Sheep Ranch Recognized by Pacific Northwest Golfer Magazine
Par-3 16th selected as one of the ‘Great Holes of the Northwest’
In the June 2022 issue of Pacific Northwest Golfer magazine, the par-3 16th hole on the Sheep Ranch course at Bandon Dunes Golf Resort in Bandon, Ore. is recognized as one of the “Great Holes of the Northwest,” one of just four holes selected each year by the Northwest’s largest and longest-running golf publication.
The hole juts out onto the promontory of Five Mile Point, with steep drop-offs on the left and back, one of the most exposed and windiest places on the Oregon Coast. In the summer season, the wind will be in your face, so hit extra club and keep the ball flight low; some players even elect to use their putter off the tee. Even from the back tees, the length is only 151 yards. The putting surface is massive, part of a double-green with the par-3 third hole, so there is a lot of landing area, a lot of forgiveness in this unforgiving game. This is the only par-3 on the back side, and in keeping with the entire Sheep Ranch course, there are no bunkers on this hole.
Renovated by the world-class design team of Coore & Crenshaw and co-founded by Phil Friedmann and Mike Keiser, the Sheep Ranch was for many years a mysterious golf landscape just north of the resort, accessible only via a third-party connection and consisting of 12 somewhat maintained greens and vague hints of fairways that architect Tom Doak had laid out while he was building the resort’s Pacific Dune course in 2001. With the renovated layout opened in 2020, it now consists of one mile of ocean frontage, nine green sites right along the edge of the continent, and stunning Pacific Ocean views on every hole. Sheep Ranch is the fifth full-length championship course at the resort.
Visit Bandon Dunes Golf Resort and the Sheep Ranch for more information.
With a direct-mailed circulation of 123,000 households, Pacific Northwest Golfer magazine has been the voice of golf in the Northwest for over 25 years. It is the only Northwest golf publication with a verifiable demographic of its readership. Pacific Northwest Golfer is all about golf, and dedicated to golfers, and is the model by which other regional golf publications have used. It is the official magazine of the British Columbia, Idaho, Oregon, Washington and Pacific Northwest golf associations, as well as the Pacific Northwest Section PGA. Published by the Pacific Northwest Golf Association, a 501c3 charitable international amateur golf association, Pacific Northwest Golfer is a member benefit delivered to member clubs in British Columbia and to those who utilize the USGA GHIN Handicap System through member clubs, either public or private.
