Here comes the sun
Writing this in late February from my office in Northern climes, the warmth of the Arnold Palmer Invitational seems far away—the azaleas of Augusta even further—but it is with some cheer that I realize the “real” golf season is nearly upon us. Welcome, then, to our special Majors double issue. While the golf shorts may have been gathering dust these last few winter months I have taken advantage of the off season to not just practice my game away from scorecard pressure but also to take expert advice on my clubs. Given the sums most of us spend on equipment, coaching and play, I am amazed more players don’t go for a custom club fitting. Of course Arnie worked on and fitted his own clubs, but on page 104 you can read how Kingdom’s Robin Barwick and I got on with an independent fitter; an expert not linked to any of the major manufacturers—or to their commissions!
As a predominantly private members’ magazine we have a vested interest in seeing clubs prosper. Membership is at the heart of the game; it is the social glue that turns individuals into communities, while links between clubs across the nation and across the world turn strangers into friends with a common language: golf. To that end it is wonderful to see organizations such as Palmer Advantage provide individual private members with privileged access to such a wide range of clubs and amenities. And, for those who want to extend their membership to include golf destination usage, the Dormie Network has an amazing menu of clubs with rooms, fine dining and a concierge on site to take care of you and your party, be it friends, family or clients (p118).
You may well be reading this just after, or even at, the Arnold Palmer Invitational. It’s wonderful to see Arnold’s tournament thrive and particularly pleasing to see the loyalty of so many of the tournament’s sponsors, among them St. Johns Insurance Company. Its continued support of the Arnold & Winnie Palmer Foundation, the tournament, and Palmer’s pro golfer grandson, Sam Saunders, would surely make Arnold proud, given as he was to supporting those who were loyal to him. That included friends of course, one of whom was also his rival: Jack Nicklaus. It’s incredible to think that Jack celebrated his 80th a few weeks back. We wish him every continued success and thank him for his comments about his rivalry with Arnie and competitive lessons learned (p58). There will never be another grouping like Arnold, Jack and Gary Player—or will there? On page 44, eminent British golf writer Paul Trow considers whether a new Big Three may come to dominate this coming decade of golf. Who knows, but if a certain Northern Irishman buckles down it could certainly be the “Rory 20s” all over again. For now, we’re just happy it’s warming up. Bring on the azaleas!