Number 15: Pacific Dunes

Ceiling: 92

Rating: 88.5

Trend over Time: 7.5

Course #2 from the coast of Oregon. This time from our good friend, Mr. Tom Doak. Pacific Dunes presents one of the more varied and interesting routings and orderings of holes I have ever played. For starters, the front nine has 7 par 4’s and the back nine has just 2. While you only see one par 3 through nine holes, you then rip off 4 in the next 8 holes. Similarly with par 5’s, the second of the day doesn’t come until the 12th at which point you then see 3 in the final 7 holes. There are many short par 4’s and 3’s, but also big bold ones of each category. Notably, the 4th at PD is maybe one of the best golf holes from an aesthetic and strategic point I have ever played. It also sits in a part of the round that simply could not be better. More on that later. Pac Dunes was the second of the 5 Bandon Courses to open and for all intents and purposes was the one that solidified the resort as being a massive destination. David McLay Kidd’s Bandon Dune’s debuted in 1999 and received great reviews; however, when Doak’s superior Pac Dunes (in many peoples’ opinions) opened in 2001, the ceiling was raised for the resort in sum.

Culture:

As if the whole resort isn’t, Pac Dunes feels the most an “architectural hardo’s” course. The people who are deep in the weeds on golf course architecture will gravitate towards it the most given Doak’s zany brilliance on the subject and this being maybe his best work. Pacific Dunes is a place that feels like little was done to it other than a mastermind like Doak coming in and figuring out exactly how to extract the most out of the land already presented. Where Bandon Dunes feels a bit more manufactured, Pacific Dunes feels like playing a Scottish links shaped by shepherds. It’s simplicity is the ultimate form of sophistication which is descriptive of how it feels overall to experience a day at Pacific Dunes. When you make it to the 4th tee box after a somewhat unassuming start, you have that true “holy ****” moment

Competition:

So Bandon has hosted 8 USGA events so far as mentioned in the Trails profile and Pac Dunes has been a part of or the main show in 3 of them. My gut reaction on this is that Pac can be the main show or no part of any of them and be just fine. While distance is left to be desired for perhaps the US Amateur or Junior Amateur, Pacific Dunes has the chops to stand up to any amateur field given the way wind and strategy create difficulty on Doak’s masterpiece. While I wouldn’t quite say this for Sheep Ranch and Old Mac, those to me are the ones better suited for resort play (yet still brilliant), and then Trails and Bandon are the fairly logical tournament choices, Pac is ultimate flex course. This bleeds us into the architectural conversation on Pac Dunes as this comes as no surprise given who designed Pac.

Architecture:

Back to the oh so wonderful 4th hole. 1 and 2 are short 4’s and 3 is a short 5. The first 3 also serve as holes to get you to the cliffs, so you know what awaits. When the 4th tee arrives, the round comes with it. Standing on the cliffs of Bandon, 463 yards of “fun,” and one of the best holes I have ever seen. A dogleg right that runs along the coast. Bunkers from 240-300 off the tee up the left to penalize a choice for safety off the tee and a mound along the left side of the green (that was surely already there) that accentuates the punishment for not taking on the cliff. Essentially, choose safety off the tee, and you are conceding bogey. Choose aggression, and you bring 3 or 4 in, but fail to execute and 6 or 7 come too. Genius. It’s so good. We talked about the wild and wonderful ordering of Pac, but the routing provides just as much intrigue. Out to the cliffs for 3, along the cliffs for 2, back to the interior for 4, along the cliffs for 4 holes of heaven, and then ride the final 5 back into the clubhouse. Doak doesn’t look for drama and grandiose. He looks for the best features to make the best holes and allows the routing to be informed by that framework. And when it comes together just right like at Pac dunes, my god is it special.