Courses
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 features gorse-lined fairways and numerous pot bunkers.

The resort’s second course, Pacific Dunes, opened on July 1, 2001. Pacific Dunes 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.

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 departs 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 the Planet for Golf.

A planned fourth course, Old Macdonald (in honor of Charles Blair Macdonald), is scheduled to open in 2010. It is being designed by a team led by Tom Doak and Jim Urbina.

Use of golf carts is not permitted at the resort, unless required by age or medical reasons.

Impact on local economy
The resort employed more than 450 people in the summer of 2005 and, because of the “walking only” experience, more than 300 caddies.

Along with being one of Coos County’s major employers, Bandon Dunes Golf Resort is affecting the Southwest Oregon Regional Airport in North Bend, 25 miles north of the golf resort. Due to the significant increase in usage, the commercial airport recently received funding to expand the terminal facilities.

Rankings
All of the resort’s three courses are ranked in the top 100 in the world and top 50 in the United States by Golf Magazine (September 2005 edition)—the only resort in the U.S. with this claim to fame. Pacific Dunes and Bandon Dunes are both ranked in the top 10 among U.S. public courses by Golf Digest (May 2007 edition).