the superb golf apparel.

“People keep coming back here because they are treated well,” said one of the resort’s outside services greeters, who only goes by the name “Shoe.”

Combine a joyful atmosphere, fine accommodations and great golf courses and it is clear why Bandon Dunes is at the top of the game.

There may be a perception among Del Norte area golfers that one has to be a part of a big group to get good deals at Bandon. That is not true.

The winter Bandon golfing rates are about a third of what a round will cost in the prime season of April 1 through October.

Through Jan. 29, Bandon is offering remarkable package deals. Just take a look at the weather forecast and if it is clear, one can book two-, three-or four-day excursions with a golf friend or a foursome.

Bandon Dunes understands that at this time of year the resort has the opportunity to cater to the hearty Northwest golfers of Del Norte, Oregon and Washington who understand what winter golfing weather is all about. Unlike other courses, the Bandon Dunes courses are built on a base of sand and do not get muddy in the rain.

For Bandon Dunes reservations call 800-742-0172 or visit www.bandondunesgolf.com.