An elite par 3 course at America's finest golf resort, the 13-hole Bandon Preserve is wildly fun and offers spectacular views of the Pacific Ocean with particularly noteworthy greens and bunkering. This is a great way to warm up or end your day while at Bandon Dunes. … More Review: Bandon Dunes Golf Resort (Bandon Preserve)
Designer: Bill Coore/Ben Crenshaw (2012)
Location: Bandon, Oregon
History: The story of Bandon Dunes Golf Resort begins with Mike Keiser, an entrepreneur who set out to find links land to build a golf course on the West Coast. His vision came to fruition with David McLay Kidd’s 1999 award-winning design, Bandon Dunes. Within a dozen years, there were four championship courses on property (Pacific Dunes, Bandon Dunes, Bandon Trails, Old Macdonald) and Bandon Dunes had become arguably the best golf resort in the world.
There were 22 acres of unused land sandwiched between Bandon Trails and the closing stretch at Bandon Dunes, and Keiser smartly surmised this could be used to build a par 3 course. Coore and Crenshaw were contracted for the project and the 13-hole Bandon Preserve opened in 2012. The Preserve is considered an exceptional executive course, currently owning the following accolades:
- #1 Best Public Short/Par 3/Non-Traditional Course in America – Golfweek (2025)
- #15 Best Course in Oregon – Top100golfcourses.com (2024)
Conditions: 8/10, Bandon Preserve wasn’t quite as well-conditioned as the championship courses on property with slower, bumpier greens, but still is in great condition otherwise.
Value: 7/10, $100 for a 13-hole par 3 course seems like a lot, but Bandon Preserve is one of the best par 3 courses in America. Plus, all proceeds go to the Wild Rivers Coast Alliance to protect and conserve the Oregon coastline!
Scorecard:
Tee Par Yardage Rating Slope
Back 39 1609 N/A N/A
Front 39 1121 N/A N/A
Hole Descriptions: Bandon Dunes is simply a golfer’s paradise and one of the things that makes it so spectacular is the variety of courses to experience when you’re there. With the opening of Shorty’s in 2024, the Resort now features two par three courses, which are a great way to warm up or end a day and give the body somewhat of a respite from playing a traditional 36. While I enjoyed my round at Shorty’s, Bandon Preserve is certainly the superior par 3 course, and in the running for best par 3 course in America. Sitting on 22 acres of gorgeous dunes between Bandon Dunes and Bandon Trails, this hilly property features dramatic views of the Pacific Ocean and a wonderful collection of par threes with especially noteworthy greens and bunkering. Whereas only a few holes at Shorty’s could fit on the championship courses at Bandon, nearly all of the Bandon Preserve holes could fill in seamlessly. This course is simply a blast and absolutely well-worth your time when in Bandon.
Bandon Preserve opens up high in the dunes with an 134 yard par 3 that runs slightly uphill. This green is extremely long, spanning 54 yards in length, and slopes back-to-front with ripples on its surface. Several bunkers can be found short, while a beautiful protected dune grass Silvery Phacelia surrounds much of the rest of the green.
The 2nd hole provides you with your first views of the Pacific and is the longest hole on the scorecard at 150 yards. This is a stellar one-shotter playing slightly downhill to a severely back-to-front sloped green with several tiers. The penalty for missing this GIR is severe, with a cliff and bunker to your right, and particularly deep and large bunkers short and left. This is a gorgeous hole and one of my favorites here.
One of my criticisms of Shorty’s is that there are too many sub-100 yard holes, but at Bandon Preserve, there are only two beginning with the 87 yard 3rd hole. This is a flip wedge to a very narrow, hourglass-shaped green that mostly slopes left-to-right. There’s a small bunker right while the rest of the putting surface is surrounded by fescue.
The 118 yard 4th plays slightly downhill to the largest green at the whole Resort (not counting The Punchbowl). This putting surface mainly slopes left-to-right from this angle and is connected to the 7th green as well to your right. There is significant mounding surrounding this green and three bunkers long.
At 142 yards, the 5th hole is one of the best par threes at the Resort and a true stunner playing downhill directly facing the Ocean. From the tees we played, this approach plays over dunes to a very large green containing numerous plateaus. Distance control is imperative here, as a miss long or left will trundle all the way down to the next teebox.
The 6th hole is the lowest point on the property and runs along the edge of a treeline at 131 yards. This hole has somewhat of a narrow feel to it and plays slightly uphill to a green wedged into the hillside defended by four deep bunkers left. This putting surface is quite narrow and features lots of internal movement with an overall back-to-front slope. Bandon Preserve was supposedly going to be a 12-hole course until Bill Coore “found” this hole.
The 7th usually plays as the longest hole on the course, running uphill at 147 yards to a huge green shared with 4. This teeshot is a fairly intimidating one, with wild mounding and fescue all the way to an elevated green that feels like you’re scaling a small mountain. While the putting surface mainly slopes back-to-front with the land, it has plenty of internal undulation and can be a very challenging two-putt.
At just 63 yards, the 8th is Preserve’s shortest hole but a cute and interesting little par 3 that plays somewhat blind over a large mound and bunker short of the green. Another large bunker defends left of what feels like the smallest green on the course. This putting surface primarily slopes back-to-front but has significant right-to-left tilt along its edges.
The 9th is another stellar par 3 and probably my favorite hole at Bandon Preserve. Playing significantly downhill, this gorgeous 134 yard hole features expansive views of the Pacific Ocean and the closing stretch at Bandon Dunes on your right. The green here is long and slopes back-to-front with mounding on the left and classic Coore/Crenshaw bunkering to your right and long.
The 10th hole begins the climb back to the clubhouse as a slightly uphill 120 yard par 3. This is another hole that plays somewhat blind over mounding, as you can only see the top of the flag from this teebox. This green is wider than it appears and surrounded by mounds and bunkers long, left, and short. Pin position is important here, as a ridge runs along the right side of a green which also contains a swale on the left.
The 11th hole continues uphill along the edge of the property at 142 yards. A cavernous bunker defends the right side of the green but is a better miss than left, which features two deep bunkers and a cliff. This putting surface is one of the most severe on the course, sloping hard back-to-front.
Running parallel to the 2nd, the 132 yard 12th is a really neat hole that plays to a green set in a natural amphitheater. There are some bunkers short on either side and this green features lots of internal movement, with a particularly noteworthy string of mounds along its right side and an overall right-to-left cant.
Bandon Preserve closes with an 109 yard hole that plays downhill to a boomerang-shaped green lined by bunkers short and left. The most interesting aspect to this hole is the fact that it plays downhill and open up front, making putter arguably the best play from this teebox. It is a fitting close to a course that prioritizes fun and creativity.
General Comments: I can’t imagine many golfers are warming up before their round at Bandon Preserve, but to do so, you’ll have to use the Resort’s practice center near Pacific Dunes including a full range, short game area, and warm-up course. Like all courses on property, Bandon Preserve is walking only and a very pleasant walk.
Although the high quality golf is clearly the draw at Bandon, I really can’t say enough good things about the Resort as a whole. From the cozy, yet not over-the-top lodging, excellent food, friendly staff, and convenient shuttle system, this is truly a golfer’s paradise and the cream of the crop when it comes to golf resorts. It is definitely worth the long journey to get here.
Verdict: An elite par 3 course at America’s finest golf resort, the 13-hole Bandon Preserve is wildly fun and offers spectacular views of the Pacific Ocean with particularly noteworthy greens and bunkering. This is a great way to warm up or end your day while at Bandon Dunes.
