3 Day Bandon Dunes Marathon Golf Itinerary
Bandon Dunes was built for the golfer who wants to walk all day, so the truest way to take it on is the marathon: six courses in three days, 36 holes a side, every round on foot the way the resort intends. Here is the playing order that gets the most out of the firm Oregon turf and the long summer light, with the 2026 green fees and the walking-only logistics that make it work.
Photograph: David Meillier, via Google
Who this trip suits
This is the itinerary for the fit, committed golfer who treats Bandon as a pilgrimage and wants to play every course rather than savor a few. It suits a buddies group with three clear days, walkers who relish 36 holes on links turf, and anyone building a once-in-a-lifetime trip who would rather come home having played all of it. It is not the relaxed version; for that, our 4 day Bandon Dunes itinerary spreads the same courses over a gentler schedule with single rounds and time to breathe.
The premise is simple and demanding: a walking-only resort, no riding carts for general play, and five championship courses plus the par 3 Preserve all within a short shuttle of the lodge. Background, course rankings and where to stay live on our Oregon coast hub, the best courses in Oregon list and the Bandon Dunes and Pacific Dunes profiles.
The 3 day marathon plan
| Day | Morning 18 | Afternoon 18 | On the ground |
|---|---|---|---|
| Day 1 | Bandon Dunes, David McLay Kidd's 1999 original that started it all, gorse, dunes and the ocean on the closing stretch | Pacific Dunes, Tom Doak's 2001 masterpiece, widely rated the best of the five, with back-to-back par 3s and cliff-edge greens | Lodge to first tees, 5 to 10 minute shuttle; take a caddie to learn the lines |
| Day 2 | Old Macdonald, Doak and Jim Urbina's 2010 homage to C.B. Macdonald, vast template greens and width to spare | Bandon Trails, Coore and Crenshaw's 2005 inland routing through forest and meadow, the change of pace in the rota | Trails clubhouse is a short shuttle inland; the legs feel day two, so pace the morning |
| Day 3 | Sheep Ranch, Coore and Crenshaw's 2020 cliff-top course with no bunkers and nine greens on the Pacific edge | The Preserve, the 13 hole Coore and Crenshaw par 3 course above Cut Creek, the joyful finish to the marathon | Sheep Ranch sits north of the lodge; finish early enough for a celebratory dinner at the resort |
Course designers and opening years verified June 2026; indicative 2026 resort-guest green fees run roughly 120 USD off season to about 395 in peak, with a reduced same-day replay rate and lower par 3 fees. Always confirm directly before booking. Check Bandon tee time availability.
Why this routing works
The order protects your legs and saves the drama for when you can enjoy it. Opening on Bandon Dunes eases you into the firm turf and the wind before Pacific Dunes, the consensus best of the five, gets fresh attention in the afternoon of day one. Day two pairs the wide, forgiving template greens of Old Macdonald with the inland contrast of Bandon Trails, the only routing that leaves the coast, so the change of scenery carries you through the hardest stretch of the marathon. Day three keeps the spectacle for last, with Sheep Ranch perched on the cliffs and the short, addictive Preserve sending you off smiling.
Logistics make or break a Bandon marathon. Book the earliest morning tee times you can so the replay rate and the long daylight leave room for the second 18; take a caddie at least for the first loop on each course to learn the run-offs and the firm green complexes; and pack for four seasons in a day, because the Oregon coast delivers all of them. To reach the resort, fly into Southwest Oregon Regional at North Bend, about 30 minutes north, or drive in from Eugene in roughly two and a half hours. Plan the group around our Bandon Dunes golf packages and the wider how to play Bandon Dunes guide.
Have us build this trip
Tell us roughly when and who is traveling, and one concierge locks the lodge, the six rounds in the right order and the caddies, and costs the whole marathon to the head. We reply within one working day, with no obligation.
Bandon marathon questions
Can you play 36 holes a day at Bandon Dunes?
Yes, and many golfers come specifically to do it. Bandon is a walking-only resort, so 36 holes a day on foot is a genuine marathon, but the long Oregon summer daylight and the resort's replay rate, a reduced second-round green fee on the same day, make a six-course, three-day blitz the classic Bandon trip. Book the earliest available morning times to leave the afternoon open.
How much does a 3 day Bandon Dunes trip cost in 2026?
Indicative 2026 resort-guest green fees run from around 120 US dollars in the winter off season to about 395 in peak season from May to October, with a reduced replay rate for a same-day second round and lower fees for the par 3 courses. You must be a resort guest to play, and caddies are by request with a separate fee and gratuity. All figures indicative; always confirm directly before booking.
In what order should you play the Bandon courses?
A popular marathon order is Bandon Dunes then Pacific Dunes on day one, Old Macdonald then Bandon Trails on day two, and Sheep Ranch then the Preserve on day three. It saves the cliff-edge drama of Pacific Dunes and Sheep Ranch for fresh legs, gives Bandon Trails, the one inland routing, as an afternoon contrast, and finishes on the short, joyful Preserve.
Do you need caddies or can you use a push cart?
Both work. Caddies are available by request and are the recommended way to learn the lines and read the firm, fast greens on a first visit, especially over 36 holes. Push carts and resort bag service are also available. There are no riding carts for general play apart from limited accessibility provision, so plan for a lot of walking and pack accordingly.
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Researched and written by the GolfForKings editorial desk. Course facts and indicative fees verified June 2026. Last reviewed June 2026.