The U.S. Amateur or the Walker Cup were always the Holy Grails,” says Josh Lesnik, President of Kemper Sports, who manages Bandon Dunes. Lesnik was also the first General Manager of the resort, where he started in his late-20s, and was literally in on the sand floor. “But to be honest, we never really thought about hosting anything like that until Mike Davis took a look and liked it. That’s a big part of this,” says Lesnik. “Mike Davis came out early, and the fact that he liked what he saw, that pushed it over the top for the USGA.”

Now here it is, July of 2021, roughly 25 years into the development of Bandon, and news just broke that not only is Mike Keiser looking to develop a sixth 18-hole course, another short course and a putting course, but that the USGA will be bringing 13 amateur championships in the next 24 years, which includes a Walker Cup, two more U.S. Amateurs, three Women’s Amateurs, a Curtis Cup and four U.S. Juniors, two boy’s and two girl’s. 

“I never dreamed Bandon Dunes would be as popular as it is,” Keiser said on Tuesday evening, just before he sat down to dinner with one of his granddaughters. “That popularity enables us to have these tournaments.” And it also frees him up to build more courses and lodging. 

In this episode, Matt Ginella, Alan Shipnuck and Colt Knedler discuss all that’s on the horizon for one of the greatest pure golf destinations in the world. 

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