Dream Golf: The Making of Bandon Dunes By Stephen Goodwin
"This is much more than a golf book; it’s the story of one man’s unshakeable vision
and the extraordinary people who helped him bring it to life."
—GEORGE PEPER, former Editor-in-Chief of Golf Magazine
Entrepreneur, amateur golfer, and big-time dreamer Mike Keiser, founder of the mega-successful Recycled Paper Greetings Company, has succeeded in translating into reality his fantasy of creating in America a British-style links course, like the kind seen at St. Andrews in Scotland—a course located next to the sea, one that is created to fit the contours of the land as shaped by nature.
DREAM GOLF is the first full account of just how Keiser realized his dream—how it began, how it took shape. It’s the story of the men who joined him in his quest to create a utopian links course, of the pitfalls and problems that were encountered, of the fight, if not to tame nature, then to at least find a harmony with it.
Profiled along with Keiser are several of the men who were part of the creative team, including the colorful and controversial American golf architect Tom Doak, and the young and confident Scottish architect David Kidd.
And, of course, there’s the rugged and daunting Oregon coast itself, a place of sand and wind and gorse, a place about which Steve Lesnik—who eventually came on board as the course’s first general manager—said upon first seeing it, "If you think people are coming here to play golf, you’re out of your mind."
But Mike Keiser and his team proved the naysayers wrong. They built it, and the people did come—and today, only a few years after its completion, Bandon Dunes is ranked among the very best golf courses in the world.
Steve Goodwin’s storytelling talents elevate this book beyond the realm of business books by blending a cast of colorful characters, an engaging narrative, and an amazing story of a man who defied the odds and created something great. As a result, DREAM GOLF is a gripping and compelling account of how Keiser followed his awe-inspiring dream to its greatest conclusion.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Steve Goodwin has won writing awards from both the Golf Writers Association of America and the International Network of Golf. He has written extensively about golf course design, both classic and contemporary, and was a Contributing Writer at Golf magazine from 1998-2003. He is the author of The Greatest Masters: The 1986 Masters and Golf’s Elite.
Goodwin is also a co-founder of the PEN/Faulkner Foundation and served as its first president, and he was Director of the Literature Program at the National Endowment for the Arts from 1987-1989. He has been awarded fellowships from the Guggenheim Foundation, the Ingram Merrill Foundation, and the NEA. He now teaches in the Writing Program at George Mason University.
ABOUT BANDON DUNES
Bandon Dunes is true to the spirit of Scotland’s ancient links. Here, players immerse themselves in the traditions of a timeless game and the grandeur of Oregon’s rugged coast. Sweeping, untamed shores stretch for miles. Primeval grassy dunes roll to the sea. The courses have been conceived in harmony with the natural environment.
The game of golf was born on rugged, wind-swept land like this. Where every hole, every hazard, and every shot is defined by nature’s infinite presence. True links courses are rare, with only about 160 on the entire planet.
The Bandon Dunes courses are built on a beautiful stretch of sand dunes perched 100 feet above the Pacific Ocean, featuring a dozen holes that run along the bluff overlooking 23 miles of sweeping, undisturbed shoreline.
For more information, please visit http://www.bandondunesgolf.com/.
Contact:
Michael Taeckens, Publicity Director
919-967-0108 x14
michael@algonquin.com
