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SANDPINES
Golf Links
PAR 5 519 YARDS
Florence, OR
800.917.4653
www.sandpines.com
Designed by the famed "US Open doctor" Rees Jones,
Sandpines Golf Links was declared the best new public course
in the country when it opened in 1993. Sculpted through dunes
that are adjacent to the Oregon Dunes National Recreation Area,
Sandpines is not just a stopover on the way to Bandon Dunes,
but a worthy destination of its own. The front nine is out of North
Carolina, boasting tall pines and small lakes, while the inward
nine is out of Scotland, with wind and holes weaving among
massive dunes. It all comes together—sand and water—for the
final three holes, perhaps the best three finishing holes in the
state of Oregon.
As the back nine emerges from the dunes, everything converges
around a large lake viewed from the clubhouse. The 16th hole
is a short, downhill, drivable par 4 that sits next to the lake,
setting the stage for a rugged, into-the-wind and over-the-water
par 3. Watching golfers finish their rounds while taking in the
spectacular views from the deck of its beautiful 9,000-square-
foot clubhouse is a Sandpines specialty. But the real fun is the
18th hole, where all that was lost on the 17th can be regained
with a birdie, or perhaps even an eagle.
Playing downwind, the par 5 can be reached in two if the drive
stays dry left and misses bunkers on the right. And if the second
shot can similarly avoid water left, in most cases it can be drawn
into a green that has bunkers toward the back of the hole. This
hole especially is risk/reward, with the emphasis on reward.
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Photograph by Patrick Drickey
