Bandon Preserve Golf Course: Bandon Dunes

August 17, 2020 Off By BBF

Bandon Preserve Golf Course at Bandon Dunes is a unique 13 hole all par 3 layout that is nestled with ocean views between Bandon Trails Golf Course and Bandon Dunes Golf Course. You might think The Preserve would be a waste of your time while at the world’s pre-eminent golf course resort and wonder, “why do I want to blow time on this little par 3 course”? But Bandon Preserve is more than meets the eye on paper.

It’s a lot of fun to play, but it’s not just a hit and giggle, for sure. This is a seriously meaty 13 holes of golf, and probably the best thing to do is play it first. If it is your first time at Bandon Dunes then this little course will help you get your short game and putting locked in, which will be critical for low scores out on the big courses. Also, the Preserve is for a good cause: All of the net proceeds from the course go to Wild Rivers Coast Alliance, an organization that supports conservation, community, and economy on the Southern Oregon Coast.

Our advice is to play the preserve in the afternoon, when the wind is up, for $5 skins. This will make the course more challenging to play and more competitive with your buddies. After all, one of the guys in our most recent group on Bandon Preserve noted while walking off the green “these par 5’s are killing us.”

*Bandon Preserve has to be one of the most beautiful par 3 golf courses in the world*

In all seriousness though The Preserve might just be the most picturesque par 3 golf course anywhere in the world. And when Coore and Crenshaw designed the course they must have sourced dinosaurs to bury in the greens and surrounding complexes! The amount of elevation change on this little course is truly astonishing and will make for some very interesting lies if you hit one off target. Pay special attention to hole number 8, as it might be the worlds most adorable golf hole, yet it has a Gremlin like quality because it goes from “cute” to “how did i make double digits on a 70 yard hole” really quickly. (Just don’t feed it after midnight.)

*This should give you a sense of the elevation and undulations of Bandon Preserve*

Our only critique of The Preserve is that it needs cocktail waiters and waitresses. Be sure to grab a couple drinks for your little trek out onto the sand dunes, as that will enhance the overall experience.

*Bandon Preserve Shares a Golf Shop with Bandon Trails*

To be honest if your goal is to go play 36 every day, maybe you do skip The Preserve. But if your goal is to have an absolute blast when you are on your buddies bucket list golf trip I would say the preserve is a great addition to itinerary.

Best Buddies Golf Trip Rankings

Bucket list rank (from 1to 5 buckets): 3 Buckets
Caddies: NA
Location: 9
Spectacle/ visual: 9
New/ancient: modern
Playability : 7
Memorability : 6
Buddy-a-bility : 10
Service/etc: 10
Value: 6
Shopping: 10
Warm up facilities/Range: 10
Food & Drink: 9

*Bandon Preserve bunkers are no child’s play*

CategoryThree Buckets

About The Author

BBF

BBF or “Big Ball First” comes from a golf saying for hitting a shot fat. Or hitting the “big ball first” in that you hit the ground (the big ball) before hitting the golf ball. In the BBF blog, it’s a metaphor for traveling the planet, soaking in exclusive experiences, and pointing people to the Awesome, the Great, the Good, and the not so good out there. We’re hitting the big ball running with tales from international golf courses, with fine wine, fine food, did I mention golf…well, especially the ‘buddies bucket list golf trips’. The hope is that like minded people will enjoy the stories, and hopefully use it as a reference point. If this blog helps people prioritize the experiences they want to have on our planet then we will have succeeded on our mission. We only have so many go’s at “bucket list” travel experiences. Especially the bucket list buddies golf experiences. My hope is you can refine your experience based upon my learning, and take your “big ball first” experiences to the next level.