In the early 1970s, Bud Chapman took a break from his career as a commercial artist to hunt for treasure.
His subsequent unsuccessful search for gold and silver in the mountains of New Mexico left him broke. Out of the financial despair, the golfing enthusiast found inspiration.
Chapman told the Star Tribune in 2004 that he asked himself a question: "I'm an artist. Why not paint 18 great golf holes — unbelievable, demanding holes — set in the best scenery in the world?"
The result of that introspection became "18 Infamous Golf Holes" and earned Chapman international fame.
Chapman, of Minnetonka, died July 9 after a heart attack. He was 97.
"He loved golf," said friend Richard Walker, "but it was all about people for him. He was a magnet. He made every person feel like they were special. That gift supersedes his skill as an artist. How he treated people, to me, is the most remarkable thing about him."
Chapman completed his first "infamous" painting — a mythical Victoria Falls Golf Course — in 1972. Over the next 10 years he painted 17 more holes. He sent the first four paintings to Golf Digest, which gave him a free ad in exchange for the publishing rights.
The remaining holes were published in Golf Digest in installments and were eventually published internationally by Reader's Digest.
