Bob “Shoe” Gaspar is the director of Outside Happiness at Bandon Dunes. Shoe grew up in southern California, where he was introduced to the game of golf. He later moved north to Bandon and worked several different jobs before retiring.

After retiring, Shoe became restless. At the time, Mike Keiser was in town with ambitions to build a world class links course in Bandon. Shoe became involved in developing the caddy program at Bandon Dunes in the course’s formative years.

Shoe later transitioned into his current role as the mayor of Bandon Dunes. He is the first friendly face that welcomes guests to the grounds when they arrive from all over the world. He could teach a masterclass in customer service, as he wakes up at the crack of dawn to familiarize himself with details about guests before they arrive. He’s one of the few people I’ve met who truly loves his job.