Designer: Rod Whitman/Dave Axland/Keith Cutten (2024)
Location: Bandon, Oregon
History: Bandon Dunes Golf Resort opened in 1999 with David McLay Kidd’s groundbreaking design Bandon Dunes, and by 2010, there were four championship courses on the property (Bandon Dunes, Pacific Dunes, Bandon Trails, Old Macdonald). Owner and developer Mike Keiser opened the first par 3 course in 2013 with Coore and Crenshaw’s Bandon Preserve and Sheep Ranch opened in 2020, giving the Resort a fifth championship layout. There was still room on the southern part of property, and Keiser decided to build another par 3 course named Shorty’s after the Resort’s first caretaker, Shorty Dow. The design from Rod Whitman, Dave Axland, and Keith Cutten (WAC) opened on May 2, 2024 to rave reviews.
Conditions: 8/10, I played Shorty’s the year it opened and the course still needed a bit more time to grow in. With that said, it was in very solid condition and should be on par with what you’ll find at Bandon Preserve soon.
Value: 5/10, I don’t necessarily think Shorty’s is worth $100, but when you consider it’s Bandon Dunes and all proceeds go to charity, then it’s not too bad.
Scorecard:
Tee Par Yardage Rating Slope
Back 57 1997 N/A N/A
Middle 57 1674 N/A N/A
Front 57 1309 N/A N/A
Putting 57 979 N/A N/A
Hole Descriptions: Situated on the southernmost part of the property, Shorty’s is the newest and likely final design at Bandon Dunes. Set amongst the highland dunes adjacent to Bandon Trails, the topography here is a bit like the first few holes at Bandon Dunes and the opening and closing holes at Trails, with a very hilly inland layout and less wind and Ocean views compared to some of the other courses. The course definitely lives up to its name, with 19 holes ranging from just 51 to 161 yards from the Back Tees. Despite its very short length, however, don’t expect a birdie fest, as these might be the wildest set of greens on the property with plenty of elevation changes and very penal bunkering as well. There are eight holes less than 100 yards, and while I do think 19 holes is a bit excessive given this fact, Shorty’s is an excellent chance for you to practice your distance control and have a relaxed round with friends using only a few clubs. It is worth a play at least once when at the Resort.
Shorty’s opening hole plays 119 yards and downhill to a boomerang shaped green set into a hillside. Bunkers defend both long and short and the putting surface slopes both left-to-right and back-to-front with a giant false front and swale on the front left portion of the green.
The 2nd is arguably the prettiest hole on the course and also one of the longest at 124 yards. This par 3 also runs downhill with beautiful views of the Pacific in the distance and a peculiar-shaped, elevated green containing a front left swale. There are big penalties for missing the green here, with bunkers left, long, and right, a false front short, and steep dunes to your far left.
The 3rd hole turns back inland and is the first of the really short holes on the course at 85 yards. This is a simple pitch to a two-tiered, back-to-front sloped green defended by a pair of bunkers long.
There is supposedly an option to use putter on every hole at Shorty’s and one of the best chances to do so is at the 80 yard 4th. A pretty hole that plays open up front and downhill, this one-shotter features a very severe green with significant left-to-right and back-to-front slopes and a deep bunker right.
The 5th hole tests your distance control, again playing downhill at 117 yards. While the green is partially obscured by fescue, it is generally a large, open target but contains lots of internal movement and an overall right-to-left slope.
There are many holes here that make you pay severely for a poor teeshot and the 84 yard 6th is one of the best examples of this. Despite its short length, this par 3 plays uphill the entire way over a gnarly wastebunker to a shallow, back-to-front sloped green. I don’t know if it was the tight lies in general or fact that the course was still growing in, but hitting precise short shots with high-lofted wedges was somewhat difficult for me at Shorty’s and chunking it short is simply not an option on a hole like this.
At 114 yards, the 7th is one of the better and more memorable holes on the course. Playing uphill over a valley of dunes and bunkers, this elevated, back-to-front sloped green is an elusive target partially obscured and surrounded by fescue and bunkers.
