Pacific Dunes
Bandon, Oregon
It is Man vs. Nature & it is as pure as it gets.
Navigating massive sand dunes, flowing-contoured fairways, & natural bunkers, this is American links golf at its finest.
Tom Doak ignored most, if not all, traditional routing concepts when designing Pacific Dunes, instead focusing on building "the best 18 golf holes" he could. As a result, Pacific Dunes breaks almost all the rules regarding your classic nine holes out (inland) & nine holes in (along the cliffs) loop. You are kept on your toes, playing back & forth between inland and cliffside holes. Teased with a view of the Pacific from afar one hole, you find yourself in awe as you walk from green to tee box, turning a corner & finding yourself on the cliff's edge. The 9th hole does not return to the clubhouse, nor do the front & back 9's follow the typical formula of two par 3's, two par 5's, & five par 4's. There are no formulaic concepts at play here. The back nine starts with back-to-back gorgeous par 3's (four total on the back 9)!
Don't be fooled by its beauty; Pacific Dunes can & probably will kick your ass in one way or another.
Follow up your round by sitting fireside overlooking The Punchbowl & enjoy a nice relaxed lunch before your next round. The clubhouse emits strong Pacific-Northwest vibes. Like the golf course, the club sandwich is far from standard. Pair it with their homemade chips and a beer (and maybe some onion rings for the table) while you try to come up with words to describe your latest Bandon experience.
Public: Course Website | Opened: 2001 | Designer: Tom Doak
