Arnold Palmer Design: Latest News: Archives
The 'King' Dynasty
August 01, 2008
The Scots and the Dutch have been arguing for well over 200 years about which of their nations invented the game of golf. However, the historian Wei Tai wrote in 943AD that a sport called Chuiwan (from the words “Chui,” meaning hitting, and “Wan,” meaning small ball) had been played in China from as early as the 7th century.
The theory of golf ’s Asiatic origins continues with the suggestion that the Mongols brought this ancient version of golf to Europe during their invasions of the 12th and 13th centuries, along with a set of rules that bore an uncanny resemblance to those first formulated by the Royal & Ancient Golf Club of St. Andrews some 500 years later.
By the end of the Ming Dynasty (1644), all mention of Chuiwan or Buda had disappeared from contemporary chronicles. Golf reappeared on the radar with the 1889 founding of the Hong Kong Golf Club, which is home to three layouts at Fanling in the New Territories, the northern corner of the former British province.
No doubt golf courses were built at Beijing and Shanghai to accommodate colonial visitors during the early 1900s, but records of such constructions were not kept. Eventually all evidence of the game disappeared under the dead weight of the communist pall, which did not begin to lift until the mid- 1980s. When it did, the catalysts that hastened an end to the golfing (and cultural) blackout were Henry Fok, one of the richest men in the world at the time, and Arnold Palmer.
In the early 1980s, Fok, a Hong Kong tycoon and one of the political architects of modern China, approached Mr. Palmer to design the first golf course in post-Revolutionary China. The product of their union was Chung Shan Hot Springs Golf Club. Located near Chungshan City in Guangdong Province in southern China, it officially opened nearly a quarter of a century ago.
In the intervening 20-plus years there has been a remarkable boom in golf-course construction in China. Current estimates put the number of courses in the world’s fastest-growing economy at more than 400, with perhaps double that number under construction.
One of them, Mission Hills Golf Club in Shenzhen, is already the biggest golf resort in the world with 12 different 18-hole courses now open for play, all of them designed by superstars of the modern game.
As recently as the mid-1990s, it was estimated that barely 1,000 Chinese nationals played golf. Now that figure is comfortably in excess of one million.
Mr. Palmer, famed for his entrepreneurial spirit and business acumen as well as his ability both as a player and a course designer, is therefore acutely aware of his unique position in China's golfing history.
He acknowledges, too, the huge part played by Fok, who died in 2006 at age 83, and the hundreds of Chinese laborers who used rakes, shovels and their bare hands to fashion a championship golf course out of a featureless tract of land.
“We were contacted by the Henry Fok organization in Japan,” recalled Mr. Palmer. “Mr. Fok had seen our work in Japan and asked me if I would consider designing him a championship course in mainland China. I said: ‘Yes, we would be delighted to.’”
“The land was one half flat and one half severe mountain slope. All of the features of the course were designed. It was not what you would call a great or natural golf course site, and it was a pretty tough build because it involved so much manual labour. We are very proud of how it all came together to create what now looks like a very natural site.”
Mr. Palmer met Fok to discuss the history-making project, and made various site visits during the construction period.
“The fact that it was part of history was one of the reasons I agreed to design the course. As it has turned out, we really did lay the cornerstone for golf in mainland China and we are all very proud of that,” said Mr. Palmer, with obvious pride.
“I met Mr. Fok on two occasions. We had a lunch and a dinner together. He was a great host and a true visionary for the game in Asia. Mr. Fok's construction of Chung Shan golf course was a very high financial risk endeavour, but its success has always made it the tycoons' club in South China.”
Mr. Palmer remains in awe of the workers who built the course without the benefit of heavy equipment or much knowledge of the game.
“The course turned out much better than I expected. It was built by hand. They had no equipment — bulldozers, trucks, tractors or loaders,” he said. “Imagine for a moment that this project was built by men and women using shovels and rakes, working on a task they had never undertaken before.
“I played the course and was more than satisfied with the putting surfaces and the strategy being asked of a player on each of the holes. The golf course has a very nice rhythm.”
