Oregon
Top Choice: Pacific Dunes, Bandon
9.7/10
Why it's Spectacular
Designed By: Tom Doak
Known for being the closest thing to an authentic Ireland golf experience, outside of Ireland, Bandon Dunes' family of courses is truly a die-hard golfer's dream.
The experience is really pretty special from the moment you begin down the long backroad and at times you begin to wonder if you've actually taken a wrong turn, less the occasional dated, worn sign encouraging you to continue. Once you finally make it into the golf area you will see why the entire complex, lodging, practice facilities and pro shops are authentic to the game.
The grounds are expansive and as you set out from the pro shop you almost immediately begin to feel the mixed emotions of challenging links golf, with the appreciation of the blank slate that was turned into an art form by the course designers. Make no mistake, this is a challenging course, which is only amplified by the ocean breeze which gusts in and out throughout the round.
Your ball will roll, and for someone who has never played the course before this leads to both good and bad breaks throughout the round. At times you will be thrilled with the opportunity for good scores on your approach shots and long drives and other times you will shake your head in disbelief as you find yourself in pot-bunkers so deep you need a ladder to get in and out.
That said, the raw Oregon coastline provides countless views, photo opportunities, and a truly "at peace with nature" experience which is likely to stick with you for your entire life.
Other Top Courses
Tetherow
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Pros: A truly stunning course that gives you the feeling of top-notch experience from the moment you step in the clubhouse. Great hole design, lot's of target golf, some unique and interesting tee shots and approaches, Tetherow probably makes it in our top-15.
Cons: Expensive, but worth it!
Score:
9.5/10
Pronghorn
Nicklaus
Pros: Neck-and-neck with Tetherow this is also an amazing course and one of the reasons why the greater Bend area is up there with the best golf-centric communities in the US. Great views, cool holes, and some very memorable hole layouts make this a must-play.
Cons: None really to note.
Score:
9.5/10
Pumpkin Ridge
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Pros: A nice blend of open space and some holes that thread through the trees this is a pretty solid course with some challenging shots for even an experienced player.
Cons: Some holes do feel like farmland, but provide a nice contrast for the more interesting ones you'll play through.
Score:
9.4/10
Bandon Dunes
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Pros: Why is Bandon so low on the list? To be honest, maybe this isn't fair and it should be up higher, the reality is, Pacific Dunes seems like the more interesting of the two and if you're in the Bandon community the courses can seem to run together a bit. Don't get us wrong, it's an absolute treat to play and some avid players may flip the entire argument on it's head.
Cons: We're just being picky at this point.
Score:
9.4/10
Aspen Lakes
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Pros: Kind of a sleeper relative to all the other amazing courses in Oregon, Aspen Lakes is just a solid overall track. There are some great mountain views on a couple holes, lots of water to navigate, some picturesque bunker and green layouts that photograph well.
Cons: It's nothing fancy but for the price, it's a good value and interesting enough to prioritize.
Score:
8.7/10
