Captivating views abound at Bandon
Dunes, which offers stunning views of
the Pacific Ocean.
Plan Your
Bandon Dunes
An up-close, first-person’s guide to getting the most out of a destination
journey to one of the world’s best golf resorts | by ARTHUR UTLEY
TOP: WOOD SABOLD; FILE PHOTO
S
hortly after returning from
a father-son high school
graduation golf trip to
Scotland and Ireland in the
summer of 2004, my son,
Jordan, said he would take
me back when I turned 65.
Fast forward to January 2014. Instead of
waiting two more years until I was 65, we
decided to celebrate the 10th anniversary
of the first trip with a second adventure in
the summer of 2014. Instead of returning to
Scotland and Ireland, we headed west to the
Bandon Dunes Golf Resort, located along
the southwest coast of Oregon on a stretch of
sand dunes 100 feet above the Pacific Ocean.
Bandon Dunes Golf Resort is the result of
ultra-successful businessman Mike Keiser’s
passion for golf and his vision for “golf as
it was meant to be.” Author and Virginia
Golfer contributor Stephen Goodwin tells
the story of Keiser, who used his resources
to create one of the world’s premier golf
destinations, in the book Dream Golf: The
Making of Bandon Dunes. My son and I both
read it.
w w w. v s g a . o r g
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Serious golfers know about the resort
that boasts four distinctly different, naturalsetting 18-hole links courses: Bandon
Dunes, Pacific Dunes, Bandon Trails and
Old Macdonald. There is also a 13-hole,
conservation-friendly short course called
The Preserve and a 50-acre practice center
where you can warm up before playing or
work on your game. The latest addition is a
two and a half acre putting green known as
The adventurous tourists: Arthur Utley, left, and his
son, Jordan, at Bandon Dunes.
Trip
The Punchbowl, where a different 18-hole
putting course is set up every day.
A GOLF LOVER’S HAVEN
A visit to Bandon Dunes Golf Resort is to
take part in golf immersion.
The first course, Bandon Dunes, opened in
1999 and immediately put the resort on the
map as a destination. Pacific Dunes followed
in 2001. The two courses have a dozen holes
that run along the bluff overlooking 2.3 miles
of shoreline.