Beijing
Palmer’s second Chinese course is as daunting in terms of work, but this time at least the workers had the benefit of proper equipment. Still under construction, The Cascades sits 20 minutes due east of Beijing’s Tiananmen Square with its first 18 holes (of a 27-hole design) now open to play. Incredibly, 2.5 million cubic meters of earth had to be moved to transform the flat site into rolling hills. Now, complete with lakes and dramatic waterfalls, everyone familiar with the original lay of the land is simply stunned by the metamorphosis that has taken place. Moreover, in and around Beijing, there is simply no other course like it. With the first 18 measuring 7,400 yards, look for the capital city’s future major tournaments to be hosted here.
Throughout the course, elevated tees provide golfers a good perspective on each hole, and things get rolling straight away. Upon leaving the clubhouse, the player is swept along a magnificent pathway that “floats” on pedestals above a 20- meter long parabolic shaped waterfall. The effect is immediate, stimulating and refreshing. It signals your entry into a garden of golfing delights. Like any good opening hole, the bunking, movement in the shaping, and character of the putting surface on the first are restrained but still provide an early indication as to the design of the remainder of the course. Hole No.6 is a 634-yard, par 5 that looks like you’re driving to Tibet. Hole No.9 is a 197-yard par 3 that plays downhill to a long narrow green, flanked on the right by a lake with elegant rock outcroppings. The tees on the 9th afford the golfer expansive views of the entire front nine, and the way they cascade down the edges of the massive waterfall feature makes this hole one of the signature designs of the course. Hole No.11 is a 563-yard par 5 where China’s largest and most challenging sand bunker complex first snakes its way into the fairways and greens of the back nine holes. Nicknamed “The Intimidator,” this huge hazard starts at the first landing area of the 11th and then wraps and coils its way through the fairways and greens of the next three holes. The majestic scale of the eleventh is readily apparent; a tee shot with a slight draw will carry deep into the landing area due to the dramatic falling gradient. Club selection for the second shot must be thoughtful and accurate to give any chance of a birdie on this hole. The elevated green is guarded by deep sand bunkering in front. All pin placements on this hole are difficult to putt as the surface of the green has so much subtle movement. The par 3 No.17 hole measures a modest 131 yards. However, the green sits on an island and, depending on the tees you play from, lies between 20 and 30 feet below the player. Wind and water are the big hazards, and the short length only makes club selection and line of flight more difficult. Behind the green is a line of mature trees that block the wind on half the green and permit its full impact to be felt on the remainder. Given that all tee shots will be made with lofted clubs, no matter how well struck, the line of flight will only be partially under the control of the player. A gust of wind or a sudden swirl means that shots that start out good will often become wayward. So much so that some consider the sand bunker to the left front of the green more of a bailout than a hazard. Many rounds will be saved or demolished on this pretty but tricky little hole.
The 18th is all risk and reward. It’s a 448-yard hole, but the green lies 340 yards away — if you are willing to attempt to fly the water that guards the hole from tee to green. The best pros will be able to drive the green or bite off most of the dogleg. The hole is set up to tempt the player to reach further than they might grasp; play a safe tee shot to the generous landing area and you can capture a par or even a birdie, go for it and you will be a hero or a zero. One thing is for sure: as you tap in your final putt you will look around and marvel at the amazing golf course that surrounds you. This is what golf is all about and it guarantees a golfing experience like no other in Beijing.
Kunming
Moving southwest from the capital, bustling Kunming in Yunnan province is potentially a golf destination that could one day match the might of Mission Hills. One of the reasons for this is that Arnold Palmer Design Company has begun construction on what may become the most memorable 18 holes in the region.
Kunming is already home to Spring City Golf and Lake Resort, which has two championship courses: the Mountain designed by Nicklaus, and the Lake by Robert Trent Jones Jr. With the addition of the mountain-styled, Palmer-designed Kunming Golf & Country Club, the area is even more certain to attract visitors, and plaudits, due to the quality of its golf.
