Oregon coast: 72 holes in 72 hours
By Mike McAllister
SI.com
 |  Sandpines course in Florence offers beautiful views of the Oregon dunes. |
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| | OREGON COURSES | Sandpines: Yardage/par: 7,252/72. Greens fees: $45-$89, $30 for cart. (800) 917-4653. http://www.sandpines.com
Bandon Dunes: Yardage/par: 7,212/72. Greens fees: $70-$225, $50 for caddie. (888) 345-6008. http://www.bandondunesgolf.com
Pacific Dunes: Yardage/par: 6,633/71. Greens fees: $70-$225, $50 or caddie. (888) 345-6008. http://www.bandondunesgolf.com
Salmon Run: Yardage/par: 6,437/72. Greens fees: $49, cart not included. (541) 469-4888. http://www.salmonrun.net
Alternative courses: Langdon Farms, Elkhorn Valley, Sunriver Lodge, River's Edge. |
| NEXT WEEK | Next week, a look at the Phoenix, Arizona, area. |
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(CNN) -- Here at 72 in 72, we try to avoid spending time in the car. More time behind a steering wheel means less time on the practice tee (or the 19th hole!). The last thing you want to do on a golf-intensive vacation is chew up highway miles.
But there are exceptions to this rule. In Oregon, that exception is known as Bandon Dunes Golf Resort.
Bandon Dunes is home to two of the country's best public golf courses. The Pacific Dunes course is ranked No. 4 on Golf Digest's list, while Bandon Dunes is No. 6. That's a 1-2 punch equaled only by Pebble Beach (No. 1) and Spyglass Hill (No. 9) in Northern California.
The problem is the location. Bandon is on the southern coast of Oregon, roughly 250 miles from Portland. That means a lengthy drive, although you do have options. There are a handful of Horizon Air flights each day from Portland to North Bend/Coos Bay, which is just 25 minutes away from Bandon. Or you could fly into Eugene, which is a slightly longer drive than North Bend but much shorter than Portland.
However you get there, it will be worth it. As an avid golfer, you will want -- make that need -- to make a pilgrimage to Bandon Dunes.
So after flying into Portland International Airport
, here's how we'd play it the rest of the weekend.
Friday afternoon
Sandpines: This Rees Jones-designed course in Florence is not too far from Bandon Dunes and will be a great way to get prepared for Saturday. Golf Digest rates it 4.5 stars and ranks it among the best new public courses to be built during the 1990s. The course has two distinct flavors -- the front nine is a mini-version of Pebble Beach, while the back nine offers more traditional links play. The pine forest, sand dunes and blue lakes will take your breath away for all 18 holes.
Saturday morning
Bandon Dunes: It's probably wiser to tackle this course in the morning before the wind really kicks in. Having opened in 1999, the course is distinctive Scottish links, set 100 feet above the Pacific Ocean. There are no carts allowed, meaning you can either spring for a caddie (pricey but the optimal way to go, especially if you need help against the weather conditions), or you can carry your bag or pull a trolley.
Saturday afternoon
Pacific Dunes: The younger (completed in 2001) and slightly higher-ranked of the two, Pacific Dunes may be attached to its sister course, but you'll appreciate the differences it offers. The greens are smaller, putting a premium on approach shots. Dunes and native vegetation run through the layout. Says course architect Tom Doak on the course's Web site, "Our layout is short enough to give every golfer hope, but its rugged nature will test every facet of your game." Like Bandon Dunes, no carts are allowed.
Sunday morning
Salmon Run: We selected this course because it's an easy drive from Bandon Dunes and relatively easy (at least compared to Bandon) on your pocketbook. But if you're planning your Oregon trip after June 1, you might want to play the third course at the Bandon Dunes resort. That's right -- a Ben Crenshaw/Bill Coore-designed course called Bandon Trails is scheduled to open then, and it's likely to be just as coveted as the other two.
If you're driving back to Portland on Saturday night, then check out Langdon Farms near the airport Sunday. It was partially designed by Robert Cupp, who also designed Pumpkin Ridge, host of two U.S. Women's Opens.
