Shorty's

Shorty's opened on May 2, 2024, as the seventh course at Bandon Dunes Golf Resort. Designed by Rod Whitman, Dave Axland, and Keith Cutten, it is a 19-hole layout where every hole is a par 3, ranging from 60 to 160 yards across 1,997 total yards. The course sits between the opening holes of Bandon Trails and the ocean, threading through terrain that shares the coastal character of the resort's main courses.

At par 57, Shorty's is not a practice facility with flags. The holes are designed with the same attention to green contours, approach angles, and strategic options as the full-length courses. A 120-yard par 3 over broken ground to a green with three distinct pin positions is a golf hole in every meaningful sense. The shorter yardages simply compress the challenge into the part of the game that matters most: iron play, touch, and the ability to manage trajectory in the wind.

Nineteen holes is an unusual number. The extra hole, a nod to the tradition of playing a settlement hole after a tied match, gives groups a final opportunity that most courses do not provide. A round takes roughly two to two and a half hours depending on pace, which makes Shorty's an ideal late-afternoon addition to a day that began with a full 18-hole round.

Like Bandon Preserve, net proceeds from Shorty's benefit the Wild Rivers Coast Alliance and the Bandon Dunes Charitable Foundation. Fees match the Preserve at $60 to $125 depending on season.

For groups with players of varying ability, Shorty's may be the most enjoyable round of the trip. The shorter distances level the playing field between long hitters and short hitters, and the emphasis on precision and creativity produces the kind of competitive matches that groups remember and retell. It is the most democratic course on the property, and it is very good.