05/20/2026
We recently freshened up the wood-carved golfer outside our Carson Chevron C-Store in Bandon! Did you know that his clothing alone carries six centuries of tradition?
Those are the clothes of Irish links golfersโfrom courses born on the Scottish and Irish Atlantic coastlines dating back to the 1400s. Games were played on non-arable ridges between the Atlantic and farmland, land the Old English called hlincโsalty "links" between land and sea. Sheep and rabbits kept the grass. The wind shaped every shot. And the ocean was always only a glance away.
When Mike Keiser founded Bandon Dunes, he brought that tradition across the ocean intact. His vision was to bring "golf as it was intended" to the United Statesโwalk-only holes, fescue grass, rich ground play, and a space full of challenging and refreshing winds. No carts, no manicured terrain, just an expression of the game in its oldest form. He built it here on Bandonโs stretch of coast, and people from around the world have come ever since to experience it. Even the townโs name traces back to County Cork, Irelandโan area renowned for links coursesโfrom which its early founder brought the gorse that still lines these fairways today.
The statueโs artist, Brian Vorwaller, moved his family to Bandon from Utah following the recession, drawn to the natural grandeur of the Northwest and looking to begin a career as a Pacific Northwestern wood carver and artisan. He worked at Bandon Dunes while developing his carving skills, got to know the community better, and found a warm and welcoming home in town with his loved ones. By 2017, his skills had reached a new level, and he carved this golfer as a quiet gesture of gratitudeโto the town, to the history and tradition he'd witnessed at the Dunes, and to the landscape and community that his family had come to call home.
He carved it from timber native to this region. The Irish links clothing wasn't decorationโit was a portrait of what makes this place what it is. The connection between Bandon and centuries-old coastal traditions. The pride in choosing to continue carrying something ancient forward into a fresh expression. And the creative resilience of the local community over evolving economic tides
When Bandon launched its beautification initiatives, Carson was honored to give this piece a home. We've been part of local communities across the Northwest since 1938. Nearly a century of showing upโnot just with energy solutions, but as neighbors who understand what it means when a community knows the value of its own people and stories and takes pride in investing in them.โณ๐ฒ
Brian Vorwaller, Artist Extreme
