Bandon Dunes · Hole 13
Blue
366
White
286
Gold
216
Red
116
A reachable par 4 that tempts long hitters to go for the green in one — and punishes those who miscalculate. At 366 yards, the green is theoretically within reach of a 300-yard drive, but the green complex is small, elevated, and defended by bunkers and rough that make a drive to the putting surface a very low-percentage play. The smarter approach treats this as a three-quarter hole: a controlled tee shot followed by a short pitch.
Shot-by-Shot Strategy
Tee Shot
Unless you can reliably carry 310 yards or more in the air and control the ball to a small target, lay back to 100-120 yards. A 3-wood or long iron leaves a full wedge approach that is far more controllable than a chipped punch from the rough around the green. Long hitters who choose to go for it should aim for the left-center of the green and accept that a miss long is better than bunkers or rough short-right.
Approach
From the optimal layup position at 100-120 yards, this is a pitching wedge or gap wedge to a small but receptive green. The key is landing the ball softly in the center — bump-and-run approaches are risky because of the false front and surrounding rough. Take a club that allows you to make a full, confident swing rather than a forced punch shot. The left pin position is accessible; the right pin is more difficult due to a slope that feeds the ball away.
Putting
The green is small and tends to play faster than it looks. Most putts break toward the front-left due to the slope of the surrounding terrain. Short putts on this green are not gimmes — the speed is unpredictable and the firmness of links-style greens means even 4-footers can skip off line. Focus entirely on pace on longer putts and don't run the ball past the hole.
⚠Gotchas — What Kills Your Score
- •The temptation to drive the green leads to imprecise swings and misses into the bunkers, turning a potential birdie into a double bogey.
- •The layup position must be precise — going too short leaves an awkward partial-wedge shot from an uncertain lie.
- •The green is faster than it appears from the fairway — pace control on putts is critical.
- •Short-right of the green is the worst miss, leaving a difficult buried lie or a blind chip from thick rough.
Wind Intelligence
In a tailwind, the driving distance can extend enough to make the green genuinely reachable for players who would not otherwise consider it. In this scenario, a fairway wood punched low might run out to the green — but only if the ball stays in the fairway. In a headwind, abandon any thoughts of driving the green and focus entirely on a conservative layup and approach.
Hazard Map
- ▲Bunkers protecting the front-right of the green
- ▲Thick rough surrounding the elevated green complex
- ▲Small green that is difficult to hit and hold
- ▲False front that returns short shots to the fairway