BANDON, OREGON—On a perfect July 4th afternoon, with no clouds in the sky and cool air coming off the Pacific Ocean, I stepped onto the first tee of Bandon Dunes’ newest course.
Having opened this past May, Shorty’s is now the seventh layout at the resort that recently celebrated its 25-year anniversary. Constructed on dramatic sand dunes bordering Bandon Trails, the 19-hole par-3 course was the brainchild of Rod Whitman, Dave Axland and Keith Cutten—the first new architects represented at Bandon since 2005 when Ben Crenshaw and Bill Coore designed Trails.
The short course trend has been raging for a decade-plus now, so it only made sense that Bandon—one of the top golf destinations in the world at this point—would add a second one (the 13-hole Bandon Preserve being the first).
My day started with a 7 a.m. tee time at Pacific Dunes, the Tom Doak design that came online in 2001. Pac Dunes is a punishing yet beautiful brute. The test there is battling omnipresent winds that swat your ball into undesirable locations, being faced with long irons to greens defended by gorse and dealing with the consequences of taking on (or avoiding) ocean cliffs.
It is big, bold and brash, like a Ramones concert. It’s daunting and breathtaking, a thrill ride that gives and takes at a rate that can leave you feeling overwhelmed – in a good way. The golf you find and the views you see rival any course I’ve witnessed but it’s a place that can exhaust the senses. Pac Dunes is Golf with a capital G.
After regrouping at The Gallery & Puffin Bar (the chicken parm sandwich was delightful), I drove five minutes south to Shorty’s—and, boy, was it the perfect medication to take after the immense effort of navigating Pac Dunes.
Pulling into the small parking lot, the first thing you notice is how the site seemed destined to be a short course. The terrain takes the word “undulating” to a new level as steep sand dunes rising 30 feet and more weave and bob between greens. It’s too severe for anything more than par-3s. Creating a regulation course with longer holes would have required flattening out these gorgeous dunes but property owner Mike Keiser and the Bandon team rightfully opted for a short course that was begging to be built on pristine, consistent sand.
The second hole at Shorty’s has a beautiful view of the Pacific Ocean. (Nathan Kahler/Bandon Dunes)The name, which honors Bandon Dunes’ first self-appointed governor/mayor/sheriff, Shorty Dow, is aptly complemented by the logo of a small bear holding a flagstick. Keiser felt that Dow—who passed away in 2015, nearly two decades after being the first to show Keiser the Bandon property—would have enjoyed being connected to this land. (All net proceeds from Shorty’s go to the Bandon Dunes Charitable Foundation supporting conservation, community and economy on the Southern Oregon Coast.)
The “clubhouse” is split into two small buildings—one a golf shop and the other a snack bar. The vibe is decidedly laid back, the kind of place where taking yourself seriously isn’t a feasible option.
Originally conceived as a 12-hole routing (now holes 7-18), Keiser urged the WAC Design team to push further south into the heavier dunes where holes 1-6 were created. (The view they helped create on the par-3 second, a downhill hole with a table-top green, was worth the trouble). Because the clubhouse area ended up pushed a bit south of what was first planned, there was room for a 19th hole.
It makes for a compact layout—the seventh tee is back near the clubhouse, so a six-hole loop is an option.
Imagine being on a buddies’ trip with two, three, four or more groups. You could all play Shorty’s in separate foursomes and still see most of the shots, given the lack of trees and “community nature” of how close together all the holes are (this is something you don’t really find at Bandon Preserve).
You start and finish at the top of the property, looking out at the Pacific beyond a seemingly endless grove of scattered shore pines. The ocean is only visible on a handful of holes but it’s a sensational feeling to stand on the first tee, the temperature an idyllic 75 degrees, as the water gleams in the distance.
The course is whimsical and playful, the perfect counter to a place like Pac Dunes. There are four sets of tees—a nice touch for a course that tips out at 1,997 yards—including a putting tee where only your flatstick is required. The longest hole of those tees is 75 yards but the fairways run smooth enough to where putting from off the green is very fun.
There are also two double greens, connecting holes 9/13 and 6/18. I was taken aback at the variety of green complexes, given how many of them sit between dunes. Some are fairly flat with broad slopes, others have a turtle-back feel, others are dynamic with multiple sections separated by more severe bumps and hollows.
While the majority of holes only ask for a wedge off the tee, I did need a 6-iron for the 148-yard 11th hole that was playing directly into a heavy wind. I also hit an 8-iron twice and a 9-iron once, so I would take a variety of clubs with you.
Like a lot of golf at Bandon, there are plenty of opportunities. You will make birdies. I didn’t keep score but counted four birdies in my 19 holes. At the same time, it’s challenging and stimulating enough to always grab your attention.
There are flip wedges from 50 yards that ask you to find the correct side of a massive slope but there are also full wedges or short irons to well-protected greens surrounded by the scruffy dunes. It’s great practice for flighting shots, given the aforementioned winds that swallow anything ballooning up in the air.
The 7th green at Shorty’s is tucked in between stunning sand dunes. (Nathan Kahler/Bandon Dunes)My favorite holes are 2, 7, 11, 14 and 16—picturesque gems naturally wedged into the dunes protruding around their greens. Much of the course’s yardage comes from the 11-14 stretch of holes that all have subtle differences. The 11th and 12th have severe (but wildly different) greens, the 13th is a heroic shot over a valley to a semi-blind green and the 14th is a 161-yard hole with an intoxicating back-left hole location nestled behind a dune.
That the longest hole (14) is followed by the shortest hole (15) is a stroke of brilliance. The 15th is a 51-yard wedge over wasteland to a green that falls off in all directions. Somehow the 15th is almost scarier.
Many will be asking what the difference is between Bandon Preserve and Shorty’s. (The easy answer is you should play both but I get the desire to compare).
Preserve, ranked as one of the top-five short courses in the country by some publications, is about 18 yards longer per hole and features a higher rate of “grown-up” par-3s that could fit in more seamlessly if they were featured on a regulation Bandon course. You start high on a sand ridge and have a permanent view of the Pacific all the way through. Because of those two factors, Preserve might be the favorite in rankings and preference.
But for me, having played a few of the top short courses in the world, Shorty’s is, without a doubt in my mind, among the finest par-3 courses anywhere. Preserve and Shorty’s are both spectacular, but in different ways.
For my money, Shorty’s has better green complexes than Preserve (and arguably the best greens on property). It’s almost a shame you are hitting a wedge into some of these greens because you don’t necessarily get a full appreciation for what they offer.
I also think it’s a dreamland for juniors and beginners. Shorty’s is approachable and liberating—your instinct after finishing the round is to head back to the first tee to keep going. Every hole is a birdie chance. Well, most holes provide an ace opportunity. And every shot has something to look forward to—a ridge to negotiate, a 50-yard putt to experiment with, a three-quarter wedge to punch through the wind.
Like a kid squeezing in another hole before sunset, you want another chance. Just one more shot.
And that, to me, is just as much capital “G” Golf as a place like Pacific Dunes.
Top Photo Caption: Shorty’s was built amidst the most dramatic sand dunes on the Bandon Dunes property. (Nathan Kahler/Bandon Dunes)
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