31-575: Bandon Dunes Golf Resort is a complex of seven links and two par-3 golf courses on the West Coast of the United States , located alongside the Pacific Ocean in southwest Oregon , just north of the city of Bandon . The first course at the resort, Bandon Dunes , opened on May 19, 1999. Bandon Dunes was designed by Scotsman David McLay Kidd, and it instantly garnered high praise. The course
62-428: A coast, and the term is typically associated with coastal courses, often amid dunes, with few water hazards and few, if any, trees. This reflects both the nature of the scenery where the sport originated and the limited resources available to golf course architects at that time. Soil movement, for example, had to be done by hand, and thus was kept to a minimum, as was irrigation. Even today, some links courses do not employ
93-547: A controlled style of golf, as hazards abound. Low and even bouncing shots allow balls to be skipped onto greens rather than high flights landed with strong backspin. Windy or blustery weather also calls for low, accurate shots. Damp conditions demand concentration and caution. As many traditional links courses consist of an "outward" nine in one direction along the coast, and an opposite "inward" nine returning, players often have to cope with contrasting wind patterns in each half of their round. Golf Magazine Golf Magazine
124-411: A greens staff, use only basic machinery such as hole cutters without boards, resulting in a hole that is cut unevenly, and use grazing animals to keep the grass cropped. Although the term links is often used loosely to describe any golf course, few golf courses have all of the design elements of true links courses, including being built on linksland. The presence of a seaside location does not guarantee
155-467: A links golf course. Many famous courses regarded as links do not, as presently constituted, have all of the necessary characteristics (e.g., Pebble Beach Golf Links , Old Head Golf Links at Kinsale , The Ocean Course at Kiawah Island ). On the other hand, some courses located hundreds of miles from a seacoast, such as Whistling Straits , near Kohler , Wisconsin , on the Great Lakes , can have all of
186-440: A private course separate from the main resort. Doak and Urbina started work on the property after completing Pacific Dunes, and had completed 13 greens before Keiser and Friedmann stopped construction once locals heard about the project, fearing that the project would cause problems for the resort. For more than 15 years, the property sat largely vacant; the greens were not irrigated, and only a select number of resort guests who asked
217-498: A seaside course possess such magnificent sand craters, as those at Royal Adelaide." The unique nature of links courses necessitates a distinct style of play. The challenges links traits present fall into two categories: topography, which tends to be characterised by uneven fairways, thick rough, and small, deep "pot bunkers "; and climatic, dominated by windy conditions created by their coastal location and lack of trees, and frequent intermittent rain squalls. Links topography favours
248-470: Is a 100,000-square-foot (9,300 m) putting course designed by Doak and Urbina. It opened in 2014 and is adjacent to the first tee at Pacific Dunes. It has 18 holes and takes about an hour to play. The area is a collection of natural hollows. Punchbowl is a longstanding design concept by golf architects. The 18th hole at Old Macdonald shares the same principles and is aptly named "Punchbowl." The sixth course, Sheep Ranch , opened on June 1, 2020. Located to
279-490: Is a monthly golf magazine . One of the first "special interest" magazines of its kind, it was started in April 1959 by Arnold Abramson and Robert Abramson, the owners of Universal Publishing and Distributing Corporation, who sold it to Times Mirror in 1972. Time Inc. acquired it in 2000. It was acquired by Howard Milstein in 2018. It was the world's most widely read golf publication from August 2006 to January 2007. The magazine
310-528: Is for golfers of all skill levels. Some features it includes are instruction from the top 100 teachers in America, interviews with famous golfers, tips on the best values for golf courses to go to on vacation, and an annual club test. Golf Magazine conducts an annual survey of experts to determine the best course in the United States and the world. The best courses in the United States in 2020 were: Here are
