Pacific Dunes, Bandon Dunes Resort, Oregon, USA

www.bandondunesgolf.com

Black tees par 71, rating 73, slope 142, 6633 yards
Orange tees par 71, rating 69.8, slope 128, 5088 yards



Pacific Dunes was the second of the courses at Bandon Dunes resort.  Designed by Tom Doak, it opened on 2001 and lies on the Pacific coast just north of the Bandon Dunes course.  Once again the setting is magnificent with fantastic views along the Oregon coastline.  Pacific Dunes reputedly required little movement of earth, making use of natural bunkers and features.  Our caddie told us that some of the bunkers were formed using TNT which gave them a ragged natural look.  The course certainly appears to follow the natural contours of the land.

Looking back down the 4th

We played the course on a sunny day with a 20mph prevailing northerly wind.  Pacific Dunes lies almost exactly north-south so the wind either helps or hinders.  The first three holes, two par 4s and a par 5 take the golfer out to the ocean and it is not until the fourth hole that this course really fires the imagination.  It runs along the ocean high above the pounding Pacific surf and the instructions are to hit your ball to the left but enjoy the views to the right.  The fairway narrows to a green perched above and running towards the sea.  Slice at your peril! The sixth hole is cleverly bunkered with a plateau green guarded by a huge bunker on the left.  The green is narrow requiring an approach shot from the right to get near the hole.  The ninth is a unique hole with two greens - a high and a low.  The best views on the course are from the ladies' tee. 

The 11th is the signature hole

The second nine starts with two lovely par 3s, the first of which is downhill into the prevailing wind.  The 11th is the signature hole of this course. plays uphill into the wind and is guarded by natural bunkers at the front and on both sides.  The thirteenth is a mirror image of the 4th with danger lurking

The Pacific Ocean is the lateral water hazard on the left of the 13th hole

on the bluffs and beach to the left.  A downwind par 3 is followed by a well bunkered par 5 with gorse on the left and a green at a 45 degree angle to the fairway.  The 17th is a par 3 which is Redan like where the safe line is to the right but a successful shot just right of the pin will reap rewards.  The round finishes with a par 5 which winds through the dunes and bunkers to a front to back sloping green.

The 17th green with a Blacktail deer in the foreground

This is a true links course but the fairways have some lusher patches and the green surrounds have some longer grass which holds the ball and prevents it from rolling off, unlike typical links turf.  It is the most scenic of the courses here with some memorable holes.

Worth playing?  Yes especially for the views