Sitting at home watching coverage of the 120th U.S. Amateur played at Bandon Dunes Golf Resort takes me right back to my recent visit. I had the opportunity to spend four nights and three days over Father’s Day at the resort. The trip was a family affair; after all, it was Father’s Day weekend. My 16-year old daughter, an accomplished junior golfer, and my wife, a novice golfer, but a serious fan of the game, accompanied me on the trip.
The Golfer’s Pilgrimage
Back in 2017, the staff of Golf Aficionado visited Bandon Dunes on our Ultimate Golf Trip 2017 edition. I always tell everyone that I meet, the journey to Bandon is a long one for those on the east coast, but a journey worth making. To me, Bandon Dunes is a pilgrimage every golfer should make at least once in their life. Having now completed the trip twice, I couldn’t be more fortunate.
So, you might ask, what brought me back to Bandon Dunes? The answer is simple, the Sheep Ranch. On June 1, 2020, the Sheep Ranch “officially” opened as the fifth 18-hole golf course at Bandon Dunes Golf Resort. I use the term “officially” because the legend of Sheep Ranch has been floating around for more than a decade.
When we visited back in 2017, we heard an earful about the Sheep Ranch from our caddies; they insisted that an “abandoned” mini-course with 13 greens out in the distance was occupying some of the resort’s best real estate. Doing a little digging, I found out that Tom Doak designed the original 13 holes at Sheep Ranch in 2001 following the completion of Pacific Dunes. Originally intended to be the site of a private 18-hole course, construction halted as ownership had a sudden change of heart.
The Legend Is Born
With construction dormant, the legend of Sheep Ranch began to form, a small secret course that only a few knew about, and even fewer got the chance to experience. As the years went by and the success of the resort grew, it would only be a matter of time before Sheep Ranch became the 5th Official 18-Hole golf course at Bandon Dunes.
To transform Sheep Ranch into a proper 18-hole golf course, Bandon Dunes turned to the design team of Coore & Crenshaw. The decision was a bit of a surprise; many figured Tom Doak, who had done the original design work, had the inside track, but the competition to create a new 18-hole routing for Bandon Dunes was fierce, including bids from Doak, Coore & Crenshaw, and Gil Hanse.
Coore & Crenshaw were already familiar with the resort; in 2005, they worked out in the woods of Bandon and opened Bandon Trails, followed by completing The Preserve, a 13-hole par-3 course in 2012. This time around, Coore and Crenshaw wouldn’t be building an 18-hole golf course in the woods but along one mile of ocean acreage. Remember what I mentioned about our caddies giving us an earful back in 2017, they were right Sheep Ranch has more ocean acreage than any other course at the resort.
A Legend Turned Reality
Tucked in a far corner of the resort, Sheep Ranch has it all; spectacular coastline, incredible vistas, and distinctive individual character, unlike any other course at Bandon Dunes. The first tee is only a few steps away from the clubhouse. A downhill par-5, the tee shot is framed by trees on both sides, narrowing your focus towards the Pacific Ocean just beyond the green. The first hole acts as the doorway to the Sheep Ranch experience; from the 1st tee, you can’t grasp the coastal experience that awaits. The Pacific Ocean in the distance, trees along the tee box block the full force of the winds. However, by the time you make your way into the fairway, you’ll have a much better idea of what’s in store.
The Front Nine
After you finish the first, your caddy will probably veer left, taking a direct path to the next tee box, don’t miss the opportunity to take the long route to the 2nd tee. A marked trail off the right side of the green takes you along the coastline to the 2nd tee, be sure not to miss this experience!
A drivable par-4 awaits you on the 2nd. Playing downwind at only 318 yards from the back tee, you’ll think the green is in reach, but that’s an aggressive angle with tons of gorse to cover. The sensible tee shot is something that leaves you 100-125 yards from the green, but who comes to Bandon to be sensible?
The shortest hole on the course is the Par-3, 3rd. Playing at only 120 yards from the back tees into a massive shared green (#3 & #16), most will laugh, thinking they can easily take advantage of this one. I ended up blading my shot way past the pin and onto the back fringe of the green, leaving me with a 100-yard chip shot to the flag. I walked off crying, not laughing!
The Toughest Stretch
After a relatively easy 3-hole stretch, the middle holes on the front nine at Sheep Ranch are the toughest on the course. The 4th is a blind tee shot; target line is critical here, aim just right of the fairway bunkers that you see from the tee box and hope to hit a little speed slot that will propel you down the hill giving you extra yardage and a good shot of making the green in regulation. Miss the speed slot? It’s now a 3-shot hole!
The par-3 fifth is the longest par-3 on the golf course. The biggest thing here is landing on the green, surrounded by mounding anything short or wayward isn’t going to be on the putting surface.
