Making the pricey pilgrimage to Oregon's Bandon golf resort

BANDON, ORE. — They arrive by the vanload, pilgrims to a golf mecca, each looking pretty much like the other in standard golf attire, toting standard golf equipment.

And then there was Jim Harrison. The 58-year-old Phoenix resident, owner of a surface-cleaning company, strode onto the practice tee at Bandon Dunes Golf Resort with his sweatshirt, cap, golf bag and headcovers all adorned with Notre Dame logos. Inside the bag was a set of 1960s vintage Spalding irons and persimmon woods, the only clubs Harrison has ever owned.

"Do you root for any college team in particular?" I asked as he set up next to me on the range.

He smiled. "Notre Dame, Class of '71," he said.

Harrison may not have been your standard-issue golfer, but he had something in common with most of the other visitors on a summer day..

They had read or heard something about Bandon Dunes that convinced them that a trek to this remote spot on Oregon's southwest coast was something they needed to do.

For some, it's the beauty of the resort's three golf courses, two of which overlook the Pacific Ocean. Or it's the distinctive feel of the courses, all patterned after links courses in Ireland and the U.K. Or it's the resort's meteoric rise to "must play" status. Golf magazine recently published its list of "Top 100 You Can Play" for 2006-07, and all three Bandon Dunes courses are in the top 10: Pacific Dunes at No. 1, supplanting Pebble Beach for the first time; Bandon Dunes at No. 5; and Bandon Trails, which is less than two years old, at No. 10.

Information

Bandon Dunes Golf Resort: www.bandondunesgolf.com/

Or there's the romantic lure of the resort, where the motto is "golf as it was meant to be." In this case, that means walking, not riding. Carts are not permitted unless a golfer is physically unable to walk the course, and a doctor's note is needed for verification of a permanent disability. Although caddies are not required, they're recommended.

"We've got no carts," a pro shop staffer advised a telephone caller, "but we've got the best caddies in the world."

Bandon Dunes' owner, Mike Keiser, has said that he initially had doubts that his venture would be a winner. Keiser was a co-founder of Recycled Paper Greetings, and his success with that company allowed him to go into the business of building golf courses. Bandon Dunes was his second venture.

"I wasn't interested in commercial golf, I was interested in dream golf," he told Golf Connoisseur magazine.

No shortage of dreamers have found their way to Bandon Dunes, despite its distance from any major airport. Never underestimate the determination of a golfer. Philip Whittaker of Surrey, England, was vacationing with his wife and daughter at the Sunriver Resort in central Oregon, 263 miles from Bandon. Although Sunriver offers three courses and bills itself as a golf destination, Whittaker left his family at 5:15 a.m. and drove 4 ½ hours to Bandon.

"A friend said that if you're near here, you've got to come here," he said. "Having heard so much about it ...

"My wife said, 'What do you mean you're going to drive five hours?' Women don't really understand."

Some women, maybe. Harrison, the Notre Dame fan, was at Bandon Dunes at the urging of both his wife, Marsha, and his doctor, a woman.

"My doctor said I needed to play golf more and work less," he said. "I only play five times a year. I work seven days a week. I'm serious. She said to throw away the cell phones and relax more."

Marsha, a nongolfer, had gone on the Internet, searched for a list of America's best golf courses and had seen Bandon Dunes rated near the top.

"We'd thought about going to Oregon," she said. "This gave us a good reason to come." Her husband hadn't even played yet, but he was convinced they'd made the right choice.

"This is like golf heaven," he said.

Harrison didn't have high expectations for his golf game, which was a good thing, because Bandon Dunes is one serious test of golf. Although generous off the tee, Pacific Dunes was very penal around the greens, with gaping, gnarly bunkers and greens as fast and firm as table tops. Anyone who has played a links course across the pond will recognize the challenges. Bandon Dunes is Ireland without the Irish accents.

Going to Bandon Dunes is cheaper than going to Ireland, but it's not cheap.

Accommodations include rooms, suites and cottages, with rooms starting at $180 in high season. Greens fees in high season are $185 for hotel guests and $240 for others. Caddies are $50 per bag, with a gratuity of $25 or more expected.

"This is kind of a once-in-a-lifetime place," Marsha Harrison said. "It's not like you're going to play here a lot."

Not that you wouldn't want to.