how to play pacific dunes course

Here is a snippet from the Caddytips from Pacific Dunes Golf Course: Hole 1 Slight angle right – par 4 – 370/304/287yds. Tee shot:Aim center fairway on this fairly straight tee shot. Extreme mounding in the fairway will cause your shot to roll from left to right.

Full Answer

How big is the course at Pacific Dunes?

The course emerges from shore pines to spectacular 60-foot sand dunes. When the wind blows, precise approach shots are a necessity. Pacific Dunes is short enough to give you hope but rugged enough to test every facet of your game.

How far should you tee up at Pacific Dunes?

Welcome to the first hole at Pacific Dunes. The fairway landing area is generous, so try to gauge your tee shot to leave 100-125 yards into the green. A tee shot left of center provides a better angle to this green nestled into the sand dunes.

What is the best tee shot for sand dunes?

A tee shot left of center provides a better angle to this green nestled into the sand dunes. The best angle to approach the green is from the left side of the fairway, however, the left side features most of the trouble. Check your yardage and the wind to see if you can carry the middle bunker.

Which Bandon course is hardest?

Bandon TrailsBandon Trails is also the hardest course at Bandon Dunes. There is not a lot of room for error, and it will challenge all of your shot making abilities.

Is Pacific Dunes hard to walk?

Bandon Dunes is a great walk over undulating terrain that does not present any significant climbs. With a caddie, the walk is even easier. Thirty-six holes on Bandon Dunes or Pacific Dunes is a fairly easy task, even with heavy winds.

How hard is Bandon Dunes?

Bandon Dunes is the least difficult course of the four on the property, but its palpable devotion to links style—with its rippled fairways, massive greens and challenging coastal holes—fuse together a vivid golf experience.

Do you have to have a caddie at Bandon Dunes?

Do you have caddies? Yes. Caddies are encouraged. Resort Caddies are individual contractors and typically receive an average of $100+ per bag, per round.

How do you prepare for 36 holes?

Lunch. Thirty-six holes can equate to up to 10 hours of golf, so you'll definitely need plenty of carbohydrates and water. Before you set off on your second round try to stop, eat, hydrate and rest for around 60-90 minutes. Remember to take it easy on the beer.

How do you prepare for a walking golf trip?

Tip #1: Start Walking For at least a couple months before your trip, make a point of walking as much as possible. If you're able, find some hills you can incorporate into your walk. Not only will this be good for your health, it can improve your game and keep you from missing rounds with soreness or injuries.

Is Bandon Dunes always windy?

The climate along the coast is fairly temperate, never too hot or too cold, although there is always the chance of snowfall in the winter or a heatwave in the summer. The most consistent element at Bandon is the wind, which is present all year round.

How much do you tip a Bandon Dunes caddy?

With a $25 gratuity per round, caddies can pull in $500 a day for a “dub-dub.” One of our caddies, a 25-year veteran who has looped in major championships, splits his time equally between Bandon and a premier, old money country club in the south.

Does Bandon Dunes have yardage books?

Get ready for your upcoming Bandon Dunes adventure with all five course yardage books! Prepare to Go Low with the Bandon Dunes, Bandon Trails, Old Macdonald, Pacific Dunes, and Sheep Ranch Yardage Guides!

How much do you tip a caddy?

According to Whidden, a caddie should be tipped about 40 to 50 percent of the green fee. And the group should split the forecaddie tip evenly, usually between $50 and $100 in total.

How expensive is a Bandon Dunes trip?

Rates for Bandon Dunes, Pacific Dunes, Bandon Trails, Old Macdonald, and Sheep Ranch.JanJuly - SeptRESORT GUEST$105$295RESORT GUEST REPLAY$55$150DAY GUEST*$140$345DAY GUEST REPLAY*$70$1755 more rows

How do you pay caddies at Bandon Dunes?

The caddies are paid directly by the guests. The options for doing this are to give them cash or charge the fee to your room/credit card. On average these guys and girls earn between $80 and $100 per bag. There is no set fee and how much the caddie earns for the loop is at the discretion of the player.

What is the name of the course at Pacific Dunes?

One thing that makes Pacific Dunes unique from the other courses is The Punchbowl . Located steps from the Pacific Dunes clubhouse, The Punchbowl is a 100,000 square foot putting course designed by Tom Doak and Jim Urbina, the same team that created Pacific Dunes and Old MacDonald. It’s free for resort guests – just put your ball in line, grab a drink, and enjoy rolling putts through some of the wildest undulations imaginable. You can play two holes to warm up for Pacific Dunes, or you can spend an entire day going round and round, listening to the dramatic cheers and groans that accompany bets won and lost.

How to get good at Pacific Dunes?

