Peter Kessler

A man with a sincere respect for the game of golf and an encyclopedic knowledge of its history, Peter Kessler has been called “the voice of golf” for his impressive work on The Golf Channel. As the host of three shows - Golf Talk Live, Viewer’s Forum, and Golf Academy Live, Peter has had a chance to sit down with over 1000 guests and virtually all of golf’s greatest players, instructors and legends since the channel’s first broadcast in early 1995.

Peter's versatility as a host has been brilliantly demonstrated over the 1100 live hours of shows he has hosted, written and produced for The Golf Channel. Off the air, Kessler taps into his most amusing and entertaining side as a master of ceremonies, after dinner speaker and world-class storyteller at corporate gatherings around the world. His treasure trove of hilarious and thought provoking inside stories from his time spent on and off the course with the greatest players in the history of the game makes Peter a brilliant celebrity choice to further impress your most important clients.

Peter Kessler’s interest in golf flourished as a teenager growing up in New Jersey. For his 13th birthday, he was given Bobby Jones’ book Down the Fairway, a gift that Peter claims changed his life. He says that while reading Jones’ book, “I completely fell in love with him and I completely fell in love with golf history.” When he wasn’t golfing, Peter was reading every golf book he could find.

Peter moved to southern California with his family as a teenager and by his early-20’s was down to a 2-handicap. In 1976 Peter won the La Costa Club Championship. After school he moved to London and worked as a merchant banker for Jacob Rothschild of the famous European family, and later New York City, where he worked on Wall Street as a Marketing Specialist and public speaker.

During this time, Peter casually pursued his interest in acting. He started doing voice-over work in his late-thirties, and from 1991 to 1994 was known as “the Voice of HBO sports.” Doors opened for Peter after his involvement in the HBO baseball documentary “When It Was a Game,” which won ACE, Emmy and Peabody awards for best sports documentary.

It was in late 1993 that Kessler received a call from an executive producer of the newly created around-the-clock golf network, The Golf Channel. The producers were familiar with Peter’s work for HBO Sports, and were further impressed by his expansive knowledge of the history of golf. Although he had no previous experience in front of a camera, Peter turned out to be an amazing host. Guests respond well to Kessler’s calm confidence and knack for making them feel comfortable and at ease. And his co-workers appreciate his hard-working attitude and commitment to excellence in every show. Peter does all of his own research, writes 100% of his material, and never uses cue cards or a teleprompter. He credits his work ethic to advice from Jack Nicklaus: “The difference between being nervous and being afraid is being prepared.”

Peter Kessler has hosted over 1,100 hours of live television since his voice was first heard when The Golf Channel came on the air on January 17, 1995. During that time, he has welcomed guests that include such legends as Arnold Palmer, Jack Nicklaus, Tiger Woods, Phil Mickelson, Gene Sarazen, David Duval, Nancy Lopez, Fred Couples and Lee Trevino.

When Peter pulls himself away from studying golf history in his expansive home library or preparing for an upcoming show in his office at The Golf Channel studio, he finds time to play recreationally about twice a week. His handicap has risen to an 8 these days, which Peter credits to the confusion caused by practicing so many different swing techniques on Golf Academy Live. “I’ve listened to 39,800 tips,” he says, “and I can think of all of them when I start my downswing.” With his amazing knowledge of golf history and noticeable presence on the favorite channel of every golf guru, Peter is a sought-after speaker at corporate outings and charity events throughout the world.