Tucked away on the rugged coast of Oregon, the Sheep Ranch is a golf course with a story unlike any other. Most golf fans are familiar with Bandon Dunes, the world-renowned golf resort boasting courses designed by legendary architects. But few know about the covert creation and mystery surrounding the Sheep Rancha course born in silence, secrecy, and a touch of rebellion against the norms of the golf world.

In the early 2000s, Mike Keiser, the visionary behind Bandon Dunes, teamed up with Tom Doak, one of golf’s most revered architects, to create a unique and experimental course that would never be open to the public. The idea? To build a golf course that wasn’t just challenging but raw, unmarked, and devoid of the typical rules governing course design. Doak and Keiser wanted to see if they could create something truly wild where nature, wind, and sea would guide play more than any tee markers or flags.

The Sheep Ranch began as an almost mythical place, hidden from the eyes of even the most avid golf aficionados. It was constructed without fanfare, largely with bulldozers, and without the polished greens and manicured fairways typical of top-tier courses. For years, there were no scorecards, yardage markers, or even a formal clubhouse. The course remained largely unknown, open only to a few select friends and locals who had the inside track.

With its cliff-top location overlooking the crashing waves of the Pacific Ocean, the Sheep Ranch had an otherworldly beauty. It became a playground for those lucky enough to experience it, offering breathtaking views and golf like it was played in the old days barely tamed, with the wind dictating much of the strategy.

For over a decade, the Sheep Ranch existed in this liminal space between myth and reality, an elusive course that golf lovers whispered about but rarely saw. Stories circulated about players bringing their own flags or marking holes by sticking sticks into the ground. It was a place for purists who didn’t care about their score or status just the experience of playing golf in its most elemental form.

But as the legend of the Sheep Ranch grew, so did the desire to bring it into the light. In 2020, after years of speculation, it was officially redesigned and opened to the public as part of the Bandon Dunes resort. Co-designed by Bill Coore and Ben Crenshaw, the new iteration of the Sheep Ranch embraced its wild roots but added a touch of structure, with formal greens and fairways while preserving its untamed charm.

Today, the Sheep Ranch is one of the most sought-after golf experiences in the world, but its backstory one of secretive creation and raw experimentation—remains a tale that only the most devoted followers of the game know. It's a reminder that golf, at its core, is a blend of nature and sport, with a bit of mystery and adventure mixed in.