The tee position for the par four 4th at Kunming
Mr. Palmer’s layout embraces a stretch of land where the imagination can run wild. The opening hole gets your attention right away, and the tees on holes 3 and 4 cling to the side of a canyon with greens perched 300 feet above the lake. Only 20 minutes from downtown Kunming, this course certainly possesses the “wow” factor so beloved of Mr. Palmer’s former design partner, the late Ed Seay.
The drama is contained in the many peaks, cliffs, canyons, lakes and streams that help form this challenging 7,214-yard test of golf. In Mr. Seay’s words, “the holes were there, we just had to go find them, refine them and beautify what nature gave us to work with. We did a lot of route plans but we finally found 18 great holes of golf that minimized earth moving while taking the golfer through all the natural beauty the site had to offer.”
Lakes have been added and there has been considerable strategic shaping of the terrain, but these additions and refinements complement the rare beauty of the site and look as natural as the vast areas of the course that remain untouched. Kunming’s temperate climate and modest altitude allow for jade-green, cool-weather grasses on the fairways and ultra-fast, bent-grass greens on this links style layout.
When the XXIX Olympiad unfolds in Beijing this year, visitors from all over the world will be there — including the Dutch and the Scots. Will they care about or even acknowledge Wei Tai and the game of Chuiwan, or will they be too busy arguing with each other about golf ’s European origins? Whatever they decide to believe, it’s certain golf in China will press on regardless with Palmer and his design team leading the way, just as they have from the modern rebirth of the Chinese game.
The rock gorge on what will be hole 13
Posted: August 1, 2008 03:49 PM
Sweet Carolina
July 03, 2008
South Carolina is home to great food, great golf, and — believe it or not — the largest Gingko farm in the world. The state’s Myrtle Beach area is a well-known family destination, and Hilton Head will always be a good place to injure your credit card before heading out for a round of golf.
But the real beauty of South Carolina may lie in the state’s interior and in its northwestern highlands. In fact, the Blue Ridge Mountains for which North Carolina is so famous actually begin in South Carolina. And there, in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains, sits one of the country’s premier golf communities, The Reserve at Lake Keowee.
Located in the town of Sunset on nearly 30 miles of Lake Keowee’s beautiful shoreline, The Reserve at Lake Keowee is just two hours from both Atlanta and Charlotte, but feels a world away from everything.
Community residents benefit from laid-back Southernstyle homes, an elegant clubhouse, top-tier dining and a world of amenities, which will soon include an Arnold Palmer Premier golf course. They also benefit from 3,900 acres of the Southeast’s most beautiful scenery: untouched woods full of oaks, pine, maple and poplar; the rolling foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains; quaint neighboring towns; and, of course, Lake Keowee itself.
Originally created by the Duke Power Company for power generation, the lake — one of the few classified as drinkable — measures 18,500 acres with 300 miles of shoreline. There’s quite a bit of history at the lake site, the name of which roughly translates from the Cherokee to mean “Place of the Mulberries.” Hernando DeSoto came through the area in 1540, and for years it was the site of an important Cherokee town. The town was destroyed by the British in the Anglo- Cherokee War of the mid-18th century, and the site eventually became the lake it is today. Vacationers now flock to its shores for Lake Keowee’s boating, fishing, water-skiing, swimming, camping and picnicking.
Residents of The Reserve at Lake Keowee get to enjoy all of that and more, year-round.
Community Hub
With lakefront home sites available, and a marina for all residents to enjoy, the lake is an integral part of life at The Reserve. So is The Orchard House, the casually elegant hub of social life in the community. Wide verandas, porches with comfortable rocking chairs, cozy fireplaces inside and out and beautiful exposed brick rooms with pine floors and oriental rugs set the scene for perfect lazy days and nights. Whether it’s croquet on the front lawn or meals on the back porch, The Orchard House is the perfect place to catch a sunset, (or indeed a sunrise for those that like to awake with the birds) and kick back with friends.
When it comes to food, The Reserve’s dining options are varied and flexible but sure to satisfy any appetite. New South cuisine, grille favorites and European delights are served at The Orchard House, casual but excellent burgers and such are served near the pool. For those seeking nourishment and refreshment during play superb sandwiches and various drink options are available at the Halfway House (by the golf course’s No.9). Menus are substantial, and all the food is top-shelf.