The key to success at Pacific Dunes is giving yourself the right angle into the greens. If you set yourself up with proper drives, most holes will allow you to run the ball onto the green or give you a bail out area. When you’re out of position, you will have obstructed views and lines filled with hazards.

What is the difference between Pacific Dunes and Bandon Dunes?

Another thing that separates Pacific Dunes from Bandon Dunes is that Pacific has more holes where you don’t need to hit driver . The course doesn’t take driver out of your hands, but it does give you options.

Why are the Pacific dunes so beautiful?

It’s not just the ocean that makes Pacific Dunes such a beauty – it’s the elevation changes, the movement of the fairways, the enormous dunes, the gorse and the shore pines. Just like Bandon Dunes, there’s such a beautiful rhythm to the routing that every hole can be appreciated for its unique qualities . The ocean holes are more impactful because of the tree-lined inland holes.

What is the difference between Bandon and Pacific?

A final difference between Bandon and Pacific is that Pacific has fewer good areas to miss around the greens . Bandon Dunes has short grass stretching in all directions; Pacific Dunes has more bunkers, gorse, and steep elevations. You cannot expect to get up and down easily at this course.

Where is the most rated golf course in Bandon Dunes?

Pacific Dunes, located on the coast of Oregon, is the most highly-rated course at Bandon Dunes . With jaw-dropping views and a fun, unconventional layout, it’s not hard to understand why.

Who is the founder of Bandon Dunes?

Mike Keiser, the founder of Bandon Dunes, gave Tom Doak a lot of room to be unconventional at Pacific Dunes, and the course is better and more memorable for it. A quick glance at the scorecard starts to tell the story: seven par 4s on the front side and four par 3s on the back along with three par 5s.

General Course Description

Pacific Dunes is the second oldest of the Bandon Dunes 18-hole public courses, just north of the original Bandon Dunes course. Like its older counterpart, Pacific Dunes is a stunningly beautiful, very well-maintained, internationally recognized course on the coast with amazing ocean views.

Course History

Built in 2001 as the second of the Bandon courses.

Why It Is There

Mike Keiser wanted to build a world-class golf resort, and he got such a great response to Bandon Dunes, he kept going. A great resource for the history of the Bandon complex is Dream Golf, The Making of Bandon Dunes by Stephen Goodwin.

I Wish I Would Have Known Before I Played

Poa annua is creeping into the greens. Even though they take excellent care of the greens, in the afternoon the poa gets shaggy and slightly slows and straightens putts. On No. 15, a wide-open par 5, stay left of the knob that is on the right side of the green to help keep your ball on the green.

Did You Know

The massive bunker in the middle of No. 2 is named for Bob “Shoe” Gaspar, who built the bunker (basically by hand). Mr. Gaspar has been with Bandon from the beginning, originally an instructor at the Bandon caddie school. If you are fortunate, you can meet him and his beaming smile (often directing golf bag traffic near the lodge check-in). No.

Good For Them

Lots. Received an award as one of the Best Green Workplaces 2016 by Oregon Business. The resort won the 2012 Golf Digest’s Green Star Award for its efforts in conservation and environmental protection.

Why Play This Course

Links magazine recently described the Bandon Dunes complex as one of the “no-brainer” golf resorts in the world that you have to travel to and play regardless of the cost (along with Pinehurst, Pebble, Kiawah, and St. Andrews). I agree.

How many yards is the 11th hole at Pacific Dunes?

Signature Hole: 11th Hole – 148 Yard Par 3 – The 11th hole at Pacific Dunes could be used as the definition of a postcard hole; short, fun, and attractive. The second of back-to-back par 3s, the sub-150 yard uphill 11th hole is perched in a location that is surrounded by dunes and natural looking bunkering. To the players left is the cliff top that towers 100 feet above the Pacific Ocean and adds beauty, drama, and exhilaration to the hole. Hosting the smallest green on the course, this hole can big a larger challenge than meets the eye due to the strong winds that often blow through Bandon and play havoc with a ball hit high with a low iron or wedge. If you didn't bring a camera with you to play Pacific Dunes, the 11th hole will make you wish you had.

What is the par 71 in Pacific Dunes?

The unconventional par 71 routing boasts one par 3 and one par 5 on the front nine and four par 3s and three par 5s on the back nine.

How many yards is the 3rd hole of the par 5?

Best Par 5: 3rd Hole – 499 Yards – From the tee box of the 3rd hole golfers are afforded a glimpse of the Pacific Ocean in the distance. This 500 yard hole takes to closer to the majestic water hazard, but full introduction do it won't occur until the 4th hole. This short par five will generally play longer than the yardage due to its orientation into the prevailing wind. Doak placed a pair of bunkers in the middle of the fairway midway through the hole for the golfer to navigate. The best angle into this green comes from the left side of the hole and will be the direction most golfers elect to take off the tee, especially since extra forgiveness is offered that direction in the form of a shared fairway with the 12th hole. Once on this green, your heart will start to pound as the ocean is closer than ever and the sound of crashing waves shoots adrenaline through your body.

