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Travel bucket list idea:

Last updated: 23 June, 2023
Expert travel writer: Fionn Davenport

The original course at Bandon Dunes resort is still a wonder – the infinity-view greens that stretch out into the Pacific merge dramatically into the blue of the ocean; an extraordinary combination of man-made and natural beauty.

It is less dramatic than the newer Pacific Dunes, but everything about this course works – the undulating fairways; the devilish bunkers perfectly placed to make you second-guess your shot selection; those perfect greens.

And the Pacific is everywhere; beyond the wild dunes and the wind-blown marram grass, which all serve to create the impression of playing golf in the middle of a beautiful wilderness. Which, effectively, you are.

Price from: £100
Minimum age: Any
Age suitable: 13+
When: All year around
Duration: -

Getting there & doing it

Bandon Dunes is 110 miles south of Portland. You don’t need to book too far in advance – a week or so should be plenty, but you’ll usually get a tee time a day or two before.

When to do it

September is the local’s favourite month to play, but February is a well-kept secret: it’s cold, but not nearly as busy and the off-season rates are in play. Try to play in the afternoon, finishing with a spectacular sunset.

Round-ups that include this experience

34 World’s best golf courses

Spectacular landscapes, impeccable fairways and greens, brilliantly-designed holes and plenty of golfing folklore – we asked golf expert and journalist Fionn Davenport to recommend his top 30 golf courses from around the world.