I’ve been dying to check out Bandon Dunes ever since I listened to Mike Keiser’s excellent audiobook The Nature of the Game. As someone who walks every course I can in Connecticut, the idea of a golf destination designed from the ground up for walkers, perched on coastal dunes with raw natural exposure, feels like a holy grail trip. Our plan is simple: four golf buddies, one direct flight out of JFK, and five days of soaking in all six courses at Bandon Dunes—every last one.
This post is for every Connecticut golfer who stares at a Google Maps pin of Bandon and wonders, “Could I really pull that off in a long weekend?” The answer is yes. You just need a flexible work schedule and a healthy obsession with golf design. Our goal is to play all five 18-hole courses plus The Preserve, the unforgettable par-3 course. Here’s what we plan to play, what it will cost, and why we’re convinced it will be absolutely worth every minute (press photos below).
Course Architecture Focus
Bandon isn’t a single course—it’s a portfolio. Each layout has a unique personality and strategic character. We’ve been obsessively studying golf forums, course reviews, and aerials, and used the course preview feature in the 18Birdies app to fly over every hole. Here’s what we’ve learned and why we’re so excited:
- Bandon Dunes (David McLay Kidd): This is the original course, playing around 6,700 yards, and it promises to be the most accessible yet subtly demanding walk. With wide fairways and rumpled terrain, Kidd gives you options off the tee but demands smart second shots. Hole 4 is a standout: a medium-length par-4 that bends left and unveils the Pacific for the first time. Hole 16 might be the most dramatic par-3 on the property—perched right at the cliff’s edge, the wind here can turn a short iron into a hybrid. We’re expecting a bold, joyous opening round that sets the tone.
- Sheep Ranch (Coore & Crenshaw): This is Bandon’s newest course and maybe its wildest. At just over 6,600 yards, it features nine greens perched on coastal bluffs and famously has zero bunkers. The drama comes from wind, cliffside exposure, and bold green contours. Hole 6 is a downhill par-3 that stares straight into the Pacific. Hole 16—another coastal par-3—is equally jaw-dropping. It’s the course we expect to talk about the most over beers.
- Pacific Dunes (Tom Doak): This Doak masterpiece stretches just under 6,600 yards and is built into cliffside ridgelines with little earth moved—just pure terrain. We’ve noted in our flyovers that the routing zigzags beautifully with multiple holes flirting with the edge of the Pacific. Hole 13, a short par-4 along the cliff, is our most anticipated hole on the trip. Hole 11’s split fairway gives you real risk-reward decisions depending on wind and confidence. The entire back nine looks like it could be one highlight reel after another, with natural contours that make every bounce matter.
- Bandon Trails (Coore & Crenshaw): While it lacks ocean views for most of the round, Trails may offer the purest architectural experience. At 6,800 yards, it dives into forest, meadow, and dunes. Our preview shows some of the most beautiful inland landforms we’ve seen. Hole 5, a par-3 into a deep natural bowl, looks like a green built by erosion, not humans. Hole 14 is a framed downhill par-4 with a skyline green that tests depth perception. We’re treating this round as the soul of the trip—a quiet, meditative test of ball control and walking rhythm.
- Old Macdonald (Doak & Urbina): Nearly 6,900 yards and wide as a football stadium, Old Mac is a bold tribute to template holes. The greens are massive and intricately contoured. Hole 3 (Eden) and Hole 7 (Biarritz) each demand totally different shot shapes, and we’ve bookmarked the Double Plateau green as one of the most complex on the trip. From our flyovers, it looks like Old Mac will be the course where we experiment most, from low chasers to high floaters. Miss in the wrong place and you’re rolling off into 30-yard runoffs.
- The Preserve (Coore & Crenshaw): This 13-hole par-3 course plays over rolling seaside terrain, with holes ranging from 63 to 150 yards. It’s not a throwaway—our preview highlighted incredible green complexes and framing. Hole 5 in particular looks jaw-dropping, hitting toward the ocean with sunset light as your backdrop. With firm turf and elevation shifts, we’re expecting to play flop shots, bump-and-runs, and maybe even putter from 30 yards off the green.
Each course will challenge us in a different way—whether it’s navigating coastal gusts, finding the right line into a cross-slope, or learning how to play into a punchbowl or redan. We’re coming in with notes, but plan to let instinct and creativity lead.
Trip Cost Table
| Category | Cost & Notes |
|---|---|
| Flights | $500 – JFK → North Bend (via PDX), round trip |
| Transportation | $100 – Shared car to/from JFK, rental from North Bend to Bandon split 4 ways |
| Lodging | $1,100 – 4 nights at The Inn at Bandon Dunes, 2 rooms shared |
| Golf | $1,500 – Bandon Dunes ($300), Pacific Dunes ($320), Trails ($270), Old Mac ($250), Preserve ($60), Sheep Ranch ($300) |
| Food & Drink | $300 – Resort meals, breakfast sandwiches, beers, post-round dinners |
| Total | $3,500 per person |
Final Thoughts
We’ll be flying out of JFK early Wednesday, aiming to touch down at North Bend around midday after a quick connection in Portland. The drive to Bandon is supposed to be scenic—through coastal forest and misty ridgelines until the trees break and we see the dunes. We plan to ease into the trip with an afternoon session on the Punchbowl putting green and sunset drinks by the fire. Between walking six courses—Bandon Dunes (6,700 yards), Sheep Ranch (6,600), Trails (6,800), Pacific (6,600), Old Mac (6,900), and The Preserve (a brisk 1.5-mile loop)—we’re estimating well over 20 miles on foot. That’s around 50,000 steps—bring your best socks.
The travel itself is part of the adventure. Flying from JFK to North Bend takes about 9 to 10 hours in total, depending on the layover in Portland. We’ll be crossing three time zones heading west, which means we leave early morning but arrive around noon local time. That time shift gives us nearly a full afternoon on Day 1. On the way back, we’ll lose those three hours, so an early flight gets us home by dinnertime in Connecticut. It’s a commitment—but a manageable one for a once-in-a-lifetime golf pilgrimage.
Planned Itinerary:
| Day | Schedule & Activities |
|---|---|
| Wednesday | 7:00 AM (EST): Flight from JFK to North Bend via Portland 12:30 PM (PST): Arrival, rental pickup, scenic drive to Bandon 3:30 PM: Punchbowl putting green session 6:30 PM: Dinner and early rest |
| Thursday | 7:00 AM: Tee time at Bandon Dunes 11:30 AM: Lunch and short break 1:30 PM: Tee time at Sheep Ranch 6:30 PM: Dinner with views of the Pacific |
| Friday | 7:30 AM: Tee time at Bandon Trails 1:00 PM: Lunch and rest 4:00 PM: Tee time at The Preserve 7:30 PM: Sunset viewing and drinks |
| Saturday | 7:30 AM: Tee time at Pacific Dunes 1:00 PM: Lunch at clubhouse 3:00 PM: Tee time at Old Macdonald 7:30 PM: Farewell dinner and drinks |
| Sunday | 6:00 AM (PST): Depart resort, return rental car 8:00 AM: Flight from North Bend to JFK 6:00 PM (EST): Arrival back in New York |
This trip will run about $3,500 each, and we believe it punches well above its weight. For architecture lovers, scenery seekers, or anyone who finds joy walking fairways with friends, Bandon isn’t just a bucket-list trip. It’s shaping up to be the trip of a lifetime. If you’re a Connecticut golfer dreaming of wind-carved fairways, tumbling greens, and strategic decisions shaped by some of the best architects alive, this trip is worth every hour and dollar it takes to get there.
