Terry Richard trichard@oregonian.com 503-221-8222; @trichardpdx Whiskey Run Beach is a popular spot located near Sheep Ranch Golf Course, while Whiskey Run hiking trails offer a great day out for those looking to stay active. Obviously, we only stayed at the Inn but I did ask a few staff members where was the best place to stay. It's the perfect spot to settle some post-round bets. Bandon Dunes is the top golf resort in the country, based on volume of great courses that have climbed the Golfweeks Best rankings of resort layouts. There are a few restaurants in a nearby town, but this is a golfers dream spot. Southwest Oregon Regional Airport (OTH) is a short 35-minute drive from Bandon Dunes, with regular flights from Denver, Colorado, and San Francisco, California. As with other memories, the multiple layers of clothing referred to asstupid gear by one of the starters fades with time and you just remember the camaraderie associated with surviving the elements. A benefit of visiting this area, five miles seaward from U.S. 101, is that it's rarely crowded. 7, Old Macdonald is No. However, I've been lucky enough to have played 16 links courses in east Scotland (many of them Open rota courses) and my overwhelming thought each time I stepped out onto a different Scottish links course was that "This is just like Bandon". Maybe they should have named it "Blandon" Dunes Golf Resort? God, I loved everything about this course. Dinner 6:00pm to 10:00pm. What it has is 4 really good courses, and 3 of them show up on almost everyone's top 100 list. We missed Trails because we had some guys with us that were wore out, another with a partially torn achilles. Yes that includes your putter 4. 6. . I've played Bandon, Pebble/Spanish/Spyglass, Torrey Pines, Whistling/Irish courses in Kohler, Erin Hills as well as the Old Course, Carnoustie, Glenn Eagles in Scotland and Old Head, Tralee, Ballybunion and Killarney in Ireland, and Streamsong compares pretty favorably. 2023 Premier Golf. Non hotel guests may book tee times for April thru mid-November over 21 days in adavanced at a premium rate. It is a rugged complex of 13 greens and numerous sprawling fairways, littered with bunkers, where it is customary to play golf in "HORSE" fashion - win a hole and pick the green you'll play to next. Are golf tees too common an item to be worth adding to your golf collection? Guess what. a wine-tasting room plus personal wine lockers for members and a whiskey room . Dinner 5:00pm to 10:00pm The original 13 greens with an unset, play-as-you-like routing built by Tom Doak lay just across Whiskey Run Lane to the north of Old Macdonald, one of four existing 18-hole layouts at Bandon Dunes Golf Resort in southwestern Oregon. I get a little of what Mike O is saying relative to a factory.From a nose in the air and cost standpoint some of the rota courses are stuffy and underwhelming. 1.5 hours later we came back with ear to ear grins. A HIDDEN LABYRINTH From the Chrome Lake Lodges, take the wooded trail around a pond to a tranquil hide-away called the Labyrinth. A constantly changing dinner menu that showcases the latest catch from our favorite waterways with a dash of Mediterranean flair for good measure. Prior to joining Golf Vacation Insider, Craig was a freelance writer who contributed to GOLF Magazine, Travel + Leisure Golf, Maxim Magazine, USAToday.com, and co-authored Zagat Surveys book, Americas Top Golf Courses. In addition to traveling to 15 foreign countries, he has twice traveled across America to play golf courses in all 50 United States. Looking forward to Cabot next September. Theres also ample accommodation on-site, including single rooms, double rooms, and suites. A few weeks ago, I had the chance to be part of a pretty special trip to Bandon Dunes. Seriouslysome golfers book tee times more than a year in advance. He wants his courses to be fun, and thats what hes delivering.. But if you dont want to splurge on taking a caddie for every round, know that caddies are most essential at Old Macdonald. Unless you go between May and September you are going to have to fly into Portland or Eugene, Oregon. Please take a minute to review our updated, Breakfast open 30 minutes prior to first tee time, Lunch closed after last golfer passes the corresponding course turn. On a par four, two of us pushed our drives substantially to the right as we walked toward our balls Kurt summoned us over to a small grate that was located at the base of tree. You probably know or have heard that Oregon's Bandon Dunes Golf Resort is a very special place. Some quality golf around Sydney, but nowhere near the number of good choices of Melbourne. 5. Getting there is half the battleand half the fun. 2.3 mi Beaches. 