How deep is a golf ball in a tight lie?

From a tight lie, the golfer will have to pitch his ball over the nearly 20 foot deep protecting the left side of the hole to a green that is less than 12 paces wide at that angle. If you are short, you are in the bunker; long, and your ball cruises down a tightly mown hill to another chipping area.

How many caddies should I have in a golf group?

I'd also recommend at least one caddie in the group, they're on course knowledge can absolutely save you strokes and heartache (and did for our group more than once), given what you are spending for your golf etc. it's a great insurance policy toward an enjoyable round of golf.

Is sand play good?

The sand play, by and large, is good; however there are some spots - particularly in the fairways - where you can get into some rather significant trouble (no way to play out and you are forced to waste a shot just getting out)... I managed to do this to myself once and my playing partner did as well.

Is Bandon Dunes free?

Bandon isn't free... although it does get cheaper is you play a couple rounds in a day... the "re-round" discount applies even if you play a different course on property as I did... but it is worth every penny for the experience. Next time I'm planning on getting in the Old Mac and Bandon Dunes courses (at least)... and then I'll be back again... it's certainly the kind of place your go back to as often as you can afford it. If you're into golf, and golf experiences, I can't recommend Bandon (and Pacific Dunes in particular) strongly enough.

Is Bandon Dunes challenging?

This course was another beauty at Bandon Dunes. The layout is interesting yet very fun and challenging. The day we played it poured rain all day and yet the greens did an unbelievable job of absorbing the water. I would highly recommend making a day out of this and playing the punchbowl before and after the round!

How fast is the Pacific Dunes?

I was fortunate to play Pacific Dunes twice on my visit, and the conditions were very different. The first round was probably in 10 to 20 mph winds, while the second was in 25 to 40 mph winds. Needless to say, the harder the wind blows the more challenging the holes become, especially those on the bluff.

When did Pacific Dunes open?

Pacific Dunes was the second course to open at the Bandon Dunes Golf Resort, in 2001. Tom Doak, and the team at Renaissance Golf Design, knew that Mike Keiser had handed them one of the most spectacular sites for a golf course in the past 50 years. The property exceeded the one found next door at Bandon Dunes, which meant the playing experience should be superior as well, and it is.

What is the first hole in Pacific Dunes?

The first hole at Pacific Dunes is relatively straight-forward. Depending on the wind, it could be a fairway wood or a long iron off the tee to a generous landing area.

What side of the green is the bunker on?

The bunkers on the left side of the sixth green are magnificent and unrelenting. A shot into either of them will leave an almost impossible blast up to the green. Bold design features such as these only add to the quality of Pacific Dunes.

Why is the ninth hole unique?

The ninth is a unique hole because there is an “upper” and a “lower” green, and the golfer finds out which “hole” to play on the tee. I only had an opportunity to play the lower.

How many levels are there in the green at the tee?

A closer look at the green shows how it is tiered into two levels and slopes from left to right. The mound is also nicely positioned to hide the putting surface from any golfer who bails out too far left off the tee.

Is Pacific Dunes a good golf course?

When you step up to the first tee at Pacific, you are expecting to play a round at one of the top courses in the WORLD, based on golf magazine rankings and popular opinion. While that is a lofty expectation, I was not disappointed. Pacific Dunes is a thoroughly enjoyable walk.

The Course

Pacific Dunes was the second course built at Bandon and was completed in 2001 and designed by Tom Doak. I’ve always loved Tom’s designs and his minimalist nature.

Hole by Hole

Distances are from the 6,142 yard green tees, which is where we played.

Hole 3 (Par 5, 476 yards)

The first par 5 is a tough hole, even if it’s length doesn’t seem like it.

Hole 4 (Par 4, 449 yards)

This is the moment you’ve been waiting for. The hole where “Pacific Dunes” really becomes the course you were expecting. A par 4 over the cliffs of the Pacific Ocean, you obviously can’t miss right. Ever.

Par 5 (Par 3, 181 yards)

The only par 3 on the front, and probably my least favorite of the 5 (you have a lot to look forward to on the back). Also, one of the more difficult greens on the course.

Hole 6 (Par 4, 288 yards)

A fun short par 4 (seems like we’ve already had a few of those, which I really like). You’ll want to be in the center of the fairway edging towards the right for the best angle at a very narrow green.

Hole 7 (Par 4, 436 yards)

Some people consider this the most difficult course on the entire property. It’s an extremely long par 4 playing 464 from the tips. If the wind is in your face good luck reaching the green – give the course some respect and layup.