Dream Golf

I am raptured now by a book entitled "Dream Golf."  I opened the package from Amazon last night and couldn't put the book down until my eyes grew bleary.  I covered the first 73 pages before going to beddy-bye.  This morning, I picked up the book even BEFORE I logged onto the internet.  (Disclaimer: I did read the local newspaper before I picked up the book.)  It's one of those books that's completely captivating.  I know it wouldn't be so enthralling for 99.99% of the readers of this blog but it sure is for me.  The book has cast a spell on me.  As the book sits there opened to the beginning of "Part Two: Bandon Dunes," I am faced with a uncommon dilemma: read the book or surf the internet.  I can't remember when I last faced such a dilemma.  Come to think of it, perhaps I never have.  It's an interesting juxtaposition of desire and motivation.  The internet proffers a powerful caffeine for me but this book peddles an even more addictive allure.

So what is "Dream Golf?"  Quite superficially, it's a 344-page tale of the Bandon Dunes golf course near Bandon, Oregon.  But it's a lot more than that--it's actually about the Vision Quest of the Father of Bandon Dunes, Mike Keiser. Yes, technically, it's obviously a golf-centric book.  But it's a lot more than that.  It's about the power of human passion to create something truly monumental, lasting and transcendentally spiritual.  I've always been a sucker for the underdog and for people who are constantly told "You can't do that, it will never happen, you're nuts" and so forth.  I've always been attracted to study the lives of people who succeeded against all the odds and turned their own individuals worlds upside down with the power of their vision.  Such is the story of "Dream Golf" and Bandon Dunes.

Many of the online reviews hinted that I wouldn't be able to put this book down.  Those reviews were spot on.  As a result, my blogging here will probably be temporarily reduced in frequency and volume until I finish the book.  That could be today but I doubt it will be later than tomorrow--the book's simply that good.

It helps to have knowledge of Bandon, Oregon, and to know the underlying personality of the people in that region.  As you know, we spent two summers in Gold Beach in 2002 and 2003.  Two of our Dear Friends and LBR's took up residence in Brookings and spent 7 years there.  We've kept a close eye on the South Coast.  Bandon, Oregon, and its brother and sister cities between the California Line and Coos Bay are real throwbacks to an earlier era.  Yes, a steady tourist tide ebbs and flows along the single highway artery that connects these little outposts.  If not for the seasonal influx of visitors drawn to the haunting, evocative coastal views, these little places would be backwater burgs no one knows.  For all practical purposes, Bandon, Oregon, is classic MOAN Country that is only on the map by an accident of geography and asphalt.  That makes the story of Bandon Dunes even more compelling for me.  It's a great tale!

You can find a LOT of material and reviews on the books "Dream Golf."  Click here for a basic review. 

Have a great day & Cheers!  jp