Golf
In addition to being a social hub, The Orchard House also serves as The Reserve’s golf clubhouse. The 20,000 square-foot facility contains men’s and women’s locker rooms, card rooms, lounges and a full pro shop, all of which serve the existing Nicklaus Course.
Soon, the existing course will be joined by one of the first Arnold Palmer Premier Golf Complexes. In addition to a Premier 18-hole course, the Complex will hold a par-3 course and a top-tier learning center. As fans know, Arnold Palmer Premier courses are set to redefine the golf experience as we currently know it. Incredible detail will be paid to both the construction and operation of the course, which will inevitably be one of the finest courses in the Southeast. Residents of The Reserve at Lake Keowee will be fortunate indeed to have this fine facility in their backyards.
Village
More than just another golf course neighborhood, The Reserve at Lake Keowee is a full-on community. The pulse of the community is the Village. With the golf course and Orchard House on one side and the lake on the other, the Village is comprised of all the best parts of small-town living. A Marina, Post Office, Market and coffee shop, Pool Pavilion and other shops and services are all around the Great Lawn — the perfect place for kids to fly kites, families to picnic or friends to gather and watch live music under the stars.
The lakeside Pool Pavilion is a fantastic spot for great summer fun. An interactive water playground, grottos with waterfalls and a dedicated pool keep the kids happy, while adults enjoy the larger pool, complete with fountains and hot tub. Locker rooms, lounge chairs and a poolside grill complete the perfect outdoor spot.
Outdoor Living
Of course, life at The Reserve at Lake Keowee isn’t all about golf and water. Surrounding the community are a million acres of protected forest. As the headwaters of four rivers, and containing numerous waterfalls, this special part of the world is home to numerous rare plants, including the wild Oconee Bell. Within The Reserve itself, there are miles of hiking trails to explore and a Trail Guide to help families find their way. More than 550 acres in The Reserve have already been setaside in perpetual conservation easement to preserve natural habitats for the native plants and animals, and that means more nature and a better appreciation of the area for families.
So Much More
In addition to the amenities mentioned above, The Reserve at Lake Keowee offers residents a full Racquet Club, fitness center, endless recreational opportunities and a wide variety of mountain view, lakefront, golf course and water access home sites.
For a true living experience on a mountain lake — just an hour from Greenville, SC, and two hours from Atlanta — The Reserve at Lake Keowee may just be the ideal place to call home.
For more information, visit www.reserveatlakekeowee.com or call (888) 217-8884.
Posted: July 3, 2008 02:03 PM
Balsam Mountain Preserve
June 01, 2008
The Great Outdoors
Located in Sylva, NC, in the beautiful Blue Ridge Mountains, Balsam Mountain Preserve will eventually hold 354 homesteads, an Arnold Palmer Signature golf course, an equestrian compound, tennis center and plenty of nature. Nature is at the core of Chaffin/Light communities, and it certainly shows in this one, which the developers say was always intended “to exist as a community within a park.” Before anything was done to the property, Chaffin/Light brought in a host of forestry professionals, wildlife biologists, botanists, ornithologists and others to help plan the most responsible development route. After careful study, nearly 68 percent of the property was set up to be protected from development and to be dutifully maintained with real estate transfer fees, donations and grants. Travel throughout the property and access to home sites is facilitated by use of some 70 miles of existing roads, created when the Champion Paper Company used the property back in the 1930s and ’40s. As important as human travel, wildlife corridors were left unmolested, ensuring uninhibited movement for the property’s animal kingdom. Dave Sparks, a Balsam Mountain Preserve member, says that it’s this kind of effort that makes the community a special place. “We are so pleased we made the decision to build here,” he says. “This is a place that is so wide open, we can see the Blue Ridge Parkway and watch the wild turkeys.” An onsite Nature Center and naturalists, provided for by the same Balsam Mountain Trust that preserves the land, will help families appreciate their community. Here, residents can learn about the local wildlife, go on guided hikes, mountain bike rides and bird watching walks, explore the local forest, streams and waterfalls and gain a greater sense of interaction with the wild. Why all the focus on nature? As Jim Chaffin put it in an article that appeared in Western North Carolina Builder/Architect: “If you are going to have a human settlement in a contextual relationship with open space, you have to ask, ‘What do we want this community to be like 50 years from now?’ Because every act that you take in the evolution of a human settlement and the management of the open space will either enhance or detract from the species’ habitat.”
