Golf on the Oregon Coast and Bandon
The greatest modern links pilgrimage in America, where the Pacific meets the dunes at Bandon Dunes and five world ranked courses sit side by side. With caddies, firm turf and walking only golf, here are the courses that matter, the seasons and how to plan it.
Last reviewed June 2026 by the GolfForKings editorial desk
Photograph: Bandon Dunes Golf Resort, Bandon Dunes Golf Resort, via Google
Why golf the Oregon Coast and Bandon
When Mike Keiser opened Bandon Dunes on a remote stretch of the southern Oregon coast in 1999, he bet that American golfers would travel a long way for pure, walking only links in the British tradition. He was right, and Bandon Dunes Golf Resort is now the most revered golf destination in the United States. Five eighteen hole courses, every one ranked among the best public courses in the country, run along towering bluffs above the Pacific, played firm and fast with a caddie or a push cart and no carts in sight. It is golf stripped back to its essentials, and a bucket list trip for serious players.
The resort is the reason to come, but the wider Oregon Coast rewards the golfer who lingers. Just outside the gates, Bandon Crossings offers a relaxed, affordable round, while up the coast the historic Gearhart Golf Links, in play since 1892 and the oldest course in the West, and the Rees Jones designed Sandpines at Florence give the trip range beyond the resort. Wild scenery, fresh seafood and small coast towns fill the hours between rounds. This is a place to slow down, walk every hole and let the weather become part of the round.
The areas
Bandon Dunes Golf Resort
The reason to come: five championship links plus the Preserve par 3 course, all walking only with caddies, on the bluffs north of Bandon town. The heart of any trip.
The southern coast
Bandon town and Bandon Crossings just outside the resort gates, a relaxed and affordable complement, with the harbour, beaches and seafood of the south coast close by.
The central and north coast
Sandpines at Florence on the central coast and the historic Gearhart Golf Links near Seaside, worth weaving in on a longer Oregon coast road trip.
The courses that matter
Pacific Dunes
The most decorated course at Bandon and often rated the best of the five, Tom Doak's wild, clifftop links of 2001 with back to back par 3s, blind shots and dunes that look untouched by man. Routinely placed among the top public courses in the United States.
Bandon Dunes
The original course that started it all, designed by a twenty nine year old David McLay Kidd on a bluff high above the Pacific. Big, rugged and joyful, with gorse, dunes and ocean holes that announced a new era of American links golf.
Old Macdonald
A homage to the template holes of Charles Blair Macdonald, with huge, wildly contoured greens and acres of width across open ground. The most strategic and quirky of the five, rewarding bold lines and clever angles.
Bandon Trails
The course that turns inland, a Bill Coore and Ben Crenshaw routing that travels from dunes through meadow and into coastal forest. A change of scenery and the connoisseur's favourite, with a beautifully natural feel.
Sheep Ranch
The fifth course, opened in 2020 on the most exposed clifftop of all, with nine greens perched above the ocean and not a single bunker. Wide, windswept and defended by huge contours and the gale, a thrilling, modern minimalist links.
Bandon Preserve
A short course with ocean views on every hole, thirteen par 3s from Coore and Crenshaw whose proceeds support coastal conservation. The perfect afternoon round and proof that the short game can be the most fun of the trip.
Bandon Crossings
The affordable alternative just outside the resort, a varied parkland and heathland course through coastal woodland and meadow, walkable or with carts. A relaxed, well priced round that pairs well with the resort marquee names.
Gearhart Golf Links
The oldest golf course in the West, in continuous play since 1892 near Seaside on the north coast. A charming, old school links over rumpled ground, full of history and character, a lovable detour on a longer Oregon road trip.
Sandpines Golf Links
A Rees Jones design at Florence on the central coast, named Best New Public Course in America on opening. A links and parkland blend through dunes, pines and water, the standout public course between Bandon and the north coast.
Designers, opening years and pars verified June 2026. Bandon Dunes courses are walking only, with caddies and push carts. Course profiles are added across the site as the directory grows. Always confirm visitor access and fees directly before booking.
When to go
| Season | Conditions | Verdict |
|---|---|---|
| June to September | Driest and mildest, long days, the firmest, fastest turf | Peak season, book the resort tee times and lodging many months ahead |
| May and October | Cooler and more changeable, still largely playable, quieter | Excellent shoulder golf with better value and availability |
| November to April | Wet and windy, the links still firm, short on daylight | Off season value and a true links test for the hardy |
The Oregon coast can serve weather in any month, which is part of the appeal at Bandon. Summer is the safest bet and the busiest, while the shoulders reward flexibility with lower fees.
Indicative costs
| Item | Indicative 2026 | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Peak resort green fee | Around $300 to $415 a round | Bandon Dunes resort guests, May to October |
| Off season green fee | Around $100 to $160 a round | Bandon resort guests, November to April |
| A stay and play, all in | Around $2,000 to $4,500 per person | Lodging and several rounds, excluding flights; coast courses far cheaper |
Indicative third party figures for the 2026 season, shown to set expectations only. We are a guide, not an operator, and never quote our own pricing. Always confirm directly before booking.
Getting there and around
Bandon is remote, which is half the magic. The closest airport is Southwest Oregon Regional at North Bend, around thirty minutes north of the resort, with limited connections. Most visitors fly into Portland and drive around four and a half hours south, or into Eugene for a shorter run of about two and a half hours, often turning the drive into a coastal road trip. Once at the resort, you do not need a car: the courses are walking only with caddies and push carts, and a shuttle links the lodges, courses and practice areas. For the wider coast, a hire car is essential to reach Florence and Gearhart.
Where to stay
Staying on site at Bandon Dunes is the whole experience, from the Lodge and the Inn to the cottages and the Grove, with several restaurants, a pub and the practice grounds all within the gates. Booking a stay and play package locks in tee times and lodging together and is the simplest way to secure peak dates. For a broader Oregon coast trip, the town of Bandon, Florence and the Gearhart and Seaside area all offer comfortable bases. Book the resort far ahead for summer, and let one planner sequence the rounds, the lodging and the drives.
Plan your Oregon Coast golf trip
Tell us which courses you want and roughly when. One concierge sequences the tee times, lodging and drives and costs the trip to the head, with no obligation.
Oregon Coast golf questions
When is the best time to play golf on the Oregon Coast?
Bandon and the Oregon coast play golf year round, but May to October is the prime stretch, with the driest, mildest weather and the longest days. June to September is peak, when the resort tee sheets book up months ahead. November to April is wet and windy on the firm links turf, but it brings the lowest green fees and a true off season experience for the hardy.
Which is the best course at Bandon Dunes?
There is no wrong answer, which is the point. Tom Doak's Pacific Dunes is the most decorated and often rated the best. David McLay Kidd's original Bandon Dunes started it all in 1999, Coore and Crenshaw's Bandon Trails turns inland, Old Macdonald celebrates the template holes, and the bunkerless Sheep Ranch runs along the most exposed clifftop of all. Most visitors play several over a stay.
How much does a Bandon Dunes golf trip cost in 2026?
Indicative 2026 green fees for resort guests run to around $300 to $415 a round at peak season, dropping to roughly $100 to $160 in the November to April off season. A multi day stay and play with lodging and several rounds typically lands between $2,000 and $4,500 per head, excluding flights. The wider Oregon coast courses are far cheaper. Always confirm directly before booking.
Related
The Tee Sheet
Bandon Dunes booking windows, course openings and the trips worth moving on first. Every other week.