Pacific Dunes
Many good judges call Pacific Dunes the best of the Bandon courses, and a fair few call it the best modern links anywhere. Tom Doak routed it in 2001 straight along the Oregon cliffs, a par 71 of barely 6,633 yards that needs no extra length because the wind, the gorse and the wild greens do the defending. Walk it once and you understand why golfers cross a continent for this stretch of coast.
Photo: David Meillier via Google.
The verdict
Pacific Dunes was Tom Doak's breakthrough, the course that announced both the architect and the Bandon Dunes Golf Resort to the wider golfing world when it opened in 2001. Doak was handed a tumbling site of dunes and gorse above the Pacific and chose restraint, moving little earth and letting the land set the holes. The result is a par 71 of only about 6,633 yards that plays far longer into the prevailing wind and rewards imagination over power.
What sets it apart is the routing. Doak ran holes in every direction, so the wind never feels the same twice, and he was bold enough to place back to back par 3s on the front nine and two par 5s in a row on the back. The greens are large, wild and firm, the bunkering raw and natural, and several holes hang right on the cliff edge above the ocean. It is walking only, caddies are on hand, and it is the rare world top ten course that any traveling golfer can simply book and play.
Pacific Dunes at a glance
- Opened
- 2001
- Designer
- Tom Doak
- Type
- Oceanside links
- Par
- 71
- Yardage
- 6,633 yds
- Green fee
- From $210
The 2001 opening, the Tom Doak design, the par 71 and the championship yardage of about 6,633 yards were verified June 2026 from Bandon Dunes Golf Resort and the course record. Green fees are indicative: 2026 peak season resort guest rates are around 210 dollars and non guest rates around 265 dollars for eighteen holes, lower in the shoulder and winter months, walking only with caddies available. Always confirm directly before booking.
The holes worth the trip
Pacific Dunes asks you to think rather than swing hard. The fairways are generous off the tee, but the angles into the greens are everything, and the player who studies where the slopes feed and where the wind will carry a running shot scores far better than the one who flies it high. The turf is firm and fast, so the ground game is not a novelty here, it is the way the course is meant to be played.
The cliffside holes are the ones that linger. The fourth runs along the very edge of the Pacific with the beach far below, the par 3 eleventh is a one shotter perched above the ocean that can need anything from a wedge to a long iron depending on the day, and the back to back par 5s at the twelfth and thirteenth give the bold a chance to make up ground. Doak's blind shots, punchbowl greens and exposed tees keep you guessing from the first hole to the last.
What stays with you is the wildness of the place, a links that feels found rather than built, conditioned firm and left to the wind off the sea. Pacific Dunes is best taken as the centerpiece of a Bandon pilgrimage, played twice in different winds alongside Bandon Dunes, Old Macdonald and Bandon Trails. For many golfers it is the single most memorable round in the United States, a true bucket list links that does not require a member to get you on.
How to get on
| What to know | Detail |
|---|---|
| Access | A daily fee resort course; tee times are reserved through Bandon Dunes Golf Resort, with priority and lower rates for guests staying on property |
| Green fee | Indicative 2026 peak season rates around 210 dollars for resort guests and around 265 dollars for non guests for eighteen holes, lower in the shoulder and winter seasons |
| Booking | Book a stay and play package well ahead, especially for May to October; replays the same day are offered at a reduced rate |
| On the day | Walking only with no carts; caddies and pull carts are available, and the practice facilities and the par 3 Preserve course are alongside |
| Getting there | On the south Oregon coast near Bandon, about a four hour drive south of Portland or a short hop into the resort's North Bend airport |
| Best months | June to October bring the driest, warmest weather; spring and autumn are quieter with firmer turf and a keener wind |
Access and indicative green fees verified June 2026 from Bandon Dunes Golf Resort; they change without notice, so always confirm directly before booking with the resort or your trip planner. Check tee time availability.
Where to stay nearby
The simplest plan is to stay inside the resort. Bandon Dunes offers rooms and suites a short walk or shuttle from the first tees, from the Lodge to the Inn and the Chrome Lake rooms, and staying on property unlocks the best tee times and guest green fees across all the courses. For a multi day Bandon trip there is no better base.
Beyond the gates, the town of Bandon and the wider south Oregon coast offer a handful of inns and rentals for those who prefer to stay off site, though the drive and the loss of guest rates rarely make sense for a dedicated golf trip. Most travelers fly into the resort's own airport at North Bend or drive down from Portland and let the property handle the rest.
Looking for a base? See our recommended hotels and resorts at Bandon Dunes and across the south Oregon coast.
Play Pacific Dunes and Bandon
We build Bandon Dunes trips around Pacific Dunes, secure your stay and play package, the multi course tee sheet and the transfers from Portland or into North Bend. Tell us roughly when and who is traveling and one concierge costs it to the head, with no obligation.
Pacific Dunes questions
Who designed Pacific Dunes?
Pacific Dunes was designed by Tom Doak and his Renaissance Golf team and opened in 2001. It was the second course built at the Bandon Dunes Golf Resort and the one that established Doak as a leading modern links architect.
What is the par and length of Pacific Dunes?
Pacific Dunes plays as a par 71 of about 6,633 yards from the championship tees. It is short by modern standards but plays far longer into the prevailing ocean wind, with firm turf and large wild greens as its defence.
How much does it cost to play Pacific Dunes?
Indicative 2026 peak season green fees are around 210 dollars for resort guests and around 265 dollars for non guests for eighteen holes, lower in the shoulder and winter seasons. Fees change by season and year, so always confirm current rates directly before booking.
Can the public play Pacific Dunes?
Yes. Pacific Dunes is a daily fee resort course open to the public through Bandon Dunes Golf Resort. Guests staying on property get priority tee times and lower rates, and the course is walking only with caddies available.
How does Pacific Dunes compare to Bandon Dunes?
Both are world class links a short distance apart. Pacific Dunes is the tighter, more dramatic clifftop layout that many rate the best at the resort, while Bandon Dunes is a touch longer and more open. Most visitors play all of the resort courses across a multi day trip.
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Researched and written by the GolfForKings editorial desk. Opening year, designer, par and yardage verified June 2026; indicative green fees verified June 2026. Last reviewed June 2026.