The Future of Bandon

Peter Sleeth offers the most in depth look I've read into Mike Keiser's future plans for Bandon.

The Chicago greeting card magnate who turned a stretch of isolated coastal dunes into one of the most highly rated golf complexes in the world has been quietly buying up nearly 1,000 more acres of land on the Southern Oregon coast, according to land records in Curry and Coos counties.

Michael Keiser also has taken the unusual step of helping finance a proposed 90-foot dam just two miles outside this coastal town -- an attempt to help local cranberry farmers flood their bogs, which will provide more capacity to an expanding Bandon and, potentially, to water new golf courses.

And...

Keiser said last week that he is considering building at least one more golf course on his property south of Bandon -- in addition to the four, 18-hole courses he owns north of the city. Further, another golf course owned by a Eugene couple is under construction south of Bandon.

The rest of Keiser's land, including more than 300 acres on the Pistol River in Curry County, will mostly be used as conservation areas to preserve the beauty of the south Coast, he said. The multiple purchases range from 10 acres to 235 acres in Coos County, and are primarily farms.

The news of another golf course brings mixed feelings to local residents. With another course south of town, Bandon could easily become a new golf destination, "probably like no other place in the nation, or the world," Winkel said.

And...

Keiser said he bought into a 15 percent share of the Johnson Creek dam out of both altruism and investment savvy. The cranberry farmers who first conceived the dam were short of the expected $9 million to $12 million the dam would cost.

"Water's the new resource everybody wants," Keiser said.

The story goes on to talk about some local opposition to the dam.

Comments

[TEPaul]

The thing that mostly fascinates me about Keiser's increasing real estate preseence around Bandon is if he has some end-game in mind. In other words, if he's buying all this to increase its overall value somehow simply to sell it.

A while ago I did hear something to the effect that he may've had a particular buyer in mind or perhaps even a partner but his proposal didn't get off the table or maybe didn't even get on the table.

Or is Mike Keiser going to be to Oregon something like a latter day Henry Flagler and what he was to Florida almost a hundred years ago?

[Scott]

Mike Keiser is NOT a money hungry developer. There is little evidence of him buying and selling properties. He is trying to leave a legacy. He wants the courses to be remembered 100 years from now. For that to happen, he has to have some more control of the area. He has done more to help the local economy that hurt it. Just read the book Dream Golf. Also tourism is more stable than lumber for the local economy.

As to another course, Old MacDonald is planned to open in 2010. Bandon Crossings, is the course that is being built south of the town of Bandon and it is not connected to the Bandon Dunes resort.

I will be at Bandon Dunes Feb 9 to 12 and will seem what else I can discover.

[Tim]

Scott is correct about Mr. Keiser. Having known him since he built his first course, I can say he is a man of class and dignity with concern for his neighbor's wellbeing. When it comes to golf, he is a throw-back to the golden era of gentleman golfers where tradition and honor are paramount. Lastly, Mike is a man of Vision. Luckily for us that vision is defined by his personal traits (class, dignity, tradition and honor).

[Sage Meadows]

It doesn't matter to me how much a man of class he is. By all reports he is a fine man. However, It's his money that makes him able to determine the "future" of Bandon. Others have a different vision for the town. There are 2 sides to every story. Our property is a direct neighbor of the course.
We now have more traffic on the road, A lot more. We can always tell the change of shift at the course as cars are racing down the road to get to work on time. We have seen two bad accidents. Wildlife is being driven closer to homes. The general traffic in Bandon in the summer is almost more than the town can take. The town has changed too quickly.
One man, by virtue of his money, should not be able to change a town. We in Oregon are in Oregon for it's unique nature and we do not want it to be like California. But, money talks.
Plus, if you live here and know enough people who work at Bandon Dunes, most do not like working there.I am sorry if this offends you, but I have heard it time and time and time again. Anyone who has met Mr. Keiser says he is a great man to talk to and speaks to all employees. But, employees have been told not to speak to him about any problems at the Dunes or they will be fired. Kemper Sports manages it and that's that. Many employees hate it there, but are afraid to say anything. A job in this area is a job, but then you can't afford to buy a home here anymore if you are a family working at most of the kind of jobs there.
Speaking of tradition, there is an old Native American legend that Bandon will burn 3 times. It's only been two. If that happens, the vision for Bandon won't come true for any of us.

[Scott]

There are two sides to a story, and no matter how great a guy mike is , he has fallen off the scale around bandon, the is no shortage of water around bandon the water usage has steadly gone down for the last ten years ,, the farmers have put out a petition against the dam only a couple want it. and the farms that would be destroyed for a new golf corse have over a 200 year history in bandon,, also mike knows he will have to take the land from the familys in court to get the water, also the land owners have a salmon restoration project going on in the creek, there will nevere be a salmon in johbson creek again,, so before you guys write about mike and water get the facts , because it quite clear non of you know what you are talking about, and if you think its fine to take old familys land away by force just for someone elces private project ,then you nothing of the oregon coast and the people wo have lived here for many generations.....Scott Cook

[Bandonista]

I would really be curious about the golf course he wants to build south of Bandon. My understanding is that it would be west of Dew Valley. Anyone with more info should post it here.

[vc]

I am sure there are two sides to every story and with development comes drawbacks to the culture of your community. I certainly undertand that traffic and growth in the community are of concern. I have visited the area both before and after the development of the resort and from what I have seen and heard from local residents and business people, the benefits seem to have outweighed the drawbacks. One of my caddies has gone on to a successful real estate career and other caddies I have had or spoken with have improved their lot in life by funding home purchases and paying for their education up in Eugene. I am suprised to hear that the emplyees don't like working there. I have travelled across America both for work and pleasure and must say that the attitude and demenor of the average Bandon Dunes Resort employee is by far the best of any resort I have ever travelled to. They are polite, take pride in their work and seem happy by all accounts. I imagine there is no perfect solution to development, but I believe that Mr. Kaiser's planning has been more than appropriate for a resort of this scale. By planning as he has, he has built a unique world class facility that, by design limits his revenue potential. If this were an east coast or California resort, it would focus on revenue and volume to the detriment of the community, His careful anplanning and limited capacity have not only cost his venture revenue potential, but should also mark a benefit of the doubt for him