Behind the Scenes: Getting Bandon Ready for the 2026 PGA Professional Championship

Hosting a championship for 312 players across two courses would be a daunting task at most golf facilities. For and the golf staff at Bandon Dunes Golf Resort, however, the action at this month’s PGA Professional Championship will actually be a bit quieter than a normal day.

Given that the resort’s Bandon Dunes and Pacific Dunes courses are typically booked to capacity up to two years in advance, the four days of championship play – especially the two final rounds on Bandon Dunes – might seem almost quiet.

“It’s actually less play on Bandon Dunes and Pacific Dunes than we see on a regular day so volume isn’t the challenge ” says Simonds a PGA Master Professional “But it’s day, so volume isn't the challenge, says Simonds, a PGA Master Professional. But it's going to be very exciting and different for us with dual tee starts and multiple waves of players throughout the day.

That Bandon Dunes experience is well-known to the resort’s many repeat visitors since opening in 1999: Links-style golf on the Pacific Ocean with unpredictable weather, but predictably premium customer service provided by a staff of more than 800 employees, including close to 30 PGA of America Members and Associates. As the resort has grown from a single course to a year-round facility with five 18-hole courses and three par-3 layouts, PGA of America Golf Professionals have always been a core part of the golf experience.

“When there was more seasonality to the resort’s business, we’d bring in PGA of America interns for six or seven months and they’d love it so much they’d move here and stay on as full-time staff members,” Simonds says. “As we’ve grown into a truly year-round property, we’ve brought in PGA of America Professionals at a number of different positions, from our two directors of golf and multiple head professionals to directors of instruction, assistants, even our director of communications.

“We’re very passionate about golf at Bandon Dunes, and PGA of America Professionals are a natural fit with the values of our property. And when it comes to a golf operation that’s as busy as ours, it’s simply at its strongest with PGA of America Golf Professionals in key roles.”

Simonds and his team have experience working with the USGA on the many championships the organization has held at Bandon Dunes over the past 20 years, including last year’s U.S. Women’s Amateur. The team is now using those lessons while working closely with the PGA of America Championships team on next month’s PGA Professional Championship.

“It’s been a collaborative effort with the PGA of America to make sure it is the best PGA Professional Championship we can put on,” he says. Simonds will oversee the golf staff during the PGA Professional Championship, with PGA Director of Golf Scott Millhouser taking the lead in working with the PGA of America Championships staff on operations. Also providing key support are the resort’s other PGA Director of Golf, Nico Bonander, and Ryan Nelson, the PGA of America Head Professional of the Bandon Dunes Course.

The Bandon Dunes professional team will also be augmented by roughly 150 volunteers throughout the week, helping out on the golf courses and in hospitality for players. The resort’s caddie program – more than 500 strong, and considered some of the nation’s best – will also be ready to help guide competitors around Bandon Dunes and Pacific Dunes.

“Everybody on property knows how special the PGA Professional Championship is, and we’re up to the challenge,” Simonds says. “As PGA of America Golf Professionals, this is our major championship, and we want them to experience it the way we want our resort guests to experience it – as a special event in their golfing lives.”