Michael Keiser proved that wanderers are not always lost.
This classic J.R.R. Keiser is living the Tolkien quote, with his head seemingly always on a spin as he looks for land and sand suitable for golf courses. Michael Keiser, developer and co-owner with his brother Chris Keiser of Sand Valley Golf Resort – the son of Bandon dunes Golf Resort founder Mike Keiser is full of energy and enthusiasm in his search for an interesting golf opportunity.
The public access Rodeo Dunes is now on the agenda in Colorado. Developers announced officially on Tuesday that the construction of 36 holes will begin soon in earnest across 2,000 acres idyllic sand dune land less than one hour northeast of Denver. Michael Keiser stated that preview play could be available by the end 2024, with the course opening fully in 2025. The timeline is still a bit loose, but the second course will likely follow one year later. It is yet to be determined which course will open first.
Rodeo Dunes is located in Colorado and features natural blowouts, sand expanses, and a sandy landscape. (Courtesy Rodeo Dunes/Brandon Carter).
The course layouts are complete, or as close to it as possible before the construction process progresses and changes may be made. There is enough space to build up to six courses on the site. Michael Keiser stated that a short course and Himalayas style putting green will be added in the near future. The property will be operated as part of Dream Golf – a collaboration between Bandon Dunes Sand Valley and Cabot.
The Keiser brothers are relying on Bill Coore’s and Ben Crenshaw’s famed design team to create one of the 18 holes. This is a relationship that has been extremely successful with the Keiser family, and previous partners, such as Bandon Trails, Sheep Ranch, and the eponymous Sand Valley Course, in Wisconsin, and the Cabot Cliffs, in Nova Scotia
Jim Craig, a long-time course shaper for Coore and Crenshaw, gets his first crack at a routing of his own in Colorado. Craig, a longtime course designer for Coore & Crenshaw gets his first shot at designing his own routing in Colorado. Michael Keiser formed a relationship with Craig while working on Sand Valley. Keiser is thrilled to offer Craig a new opportunity at Rodeo Dunes.
Michael Keiser described Craig as “a bit of a savant”. Craig has worked for Coore and Crenshaw as an associate since 1992. He has helped to design layouts like East Hampton and Friar’s Head, in New York; Old Sandwich, in Massachusetts; and Sheep Ranch, in the United States. “He sees what other people do not see. I have learned to trust him. He has a special mind. You won’t always say that this hole reminds you of blank. You will say I’ve never seen anything like it before.
Michael Keiser asked Craig to drive from Texas and walk the ranch site when the Keisers became interested. Craig then offered his opinion. Michael Keiser stated that Craig’s enthusiasm played a big role in his success with his first solo design.
Craig is a man who speaks softly and uses few words. However, his wit comes through when he talks. He said he felt like Forrest Gump when he first met Lieutenant Dan in a U.S. Army Camp in Vietnam. Craig quotes “I hope I don’t disappoint him.”
Rodeo Dunes is located in the Rocky Mountains. (Courtesy Rodeo Dunes/Brandon Carter).
Michael Keiser’s goal is to be the best. He said that Sand Hills Golf Club, designed by Coore & Crenshaw in Nebraska and ranked as the No.1 golf course in the United States, is his inspiration. Golfweek’s Best list of modern course in America ranked No. 1 according to him.
Michael Keiser stated, “We’ll strip out everything but the essentials in order to create the purest version of golf I believe we’ve ever created.” “Our goal will be to present golf as it is in its most pure form, as Sand Hills has done better than anyone else in the country. Bandon Dunes has been a model in many ways. But Sand Hills, to me, is more pure and raw. Our goal is to create Sand Hills with multiple courses for the public.
“I am saying all of this in humility. We start by defining who we want to be. There will never be another Sand Hills. Ever. Period. Period. “But everything that they have done well, we are trying to do.”
It is clear that the land lends itself to such ambitions. Michael Keiser stated that the natural site would require minimal shaping. Construction will be relatively simple now that the two routes have been roughly determined. The site has a lot of dunes and blowouts that can reach up to 80 feet high. This brings us back the trespassing incident.
Michael and Chris, stuck in an airport for years, were discussing the ideal locations to play more golf. They mentioned the private Ballyneal Golf Club in Colorado, a Tom Doak design that is ranked No. The private Ballyneal Golf Club, a Tom Doak layout in Colorado that ranks No. They wondered if there was more land available in Colorado. Michael Keiser searched Google Earth for clues and topographic maps. Curiosity eventually led him to an airplane and then Interstate 76 northeast Denver. He was amazed at the dunes he saw when he found a site whose beauty drew his attention.
Michael’s exuberance took over and he began to jog through the golden hours as the sun was setting, trying see what lay beyond each of the hills. It was a vast expanse of golf holes. Keiser was not alone in the vastness of that sky.
Keiser stated, “I was trespassing at the site. This is probably a very dangerous mistake, looking back, in cowboy land.” “I was caught by a nice rancher who I met later. He wasn’t happy that I had trespassed. He was about 200 yards away and I was walking towards him. We were both wondering, “How will this go?” This could be bad.
“I walked up to him, asked, “Are you golfer?” He was startled and said, “Yeah. I play golf sometimes.” I told him that these dunes were perfect for golf and he looked me in the eye. We had a good chat. He was really friendly and kindly escorted my off the property. “That’s where it all began.”
Cervi family owned the land. They are owners and operators of a major production company for rodeos – cowboys. Michael, a Chicago-based developer, said that it took him years to earn their trust. Michael Cervis said that after the Cervis “realized that I wasn’t insane, or too mad,” they agreed to sell part of the ranch land in order to develop a golf course. The family will remain partners at Rodeo Dunes.
Colorado is a state that has plenty of sand, which makes it ideal for firm and bouncey golf courses. (Courtesy Rodeo Dunes/Brian Krehbiel).
The Keiser brothers are busy. They will soon open the highly anticipated Lido course built by Doak. This is the third 18-hole layout in Sand Valley. Members can play the course beginning May, and resort guests may play the course at the end of June. The Keiser brothers are also opening Doak’s Sedge Valley Course in Sand Valley. Limited preview play could begin this year, and the full launch will be sometime in spring 2024. There are also other possible projects in the works – speculation is constant about where the Keisers will build next.
Michael Keiser said, with boyish enthusiasm, that it was all about finding more places to play golf, even if they were in rancher’s fields.
Rodeo Dunes made him feel like he was in Ireland. The property is not green anymore because of the two-year drought, but it was green when I first arrived. The topography and contours are very Irish. It’s like Lahinch. The size, topography, scale, and amplitude are all a part of the sand dunes. …
My dad came up with the idea to bring elite private golf to the public, by stripping it back to its pure form. We’re trying our best to achieve that.
