Bandon Dunes golf course - hole 1
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Bandon Dunes golf course - hole 1
Players approach the first green at Bandon Dunes in Oregon. Oleg Volovik/Golf Advisor
Bandon Dunes golf course - hole 2
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Bandon Dunes golf course - hole 2
A view of the par-2 second hole at Bandon Dunes golf course in southern Oregon. Oleg Volovik/Golf Advisor
Bandon Dunes golf course - hole 3
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Bandon Dunes golf course - hole 3
The par-5 third hole at Bandon Dunes in Oregon. Oleg Volovik/Golf Advisor
Bandon Dunes golf course - 3rd hole
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Bandon Dunes golf course - 3rd hole
A view of the third green at Bandon Dunes golf course in southern Oregon. Oleg Volovik/Golf Advisor
Bandon Dunes golf course - hole 4
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Bandon Dunes golf course - hole 4
No. 4 at Bandon Dunes has been selected one of the top 500 holes in the world. Oleg Volovik/Golf Advisor
Bandon Dunes golf course - 4th hole
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Bandon Dunes golf course - 4th hole
David McLay Kidd introduced the Oregon coast to the world by designing Bandon Dunes in 1999. Oleg Volovik/Golf Advisor
Bandon Dunes - fourth, 12th and 15th greens
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Bandon Dunes - fourth, 12th and 15th greens
A look at Bandon Dunes' fourth, 12th and 15th greens. Oleg Volovik/Golf Advisor
Bandon Dunes golf course - No. 4
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Bandon Dunes golf course - No. 4
Another look at the dramatic par-4 fourth hole at Bandon Dunes in southern Oregon. Oleg Volovik/Golf Advisor
Bandon Dunes golf course - 16th green
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Bandon Dunes golf course - 16th green
Players approach 16th green at Bandon Dunes. Oleg Volovik/Golf Advisor
Bandon Dunes golf course - 16th tee
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Bandon Dunes golf course - 16th tee
A golfer tees off of the 16th hole at Bandon Dunes. Oleg Volovik/Golf Advisor
Bandon Dunes golf course - 17th tee
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Bandon Dunes golf course - 17th tee
A wooden bench next to the 17th tee. With the great view of Pacific, it is perfect place to relax for a few minutes. Oleg Volovik/Golf Advisor
11 Images

It took a Scotsman to design an authentic links golf gem like Bandon Dunes on the Oregon coast

BANDON, Ore. -- It took a Scotsman to design one of the most authentic links golf courses in America. David McLay Kidd introduced the Oregon coast to the world by designing Bandon Dunes in 1999.

Other great courses have been built at this iconic resort since -- Pacific Dunes, Old Macdonald and Bandon Trail, along with a par-3 course set to open in May, 2012 -- but this seaside wonder jump-started America's love affair with this remote resort four hours south of Portland.

The coastal setting offers everything necessary for links golf: sand dunes, thick native vegetation, blown-out bunkers, sweeping slopes, ever-present wind and soul-stirring ocean views.

Like all great links, it is short by modern standards at 6,732 yards from the tips. It's the elements of Mother Nature that defend par. Kidd says he wanted to course to feature the "structure of a symphony" with a strong start, a sense of anticipation, small crescendos and an incredible finishing sequence along the Pacific. Although the ocean can be seen throughout the round, the golf course kisses the shoreline on holes 5, 6, 12, 15, 16 and the tee box at 17. No carts are allowed, making Bandon Dunes one of golf's greatest walks.

Bandon Dunes sits 5 minutes from the seaside town of Bandon, just off Highway 101, and just 25 minutes from the Southwest Regional Airport in North Bend, served daily by flights from Portland and San Francisco.

Born and raised in the former Soviet Union, photographer Oleg Volovik moved to the United States in 1992 and now lives with his wife and two children in Los Angeles. He joined the TravelGolf editorial team in 2010. Originally graduated with a Masters Degree in Civil Engineering he continued to dedicate his time and energy to his passion for visual arts and photography. Oleg has extensive experience in fine arts, fashion, event, architecture and journalistic photography. His work has been exhibited in Los Angeles, Las Vegas and Moscow, where he also taught a master class, sponsored by Hewlett-Packard, in April 2007. He may be a novice golfer, but Oleg always wears a white leather glove during photo sessions. "Golf photography is my own 'game' with the beauty of nature and human creativity.
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It took a Scotsman to design an authentic links golf gem like Bandon Dunes on the Oregon coast