NORTH BEND, Ore. – Bandon Dunes Golf Resort, along with SkyWest Airlines, operating under the United Express banner, has officially begun operating two daily flights from San Francisco.

The two direct flights per day will originate from San Francisco International Airport (SFO) to the Southwest Oregon Regional Airport (OTH) in North Bend, Ore.

Bandon Dunes Golf Resort - Photo by Randy Kirkpatrick

The new United Express service eases travel time to the remote yet highly popular golf destination and enables convenient connections to cities across the U.S. and throughout the world. Visitors to the resort, which has typically brought about 65 percent of golfers from beyond the Northwest during the resort’s high season of April through October, can now enjoy southbound service to a major international hub.

“We are thrilled about the new transportation option for golfers coming to Bandon Dunes Golf Resort,” said General Manager Hank Hickox of KemperSports, the company that manages the resort. “This service will not only be incredibly convenient for our loyal customers but also open our doors to those who have never traveled here because of limited transportation options.”

Tickets for the new flights are available at www.united.com or by calling 800.241.6522 and are selling well.

“SkyWest is pleased to offer what travelers want – new, convenient nonstop service to more places in the U.S.,” said Mike Thompson, SkyWest’s vice president – market development. “With two well-timed daily flights between North Bend and United’s San Francisco hub, passengers can enjoy access to nearly 100 United destinations through San Francisco – and a plethora of possibilities at Oregon’s coast.”

Coinciding with the launch of United Express flight service is the opening of a new state-of-the-art terminal at Southwest Oregon Regional Airport, which serves as the only commercial airport on the Oregon coast.

Bandon Dunes Golf Resort, located in the seaside town of Bandon, Ore., has drawn golfers from around the world since its debut in 1999. The internationally acclaimed resort is home to three distinct courses – Bandon Dunes, Pacific Dunes and Bandon Trails – built on a stretch of sand dunes perched 100 feet above the Pacific Ocean. All three walking-only courses are ranked among Golf Digest’s “America’s 100 Greatest Public Courses,” Golfweek’s “America’s Best Modern Courses,” and GOLF Magazine’s “Top 100 Courses in the U.S.,” among many other accolades. In 2006 and 2007, the resort hosted back-to-back USGA championships, the Curtis Cup and U.S. Mid-Amateur, respectively.

In addition to 54 holes of links golf and a 32-acre practice center, Bandon Dunes Golf Resort offers a variety of accommodations, three full-service restaurants, lounges, golf shops, locker rooms and a fitness room. A fourth course, Old Macdonald, is slated to open in the summer of 2010.

The resort is located five minutes from the seaside town of Bandon, just off Highway 101, and 26 miles south of Southwest Oregon Regional Airport.

About Bandon Dunes Golf Resort

Bandon Dunes Golf Resort, located atop the rolling dunes of Oregon’s southern coast in the seaside town of Bandon, Ore., features three distinctive golf courses: Bandon Dunes, designed by David McLay Kidd; Pacific Dunes by Tom Doak; and Bandon Trails by Bill Coore and Ben Crenshaw. A fourth course, Old Macdonald, is scheduled to open in 2010. Comfortable overnight accommodations, fine regional cuisine and friendly hospitality complement a world-renowned golf experience that is true to the spirit of Scotland's ancient links. For more information or reservations, visit www.bandondunesgolf.com or call 888.345.6008.

Bandon Dunes Golf Resort...Golf as it was meant to be.

About SkyWest Airlines

SkyWest Airlines, a subsidiary of SkyWest, Inc. (NASDAQ: SKYW), is the world’s largest independently-owned regional airline, providing air service throughout North America. SkyWest operates as United Express in partnership with United Airlines along the West Coast and out of United’s Denver and Chicago hubs. System-wide, SkyWest employs nearly 11,000 aviation professionals and serves a total of 155 cities in 42 states, four Canadian provinces and Mexico, with more than 1,800 daily departures. More information on SkyWest Airlines can be accessed at www.skywest.com.