Bandon Dunes to host a whole bunch of USGA events over the next quarter-century

[Wayne_Kozun]

https://www.bandondunesgolf.com/blog/bandon-dunes-golf-resort-host-13-usga-championships
Talk about long range planning - some of the contestants at these events won't be born for another 5-10 years.
Future USGA Championships at Bandon Dunes Golf Resort:
2022     U.S. Junior Amateur
2025     U.S. Women’s Amateur
2029     Walker Cup Match
2032     U.S. Amateur and U.S. Women’s Amateur
2035     U.S. Girls’ Junior
2037     U.S. Amateur Four-Ball and U.S. Women’s Amateur Four-Ball
2038     Curtis Cup Match
2041    U.S. Amateur and U.S. Women’s Amateur
2045    U.S. Junior Amateur and U.S. Girls’ Junior

[PCCraig]

Certainly looks like they said they would commit to 12 events in exchange for the 2029 Walker Cup?? 


Good on Bandon though. Crazy to think out to 2040 something but its nice to see them supporting Amateur golf.

[John Emerson]

I just don’t understand why they need to schedule so far in advance?  There may be people not even born yet who will play in those events.  It is insane to me to think of that.  Who knows what can happen in the next 25 years

[James Brown]

Legacy, legacy, legacy.  Good on Mike Keiser.  The USGA events so far have gone very well at Bandon and why not lock in 20 more years.  Bandon is my vote for the spiritual home of American golf.


A Walker Cup and Bandon would certainly merit a trip for me to see it and stick around to play more.  The part that stuck out to me in the recent reporting was how Keiser made the offer to every competitor at the US Am to stay and play for as long as they liked. 



I wonder how many of these future championships will be played on Bandon Dunes and Trails?  I remember somewhere reading a quote from Tom Doak that he would come back to put in further back tees for Pacific Dunes if the need ever presented.  Certainly the question is an open one now. 


This is great for US golf.

[Terry Lavin]

It’s quite the tribute to Mike Keiser, but also to the truth that the USGA amateur events don’t need a penal course, because match play ultimately rules the day. And then, it proves that they don’t need a bunch of spectators. Finally, it’s just special to see these big events played on courses that just don’t resemble many others on their “rota.” 


Golf as it’s meant to be.

[Wayne_Kozun]

I just don’t understand why they need to schedule so far in advance?  There may be people not even born yet who will play in those events.  It is insane to me to think of that.  Who knows what can happen in the next 25 years

This is absolutely the case.  Isn't the age limit 18 for Junior event?.  So the golfers playing in the 2045 events will have to be born in 2027 or later.  There will likely be golfers born in about 2033 in the girls event.

[Peter Pallotta]

As one of the magazines pointed out, the USGA has announced significant commitments to both Pinehurst (as a new home) and Bandon -- ie, the east coast and west coast, the pro game and the amateur game.
I imagine that announcing these long-term relationships-commitment also helps the USGA's bottom line, and serves as significant leverage, ie
every *other* course that might want to host a USGA event now knows that they'll have to make a very significant offer or risk the USGA saying 'that's okay -- we'll just go to Bandon/Pinehurst again'.

[Tom_Doak]

When we were building Pacific Dunes, Mr Keiser asked me about hosting the Walker Cup.  I laughed and said that would be difficult because it was the one USGA event that clubs like Cypress Point and Seminole were happy to host - but that if he volunteered to host the Curtis Cup and a bunch of other USGA events, maybe he would get the Walker Cup someday.
 

[Joe_Tucholski]

I was reading recently that Lahinch lost €159,303 in tee time revenue due to holding the Irish Open and also had a dramatic increase in staffing costs due to the event. 

Holding events like the Junior Am and Girls Junior cost places a good amount of money and the events don't have the same return in prestige that hosting a run of the mill PGA event would.  Folks aren't shelling out big dollars to play a course because it held the US Girl's Junior Am (the canceled even last year was supposed to be at my current home course).  I figure it's hard to find courses that are of a high enough quality but willing to take on the lesser known championships.  Win for the USGA for locking it in and good on Bandon for being willing to take the hit to support high level am events.

[Mike_Trenham]

This is a very generous gift from Mike Keiser when you understand the full financial commitment that comes with hosting a USGA event.  I hear clubs are required to outlay $500,000 minimum to run a men’s Mid-Am, that’s the net loss in hard dollars.

[Mark Kiely]

I just don’t understand why they need to schedule so far in advance?  There may be people not even born yet who will play in those events.  It is insane to me to think of that.  Who knows what can happen in the next 25 years

This is absolutely the case.  Isn't the age limit 18 for Junior event?.  So the golfers playing in the 2045 events will have to be born in 2027 or later.  There will likely be golfers born in about 2033 in the girls event.

I'm not seeing what any of ^^^ this ^^^ has to do with anything. Are you saying the contestants should be alive to help choose the venue? Who cares if they're not born yet? Future Masters champions aren't born yet and we know where that'll be played.


This was a "statement" type announcement that seems good for both parties.

[jeffwarne]

It’s quite the tribute to Mike Keiser, but also to the truth that the USGA amateur events don’t need a penal course, because match play ultimately rules the day. And then, it proves that they don’t need a bunch of spectators. Finally, it’s just special to see these big events played on courses that just don’t resemble many others on their “rota.” 

this

[Kalen Braley]

I will second that this is a tribute to Mike for putting his money where his mouth is to give back to the game, even if he may not be around to see some of them.  Easily said in sound byte fashion, but more rarely actually done.

P.S.  I'm pretty sure it didn't take any arm twisting to convince the crew at Far Hills to spend a week or two on the Oregon Coastline in Summer.  They may even have an internal lottery to determine who gets to field these events in person.

[Matt_Cohn]

I wonder why there are no mid-am or senior am events on that list relative to there being four junior events. Not a criticism, just something that doesn't seem random.

[Peter Flory]

If they had a US Open at one of the Bandon courses and made no extraordinary arrangements for lodging, I wonder how many spectators would show up.  Say that they just sold tickets at the gate. 

[Kalen Braley]

If they had a US Open at one of the Bandon courses and made no extraordinary arrangements for lodging, I wonder how many spectators would show up.  Say that they just sold tickets at the gate.

Peter,

The US Open is their annual cash cow as I understand it... by a wide margin.  I'm guessing they would rather eat their blazers and gouge their eyes out than hold a Open in an area without ability to make a wad of dosh. (under normal non-pandemic circumstances)

[Peter Flory]

If they had a US Open at one of the Bandon courses and made no extraordinary arrangements for lodging, I wonder how many spectators would show up.  Say that they just sold tickets at the gate.

Peter,

The US Open is their annual cash cow as I understand it... by a wide margin.  I'm guessing they would rather eat their blazers and gouge their eyes out than hold a Open in an area without ability to make a wad of dosh. (under normal non-pandemic circumstances)

I'm not thinking that it would actually happen.  But IF it did, I'm just wondering how many crazy people would actually make their way there.  I'd probably attempt it.