Bio

By immersing himself intellectually, emotionally, and physically in the world of golf for over 30 years, internationally renowned American photographer, Mike Klemme, has captured thousands of definitive images for all aspects of the industry. Klemme’s photos illuminate seldom-seen assets of golf and excite a sense of shared discovery—often leaving viewers feeling as if they are seeing a well-known golf hole for the first time.

One of the most widely published photographers in his field, Klemme has contributed thousands of photographs to Golf, Golf Digest, Golf Connoisseur, The Golfer, Links, Travel & Leisure Golf, Golfdom, Sports Illustrated, ESPN The Magazine, USA Today, Men’s Journal, The Robb Report, Cigar Afficianado and travel and inflight magazines around the globe.

On commissions from individual developers and publishers, he has tackled difficult assignments in nearly fifty countries including Japan, Korea, Kenya, Morocco, Taiwan, Italy, Ireland, Finland, Thailand, Indonesia and Malaysia, producing work of such outstanding quality that many golf marketing professionals have come to regard him as the finest golf course landscape photographer working today. His aesthetic vision and knowledge of the subject matter are unlike those of any other photographer.

Klemme serves on a number of “Top 100 Panels” including Golf Magazine’s panels to select the Top 100 in the World, Top 100 in the US, Top 100 You Can Play. As a member of these panels and a photographer, Mike has amassed over five million miles frequent flyer miles and photographed over 1,700 golf courses.

In addition to commercial assignments for developers, advertising agencies, and magazine publishers his photos have illustrated six books, four of which Grand Slam Golf, George Peper; Golf Resorts of the World, McCallen; Golfwatching, Jim Frank; and Golf Courses of the PGA Tour, Peper were published by Harry Abrams, Inc. and Mike’s own book A View From the Rough celebrated the marriage of golf and the environment. Mike is also a director Emeritus of The Academy of Golf Artists.

Celebrating Oklahoma!

In September 2005 Mike was named the Official Photographer of the Oklahoma Centennial. For two years, in addition to his golf photography, Mike traveled the back roads of Oklahoma shooting the people, places and events that make his home state great. The culmination of this project is a 288-page coffee table book entitled Celebrating Oklahoma! which Klemme published in July of 2007 to rave reviews. Celebrating Oklahoma was a finalist in the Oklahoma Book Awards Book of the Year Contest and has sold over 17,000 copies around the globe.

After the success of Celebrating Oklahoma!, Klemme followed up with Celebrating Enid!, a 160 page coffee table book about his hometown history and culture.

Klemme and his wife, Suzanne, have three children and three grandchildren. Always ready for their next travel adventure, the Klemmes love returning home to Enid, Oklahoma.