Bandon Dunes Golf Resort - Sheep Ranch

Sheep Ranch opened June 1, 2020, as the fifth 18-hole course at Bandon Dunes Golf Resort. The property originally hosted a 13-green layout by Tom Doak from 2001 that served as an informal walking course. Mike Keiser later commissioned Bill Coore and Ben Crenshaw to build a full 18-hole course on land that had been a failed wind farm in the 1970s.

Coore and Crenshaw maximized ocean exposure, placing nine greens on soaring cliffs above the Pacific — more coastline than Bandon Dunes and Pacific Dunes combined. The course was designed without a single sand bunker, giving it a pure minimalist character.

Sheep Ranch quickly became a favorite for its raw beauty and dramatic ocean views. Wide fairways and no bunkers create a throwback to the earliest forms of links golf where the land itself provides the defense.

Sheep Ranch delivers the most dramatic ocean exposure at Bandon Dunes. Nearly every hole offers Pacific views and many play directly along cliff edges. The absence of bunkers gives the course a pure minimalist character.

At 6,734 yards and par 72, wide fairways appear forgiving but constant ocean wind and creative green complexes provide ample challenge.

Without bunkers, the primary defense is wind and natural contours. Greens reject poorly positioned approaches, so correct angle of attack matters greatly.

Cliff-edge holes demand respect — the ocean is an absolute boundary. Play conservatively along the coastline and take chances on inland holes.