When Bill Coore and Ben Crenshaw began working in the sand to uncover the third course at the resort, they faced the challenge of following Bandon Dunes and Pacific Dunes. Opened in 2005, Bandon Trails begins atop a massive sand dune, then quickly opens into a sprawling meadow. The routing then works higher into the coastal forest, before finally returning to finish in the dunes. The course is enjoyable to walk and is a constant reminder of how the game was originally created among inland rolling dunes with dramatic ocean vistas.
Designed by Tom Doak and opened in 2001, Pacific Dunes is remarkably different in character and shot making requirements than the other courses. Pacific Dunes doesn’t feel like it was built as much as it was discovered. Rippling fairways remain just as they were found and natural bunkers line the landscape as they have for centuries. The course emerges from shore pines to spectacular 60-foot sand dunes. When the wind blows, precise approach shots are a necessity. Pacific Dunes is short enough to give you hope, but rugged enough to test every facet of your game.
It began in 1999 with the opening of Bandon Dunes. Designed by Scotsman David McLay Kidd, the course is perched on a bluff high above the Pacific Ocean. Bandon Dunes unfolds along pristine native dunes where expansive ocean views are revealed on nearly every hole. The course is completely natural and routed through an environment of indigenous vegetation. Beyond breathtaking scenery lies the game of golf in its truest form. This is a thinker’s course. Winds are ever-present, and the varying elements create a new experience each time you play.