Bandon Oregon Dateline: 2010

Why 2010? Simple, really. That’s when Old MacDonald opens for play. I’ve never been a fan of simpleton course names, so the Brookwoods, Brookfields, and Tall Grass of the world leave me numb. Old MacDonald is the homage piece of Bandon Dunes golf resort to Charles Blair MacDonald, architect and caretaker of The National Golf Links on Long Island, NY, USA.

You’ve read a funny opening to a golf piece, but Bandon, Oregon is a funny place to find golf. It’s not located near anywhere metropolitan and couldn’t care less. Bandon is a wild place, accustomed to the occasional devastating fire. The town has burned to the ground twice, and the original course at the golf resort nearly made it a trifecta. During the construction of the second course at Bandon Dunes, a wildfire raged out of control, burning to the edge of ditches dug to protect the initial layout. The ditches held and the fire abated, but what a scare. It is stories of this ilk, beyond anecdotes, that truly season the recipe that is Bandon. Knowing that you might only get there once in a lifetime, I encourage you to wait for 2010. (Click here to read the article in full)

Other than political upheavals, BigFoot, agriculture and the weather, Oregon is famous mostly for its beautiful landscapes. Tourists line up Highway 101
to The Beaver state for a sunny vacation in spring and summers enjoying the breathtaking sights of the sea, visiting the lighthouses along the coast, wandering around the buzzing markets, and visiting the aquariums, caves and dunes. Ever heard of a golf vacation to Oregon?

Till the spring of 1999 you probably didnt but then David McKlay Kidd and Tom Doak presented the Bandon Dunes Resort to the golfing world and everything changed. Oregon was no longer just the coastline and lighthouses and the aquariums and golf holiday makers became the new breed of tourists flocking the beautiful state.

The two courses at Bandon Dunes Resort play on a golfers instinct to match wits with himself, to do outdo his last score and the urge to not repent never having included two of the worlds hardiest tracks in his golf package. Even though today Oregon boasts of some of the best and the most captivating golf courses in the country, playing Bandon Dunes is intoxicating.

Start off your Oregon golf tour with the Tom Doak designed Pacific Dunes course at Bandon for $250 a player. Why you would burn that hole in your pocket? Because youd get to play 6,557 yards of this links style layout on tight, undulating greens requiring tremendous skills and battle high bluffs and ever-present dunes on most of the 18-holes. The neighboring Bandon Dunes is an equal pleasure to play and costs you the same. This 18-hole David McKlay Kidd designed links course utilizes every bane and boon showered by nature on the grounds and makes any golf vacation a thing to talk about for ages.

Oregon has a lot more to offer than Bandon and a satisfying golf holiday must include the Robert Trent Jones designed Woodlands Course at Sunriver ($125) and the Witch Hollow Courses at Pumpkin Ridge Golf Club ($70). Another very affordable Robert Trent Jones design to include in your golf package is the Eagle Point Golf Course ($83) in Southern Oregon ranked as one of the €˜Best Places to Play by Golf Digest. Located in the Rogue Valley, Eagle Point has a spectacular layout that uses every natural element available and is an interesting track to play.

Oregon also offers a lot of budget friendly courses that would be great on your golf tour. Try the Salishan Golf Links at Gleneden Beach ($99), Arnold Palmer designed Running Y Ranch Resort in Klamath Falls ($80) and The Reserve Vineyards & Golf Course in Aloha ($92).

Oregon golf travel is going to take you far and wide and surprise you with stunning courses when you least expect them. Case in point is the Eugene Country Club in Eugene which opened 18-holes to the public in 1925 and stands strong till today with a comfortable place on Golf Digests Top 100 courses rankings. Designed by Robert Trent Jones, the track runs 6,847 yards and plays a par 72.

It is laid out on a hilly terrain where wide greens and substantial fairways lock horns with strategically placed sand bunkers to produce a satisfying round of golf. Expect water hazards on at least four holes and a green fee of $125 per person but do include it in your golf package for the experience is unparalleled.