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Palmer Puts His Best Foot Forward
May 25, 2007
April 2007 – Golf Business
by Trent Bouts
With a little more time on his hands now that his playing career is officially over, Arnold Palmer wants to offer golfers more of the game the way he likes it played: as pure golf in exceptional surrounds with service to match.
Such is the foundation of Palmer Premier, a new product from the Palmer stable that promises a “golf and luxury lifestyle experience elevated to the standards of Mr. Palmer himself.” The product includes services in five key areas: design, construction, agronomics, operations and communications.
The price tag remains undisclosed and will vary from client to client, but Erik Larsen, a senior executive and architect with Arnold Palmer Design, confirms it will be “significantly higher” than a Palmer signature design, which is “generally in the range of $1.5 million.” For that higher fee, developers and others who ante up receive greater personal involvement from Palmer himself, and The King’s good name will lend itself to more than the golf course. Food service, lodging and even the general ambiance of the development will all need to qualify.
“We feel this is a service to complement the goals of developers concentrating in the luxury lifestyles area,” Larsen says. “Our clients are very sophisticated and know what they want to do. We’ve been listening. They want to do great places where great golf is just one part of the experience. And that is exactly how Mr. Palmer feels.”
To qualify for consideration as a Palmer Premier facility, a development must provide:
• exceptional location and tournament conditioning;
• a “core” golf course, devoid of housing and roads;
• a distinguishing natural or cultural feature;
• a minimum playing length of 7,300 yards
• ecological sensitivity; and
• excellent service, food and lodging.
Those standards hold in perpetuity. Facilities falling short lose their right to the Palmer Premier designation and part of any contract will provide for ongoing monitoring.
“Arnold likes to measure a place by how his friends and family would enjoy it and not just once, but year after year,” Larsen says. “It’s important that the quality lasts.”
Copyright 2007 Golf Business Magazine
Posted: May 25, 2007 12:52 PM