The 8th hole is another really fun par 3 at 104 yards, playing slightly downhill to large green that slopes severely right-to-left. A large and intimidating wastebunker defends short right while a particular penal devils asshole-inspired potbunker guards short left for those who miss the green.
Some of the holes at Shorty’s feel unnecessarily squeezed in and the 72 yard 9th is a prime example of this. It’s a bit confusing where you’re aiming on this teebox, as you can see two flags in the distance as a result of a double green with 13. The 9th is the shorter flag and plays somewhat blind to a very narrow green that extends all the way to the 13th green. This hole is not very attractive visually and I don’t like the way it plays either.
Another confusing part of the routing occurs on the 10th teebox, as it’s not immediately clear which green you’re aiming for or what teebox you’re using given the 10th and 14th use a similar teeing ground and play in similar directions. The 10th hole is the green to your left and plays 101 yards to a wide, right-to-left sloped green set in the dunes. Anything left of the green will trundle down a steep slope.
The best and toughest stretch of holes at Shorty’s begins at the 11th as the topography gets more dramatic in this corner of the property. This 148 yard par 3 plays downhill and partially blind to a very wide and bunkerless green containing a back hump.
The 12th is the most straightforward hole on this stretch and plays level at 133 yards. With a nasty bunker long and fescue surrounding it, this putting surface slopes both back-to-front and left-to-right.
The 152 yard 13th hole is one of the hardest pars here, playing at least a half club uphill to a narrow green that slopes left-to-right. This elevated putting surface requires a carry the entire way with a particularly devastating wastebunker short and a hidden bunker down the left.
At 161 yards, the 14th is the longest hole on the course and continues uphill. This is another rather tough par 3 with a carry over fescue and false front towards a large, 3-tiered, back-to-front sloped green.
It sort of seems like the architects ran out of space a bit during the closing stretch, with four of the five final holes playing less than 95 yards. These are cute little holes, but I think a 17-hole layout combining a few of them would’ve made for a better course. The 15th is the shortest hole at Shorty’s at only 51 yards. With a carry over fescue, this elevated green is on the small side and slopes pretty severely back-to-front.
The 16th hole is a solid par 3 playing back downhill to a left-to-right sloped diagonal green wedged between mountains of fescue.
The 17th is another very short par 3 at just 80 yards with an elevated green. In addition to deep bunkers that defend this green short and long, this putting surface contains a number of wild undulations and overall slopes back-to-front.
The 18th plays slightly downhill at just 92 yards. This is another attractive short hole featuring a back-to-front sloped green with bunkers short and long and mounds of fescue on either side.
At just 57 yards, the 19th is another extremely short hole and honestly feels more like a practice green or bye hole than true hole. With a series of bunkers to the right, this back-to-front sloped green is wedged into the side of a hill. Despite the false front, the short distance and opening up front make putter a nifty play here similarly to the closer at Bandon Preserve.
General Comments: I can’t imagine many golfers are warming up before their round at Shorty’s, but to do so, you’ll have to use the Resort’s practice center near Pacific Dunes including a full range, short game area, and warm-up course. We had the entire course to ourselves and Shorty’s is the perfect place to play in a large group. Like all courses on property, it is walking only and a tougher than expected walk at that. The only opportunity to get food or drink is at the beginning of the round so pack accordingly. Shorty’s has potentially the best logo at Bandon!
Although the high quality golf is clearly the draw at Bandon, I really can’t say enough good things about the Resort as a whole. From the cozy, yet not over-the-top lodging, excellent food, friendly staff, and convenient shuttle system, this is truly a golfer’s paradise and the cream of the crop when it comes to golf resorts. It is definitely worth the long journey to get here.
Verdict: Bandon’s newest and likely final layout, Shorty’s is a 19-hole par 3 course set amongst the inland dunes on the southernmost part of the property. While there are a few too many very short holes here, the land movement and penal bunkering make it more difficult than you’d expect and the greens are possibly the wildest at Bandon. It is a very relaxed and fun round and great practice before one of the championship courses on site.