341-632: Is the oldest style of golf course , first developed in Scotland . Links courses are generally built on sandy coastland that offers a firmer playing surface than parkland and heathland courses. The word "links" comes via the Scots language from the Old English word hlinc : "rising ground, ridge" and refers to an area of coastal sand dunes and sometimes to open parkland; it is cognate with lynchet . "Links" can be treated as singular even though it has an "s" at
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#1733085457463372-555: The 2025 U.S. Women's Amateur , and 2029 Walker Cup . In 2022, the resort hosted the U.S. Junior Amateur for the first time. Bandon Dunes was the primary course, with Bandon Trails used as the second course for the stroke-play portion of the event. Starting in 2010, the resort has hosted an annual Division I collegiate tournament in March called the Bandon Dunes Championship. The tournament draws elite college teams from across
403-580: The Planet for Golf . The fourth course, Old Macdonald (in honor of Charles Blair Macdonald ), was designed by a team led by Tom Doak and Jim Urbina. It opened in June 2010. The fifth course, Bandon Preserve , is a Par-3 short course There are 13 holes on the course. It was also designed by Coore and Crenshaw, and the course opened on May 1, 2012. A more recent addition to the Bandon Dunes family, The Punchbowl ,
434-481: The best links courses ranking by Golf Magazine in 2014. The resort's third course, Bandon Trails , was designed by the team of Bill Coore and Ben Crenshaw . Bandon Trails opened on June 1, 2005. Bandon Trails differs from its siblings in that no holes are routed along the Pacific Ocean . The course meanders through dunes, meadows, and forest land. Upon its opening, Golf Odyssey , the preeminent newsletter devoted to golf travel, named Bandon Dunes, The Best Place on
465-584: The characteristics of a seaside links except for proximity to saltwater. Links courses remain most common in Great Britain , especially in Scotland, as well as in Ireland. The Open Championship is always played on links courses, and this is one of the main features which differentiates it from the three major championships held in the United States . The first exception to this was the 2004 PGA Championship , which
496-572: The country with past champions including Duke, Clemson, Notre Dame, Oregon, and Missouri. The resort partnered with Gonzaga University as the host school for the first 11 years of the tournament, but since 2021, the University of Idaho has acted as the host school. The 2024 championship was to be played on March 10-12 on Pacific Dunes, but was canceled due to inclement weather. [REDACTED] Media related to Bandon Dunes Golf Resort at Wikimedia Commons Links (golf) A links
527-593: The emeritus list are: On November 1, 2011, Golf Magazine selected Rory McIlroy over Yani Tseng for its 2011 player of year. The magazine's editor, David Clarke wrote, “We are pleased to name Rory McIlroy as our inaugural Player of the Year.” Americans have embraced this young Northern Irishman, taking him into their hearts not just out of admiration for his amazing talent, but also for the grace he has shown in victory and defeat, his generosity of time with fans, and his commitments to causes beyond golf.” The McIlroy selection
558-495: The end and occurs in place names that precede the development of golf, for example Lundin Links in Fife. It also retains this more general meaning in standard Scottish English . Links land is typically characterised by dunes, an undulating surface, and a sandy soil unsuitable for arable farming but which readily supports various indigenous browntop bent and red fescue grasses. Together,
589-459: The first time. Bandon Dunes was the primary course, with Bandon Trails used as the second course for the stroke-play portion of the event. Tyler Strafaci won the tournament, defeating Ollie Osborne in the final match, during which the contestants played through thick fog during the final holes. In 2021, the USGA announced that 12 additional championships would be held at the course through 2045 including
620-464: The golf course boasts of fantastic views. Named after the Shorty Dow, the previous owner of the land and Mike Keiser's good friend, the golf course acts like a tribute to him and their friendship. The use of golf carts is not permitted at the resort, unless required for medical reasons. In 2009, Golf Magazine named the three courses existing at that time to its list of the 50 best courses built in
