Golf in Oregon
Home to Bandon Dunes, one of the great golf destinations on earth, where five championship links run along the Pacific bluffs. Beyond the coast, high desert golf around Bend and a championship parkland near Portland. The courses that matter, the season, the costs and how to plan a Bandon pilgrimage.
Photograph: Bandon Dunes Golf Resort, Oregon, via Google
Why golf in Oregon
Oregon is, for traveling golfers, essentially one extraordinary place with a few worthy extras attached. The extraordinary place is Bandon Dunes, the resort that Mike Keiser built on a remote stretch of the south Oregon coast and turned into one of the finest pure golf destinations anywhere. Its premise is simple and pure: walking only, caddie golf on genuine links land above the Pacific, no carts, no houses, no distractions, just five championship courses and a handful of short courses laid out on dunes and bluffs. Bandon Dunes by David McLay Kidd opened the resort in 1999, Pacific Dunes and Old Macdonald by Tom Doak followed, and Bandon Trails and Sheep Ranch came from Coore and Crenshaw. Between them they form a collection that golfers cross continents to play.
Beyond Bandon, Oregon offers a real change of scene in the high desert around Bend, where the sun shines far more than the famously damp west of the state. There the firm, fast links of Tetherow, a David McLay Kidd design, and the Tom Fazio course at Pronghorn give a different, drier kind of golf against the backdrop of the Cascade peaks. Up near Portland, Pumpkin Ridge has hosted USGA championships on its championship parkland. But make no mistake: Bandon is the reason almost every golfer comes to Oregon, and a pilgrimage there is one of the trips of a lifetime.
The regions
The south coast and Bandon
The remote stretch of coast around Bandon, home to Bandon Dunes Golf Resort and its five championship links above the Pacific, the heart of golf in Oregon and a bucket list destination.
Central Oregon and Bend
The sunny high desert around Bend, where firm, fast courses like Tetherow and Pronghorn sit beneath the Cascade peaks, a drier, brighter golf base with resorts, breweries and the outdoors.
Portland and the valley
The Willamette Valley around Portland, greener and wetter, home to Pumpkin Ridge and a run of good daily fee courses, and the usual arrival point for a wider Oregon trip.
The courses that matter
Bandon Dunes
The course that started it all, a David McLay Kidd links of around 6,700 yards running along the bluffs above the Pacific, windswept, firm and fast, the round that announced Bandon to the world.
Pacific Dunes
Many golfers' favourite at the resort and routinely rated among the best modern courses anywhere, a Tom Doak links of rumpled dunes, blind shots and a stretch of holes hard against the ocean.
Old Macdonald and Bandon Trails
Old Macdonald, by Tom Doak and Jim Urbina, is a tribute to the template holes of C.B. Macdonald, big and bold; Bandon Trails, by Coore and Crenshaw, leaves the dunes for forest and meadow, a beautiful contrast.
Sheep Ranch
The newest of the five, a Coore and Crenshaw layout with nine greens perched on the ocean bluff and no bunkers, all width, wind and clifftop drama. The most exposed and exhilarating round at the resort.
Tetherow
A links inspired David McLay Kidd design in the high desert near Bend, firm and fast through fescue with panoramic views of the Three Sisters and Broken Top, a Golf Digest top 100 course and the pick of central Oregon.
Pronghorn and Pumpkin Ridge
The Tom Fazio course at Pronghorn near Bend is classic American target golf in the desert, while Pumpkin Ridge near Portland has hosted USGA championships on its lush valley parkland, the best of the Portland area.
Designers and years verified June 2026 from the resorts and clubs. Bandon Dunes is walking only, caddie golf; course profiles are added across the site as the directory grows. Always confirm access and fees directly before booking.
When to go
| Season | Conditions | Verdict |
|---|---|---|
| June to October | Driest, warmest, longest days | Prime golf, peak rates, book Bandon well ahead |
| April to May, late October | Cooler, wetter, some wind and rain | Good value shoulder, true links weather at Bandon |
| November to March | Wet and windy on the coast, cold inland | Bandon plays on for the hardy; Bend courses often close |
Bandon Dunes is a links and stays open and playable year round; committed golfers embrace the wind and rain of the off season at lower rates. The high desert around Bend is sunnier but cold in winter. Always confirm tee times before you travel.
Indicative costs
| Item | Indicative 2026 | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Bandon Dunes green fee | Around $120 to $370 | Resort guests and Oregon residents, by course and season |
| Tetherow or Pronghorn | Around $100 to $200 | Season dependent, lower than Bandon |
| A Bandon trip, all in | From around $2,500 upward per person | Stay and play package over several days, excluding flights |
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. Bandon is a stay and play resort, so the real budget is the multi day package of rooms, golf and meals. Always confirm directly before booking.
Getting there and around
Bandon is remote, which is part of its magic. Most golfers fly into Portland or into the small North Bend airport closer to the resort, then drive the scenic coast road in. From Portland it is about four hours by car, from North Bend around thirty minutes, so build in the travel time and treat the journey as part of the trip. Central Oregon golf around Bend is reached via the Redmond airport or a three hour drive from Portland over the Cascades. Within Bandon you need no car at all once you arrive, since the resort is walking only and runs shuttles between the courses and lodges.
Where to stay
At Bandon the answer is simple: stay on property. The resort's lodges and cottages, from the Lodge to the Inn at Bandon Trails and the Grove, put you steps from the first tees and the caddie yard and keep the whole experience self contained. Around Bend, Tetherow and Pronghorn both have resort lodging, and the town itself is full of hotels, restaurants and breweries. One planner can secure the Bandon tee sheet and rooms, the hardest part of the trip to book, and fold in a Bend or Portland leg if you want to see more of the state.
Plan your Oregon golf trip
Tell us the courses you want and roughly when. One concierge secures the Bandon tee sheet and lodging, the hardest part to book, and replies within one working day, with no obligation.
Oregon golf questions
What is the best golf in Oregon?
Bandon Dunes Golf Resort on the south Oregon coast is the headline and one of the great golf destinations on earth, with five championship links: Bandon Dunes by David McLay Kidd, Pacific Dunes and Old Macdonald by Tom Doak, and Bandon Trails and Sheep Ranch by Coore and Crenshaw, plus short courses. Inland around Bend, Tetherow and the Fazio course at Pronghorn bring high desert golf, and Pumpkin Ridge near Portland adds a championship parkland. Bandon is the reason most golfers travel to Oregon.
When is the best time to play golf in Oregon?
Summer and early autumn, roughly June to October, are the prime months, with the driest, warmest weather and the courses at their best, and they are the busiest and priciest. Bandon Dunes stays open and playable year round in true links fashion, and committed golfers happily play it in the wind and rain of the shoulder and winter months at lower rates. The high desert around Bend is sunnier and drier but cold and often closed in winter. Always confirm tee times before booking.
How much does golf cost in Oregon in 2026?
At Bandon Dunes, indicative green fees for the five championship courses run roughly 120 to 370 US dollars for resort guests and Oregon residents, varying by course and season, with peak summer rates at the top. The resort is stay and play, so the real budget is the package of rooms, golf and meals over several days. Tetherow, Pronghorn and Pumpkin Ridge sit lower. Always confirm directly before booking.
Related
The Tee Sheet
Bandon tee sheet releases, US course access and the trips worth taking. Every other week.