Oregon
Bandon Dunes in 4 Days
Estimate: Per golfer, 4 nights shared on-property lodging plus five 18-hole rounds and two short-course rounds, excluding flights and caddies. Golf alone runs about $2,100 at the 2026 peak resort-guest rate ($375 per 18-hole round June–September, about $340 in May and October); the low end assumes shoulder dates and shared rooms.
This is the trip for golfers who want to walk, play 36 a day and talk about nothing but golf at dinner. There are no carts, no houses on the courses and very little to do off the property, which is exactly the point. Groups of four to eight who are happy with pub food and early alarms get the most out of it.
What makes it work is density: Bandon Dunes, Pacific Dunes, Bandon Trails, Old Macdonald and Sheep Ranch are all on one property, plus Bandon Preserve and Shorty's for afternoons when your legs are done. The courses are different enough from each other (Kidd, Doak, Coore & Crenshaw) that playing two a day never feels repetitive.
Day by day
- 1
Arrive, loosen up on Shorty's
Shorty'sFly into North Bend and book an afternoon tee time on Shorty's; it's short enough that a delayed flight won't wreck the plan. Spend the last hour on the Punchbowl putting course, which is free for resort guests. Dinner at McKee's Pub keeps it casual.
- 2
Pacific Dunes, then the Preserve
Pacific DunesBandon PreserveTake the earliest Pacific Dunes time you can get, since mornings are usually calmer in summer. Lunch, then walk Bandon Preserve in the afternoon light instead of forcing a second 18 on day one of real golf.
- 3
Bandon Dunes and Old Macdonald
Bandon DunesOld MacdonaldThis is the 36-hole day. Play Bandon Dunes in the morning and save Old Macdonald for the afternoon, when the wind picks up and its huge fairways and greens give you room to play the ground game. Ghost Tree Grill is the upscale dinner option if the group wants one.
- 4
Sheep Ranch and Bandon Trails
Sheep RanchBandon TrailsSheep Ranch in the morning while the views are clear, then Bandon Trails in the afternoon, where the forest holes cut the wind. If you have an early flight the next day, swap Trails for another lap of the Preserve.
The courses
David McLay Kidd · 1999 · Public; resort guests get lower rates and booking priority
The original. Several holes run right along the bluff, and it's the easiest of the big five to get your bearings on.
Tom Doak · 2001 · Public; resort guests get lower rates and booking priority
The one most people rank first. Short par 3s on the cliffs and wild greens make it the round to protect from weather if you can.
Bill Coore and Ben Crenshaw · 2005 · Public; resort guests get lower rates and booking priority
Starts in the dunes, moves through meadow and forest, then back out. Most sheltered from the wind, so it's a good late-afternoon choice.
Tom Doak and Jim Urbina · 2010 · Public; resort guests get lower rates and booking priority
A tribute to C.B. Macdonald's template holes, with enormous greens and fairways. The most fun in a stiff wind.
Sheep Ranch
Bill Coore and Ben Crenshaw · 2020 · Public; resort guests get lower rates and booking priority
No bunkers, nine greens right on the cliff edge, and the most open views on the property.
Bandon Preserve
Bill Coore and Ben Crenshaw · 2012 · Public
Thirteen par 3s overlooking the ocean. An easy second loop after a morning 18.
Shorty's
Rod Whitman, Dave Axland and Keith Cutten · 2024 · Public
The newest course: 19 holes of par 3s. Ideal for an arrival-day loop when you can't trust your flight to land in time for a full round.
Booking it
Demand now outstrips rooms, so Bandon runs a lottery: each year is split into three reservation periods, you register during a window, and a random draw sets the order in which reservationists call people back. Late draw numbers often end up with shoulder-season dates only. If you miss out, day-guest tee times can be booked well ahead at a premium (after 10 a.m.), and staying in Bandon or Coos Bay is a realistic fallback because tee times are easier to find than rooms.
Worth knowing
- Every course is walking-only. Take a caddie at least once, especially on Pacific Dunes and Old Macdonald where local knowledge on the greens saves strokes; pull carts are the alternative.
- Pack layers and a real rain suit even in July. The summer north wind is strong and constant, and fog can sit on the coast all morning.
- Play your two favorite courses early in the trip so you have the option of a replay on the last day.
- Book the short courses as part of the plan, not an afterthought. On 36-hole days, Bandon Preserve or Shorty's is often more fun than a tired second 18.