Oregon Drift

By John Gunther, Sports Editor

BANDON — When Bandon Crossings opened south of town two summers ago, owners Carla and Rex Smith hoped it would be a nice alternative to the famed Bandon Dunes Golf Resort to the north.

The course has more than lived up to that goal, earning praise as one of the best new golf facilities in the state.

Drawn to the scenic setting and quality design, golfers have visited — and often revisited — Bandon Crossings, to the delight of head pro Chris Young.

“People love it,” Young said. “It’s a great layout and a great complement to Bandon Dunes.”

One of the big draws for Bandon Crossings is that carts are available for golfers, while Bandon Dunes is strictly a walking facility. Another draw is a cheaper price tag for a round of golf.

“It’s nice to come down here, hop in a golf cart and pay a third of the price to still play a great golf course,” he said.

Bandon Crossings also sees a lot of golfers who stop in while passing by on U.S. Highway 101 and has become a favorite for many area residents — nearly 75 bought yearly passes when they first were offered this year.

“In the winter months, a lot of people like to travel from Washington or the Willamette Valley because the course drains so well,” Young said. “The playability of the course is so good in the winter.”

Drainage isn’t a concern this time of the year, when the green fairways stand out among the taller grasses that separate the holes. The opening and closing holes play out in the area of a former sheep ranch, while the middle holes are in a more forested setting.

Bandon Crossings was the first course fully designed by Dan Hixson, and he did a great job working with the land that was available, Young said.

“It’s a fun course to play,” he said.

The course offers four sets of tees, ranging from 6,855 yards to 5,030. No matter the length, golfers will find a challenge from more than 60 bunkers, as well as greens that can provide tough slopes, but also are consistently pure.

“We have some of the best greens in Oregon,” Young said, crediting course superintendent Brant Hathorn and his staff. “The maintenance crew — they’ve done such a great job here.”

The course’s slogan is 18 unique experiences, referring to holes that are visually very different. The most dramatic, in terms of terrain, are the fifth and 14th holes, which both end on greens in the valley that separates the two parts of the course.

The fifth is a par 5 that measures just over 500 yards from the blue tees. But to reach the green in two, players must have a big drive and then get their second shot to carry a hillside of shrubs as it descends to the green.

After eight holes in the forest, the 14th is a downhill par 3 back into the valley, the green protected by a pond.

Hills come into play on several other holes, including the par-4 10th, which includes a blind second shot to a green protected on three sides by sand traps.

Hixson designed several holes with dramatic doglegs, and others with either sloped greens or liberal bunkers and small bumps surrounding the putting surfaces. Some holes require shots that cross either a creek or a wetland area.

The entire course is set far enough back from Highway 101 that there is little noise from traffic, and the area has become a haven for various wildlife. More important to Young, though, it has become a haven for golfers.

“We get a lot of return customers,” Young said. “That’s always a good thing.”

And though the course doesn’t have the reputation of its famous neighbor resort 10 miles to the north, it also is getting some recognition.

Golf Magazine ranked it among the top 10 best new courses in the United States in 2007 and Golfweek ranked it seventh among Oregon’s courses in 2008.

“Things are going great,” Young said.