Old Macdonald at Bandon Dunes Golf Resort
Tom Doak and Jim Urbina built Old Macdonald, opened in June 2010, around one question: what would C.B. Macdonald have built on this coast? Mike Keiser's favorite course is Macdonald's National Golf Links, so the holes here carry template names like Eden, Biarritz, Redan, Road and Punchbowl.
Can your group play here?
| Who can play | Resort guests book with their stay. Day guests (no room) can book April to mid-November, more than 21 days ahead at a premium rate, with tee times after 10 a.m. | From the course |
|---|---|---|
| How to book | Through the resort's reservation request or by phone. Regular bookings run through March 2028; later 2028 dates go through lodging drawings. | From the course |
| Group size | Groups of 16 or more get a group contract and a group coordinator, with a 90-day cancellation policy. | From the course |
| Walking | Walking only. Push carts are free. Riding carts only for a permanent disability, arranged ahead, and a caddie is required. | From the course |
| Caddies | Optional but encouraged. Single-bag, double-bag, or a group caddie for the whole group. Paid directly to the caddie, plus tip. | From the course |
| Pace of play | About 4 hours 20 minutes on average. The first 10 tee times each morning are pace-setter times, expected to finish in 4 hours or less. | From the course |
| Fivesomes | Not yet confirmed | Asking the course |
Course? Confirm or correct these details and we'll mark them "Confirmed by the course." How we check facts
Getting there
Most groups fly into Eugene (EUG): 8 of the 10 cities with nonstops land there. Southwest Oregon Regional (North Bend) (OTH) is closer, but only Denver, San Francisco Bay Area fly there nonstop.
See all 10 cities with nonstops
Chicago (EUG) · Denver (OTH) · Las Vegas (EUG) · Los Angeles (EUG) · Phoenix (EUG) · Portland (EUG) · Salt Lake City (EUG) · San Diego (EUG) · San Francisco Bay Area (OTH) · Seattle (EUG)
Flights: U.S. DOT Bureau of Transportation Statistics, T-100 Segment (all carriers), 2025-08 to 2026-07. Drive times are estimates; traffic varies.
Where it fits in your trip
- Play it with a mixed-ability group. The greens are huge, so higher handicaps find the putting surface more often, and the hard part is the putting. source
- Old Macdonald hosted the championship matches of the 2011 Amateur Public Links and the 2019 U.S. Amateur Four-Ball, so it's built for match play. Use it for your team match day. source
- Avoid the 2027 aeration dates: April 13 to 15 and October 19 to 21. source
Games that suit this course
Four-ball match play
It's the format USGA championships used here, and the wide fairways leave room for partners to play different lines.
Three-putt pot
Greens this big make three-putts common. Everyone pays into a pot for each three-putt.
Template trivia
Before each tee shot, have someone read the hole name (Redan, Biarritz, Road, Alps) and guess which famous hole it copies.
Good to know
- Caddie fees are paid in cash straight to the caddie, plus a tip, on top of the green fee. A double-bag or group caddie lowers the per-player cost. source
- The replay rate only applies to a second round on the same day, so plan your 36-hole days to use it. source
- A group caddie is a good fit here. On huge greens, help reading putts is worth more than help carrying bags. source
- Hole 3, Sahara, is a blind tee shot over a dune. The play is a draw around the old Port Orford cedar. source
- Hole 6, Long, plays straight into the summer wind. Plan on three shots. source
- Hole 8, Biarritz, has a deep swale in the green. Land short and let it run through. A two-putt is a good score. source
- The 18th, Punchbowl, plays downwind in summer. The green sits in a bowl and feeds balls to the center. source
Heads-up before you book
- 2028 lodging is released by drawing. Registration for June to October 2028 is open November 9, 2026 to January 3, 2027, and the drawing is January 18, 2027. Summer groups should enter this window. source
- The November to December 2028 drawing opens January 18, 2027 and closes May 2, 2027. The drawing is May 17, 2027. April to May 2028 results were published November 9, 2026. source
- The resort takes regular lodging bookings through March 2028. Day guests (no room) can book golf for April to mid-November more than 21 days ahead at a premium rate. Those tee times must be after 10 a.m. source
- 2027 aeration dates: Bandon Dunes May 4 to 6 and Sept 28 to 30. Pacific Dunes Apr 27 to 29 and Oct 5 to 7. Bandon Trails Apr 20 to 22 and Oct 13 to 15. Old Macdonald Apr 13 to 15 and Oct 19 to 21. Sheep Ranch Apr 6 to 8 and Oct 26 to 28. Preserve Mar 29 to 30 and Nov 1 to 2. Shorty's Mar 31 to Apr 2 and Nov 3 to 5. Rounds within 5 days of aeration get a discount. source
- Flights to North Bend (OTH): United flies to San Francisco year-round, but only Sunday, Monday, Wednesday and Friday in winter. The seasonal Denver nonstop ended October 25, 2026 and comes back in May. Off-season groups may be better off flying into Eugene. source
- Cancellation windows: for 2026 reservations, cancel or reduce rooms and golf at least 60 days before arrival. Golf-only bookings need 90 days. Groups of 16 or more sign a group contract with a 90-day cancellation policy. source
- The Bandon Dunes Cup (up to 70 two-person teams) runs May 16 to 19, 2027 on Pacific Dunes, Bandon Dunes, Sheep Ranch and Bandon Trails. Expect tight tee sheets that week. source
- The 2028 Walker Cup is September 9 to 10, 2028 on the Bandon Dunes course. Ask the resort which courses close around those dates before you pick September 2028. source
Checked November 9, 2026. Schedules change, so confirm with the resort.
Stories to tell at dinner
Our take
We haven't filmed Old Macdonald yet. Our on-course notes and video go here after we play it.
Full Bandon Dunes trip guide →
Facts checked November 9, 2026. Access rules and tee-time policies change; confirm with the course before you book.