PRINT ADS

Ray Kizer remembers when the boys were young and he would see them putting for nickels on the practice green.

Kizer was the golf pro at Lake Wisconsin Country Club -- he arrived from Texas in the 1960s -- and Curt and Craig Culver were working at their parents' A&W Root Beer stand in Sauk City. Curt and Craig got 50 cents from their dad at the end of the week and would bring it to Lake Wisconsin.

"If they weren't working at the root beer stand, they were playing golf," Kizer was saying the other day.

Kizer didn't discourage them from wagering a nickel. Playing for a little something sharpens a kid's concentration. They learn to pay if they lose. And with golf, if you don't want to lose -- if you want to play well and win -- you also have to learn things beyond how to swing a club. You must learn how to handle adversity, control your emotions and be honest with yourself and others.

"The values you learn through golf are values that can help you throughout life," Craig Culver said last week.

"Life skills," Curt said, of what golf, at its best, can teach.

The Culvers credit Kizer, the longtime Lake Wisconsin pro who retired in 1999, with helping them acquire some of those values and skills.

"Ray was a mentor to us in more than just golf," Craig said. Kizer had played for the legendary Harvey Penick at the University of Texas, and he brought some of Penick's gentle wisdom north.

"I've never heard Ray say a cross word about anyone," Craig said.

The memory of Kizer's example in their youth, and the passion for golf that has since been a big part of the lives of both Curt and Craig Culver, has led the brothers to make an extraordinary gift of $250,000 to help the Wisconsin PGA grow junior golf in Wisconsin.

The brothers will each contribute $25,000 a year for five years, with the money going in part toward the purchase of golf equipment for schools around Wisconsin. The state's PGA pros have also made a commitment to helping physical education instructors learn to teach the game. Funds will also be used to refurbish two Milwaukee golf learning centers that are in disrepair, and for college scholarships.

It is an ambitious plan -- with more fundraising to come -- and the Culvers' gift is a terrific launching pad, made possible, of course, by the brothers' business success.

It all started with that root beer stand, originally operated by the boys' parents, Ruth and George Culver, and then by George and Craig, who in 1984 changed the name to Culver's Frozen Custard and ButterBurgers. Curt by that time had entered the mortgage insurance business, and after a few years with Verex in Madison had settled with the Mortgage Guarantee Insurance Corp. (MGIC) in Milwaukee.

An early bad experience had originally soured Craig on the idea of franchising Culver's, but the burgers and custard were so well received locally he decided to try again. It's a good thing he did. Today there are more than 370 franchised Culver's in 17 states.

Curt, meanwhile, rose up the ladder at MGIC and today is both chairman of the board and chief executive officer of its parent company, MGIC Investment Corp.

Joe Stadler, executive director of the Wisconsin PGA, said his organization approached the Culvers about the initiative and found them immediately interested and engaged.

"They've been awesome to work with," Stadler said. "Generous with their money and also very giving of their time."

For many successful people, time is the more precious commodity. And while both Culver brothers remain devoted to golf, neither plays as much as he would like, citing work obligations.

Curt has always been the more accomplished player, dating back to winning the Lake Wisconsin junior club championship when he was 12.

In 2004, Curt ranked as the lowest handicap golfer among the top 200 CEOs ranked by Golf Digest magazine. He is a member at Sand Hills in Nebraska, an exclusive club revered by golf purists for its striking minimalist design.

Curt can even claim to have bested Arnold Palmer over nine holes. They played the front nine together at the grand opening of The Bog, a course outside of Milwaukee designed by Palmer. Arnie had suggested a small wager and Curt shot two-under to the King's one-under.

Curt's handicap is currently 3.4 (up from 2.4 at the time of the magazine ranking), while Craig, who said he plays once a week, is an 11.6. They are a dangerous team at the various member-guest events they have played over the years. The brothers play for enjoyment, but they play to win.

Harvey Penick, who taught Ray Kizer all those years ago, used to say, "Have fun -- but take dead aim."

Kizer, who taught the Culvers, never had to worry about that.

"They always knew where they wanted to go," he said.