Some of the earliest visitors to Bandon Dunes Golf Resort 20 years ago might recall receiving a 25-second wake-up call that teased them with images of the joys they would experience in the coming hours as they carved shots through and across windswept dunes set hard against the Pacific coastline. The lyrical Scottish voice on the recording assured guests that they were about to experience “Golf as it was truly meant to be.”
That wasn’t marketing hype. Bandon Dunes founder Mike Keiser assigned the wake-up recording to his architect, David McLay Kidd. Keiser, who reveres the great links of the United Kingdom and Ireland, sometimes has joked that he hired the then-unknown Kidd because he loved his Scottish brogue. Kidd, in turn, said he was “particularly passionate about that line” because it captured the vision he and Keiser shared for the property. (That line still defines the Bandon experience, though the resort shortened it to “Golf as it was meant to be.”)
“Even though I felt it on that wake-up call, I felt for many years prior to that that I was on this mission to create golf as it was meant to be,” Kidd said. “That’s what Bandon Dunes was trying to do, what Mike was trying to deliver – a golf experience that he had only seen in the UK or Ireland. He had never seen it anywhere else in the world. His singular focus was, how do I bring that to America?”
Since Bandon Dunes opened in 1999, that vision has been fully realized, with the resort now placing an unprecedented five links among the top 10 on Golfweek’s Best Resort Courses list. Those courses will be showcased through a landmark agreement that will bring 13 USGA amateur championships to the resort over the next 23 years.
As the resort’s golf options have grown – Sheep Ranch, the newest links, opened last year – so too have the lodging and amenities. Recently there’s been a whirlwind of activity.
Bandon Dunes just opened the Round Lake Lodges, 24 new lakeside rooms in a wooded setting just off the sixth and seventh holes at Bandon Trails. If you want extra space on your next visit, this is where you’ll find it. The eight single-king bedrooms are the largest on the property, and they complement 16 spacious double-queen rooms, all of which have large fireplaces, refrigerators, oversized closets, double-headed showers, and private changing rooms. The resort’s commitment to supporting local businesses is reflected in the Oregon-crafted furniture.
Nearby, the resort recently wrapped up a year-long renovation of the Lily Pond Cottages, which are within walking distance of Bandon Trails, Bandon Dunes and The Lodge, which also has been undergoing upgrades.
On the lower level of The Lodge, the fitness center has been overhauled, with the installation of new free weights, universal weight machines and cardio equipment. For those more inclined to unwind, the resort has installed a new hot tub and sauna next door.
Perhaps the biggest change every guest will notice is on the ground level of The Lodge, where the main restaurant has been rechristened The Forge, a steakhouse with a menu that celebrates Northwest fare and an expansive wine list to rival any five-star restaurant.
The new dining concept meant finding new suppliers to provide grass-fed beef from eastern Oregon and dry-aged cuts from Washington – all without antibiotics or byproducts. One of executive chef Rory Butts’ top recommendations is the locally sourced salmon served on Oregon rice with heirloom tomatoes. These choices are complemented by globally sourced delicacies such as Asian tiger prawns and Alaskan king crab.
The restaurant’s name reflects Keiser’s view that golf isn’t just about hitting shots and posting scores; it’s an opportunity to forge lifelong friendships. That starts from the moment you sit down at your table, and your waiter places The Forge’s signature starter in front of your group. It’s a mold of butter and beef fat rendered down to tallow, accented with sea salt, truffles and all sorts of other goodness that is set aflame and melts down. Within two minutes, you’ll see friends dragging wedges of bread through the decadently flavored fat while swapping stories about a day spent making memories that will last a lifetime.
“It’s all starts with the golf here, but we really wanted to try to make a name for the food as well,” Butts said. “We pride ourselves on value, striving to provide a great experience at a good cost.”