Seventy years passed between the opening of Cypress Point, the Golden Age’s last great ocean bluff course design, and the debut of the first course at Bandon Dunes, where five holes touch the Pacific Ocean cliffs. But the wait was worth it, and the return to the ocean at Bandon is nothing short of spectacular. It’s also prolific—the resort now has parts of 19 holes, across four courses, that touch the rocky edge of land.

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Though each hole is visually dazzling in its own way, perhaps none are more breathtaking or impressive than the 13th at Pacific Dunes, a long par 4 that runs the entire length of the cliff. Over 440 yards of brute beauty, it spans from inland dunes on the right to the sheer edge of land on the left, 100 feet above the beach. While many holes at Pacific Dunes needed to be massaged into the natural landforms, the 13th as you see it today was nearly as it was found by architect Tom Doak and his then associate Jim Urbina.

For all of its grandeur and ideal golf dimensions, the 13th almost didn’t come to be. The story is a fascinating one—and worthy of a deep dive.

Watch the video below for our full examiantion of one of the most iconic holes on the West Coast, and examine how it plays and how the architects discovered it.

RELATED: See where Pacific Dunes’ 13th hole ranked on our recent list of the 100 Best Holes in America

This article was originally published on golfdigest.com