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Steve_ Shaffer

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"Some of us worship in churches, some in synagogues, some on golf courses ... "  Adlai Stevenson
Hyman Roth to Michael Corleone: "We're bigger than US Steel."
Ben Hogan “The most important shot in golf is the next one”

Jim Colton

Re: Matty G interviews Mike Keiser...
« Reply #1 on: February 18, 2011, 12:25:17 PM »
Speaking of Bandon, does anybody know what the impact was in terms of total rounds when they went from 1 to 2 courses, 2 to 3, 3 to 4, etc? I recall Keiser saying that the impact of adding Pac Dunes was huge, because having two courses made it a true destination.  I wasn't sure what the impact was from courses 3 and 4.

Terry Lavin

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: Matty G interviews Mike Keiser...
« Reply #2 on: February 18, 2011, 12:53:04 PM »
If Doak is our Robert Parker, what does that make Mike Keiser?

Can you imagine an intelligent conversation about golf in America without Bandon Dunes being in the conversation?

In my mind, he's clearly one of the most influential people in the game in the past ten years.
Nobody ever went broke underestimating the intelligence of the American people.  H.L. Mencken

JR Potts

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: Matty G interviews Mike Keiser...
« Reply #3 on: February 18, 2011, 01:01:03 PM »
TL:

I agree....and to think, when I was playing golf with his son 15 years or so ago, as he was explaining what his Dad was doing, I explicitly remember thinking to myself, "yeah, good luck with that."

So, clearly my foresight at 18 years old was right-on.  Who was the idiot?  Yep, me.  But then again, one must only talk to my parents for 6 seconds to confirm that I was an idiot when i was 18....and if you speak to some today, I think they'll say I haven't changed a bit.

Mike Tanner

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: Matty G interviews Mike Keiser...
« Reply #4 on: February 18, 2011, 01:45:11 PM »
Keiser's influence is indisputable. And thankfully, the quality of his vision resulted a walking-oriented, golf-only retreat where course design and the transcendent nature of the golf experience is paramount.

 Just imagine if his vision had been to create the greatest golf club in the world, with his name plastered all over it. Oh, wait, that's already been done. 
Life's too short to waste on bad golf courses or bad wine.

Ben Sims

  • Karma: +1/-0
Re: Matty G interviews Mike Keiser...
« Reply #5 on: February 18, 2011, 02:00:54 PM »
How to fix golf?  if anyone would know it's Keiser.  He seems to have a Midas touch and makes ideas work through patience and research.

Off topic for a sec.  A new way of getting to the game is needed.

My proposal:

9 Holes
Par 31 (5 par 3's, 4 par 4's)
1800 yds or so
Fluid (see Ballyneal) style teeing options
Large, undulated greens (easy to hit for the kids and beginners)
No rough
Use earth movement (contours) to add playing interest getting to and around the greens
No water hazards
Minimal bunkering

Put lights on the thing, have a place to get dad a beer and the kids an ice cream.  Have a solid practice area for players to hone skills and hit some putts.  Turn movie night and bowling night into family golf night.  Put one in the 6 largest metro areas and see what happens.  I could be wrong. 

People want a way to play golf but not give up a day to do it.  This is the crux of golf in America being "broken".

henrye

Re: Matty G interviews Mike Keiser...
« Reply #6 on: February 18, 2011, 02:19:06 PM »
Keiser's influence is indisputable. And thankfully, the quality of his vision resulted a walking-oriented, golf-only retreat where course design and the transcendent nature of the golf experience is paramount.

Mike.  Not to be disageeable, but what has Keiser's influence been?  I don't dispute that he has taken some great land, strong architects and created some wonderful public golf resorts/experiences, but how has that influenced anyone else?  Perhaps I'm unaware, but sadlly I just don't see many others following his model.

David_Tepper

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: Matty G interviews Mike Keiser...
« Reply #7 on: February 18, 2011, 02:48:16 PM »
Ben Sims -

The Mariners Point golf facility in San Mateo,Ca has been operating for years. It combines a large driving range with a 9-hole, par-3 course that is lit for night play.

http://www.marinerspoint.com/

DTtcmnav@aol.com

Mike_Clayton

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: Matty G interviews Mike Keiser...
« Reply #8 on: February 18, 2011, 03:37:28 PM »
HenryE

Richard Sattler at Barnbougle followed Mike's model down here in Tasmania - and Barnbougle has made an incredible differance to golf in Australia.

Terry Lavin

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: Matty G interviews Mike Keiser...
« Reply #9 on: February 18, 2011, 04:41:54 PM »
HenryE,

In addition to Barnbougle and Lost Farm, he is also involved in Cabot Links in Nova Scotia.

His first club in New Buffalo, Michigan is a nine-holer (Dunes Club) that is of the same architectural milieu as Pine Valley, but with only nine holes, multiple tee boxes and no tee markers at all, the winner of the hole decides where to play the next hole from.  That's the same thing he's doing with the par-3 course at Bandon.

As for influencing others, I think he's had an effect on some of the developers mentioned above (and surely others), but his main influence is in deciding to embark upon a second career in great resort golf that is open to the public.  He could have made a world class private club in Bandon, but instead, we have a complex that will have well over 100,000 rounds of great public walking only golf with a style of golf course that hadn't exactly caught fire as of the time the first course was built.  He's a visionary, a risk taker and a man of the people, even if the people have to have some measure of wealth and means to get to the resort and play the courses.  The final point I would make is that he is doing a very good job of giving the serious golfer a good bang for his buck.  Bandon isn't cheap, but if you do it the right way, it's still a very good value, IMHO.
Nobody ever went broke underestimating the intelligence of the American people.  H.L. Mencken

Mike Hendren

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: Matty G interviews Mike Keiser...
« Reply #10 on: February 18, 2011, 04:46:51 PM »
Deleted.
« Last Edit: February 18, 2011, 04:57:03 PM by Michael_Hendren »
Two Corinthians walk into a bar ....

David_Tepper

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: Matty G interviews Mike Keiser...
« Reply #11 on: February 18, 2011, 06:12:53 PM »
"Keiser says Bandon Dunes is coming off its busiest January in the history of the resort."

So much for the notion that the business model of golf is broken!


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