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Sections Home Page Local News AP News Archives Business Classifieds Event Calendar Forums Life Opinion Obituaries Photo Gallery Since We Asked Sports Tempo Weather Special Coverage 2006 Britt Festivals --> Shop Our Valley AutoFinder HomeFinder JobFinder Search Our Valley Special Sections Homelife Magazine Joy Magazine Readers Choice 2006 Oregon Golf Info Oregon Wine Info Our Valley Other Publications Local Links Ashland News eSouthernOregon Newspapers In Education Personals Moving Here Movie Listings TV Listings Volunteer Customer Service Advertise With Us Media Kit Place Classified Ad Contact Us FAQ's Home Delivery Site Map --> Email Story to a Friend July 23, 2006 Johnson helped the Dunes get done Bob Johnson did not recognize opportunity at his feet back in the summer of 1988. It looked more like cow chips, flies and snakes to the Ashland real estate agent as he showed 10,000 acres of ranch property to a prospective buyer. Johnson was representing a bankruptcy trustee. He didn't know much about the man he had on the hook, only that "he was a wealthy fellow from Chicago who wanted to buy investment property for a golf course in Oregon. But I didn't know how serious he was about that." Now he does. The client was Mike Keiser, a co-founder of Recycled Paper Greetings, Inc., who three years after his ranch visit was ushered to a tract of land by the sea. Where most saw rough, he saw the diamond, and soon bought and began cutting the jewel that is Bandon Dunes. Advertisement Keiser, who nearly stepped on a timber rattler while on that initial look-see, nevertheless spent $2.8 million to buy the Cascade Ranch near the town of Lake Creek, and he and Johnson have remained close since. Fate's intervention 18 years ago is not lost on the latter. "It's not an exaggeration," says Johnson, "to say I might be an assistant manager at Burger King if I hadn't met Mike Keiser." Johnson considers Keiser a wonderful, generous person who is a marvelous role model and has been, in many ways, a mentor. "Everyone who knows him," says Johnson, "says the same thing." In fact, similar sentiments can be found in the recently published book, "Dream Golf: The Making of Bandon Dunes," by Stephen Goodwin. Johnson, who only took up golf 21„2 years ago, is introduced in a recounting of the ranch transaction, and his presence continues throughout the book, including in the author's acknowledgements. Johnson grew up in Kansas and moved to the Rogue Valley in 1983. He owns United Country Real Estate in Ashland and early this year opened an office in Bandon. He splits his time at the two offices, preferring to stay on the coast when temperatures soar in the valley. At first, Johnson admits, he couldn't appreciate Keiser's vision. Johnson tells a somewhat painful story of how he actually previewed the property on which Bandon Dunes now sits a year before Keiser bought it. The broker who had it listed, says Johnson, gave him incomplete maps and wouldn't go to the property with him. "I didn't get out to what eventually was the best part for a golf course," says Johnson. He sent Keiser the information and advised him to take a pass. A while later, Keiser bought property on the Pistol River. The caretaker learned of Keiser's desire to build an ocean-side golf course and put him in touch with a real estate friend, who closed the deal. Johnson didn't participate in that transaction, which was for 1,200 acres, including three-fourths-of-a-mile of coastline. But he did acquire land to the north, including nearly three miles on the ocean, providing the necessary acreage to complete Bandon Dunes and the popular resort's other two courses, Pacific Dunes and Bandon Trails. "It's an ongoing process," says Johnson of getting land. "Now it's mostly just small pieces around the border of it that are strategic." A fourth golf course is in the works, he says. Routing has begun north of Pacific Dunes, and the site of the new layout can be seen from that course's 14th tee box. There's room for a fifth course should the owners opt to continue building. For most of the time he's been associated with Keiser, Johnson had little interest in actually playing golf. He eschewed the game for a couple of reasons: One, he's always been an avid fly fisherman and preferred to spend his free time doing that; two, he didn't find it very sensible or challenging. "My friends who golf would say, 'Dang, you're out here all the time and you don't golf!'" says Johnson. "I'd say, 'That's an old man's game, are you kidding? You hit a ball that's sitting still. How hard is that?'" But 21„2 years ago, that changed. He took lessons and was instantly "bitten by the bug." Now he can't get enough. He plays golf whenever possible and will talk endlessly about it without much provocation. His scores are around 100, sometimes dipping into the mid-90s. His distance control is such that he can hit the same club 120 yards, 150, even 50 — if only he knew which. But the more he does it, the more he likes it. And the more he comes to understand Keiser's passion and vision. u BANDON DUNES is host to the Curtis Cup Match next Saturday and Sunday. The biennial competition pits eight of the top women players from the U.S. against those from Great Britain and Ireland in singles and alternate-shot foursome contests. Johnson got the chance to watch them play when they visited Bandon for practice a couple weeks ago. In particular, Grant Rogers, the director of instruction, tried to get the players ready. "He was teaching them wind shots," says Johnson. "It was pretty cool. You can hit drivers on par 3s or maybe even putters, depending on the wind. He was showing them the nuances of the course, although, when they were here, he complained the wind wasn't blowing strong enough to teach them properly." u A DREAM GOLF vacation for two will be raffled off at the ACCESS Golf Tournament next month, so if you've got $100 to spare, read on. Only 100 tickets for that price will be sold, and the winner will get three nights lodging with an ocean-view room at The Lodge at Pebble Beach, and one round with a cart at Pebble Beach Golf Links and The Links at Spanish Bay. There also is an allowance for airfare, food and car rental. The package is valued at $5,000. The drawing will be Aug. 25 after the tournament at Eagle Point Golf Course, where raffle tickets are available, and you don't have to be present to win. Mail Tribune Home | Local News | Sports | Business | Obituaries | Life | Opinion AP News | Archives | Site Map | Community | Classified Copyright © 1997-2006 Mail Tribune, Inc. All rights reserved. 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