Mike Keiser Inducted Into Caddie Hall of Fame

The Western Golf Association (WGA) inducted renowned golf resort developer Mike Keiser into The Caddie Hall of Fame for his contribution in promoting caddies and their role in the game of golf.

Keiser was presented a bronze caddie statue by WGA Senior Vice President of Development and Strategy Bill Kingore at the WGA’s annual Green Coat Gala at The Peninsula Chicago Hotel. The sold-out black-tie event benefitted the Evans Scholars Foundation, which provides full college tuition and housing scholarships to golf caddies. The Pacific Northwest Golf Association has long been a supporter of the Evans Scholars Foundation.

“We are most grateful for all Mike and Lindy Keiser have done for us and for our Evans Scholars Program,” Kingore said. “From his humble beginnings as a caddie, Mike has made a world of difference in the lives of caddies through his lifelong and stanch support of golf and education. We can think of no one is more fitting or deserving to be inducted into The Caddie Hall of Fame.”

The WGA oversees The Caddie Hall of Fame, which highlights the rich tradition and importance of caddying through recognizing individuals who have played a prominent role in the promotion of caddies as an integral part of the game of golf.

Those who have been inducted are either caddie administrators or advocates, individuals who became prominent caddies, or prominent individuals who have used their caddie experiences as a stepping stone for future success. Keiser was introduced to the game introduced to golf as a young caddie at East Aurora Country Club just south of Buffalo, New York.

“Caddying is the best job a teenager can have,” Keiser said. “You learn about golf but you also learn a lot about life and what it takes to be successful and what it means to work hard.”

A graduate of Amherst University, Keiser went on to become successful businessman, a philanthropist, civic leader and a builder of great of some of the country’s most renowned golf courses.

Keiser is the founder and owner of Bandon Dunes Golf Resort on the south Oregon Pacific coast.

He also is founder and owner of The Dunes Club in New Buffalo, Michigan; Cabot Beach Golf Resort in Nova Scotia; and Sand Valley Golf Resort, Mike’s newest project being developed among massive sand dunes near the town of Rome in central Wisconsin.

An advocate of caddying and walking golf, Keiser has been a guiding force for the Western Golf Association and Evans Scholars Foundation. A WGA Director since 2007, he has challenged the organization to find new ways to do even more to help more caddies get a first-rate college education.

For the past four years, Keiser has served as honorary chairman of the Match Play Challenge, the most successful fundraising campaign in the history of the Western Golf Association. Keiser’s leadership through the campaign has allowed WGA leaders to plan to increase the scope and size of the Evans Scholars Program from coast to coast at a time when scholarship applications are at an all-time high and college costs are far outpacing inflation rates.

About the Evans Scholars Foundation

More than 10,000 deserving caddies from across the nation have been awarded Evans Scholarships, earning a full housing and tuition scholarship to top universities across the nation. Scholarships are based on caddie record, academic achievement, financial need and character. The Evans Scholars Program is one of golf’s favorite charities and is country’s largest privately sponsored scholarship program providing full tuition and housing. For more information, visit www.wgaesf.org.