Keeping Arnold Close

It is hard to believe it has now been seven years since Arnold Palmer passed away. I still think of him most days, but at the Kingdom Cup on beautiful Hilton Head Island in September, I could not help thinking, many times each day, just how much Arnold would have enjoyed the occasion.

We played the opening round of the 2023 Kingdom Cup at a stunning Arnold Palmer Signature Course— Wexford—and we enjoyed the company of Arnold’s lead architect on that project, Brandon Johnson, to talk us through the design and Arnold’s vision for the golf course, and so Arnold’s spirit was all around. We were also fortunate to have two close friends of Arnold’s at the Kingdom Cup, Annika Sorenstam and Jack Nicklaus. These two legends of the game shared some great stories about Arnold—a couple of which I had never heard—and you can read some of them in our interview with Jack in this issue (p106).

But beyond these palpable connections to Arnold, the Kingdom Cup was the scene of healthy and spirited competition on the golf course, and it was an occasion at which old friendships were renewed, and new friendships established, and Arnold would have reveled in the good times we shared. As many of you know, Arnold was a person who enjoyed people.

Certainly, Arnold was a fierce competitor—as our friend Jack knows just about better than anyone—yet Arnold never failed to show respect and courtesy on and off the golf course. We welcomed people from varied walks of life to the Kingdom Cup, and Arnold would have loved meeting everyone there, swapping jokes and stories, offering encouragement and a little bit of needling too (certainly to Jack!).

This issue of Kingdom is also packed with reminders of Arnold and his colorful life. We touch on Herb Kohler’s terrific legacy to the game, and I recall the time I introduced Herb to Arnold, at St Andrews in 2010, when Arnold was presented with an Honorary Degree by the University of St Andrews, on the eve of the 150th anniversary of The Open. Herb had only recently acquired the Old Course Hotel, and the two men had much in common, including a profound devotion to the Home of Golf.

I remain as proud as ever to be Publisher of Kingdom, and to be involved with a small part of Arnold’s far-reaching legacy, and I look forward to sharing many more years of work and play with you all, but for now, let me wish you and your families a happy, healthy and peaceful holiday season.

Thank you for your continued loyalty. I know it meant a lot to Arnold.