It’s hard keeping up with Michael Keiser.
The son of Bandon Dunes founder Mike Keiser, he got his start in the family business several decades ago working on the grounds crew at the Oregon resort. He kept his head down and proved himself allergic to special treatment. More than a few colleagues had no idea who he was.
So much for anonymity.
Since co-developing Sand Valley in Wisconsin with his brother, Chris, Michael Keiser has branched out on his own, pushing forward with headline projects in three different states.
The first, Rodeo Dunes, located about an hour from downtown Denver, will welcome founder play this year on its Bill Coore-Ben Crenshaw design before opening to the public in 2027. A second 18-hole course is already in the works. In East Texas, meanwhile, Wild Spring Dunes recently opened eight holes for preview play on a Tom Doak design ahead of its full debut next fall.
Now comes news about the latest addition to Keiser’s fast-growing portfolio.
Construction is officially underway at Old Shores, a destination golf development in Florida’s Panhandle, just inland from the Gulf’s sugar-white beaches and the well-traveled 30A corridor. As with Wild Spring Dunes, Keiser has partnered with Doak, marking the fourth collaboration between the developer and the acclaimed architect.
The result won’t be your grandpa’s Florida golf, with its flat, palm-flanked fairways and fountain-spouting ponds. The sand-based site is home to longleaf pines, open savannas, spring-fed rivers and elevation change that is uncharacteristic of the Sunshine State — roughly 40 feet from high to low. There’s even more dramatic movement on acreage where a second course will go. Perhaps most striking at Old Shores are the natural “sinks,” wide, inverted dunes that create dramatic angles and compelling shot demands. Never mind Florida. Doak has described the sinkholes as unlike anything he’s seen on a golf course anywhere.
Shaping is currently underway, with lead associate Angela Moser on site. Preview play on select holes is anticipated as early as late 2026, with a full opening planned for fall 2027. The second 18-hole course is already in design, along with a short course.
While Old Shores is envisioned as a broader lifestyle community — complete with a walkable village, dining options and outdoor recreation — golf will anchor the experience at a destination roughly 30 minutes north of Northwest Florida Beaches International Airport.
Founding memberships and real estate are now being offered. For more information, click here.
