Dream Golf: Bandon Dunes launched a North American vision
From the very beginning, Mike Keiser’s vision for Dream Golf was to bring an unforgettable links golf experience to the shores of North America. “Golf as it was meant to be.” It’s a high bar, but one that Dream Golf has sought since Bandon Dunes Golf Resort emerged from the wild gorse and sandy soil of the southern Oregon Coast.
This never-ending drive to preserve the purity of the game first brought us the original Bandon Dunes course, then Pacific Dunes, Bandon Trails, Old MacDonald, the 13-hole Bandon Preserve, and most recently, Sheep Ranch. Each providing a unique but similarly pure links golf experience, where every shot is influenced by nature’s infinite presence.
Like an in-rhythm golf swing, so many parts work seamlessly to ensure that the minimalist-by-design experience at Bandon Dunes is never spoiled. At Bandon Dunes, the game is always the primary focus. The amenities and impeccable service – from its caddies to the wait staff to its athletic massage center – continually fine-tuned to support the Bandon Dunes mission of golf as it was meant to be.
Bandon Dunes introduced a generation of North American golfers to the magic of links golf. To walk the land perched high on the rugged cliffs overlooking the Pacific Ocean is to walk in the footsteps of the game’s history. The pure links golf experience forge connections, with friends, family, and with nature. The purest version of the game excites the senses – the feel of the wind, the beauty of the landscape, and the taste of the salty air.
With the success of Bandon Dunes, Dream Golf spread well beyond the West Coast. With Sand Valley Golf Resort, Mr. Keiser’s vision reached the sand dunes of Nekoosa, Wisconsin. The firm and fast fescues of Sand Valley, Mammoth Dunes, and The Sandbox wend their way through towering sand dunes, melding with the land’s natural landscape as if the golf courses had always been there. With Cabot Cape Breton, Dream Golf reached the spectacular wind-swept cliffs of Nova Scotia – at Cabot Cliffs, Cabot Links, and The Nest.
When Dream Golf was born, it created more than world-class resorts. Mr. Keiser’s vision redefined the resort experience and guest expectations. That vision never stops evolving.
At Bandon Dunes, renovated lodging and new restaurant options, including the new Charlotte’s BBQ, help refresh the experience. And the resort is always on the lookout for new golf opportunities that will give fresh reason to make a pilgrimage to the Oregon Coast.
The Lido course, the recreation of the famed Long Island course that disappeared during World War II, adds a sense of mystery to Sand Valley. And the Sand Valley experience changes with the seasons. Golf gives way in winter to cross-country skiing and ice hockey, offering an altogether new experience.
Even as the experiences in Oregon, Wisconsin and Canada continually evolves, Dream Golf remains firmly rooted in its own traditions.
Much like the game itself.
This has always been “Golf as it was meant to be.” And it has never been better.