The par-4 sixth is not only the most challenging hole on the course but also the signature hole. For players with a left-to-right ball flight, BEWARE, this tee shot will rightfully install a great deal of fear. How much of the coastline do you feel like taking on? The first tee shot I hit on the 6th was one of the best ball-strikes all trip; however, it faded right and ended up bouncing in the Pacific Ocean. The second time around, I learned my lesson deciding to aim out to the left and not challenge the coastline. After a great shot from the fairway, I was able to get up and down for a double bogey.
The 7th brings relief in the form of a friendly par-3, the final par-3 on the front nine. From a slightly elevated tee, you play your shot into an infinite green. This hole is all about the wind; during the summer, it will be at your back, during the winter months you will be head-on into the wind. A friendly green allows many errant shots to find their way onto the putting surface.
The 8th is a dogleg right par-4 that plays 429 from the back tees. Keep your drive between the trees for a great chance to hit one of the most exciting greens on the course.
Finishing off the outward nine is the par-4 ninth, located on the southern end of the property, target the right center of the fairway and watch your ball release to the middle. A well-struck approach into the middle of the green leaves you with a good chance of making birdie to finish the front nine.
The Back Nine
With the course routing, it doesn’t feel like you’re making the turn until you’ve played the 11th, my favorite hole on the course. The 11th is a long par-5 known as the “Volcano.” From the tee, you’ll love this one, tons of room in the fairway, but you need to get a hold of your tee shot to even dream of getting home in two shots. From the fairway, your approach into an uphill green with a bottleneck as you elevate towards the clubhouse. The green is large and welcoming; the tricky part is just getting over the fear of a blind approach shot, trust the yardage, and hit a good one.
Enjoy It
After walking off the 11th green, you’ll be back at the clubhouse and can stop in for a bathroom break or pick up a snack. As you make your way from the 11th over to the 12th tee box, be sure to stop and enjoy the best seat in the house. A perfectly placed bench awaits under the tee, you’ll be looking straight down the course towards the Pacific Ocean, enjoy it, only seven holes left.
The 12th is no walk in the park; the #2 handicap rating makes it statistically the hardest on the back 9. Not the most visually intimidating hole on the course, but a tight landing area off the tee can get you in trouble quick. A great tee shot will have you questioning the hole rating, a bad one, and you realize how hard the hole can play.
A fun par-5 awaits at the 13th. The second of three par-5s on the back nine has something for everyone. The biggest thing to watch out for on this hole are the three small grass bunkers in the fairway that can stop your drive for birdie in its tracks. That reminds me, I’ve failed to mention there are no sand bunkers on the course, too windy, all you’ll find are grass bunkers on Sheep Ranch. Sounds weird, right? Don’t worry; you’ll love it. They look fantastic and play extremely tough!
My tee shot on the 16th, Pacific Ocean on the left and wind in the face! Stuck it about 12 feet from the hole!
Let’s jump ahead to 16, the last and only par-3 on the back nine. Coore & Crenshaw save the best for last when it comes to this signature par-3. To your left is the magnificent Pacific Ocean, in your face is the wind between the tee and green is a narrow bottleneck begging you to hit a straight tee shot into the green! The hole is straight yet so beautiful; someone recently used a putter and made a hole in one. The ride is almost over, be sure to enjoy this one.
I’ll always remember the 17th; I hit a tremendous tee shot right where my caddie told me. Aim at the ghost tree on the coastline; with your left to right, you’ll be right in the fairway. I geared up and crushed the shot, straight online except no fade. I don’t know if a ball has ever hit that tree any harder, but it bounced off the tree and down into the Pacific. Avoid the tree, and with a good tee shot, you’ll have a great chance at birdie on this short par-4 along the Pacific.
The last dance ends with a short Par-5, who wouldn’t like to walk off into the sunset with an eagle? Be aggressive on this one, and you might find yourself with a chance for that Eagle, I did. It wasn’t a Hollywood ending, but I did finish with a birdie, allowing me to widen my smile just a bit more as I walked off the course!
Go or Stay Home?
Bandon Dunes is a definite GO! Sheep Ranch is an epic course that’s only going to get better with time. The only complaint anyone had about the Sheep Ranch was the fact that the new greens were rolling slow. With the course only a few days old, it’s not surprising the greens would be running a little slow.
The setting is spectacular. You’ll find yourself in awe throughout the round; the Pacific Ocean has that effect on people. Bandon Dunes Golf Resort is a special place with five exceptional golf courses, really six if you include the 13-hole Par-3 Preserve. When you go to Bandon, everyone will have their favorite, but with Sheep Ranch now open, I think we’ll see more and more golfers leaving Bandon saying that Sheep Ranch is their favorite!