Ex-banker has shot 800-plus courses
Today, everybody is a photographer – just open the camera app on your cellphone, point and click.
Golfers are no exception. Our phone photo galleries are mostly cluttered with scenic shots taken from visits to iconic courses that offer breathtaking vistas.
The reality, though, is that mostly our pictures suck, at least in comparison to the professionals who do it for a living.
We don’t frame our photos correctly. We don’t know what is or isn’t good lighting. We think we have a good shot, only to find out it’s off-kilter and not suitable for framing. If we get lucky, we get a nice shot that our friends will “ooh” and “ahhh” over. But mostly, our best attempts at grabbing that shot of a lifetime result in a touristy-type photo that stays mostly unopened on our phone.
And then there’s Mike Klemme, a celebrated professional photographer who spends countless hours scouting out and grabbing memorable images from some of the world’s famous venues.
At the PGA Show in Orlando, Florida, in January, Klemme, a self-taught photographic artist and one of the most widely published photographers in his field, talked about his craft and a new venture called Golf is Life.
Klemme, based in Oklahoma, has straight-forward advice when it comes to taking quality golf course photos. Mostly, he said, getting great shots is about getting the best lighting available. That means getting up early or being out late as the sun sets.
Mike Klemme: It’s all about the light
He used shooting in Phoenix as an example.
“You’ve got to get out way ahead of the sun because it comes up so fast and it’s so strong and it’s always fun to photograph a course that has a lot of trees around it,” he said. “Throwing those shadows, making it show those undulations. I mean that’s a pretty simple tip, but it’s hard to do. So, when I shot film, I’d get there right as the sun was cracking the horizon and maybe work for an hour, two hours, something like that. But now I’ll get there an hour before and it works really well.”
Klemme scouts out locations ahead of time by driving the course forward and backward, making notes along the way and jotting down the time and the locations from where he wants to photograph various holes.
Severe back pain derailed Klemme’s playing days in his late 30s, but he has always had an interest in course architecture and even sketched out hole designs with a friend back in high school.
He was doing photography as a hobby until he got a call in 1982 from a friend to take pictures at Oak Tree Golf Club. He quickly realized that golf course photography was an untapped market and began working with Landmark Land Company photographing its properties.
Knowing golf as a sport gave Klemme an edge, he says
A banker by trade, it was a week-long photography seminar where he met National Geographic photographer Dick Durrance that sent Klemme on the road to full-time golf course photographer.
“I kind of hung with him all week and at the end of the week he goes, ‘Man, you need to quit your job at the bank and get busy with this golf thing,’” Klemme recalled. “It was like a three-hour drive home and I had to figure out on that drive home how I was going to tell my wife that I was quitting my job to be a golf course photographer.”
Klemme got his wife’s blessing and a new career was born. Since then, he has photographed more than 1,800 golf courses across nearly 50 countries, collaborating with industry giants such as Arnold Palmer Design, Nike, and Four Seasons Resorts. Klemme’s work is featured in acclaimed books like Grand Slam Golf, Golf Resorts of the World, and his own publication, A View from the Rough. For 30 years, Klemme also served on Golf magazine’s Top 100 Golf Courses in the World panel.
He said having played golf and worked with some of the game’s top designers helped him refine his craft.
He’s worked with top golf architects
“I believe all those years of playing still give me an edge,” he said. “I’ve always tried to photograph golf courses from the perspective of a player. My goal is for someone to see one of my images and instinctively think about what club they’d pull and where they’d place their shot. If that happens, I know they’ve spent more time with the image than most.
“Over the years, I’ve been fortunate to work with many of the greatest golf architects of our time,” he continued. “I’ve done my best to absorb everything I can about their designs and their intent. My goal is to blend that intent with the visual drama needed to truly capture—and market—the spirit of a course.”
Klemme’s Golf as Life project is a collection of wall art from his work at some of the world’s most picturesque courses and inspirational quotes using cutting-edge SEG Graphics (silicone-edged graphics) technology. The prints combine the bold colors of silkscreen printing with the high-resolution quality of digital photography.
The result is a seamless, glare-free, fade-resistant piece of art that delivers a striking visual impact from every angle.
“Beyond just decor, each piece in the Golf as Life collection serves as a daily reminder of golf’s beauty, challenge, and personal significance the game holds for so many of us,” Klemme said. “Whether you are an avid player looking for a connection to the courses you love or someone who simply appreciates golf’s artistry, this collection brings the best of the game to you.”
With prices starting at just $270, Golf as Life wall art offers an affordable way to own a piece of golf’s most picturesque courses.
Courses featured in the Golf as Life ollection:
- Portstewart Golf Club (Northern Ireland)
- The Royal & Ancient Golf Club of St. Andrews (Scotland)
- Hacienda Pinilla Golf Club (Tamarindo, Costa Rica)
- Montreux Golf & Country Club (Reno, Nevada)
- Bahia Beach Resort & Golf Club (Puerto Rico)
- The Palmer Course at Stonewall Resort (Roanoke, West Virginia)
- The Territory Golf Club (Duncan, Oklahoma)
- Karsten Creek Golf Club (Stillwater, Oklahoma)
- Wade Hampton Golf Club (Cashiers, North Carolina)
- Elk River Golf Club (Banner Elk, North Carolina)
Golf as Life prints are available in three shapes – square, horizontal and panoramic – and a variety of sizes to fit any space:
Klemme’s Golf as Life project has launched a weekly e-card series, offering subscribers access to stunning course photography and personal stories about what makes the game special. The e-cards will showcase a high-quality image of a course, accompanied by a story that delves into its history and includes anecdotes from Klemme’s visit to the property.
Beyond showcasing the beauty of these courses, the e-cards will also share stories about the game’s impact on people, highlighting the connections and experiences golf fosters personally and professionally.
For more information, visit www.GolfasLife.com.
Gregg Dewalt is the editor of Alabama Golf News
Have a story idea or a news item to report to Alabama Golf News? Email gregg@alabamagolfnews.com
Featured image by Mike Klemme
