It has often been said that genius needs a catalyst, and that is what the Medici family of Florence, Italy, provided artists with their financial support during the Renaissance, spurring a creative flourish that lasted from the 15th through the 17th centuries. Leonardo da Vinci and Michelangelo were beneficiaries of that largesse. Botticelli and Raphael, too.
Hundreds of years later, a former caddie and college golfer from outside Buffalo, New York, named Mike Keiser played a similar role in golf after making a fortune from Recycled Paper Greetings, a company he had co-founded in 1971. He did that by giving a handful of promising young course designers as well as some veterans of that business the financial wherewithal and creative freedom to produce masterpieces of their own.
The result of that patronage came to include Bandon Dunes, Pacific Dunes and Old Macdonald on the southern Oregon coast as well as Cabot Cliffs in Nova Scotia, Sand Valley in Wisconsin and the Barnbougle Dunes and Lost Farms layouts in Tasmania. And each one of those quickly assumed top spots on the most reputable golf course rankings.
Keiser’s support of such projects has taken golf course architecture to new heights. Along the way, he almost singlehandedly ushered in a second Golden Age of course design. His is a remarkable record, and what he has done in golf course development is but one reason he is so deserving of the Bob Jones Award, the USGA’s highest honor, which his son, Chris, accepted on his behalf last Tuesday as part of the festivities ahead of the U.S. Open at Oakmont. READ MORE
ESPN is reported to be among the suitors for media rights to the U.S. Open and other USGA championships.
The USGA’s rights deal with NBC expires at the end of 2026 and its exclusive negotiating period with that network has expired. ESPN has had discussions with the USGA about the package, Sports Business Journal reported, citing two unnamed sources, but there are numerous other scenarios at play, including a new deal with NBC and splitting rights between broadcast and streaming providers. READ MORE
A New York man is laying claim to the record for most consecutive hours playing golf, a 35-hour stint on a course on Long Island that ended early last Tuesday morning.
Kelechi Ezihie, 27, initially planned to play 24 hours to set a Guinness World Record, only to learn hours into his effort that a British golfer had played for 32 straight hours on a course in Norway at the end of May. His sister had called him after seeing the 32-hour record while searching the internet, he said.
Surprised but determined, he plodded on through rain, fatigue and drenched and aching feet to outlast the Brit, Isaac Rowlands. He played 18 holes at Huntington Crescent Club seven times, for a total of 126 holes, he said. READ MORE
Tap-Ins
Wake Forest University senior Carolina Lopez-Chacarra was named the recipient of the 2025 Inkster Award, recognizing the highest-ranked women’s Division I collegiate golfer in her final year of eligibility. READ MORE
Visitors who travel to play on the seven courses in St Andrews have an economic impact of £317 million (or about $431 million) annually in Scotland, according to a study conducted by the Sport Industry Research Centre at Sheffield Hallam University. READ MORE
St Andrews Links has unveiled an updated brand identity for the Home of Golf and its seven courses, to create a look that is more recognizable to golfers across the world and connect them with the hallowed links where the game began. READ MORE
Compiled by Mike Cullity