The Bandon Dunes Lottery System
Bandon's 2028 rooms go by random drawing: you create a guest portal profile, register free for the window covering your dates, and a drawing is held once that window closes. Get drawn and you aren't booked yet — you're given a number in line, and the reservations team calls you when your turn comes. Demand is real: for the 2026 drawing, 42,369 people registered for a resort with 210 guest rooms.
First: check whether you need a drawing at all
“Bandon books by lottery” is half right, and the half that's wrong costs people trips. The drawings are for 2028 stays. 2027 is still open for direct bookingthrough Bandon's Trip Planner form — same as it always was. If your dates are 2027, you do not need a drawing, a portal profile, or luck. Ring them.
How It Works
Create a guest portal profile
A guest log-in profile must exist before you can register at all. It takes a few minutes — do it now, not on the closing day.
Register (free)
Enter the window that covers your dates. No purchase necessary, no commitment, and you can enter more than one window.
The drawing
Held after each window closes — within several weeks of closing. Every entry has an equal chance. Exact drawing times are published inside the portal.
Your number in line
If you're drawn you get an email with a number indicating your place in line. That is a queue position, not a reservation.
The call
The reservations team calls you directly when it's your turn to book lodging and golf.
The four 2028 windows
Each drawing date is also the next window's opening date — the four periods run as a chain, one concluding as the next begins.
| Stay period | Registration opens | Closes | Drawing |
|---|---|---|---|
| January – March 2028 | Sept 9, 2026 | Sept 27, 2026 | Oct 12, 2026 |
| April – May 2028 | Oct 12, 2026 | Oct 25, 2026 | Nov 9, 2026 |
| June – October 2028 | Nov 9, 2026 | Jan 3, 2027 | Jan 18, 2027 |
| November – December 2028 | Jan 18, 2027 | May 2, 2027 | May 17, 2027 |
Verified September 18, 2026 against Bandon's 2028 Lodging Reservation Drawings page. Dates are the resort's; confirm there before you enter.
The periods are not even quarters, and that is where trips get lost. June is in the June–October window, not April–May— five months of peak season in one drawing that doesn't open until November 9, 2026. Register for the window that actually contains your dates, then register for every other window you could travel in. It's free and non-binding.
Frequently asked questions
Do you need a lottery to book Bandon Dunes?
Not for every year. The drawings cover 2028 stays. Bandon is still taking 2027 lodging reservations directly through its Trip Planner form — no drawing, no waiting. Check whether your dates actually need a drawing before you enter one.
How does the Bandon Dunes lottery work?
You create a guest log-in profile, register free for the window covering your dates, and wait for the drawing held after that window closes. If you're drawn you get an email assigning you a number — your place in line — and the reservations team calls you when it's your turn.
Do you need an account before entering the Bandon Dunes drawing?
Yes, and this is what catches people out. Entering a 2028 drawing requires a guest log-in portal profile that must already exist before you can register. It takes a few minutes to create, so make it well before the window closes rather than on the final day.
What are the 2028 Bandon Dunes registration windows?
Four: January–March 2028 (registration Sept 9–27, 2026, drawing Oct 12), April–May 2028 (Oct 12–25, 2026, drawing Nov 9), June–October 2028 (Nov 9, 2026–Jan 3, 2027, drawing Jan 18), and November–December 2028 (Jan 18–May 2, 2027, drawing May 17). Each drawing date is the next window's opening date.
Which window is June 2028 in?
June sits in the June–October window, not April–May. That window is five months in a single drawing — the entire peak season — and it does not open until Nov 9, 2026. Entering the April–May drawing for a June trip is the most common and most costly mistake.
Is the Bandon Dunes lottery free to enter?
Yes. Registration is free — no purchase necessary and no commitment required. It's non-binding, so there's zero downside to entering every window you could travel in.
What happens if you're drawn in the Bandon Dunes lottery?
Being drawn is not the same as having a reservation. You receive an email with a number indicating your place in line, and the reservations team calls you directly when your turn comes to book lodging and golf.
This chapter continues in the full guide.
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