Bandon benefits from golf courses

BANDON, Ore. – Across the country lies a small seaside city of about 3,000 people, called Bandon, Ore. Located right on the southern coast of the Pacific Wonderland, the city rests in a remote location.

The closest metropolitan area is about 25 miles north in the bordering cities of Coos Bay and North Bend, with a combined population of more than 25,000. The closest major metropolitan area, Portland, is a considerably farther hike, about a five-hour car drive.

With its quaint shops, attractive boardwalk and location right on the water, Bandon has been described as "the bright star of the Oregon Coast," said its mayor, Mary Schamehorn.

The median sales price for a home in Bandon is presently $156,000, according to Trulia, and the town attracts an older demographic.

"Many of the people who have moved here in the last 20 to 30 years are retired, and while they are active volunteers, they no longer work," Schamehorn said. "Retirement income is a huge part of what supports this area."

Like central Wisconsin, the Bandon area has a "thriving" cranberry industry, Schamehorn said. The city also has a history intertwined with cheesemaking and — coincidentally — it puts on an annual cranberry festival like the city of Wisconsin Rapids.

But, perhaps more peculiar, Bandon also happens to be the home of Bandon Dunes Golf Resort, developed by Mike Keiser — the same man facilitating the creation of Sand Valley in Rome.

Creating Bandon Dunes

In the early 1990s, Keiser decided Bandon would be the next location for a links golf course, Bandon Dunes. According to the resort's website, it was inspired by the oldest and perhaps most revered course in the world, Scotland's St. Andrews golf course. Like in Scotland, players at Bandon Dunes would golf in Oregon's coastal sand dunes, right on the edge of the ocean.

A minimalist golf course, Bandon Dunes is far from the bright-green country club courses typically associated with the game.

At first, some people in the community weren't so crazy about the idea, said Matt Winkel, city manager of Bandon.

"Most of the reaction early on was, 'What kind of crazy guy is going to build a golf course in Bandon?'" Winkel said.

Most of the opposition for the golf course stemmed from the belief that it would harm the landscape and environment, Winkel said.

"In spite of its success and the contributions it has made to the local economy and the community in general, there are still some who feel that the property should have been left in its natural, undeveloped state," Schamehorn said in an email. "Most of us do not share those feelings."

Still, plans for Bandon Dunes moved forward, and in June 1999, its first course opened. Two years later, in 2001, Keiser opened a second course, then a third in 2005, a fourth in 2010 and, lastly, its fifth in 2012. Accompanying the opening of these new courses were more accommodations, including four restaurants and 186 rooms for guests.

Since it opened 15 years ago, Bandon Dunes has enjoyed considerable success in the realm of elite golf. Ranked as the No.1 golf resort in America by Golf Digest, it has hosted myriad mid-amateur and amateur tournaments.

The weather helps as well. Although rainier and cooler during the winter, the city's climate is hospitable to year-round golfing.

Economic impact

Still, Bandon Dunes' entrance into the community didn't instantly jump-start the city's economy, Winkel said.

In terms of resulting economic growth, the city hasn't necessarily seen an "ah ha!" moment.

"There hasn't been a boom," Winkel said.

Players at the resort, which is several miles north of Bandon, don't necessarily travel into the city to shop in antique stores.

"Although many small businesses had hoped to see a greater benefit by being in a community adjacent to the resort, they have discovered that people (mostly men) come to the area to play golf," Schamehorn said. "Of course, wives who accompany their husbands will often shop in the local stores while their husbands are on the courses, but that's not the norm."

Instead, they tend to stay on-site, which is reasonable, Winkel said, because it is expensive to play.

"Their purpose to come here is to play golf," Winkel said.

Julie Miller, executive director at Bandon Chamber of Commerce, echoed a similar train of thought.

"They want to play those courses, and they want to get in as many as they possible can," Miller said.

Still, the biggest economic effect of the golf course on the city is clear — the number of jobs it created.

According to a Planned Unit Development overlay district document, the golf resort boasts more than 475 full-time employees, 125 part-time employees and 250 caddies, making Bandon Dunes the city's largest employer.

"The biggest impact has been in the number of jobs that it provides for Bandon residents and those living throughout Coos County," Schamehorn said. "Not only do many of them live in Bandon, but they also shop locally."

Hank Hickox, general manager of Bandon Dunes, said the resort makes a special effort to hire people from the area.

"Our first preference is to always hire locally," Hickox said.

Miller said the city has seen secondary businesses pop up to serve the resort's needs. Specifically laundry and taxi service businesses have opened to cater to resort laundering needs and to shuttle back and forth from the area's airport, Miller said.

The city's nicer restaurants have seen an "uptick in visitors," Miller said, as golf players sometimes will make it a point to go into Bandon to eat dinner.

And, by accepting Bandon Dunes into the community, Winkel said they have received unexpected amounts of generosity from the Keisers, who have funded scholarships and other philanthropic efforts.

"Only recently, the city of Bandon received a check for $25,000 to go toward the purchase of a much-needed vehicle for the police chief," Schamehorn said.

Putting Bandon on the map

However, Bandon Dunes did something for the city that can't be counted through jobs or revenue — it put Bandon on the map.

"Bandon Dunes elevated our notoriety," Miller said.

Including the city's name in the resort's brand has brought an awareness to Bandon they would not otherwise have gotten, Winkel said. Now, people have heard of Bandon — and know where it is, Winkel said.

"We benefit greatly from the nationwide publicity that the resort receives," Schamehorn said. "We are so fortunate that Mr. Keiser chose to name the resort 'Bandon Dunes,' as golfers across the country now know where Bandon is located."

Sand Valley

The Sand Valley Golf Resort is presently under construction on a 1,400-acre site in Rome. The first course is expected to open in 2017. Sand Valley will feature walking trails and space for the public's use. Plans to develop overnight accommodations and a special residential area consisting of a single-family homes also are in the works.

If Sand Valley's first course is a success, then Keiser and his team will consider adding subsequent golf courses, with a total of five courses possible.

As for Winkel, he said he's optimistic about Sand Valley's chances for success.

"If I was betting, I would bet that it would be absolutely positive for the community" Winkel said about Sand Valley.

Melanie Lawder can be reached at 715-423-7200. Find her on Twitter as @mel_lawder.

More on Sand Valley

This is part of an occasional Daily Tribune Media series about the planned development of a golf resort in the town of Rome. Upcoming installments include a tour of the site where the course will be built.