651-446: The last 50 years. Pacific Dunes ranked second, Bandon Dunes twelfth, and Bandon Trails thirty-third. In 2013, Golf Digest ranked Bandon Dunes (Old MacDonald) fifth in its list of the Top 50 Golf Courses for Women. The resort is widely known as a top destination for golf trips. The United States Golf Association has staged eight amateur championship tournaments at Bandon Dunes Golf Resort,
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#1733085457463682-509: The most recent being the 2022 U.S. Junior Amateur. The USGA first came to Bandon Dunes in 2006, staging the Curtis Cup , a biennial women's amateur team competition between the United States and Great Britain/Ireland. The matches took place on the Pacific Dunes course, and the U.S. won 11½ to 6½. The next year, 2007, saw the resort host the U.S. Mid-Amateur Golf Championship . Bandon Dunes
713-418: The north of Old Macdonald, it has a mile of ocean frontage over a series of promontories, with several holes featuring shots over water and cliffs. The property had been a wind farm in the 1970s, but had been abandoned because the winds proved to be too intense for turbines of that era. Resort owner Mike Keiser bought the land in 2000 along with business partner Phil Friedmann, and originally intended for it to be
744-461: The resort hosted the first-ever U.S. Women's Amateur Four-Ball , an event the USGA created to replace the Public Links, which was discontinued. The event was held on the Pacific Dunes course. Bandon Dunes was also the site of the 2019 U.S. Amateur Four-Ball . Old Macdonald's was the primary course used for the event, with Pacific Dunes also used. In 2020, the resort hosted the U.S. Amateur for
775-420: The right individuals were allowed on the incomplete course. Eventually, Keiser and Friedmann decided to incorporate this land into the resort, and enlisted Coore and Crenshaw to design a full course. Three pairs of holes that travel in different directions share teeing areas. The seventh and the newest course called Shorty's opened on May 2, 2024 and it is a 19-Hole Par 3. Designed by Whitman, Axland and Cutten,
806-488: The soil and grasses result in the firm turf associated with links courses and the "running" game. The hard surface typical of the links-style course allows balls to "run" out much farther than on softer turf course after a fairway landing. Often players will land the ball well before the green and allow it to run up onto the green rather than landing it on the green in the more targeted-landing style used on softer surfaces. Links courses tend to be on, or at least very near to,
837-402: The top ten courses in the world in 2019: Many countries had courses in the top one hundred, including: Golf Magazine also conducts an annual test of some of the finest golf products available so that the golfer will be armed with the knowledge of which club is the best value. Winners in each category were: Notes Golf Magazine also honours some of the best instructors in the business. On
868-400: Was designed by Michigan architect Tom Doak , and sculpted by his design firm, Renaissance Design, Inc. Pacific Dunes also opened to glowing reviews and quickly surpassed Bandon Dunes as the highest-rated course on the property. Pacific Dunes was rated the number one resort golf course in the country in 2005 by Golfweek magazine, placing just ahead of Pebble Beach . It was ranked 8th in
899-494: Was one of Kidd's early efforts at designing a golf course. Since opening, the original golf course on the property has been adjusted. Alterations include significant amounts of gorse removal and a rerouting of the par-3, second hole. Bandon Dunes is traditionally home to resort guests' lowest scores, thanks to its forgiving landing areas off the tee and mildly to moderately undulating green complexes. The resort's second course, Pacific Dunes , opened on July 1, 2001. Pacific Dunes
930-562: Was played on a links-style course, Whistling Straits , located near Sheboygan , Wisconsin . The 2015 U.S. Open was played at Chambers Bay , a British links-style course in University Place , Washington . Royal Adelaide Golf Club is a links course in Adelaide , South Australia , and was partly designed by Alister MacKenzie , who said of the location, "One finds a most delightful combination of sand dunes and fir trees. I have never seen
961-485: Was the primary course for the event, with Bandon Trails used as the second course for the stroke-play portion of the event. Bandon Dunes hosted the 2011 U.S. Amateur Public Links and the U.S. Women's Amateur Public Links championship tournaments. It was the first time the USGA held the men's and women's Public Links events jointly. The tournaments were played on the Old Macdonald and Bandon Trails courses. In 2015,