2 on our ranking of America's 100 Greatest Public Courses, Bandon is No. Great story on Bandon, thanks! Lunch 11:00am to 5:00pm Much has been said and written (and Instagrammed) about Bandon Dunes Golf Resort, from its quartet of 18-hole stunners, to its sporty par-3 track, to its imaginative and free! Traveling with Them: A Comparison, February 2023: GolfPass Photos of the Month, 7 up-and-coming women's golf apparel brands, Golf's newest collectable: custom logoed tees, The second wave of the hottest new golf clubs for 2023, Golfzon Leadbetter Academy opens at Reunion Resort outside Orlando, What golf's 'Patio-gate' episode of 2023 reveals about the limits of change in a centuries-old obsession. Whiskey Run features more than 10 miles of single-track two-way trails ranging from beginner to intermediate difficulty. Eugene, Oregon, is around a 2.5-hour drive from the resort, Eugene Airport (EUG) also offers daily nonstop flights from cities including Burbank, Chicago, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, San Jose, and Seattle. Flying to North Bend is easiest, but it can be pricey. They added a par 3 course The Preserve which is expensive but perfect for the second round of your day. If I were to do it again, I would play 36 at least twice (the female golfers I vacation with don't normally do 36 a day on golf trips and I was concered about how I would hold up - especially walking the entire time). decanter and four 10 oz. Old Macdonald is, by far, the most wide open. The coastal stretch south of Cape Arago and the Seven Devils to the mouth of the Coquille River is one of the least spectacular in Oregon, almost bland. The restaurant is fairly small and was filled by about 60 dudes and one table of women. This spot is about 20 mn off the 101, so you will have to plug it . We did not stay on the resort because I didn't care for the accommodation with the odd number(we rented a house on the beach on VRBO in Bandon) but my interaction with the staff was outstanding. Find out more >. A privacy reminder from Bandon Dunes. Keiser said the layout will be on land near the second hole of Bandon Trails, not far from the par-3 Bandon Preserve and along the coast south of the original Bandon Dunes course. Distance: Multiple trail segments; nearby forestry access roads are bike-friendly. Its crazy but the weather just does not ruin your adventure. Private Family Style Dinners Only 6:00pm to 10:00pm. The 18-hole routing at the Punchbowl, a 100,000-square-foot putting green, changes every day. For example, the carpets are a tight weave that is meant to withstand golf shoes and bags without getting torn up. The difference is the huge evergreen trees and monstrous feel. Both of these tracks are simply mesmerizing and there are zero throw away holes. There are a number of options that are pretty well described on the Bandon website. Its at the north end of the main parking lot, next to McKees Pub. Sheep Ranch, now the fifth 18-hole course at Bandon Dunes, opened in May, and boasts nine green complexes along the Pacific Ocean, and has double the amount of ocean acreage than the other four 18-hole courses combined. Bandon is a true test of links golf and, as a result, golfers looking to score need to adapt to the links style and emphasize course management, which caddies can be especially helpful with. If youre planning an active adventure vacation in Bandon Dunes, hiking trails, the Labyrinth, and fishing areas will keep you entertained outside of the golf courses. Everyone will tell you that the drive to Portland is a 6 hour nightmare which is totally wrong. Grab & Go Lunch 11:00am to 2:30pm It'll give you a better appreciation for the entire resort. Rumor has it they have a golf package; but nothing that fit our needs. I'm sure a lot of it had to do with the fabulous weather we had at the beginning of June. Pacific Dunes has a tapestry of memorable holes with #4 and #13 being perhaps the best coastal golf holes I've played (#13 gets the top nod from me). Book your stay at The Mill Casino Hotel & RV Park to begin planning your trip today, or call 800-953-4800 for more information about area events and attractions. Our food & beverage teams find joy in greeting you with the warm and friendly embrace that defines our South Coast ethos. He just smiled and said it was a pleasure. Pending availability, I'm open to a golf-only reservation and would like to discuss options with the reservations team. There isn't a. Clearly flying into Eugene is closer, but be warned there are not many flights in and out, and ours got moved 3 times which screwed up connections and our golf planning. Often mentioned as one of our guests favorite dining experiences, Trails End in the Bandon Trails Clubhouse offers Pacific Rim-focused plates from first light to well into the night. We did get our links weather we played in rain, wind, hail, and not be left out a little bit of sunshine. The wind seems to blow continually, which also keeps the picnickers away. Free Shipping on Ground Orders Over $200 within the Continental U.S. At Bandon Dunes Golf Resort, youll find six distinct links courses built on a beautiful stretch of sand dunes perched 100 feet above the PacificOcean. It's the only place in America where you've ever worn your rainsuit. Of course we were a few hundred feet above the beach as well. There is no schedule for when a shovel might be stuck in the ground to start construction. Playing in rain is not bad when you are dry but it sucks otherwise. Have you been to Bandon Dunes and have other ideas for, "Things Only Bandon Dunes Golfers Would Understand"? Planned additions to the trail system include interpretive signs to point out the different tree and plant species. 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