My Dream 18 at Bandon Dunes: The Front Nine
When in doubt, steal an idea from The Fried Egg
I’m a golf dork. The name of this substack alone should tell you that. And like almost any golf dork, I consider Bandon Dunes to be essentially Golf Mecca. I’ve been there twice, and already have another future trip booked. It won’t be the last.
As of this writing, there are five 18-hole courses there, all ranked within the top-20 Best Public Golf Courses in the United States. And the game most people play when they are there is to rank the courses from favorite to least favorite. And even the “worst” course there is remarkable.
But The Fried Egg - aka Andy Johnson, Garrett Morrison and Will Knights - put a different spin on this. They devised their Dream 18 composite course, using the Best 1st hole, Best 2nd hole, etc. And I really dig this level of nerdery, so I’m in.
Here then, is a list of the front nine of my Dream 18 and why I chose each hole. Note: Any yardages are based on the Green Tees. All photos mine unless obviously from Bandon Dunes. (I was going to do the whole 18, but in true Greebs form, this got real long, real fast.)
Hole 1: Sheep Ranch. This is one of the true no-brainers - it’s easily the best opening hole on property. A par-5 that doglegs to the left, it sneakily makes more sense to start up the left if possible off the tee. But the real reason it’s so good is that your tee shot is through a shoot of trees and gorse on either side, but when you get to your approach to the green, you see the ocean. It’s a scorable hole too. We love the gentle handshake. (Honorable Mention: Old Macdonald.)
Hole 2: Bandon Trails. I love this par-3 which plays both longer and tougher than it looks from the tee box. There’s a bunker on the right side of the green that hoovers golf balls, and the green itself has amazing contours so depending on the pin placement, anything goes. Trails in general has some truly incredible par-3’s. (HM: Pacific Dunes)
Hole 3: Old Macdonald. The “Sahara” hole is another no-brainer and it’s not JUST because of The Ghost Tree (though that’s a large part of it). The tree sits atop a large dune and it can dictate what you do off the tee, because the dune runs down towards the green (which is also spectacular) but there are fairway bunkers and a huge run off to the right if you fade the ball too much, so be careful. For big hitters, you can drive the green when it’s firm and fast. It sort of has everything for everyone. (HM: Bandon Dunes.)
Hole 4: Bandon Dunes. This one is almost a default as it’s talked about nonstop. But it does provide the first big ‘reveal’ of the ocean on the course where it all started. And the best part is that you only see it on the second shot. It’s just stunning and the green itself is also great. This is one of the holes people think about when they are on their way home after their trip. (HM: Pacific Dunes.)
Hole 5: Bandon Dunes. It’s funny how certain number holes are ALL good - You could make a case for every 5th hole on property. Randomly, on every other course besides BD, they are par-3’s, and the “Short” hole on Old Mac, the uphill par-3 on Pacific Dunes, the brilliant par-3 with the tiered green on Trails, and another oceanside par-3 on Sheep are all terrific. But the par-4 on Bandon Dunes wins my vote. There are several mounds in the middle of the fairway that should be easy enough to drive over but they provide a mental test off the tee. Going left provides a better angle to the green but … left is where the ocean is. Going right is safer unless you hit a violent fade, but then you can almost get blocked out from the green. It’s super fun, and for a 400-yard hole, par is a really good score here. (HM: Bandon Trails.)
Hole 6: Pacific Dunes. What a hole - it’s short (288 yards) but generally into the wind and even though the tee box is elevated, so is the green. You do NOT want to be left on this hole as you have to go over a massive greenside bunker onto one of the tiniest greens on property. It’s truly a second shot hole because no matter where you are, getting your approach to stop on the green is a true challenge. (I birdied this on my last visit and it might be my greatest accomplishment in golf.) (HM: Sheep Ranch.)
Hole 7: Old Macdonald. All the holes on Old Mac have names, and this one is called “Ocean” because … well, like a lot of other holes on this list, it opens up to the ocean once you crest the hill. You can hear the waves before you get there, but the reveal also unfolds a stunning green that doesn’t lend itself to an iPhone camera as it’s so big. I love that you need to hit a solid drive and approach shot, lest you get stuck in some truly bonkers bunkers. (HM: Bandon Dunes)
Hole 8: Old Macdonald. You may be sensing a trend, I love Old Mac. I’m also a fan of the 8th hole on Trails and Sheep Ranch, but this is “Biarritz,” a template par-3 that I have thought about a lot since I first played it back in 2017. Back then, I not only didn’t know much about Golf Course Architecture, I probably didn’t know who C.B. Macdonald was, or the concept of “template holes.” So the fact that I adored Old Macdonald speaks to the fun of the course itself. And I thought a lot about this hole in particular, because our caddie explained what a Biarritz hole was, and how the pin placement would dictate your shot even more than others, etc. I’ve managed to play the hole well both times, and I’m sure that’s why I like it - but it’s also just one that sticks in my head. (HM: Sheep Ranch/Bandon Trails)
Hole 9: Bandon Dunes. This par-5 brings you back to the clubhouse and contains a bunch of strategically placed fairway bunkers. But it’s also wide open and no matter where you spray your tee shot, you can fight your way back to the green and make a good score. I love that the green is hard to see for your second shot - so if you’re a big hitter, it’s a lot of “hit it and hope,” but it’s a very scorable hole. Going right isn’t great as the fescue makes it really tough to advance the ball, but like most holes on Bandon Dunes, you have to work hard to lose a golf ball and if you use the ground, etc., you can make a decent number even without a massive drive. (HM: Sheep Ranch)
That’s the front nine. It’s a par-36, starting and ending with par-5’s, with par-3’s at 2 and 8 and par-4’s in between. And, we get to visit all five courses, though there’s a heavier weighting on Bandon Dunes and Old Macdonald, which are my two favorite courses (as of today).
Next up, the back nine.