Ranked by Golf Digest as the second best Public Course in America, and the eighteenth best course overall (a list that includes Pine Valley, Augusta and other courses you will never play), Pacific Dunes lives up to the hype. It is a true links course, routed through natural dunes, playing hard-and-fast on sandy fairways, and swept by ocean winds. Every hole designed by Tom Doak looks as though it was “found” rather than created.
It is worth a trip to Bandon Dunes Golf Resort just to play this course. Fortunately, the resort also has the #36 (0verall) Bandon Dunes, the #47 Old MacDonald and the #70 Bandon Trails. You can knock off four bucket list courses in one trip to the Oregon coast.
A Pacific Dunes photo gallery follows:
The first at Pacific Dunes is a 370 yard par 4.
A view of the green on Pacific Dunes’ second.
The second at Pacific Dunes is a 368 yard par 4.
A view from the green at Pacific Dunes’ third hole.
The wind was strong enough at Pacific Dunes to upset the cart on a regular basis.
A view from the green at Pacific Dunes’ third.
Pacific Dunes’ third is a 499 yard par 5.
A view of the green on the fourth at Pacific Dunes.
The fourth at Pacific Dunes is a 463 yard par 4.
Pacific Dunes’ fifth is a 199 yard par 3.
The sixth at Pacific dunes is a 316 yard par 4.
The seventh at Pacific Dunes is a 464 yard par 4.
A view of the green on Pacific Dunes’ eighth.
The eighth at Pacific Dunes is a 400 yard par 4.
Pacific Dunes’ ninth is a 406 yard par 4 with an upper and lower green. The fairway to the lower green bends left; the upper green is fairly straightaway. In either case your tee shot needs to clear this dune.
A view of the fairway heading to the lower green on Pacific Dunes’ ninth.
The tenth at Pacific Dunes is a 206 yard par 3. This is a view from the lower teebox. On days when the lower green on the ninth is used, this is the tee.
Pacific Dunes’ eleventh is a 148 yard par 3.
A view of the green on Pacific Dunes twelfth.
The twelfth at Pacific Dunes is a 529 yard par 5.
Pacific Dunes’ thirteenth is a 444 yard par 4.
The fourteenth at Pacific Dunes is a 145 yard par 3.
Fifteen at Pacific Dunes is a 539 yard par 5.
Sixteen at Pacific Dunes is a 338 yard par 4.
The seventeenth at Pacific Dunes is a 208 yard par 3.
A view of the green from the fairway at Pacific Dunes’ eighteenth.
Pacific Dunes’ eighteenth is a 591 yard par 5.
Wind surfers could be seen just off the beaches below the course.
A view of the 206 yard par 3 third from the upper tees, which are used in conjunction with the upper green on the ninth. This shot was taken on the previous day from the other photos, under a heavy marine layer.
A view of the upper green at Pacific Dunes ninth. This photo was shot the previous morning to the others, in a dense marine layer.
