WAVES BREAKING AT THE SHEEP RANCH

My first job in golf course design and construction was on the business end of a rake at the Sheep Ranch just north of the Bandon Dunes Resort. I returned there in February for the first time in seven or eight years and was really pleased with what I found.

The Sheep Ranch consists of thirteen greens, a handful of bunkers and fairways that meander all over the place. The idea behind the place is that there is no set routing, but that the winner of the hole in match play gets to decide which green to play to next. There  are endless ways to play the course, although I suspect that most people hug the coast which juts out into the Pacific, creating amazing views both up the coast and back down towards Old Macdonald and Pacific Dunes. (video after the jump)

The greens shaped by the team at Renaissance Golf were in perfect condition and were even more interesting then I remembered them. Built to be approached from multiple angles, they often have one large contour and a number of smaller ones. They remind me of some of the great greens at Prestwick.

The best things about the Sheep Ranch are the solitude and pureness. The only other person on the property was the superintendent, who was knocking around a bunch of balls, practicing his game. He (I am ashamed that I did not catch his name) informed us that play was limited to two foursomes a day, and even that was rare. It is quite a contrast to the resort next door, which was bustling, even in late February.

The Sheep Ranch does not have irrigation and the only water it gets is from Mother Nature and an old fire truck that has been there since construction. I can only imagine how cool the play must be in the summer when it browns out and you have to play approach shots seventy yards short of the green downwind. I understand that they will be filming Golf in the Kingdom there this spring and I cannot think of a place in the U.S. that is more appropriate.

Access to the Sheep Ranch is through Bandon Golf Supply.