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S
ince the death of Arnold
Palmer, ASGCA Fellow, in
late September, we have read
inspirational and heart-warming tales
from across the globe, of the impact he
had on the game of golf, and the lives
enhanced by his generosity of spirit.
Palmer is widely recognized as golf’s
first global superstar, and the person
responsible for accelerating the
growth of the game in the 1950s and
60s. His duals with Jack Nicklaus,
ASGCA Fellow, and Gary Player
captivated the golfing world and his
warmth of character saw him amass
legions of fans—‘Arnie’s Army’—
along the way. He drove the sport’s
popularity in a way that few, if any,
have managed since.
In 1972, when his peak playing
years had passed, Palmer entered the
golf design business. He partnered
with ASGCA Past Presidents Frank
Duane and Ed Seay, two of the golf
design industry’s great leaders, and
they became a formidable team.
Palmer’s design firm has since been
responsible for over 300 golf courses,
with his global appeal making him
the ultimate ‘signature’ architect.
The firm drove the establishment
of the sport in new territories, most
notably with the first modern course
in China, Chung Shan Hot Spring,
which opened in 1984.
There are many highlights among
Palmer’s portfolio: the Old Course
at Half Moon Bay Golf Links in
California, one of the first Palmer
designs; the dramatic Tralee in
Ireland, and Tradition Golf Club in
La Quinta, California. But perhaps
his greatest legacy to the golf design
business is the impact he had on the
golf course architects that he worked
alongside. In addition to Duane
and Seay, who passed away in 1994
and 2007 respectively, Bob Walker,
ASGCA, Harrison Minchew, ASGCA,
ASGCA Past President Erik Larsen,
ASGCA, and Vicki Martz, ASGCA
Fellow, all spent large portions of
their careers with Palmer.
Walker was involved in more than 75
projects with Palmer, having worked
for him from 1974 to 1986. “It is
remarkable how he touched so many
people’s lives in such positive ways,”
he says. “He was instrumental in my
becoming a golf course architect by
introducing me to his partner, Ed Seay,
and recommending my employment
in his golf course design company
in 1974. I sometimes wonder what
direction my life might have taken
had I not met Mr Palmer and for the
special interest he took in me and in
my career. It was an absolute honor
to have worked for him, to have spent
time with him and to have known him
as the extraordinary person he was.”
Palmer’s legacy
to golf design
REMEMBRANCE
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|
By Design
By Design
reflects on the impact that
Arnold Palmer, ASGCA Fellow, had on the
golf design business, and what he meant to
those who collaborated on his designs.
His legacy will live on through the
countless lives he touched
along
the way and the
beautiful courses
that bear his name
Photo: Brian Gomsak