Arnold Palmer influence on Florida fairways
ORLANDO, FLA.— Arnold Palmer’s death last month has been a hallowed event in the golf world. Nicknamed the King, Palmer has been golf’s most vital spirit. No one had as much fun playing the game or struck the ball with such competitive fury. His real genius, though, had been in connecting both with the camera and with people.
I had the chance to shake hands with Palmer a while back. It had been a fleeting meeting, but he fully committed to it. He locked eyes with me and shook my hand firmly and warmly. I came away feeling like a favourite son. Palmer’s summer home had been in Latrobe, Pa., and like lots of northerners around this time of year, he’d decamp to Florida and his place at the Bay Hill golf resort in Orlando. It isn’t just the winter warmth that had attracted Palmer. His golf course design company, Arnold Palmer Design Company, has laid out more than 300 courses around the world, from Canada to Kazakhstan, and along the way he changed the landscape in Florida, with more than 30 designs in the Sunshine State. Home sweet home: Palmer first teed it up at Bay Hill in 1965 and liked it so much he promised his wife Winnie that one day he would own the place. Five years later he signed the deal and it became the Palmers’ winter residence. Today it’s known as Arnold Palmer’s Bay Hill Club & Lodge and includes 27 holes that run along the edge of a chain of lakes. Golf course architect Dick Wilson laid out the original holes, and Palmer redesigned the courses in 2009. Now the resort, which the International Association of Golf Tour Operators voted the 2016 Golf Resort of the Year in North America, hosts a high-profile PGA event, the Arnold Palmer Invitational. The next one takes place March 13-19. Big-league layout: The PGA National Resort and Spa in Palm Beach Gardens, Fla., is one of the U.S.’ largest golf hangouts. The destination features five courses, including The Palmer. The course reflects Palmer’s personality — a risk-reward layout that gives players the chance to rip it around corners and across the water. The resort has been home to a scrapbook full of history, including the 1983 Ryder Cup and the 1987 PGA Championship. It also hosts the annual Honda Classic, which next runs Feb. 20-26. Hall of fame game: Palmer and fellow pro golfer Jack Nicklaus had been friends and rivals for nearly 60 years. They competed for everything, from tournament titles to endorsement opportunities to bridge game victories and golfcourse designs. In 2000, the duo teamed up to design the King & Bear course at the World Golf Village in St. Augustine, Fla. If you want to learn more about either the king or bear, check out the exhibits at the neighbouring World Golf Hall of Fame & Museum. Double the fun: While the Saddlebrook Resort outside Tampa, Fla., is best known as a tennis hot spot (it boasts 45 courts and players such as Pete Sampras, Jim Courier and Martina Hingis have all trained here), it’s also home to two very good Arnold Palmer-designed courses. They aren’t particularly long, but you have to pay attention to score well, especially if you get distracted by the local wildlife, which includes herons, egrets, storks, turtles and the occasional gator. During baseball’s spring training, keep an eye out for the New York Yankees, who often head to Saddlebrook to tee it up. Just the facts: Arnold Palmer’s Bay Hill Club & Lodge features a Bucket List package that starts at $168 (U.S.) per person that includes accommodation in a lodge guest room, full breakfast, a round of golf and a dozen logoed balls. Ian Cruickshank is a Toronto writer. His trip was subsidized by Tourism Florida, which didn’t review or approve this story.