In real life terms, the goals are being met.
The Good Life
One thing that will definitely enhance the human species’ habitat is the Arnold Palmer Signature golf course at Balsam Mountain. Remarkable and sweeping views, deep valley drives and challenging elevation changes make the course a new standard in mountain golf. Eighteen holes of stunning play offer golfers of all levels a chance to get out and enjoy a round — and to enjoy some of the best course scenery ever. Palmer himself has said that the views from the par-5 No.14 are absolutely spectacular. In addition to the main course, Balsam Mountain Preserve will feature a large practice complex. Approximately 30,000 square feet of bentgrass teeing area spread over three levels of tees will face a target fairway and three different target greens. A short game complex will offer a chipping/pitching green, practice bunkers and a fairway approach area for wedge work, while a 6,000 square-foot putting green will help golfers tighten up their final shots. For those who prefer riding horses over green hills to driving a ball over them, more than 50 miles of scenic trails will be open for equestrian pursuits. Climb through forests up to 5,500 feet in elevation, or head down old logging roads into quiet meadows. Top-notch stables and a full-time stable manager ensure all horse-related activities are available and maintained at all times. Riding lessons, trail rides and a riding arena all add to the enjoyment.
While Balsam Mountain Preserve’s large trail system connects to the Nantahala National Forest, you don’t have to leave the community to enjoy a bit of sleeping under the stars. The Dark Ridge Creek campsite includes a pavilion, bunkhouse, four tent pads, hiking trails, hot showers and flush toilets to keep things just this side of civil while allowing families to enjoy a night in the wild together. For a deep woods experience, remote log cabins with incredible views are available for family adventures.
There’s nothing like catching your dinner, and with Balsam Mountain Preserve’s 38 miles of streams anglers shouldn’t have too much trouble keeping fed. Not only are the streams full of Southern brook trout and other fish, but they’re also some of the purest you’ll find anywhere — and that’s a scientific fact. Due to careful work of the Balsam Mountain Trust and the on-site naturalists, the streams at Balsam Mountain Preserve have earned high marks in terms of water quality. Excellent news for fishermen (and women). Take a guided trip with a Nature Center guide or strike out on your own. Either way, there are 38 miles of excuses to get out of mowing the lawn on a sunny weekend afternoon.
General fitness at Balsam Mountain Preserve is a way of life, what with the golf, hiking trails and endless outdoor activities. But there are more conventional ways to stay active in the community as well. Games of tennis (or tennis lessons), swimming in a lovely pool or just working out in a fitness center are all possible at The Ruby Valley Sports Camp, which provides a place for families and friends to gather together in recreation. With all of this, golf, horseback riding and so many miles to explore, Balsam Mountain Preserve is as much a lifestyle as it is a community.
At the end of the day, with all of the nature and all the ways to enjoy the outdoors, it’s the people that make Balsam Mountain Preserve such a special place to live. "I was familiar with Chaffin/Light's track record of developing understated, environmentally sensitive, family-oriented communities where the 'mine is bigger than yours' mentality simply doesn't exist," says Balsam Mountain Preserve member, Rod Hanlon. "Seeing the quality of the early amenities all made us fall in love with Balsam Mountain Preserve."
Home Sweet Home
In fact, the amenities are incredible. And with all of this activity it’s easy to forget that Balsam Mountain Preserve is, at its core, a place to live. Only 354 homes will ever be built here, so everyone gets to enjoy the surrounding nature. Chaffin/ Light has assembled a portfolio of homes in partnership with Platt Architecture and other high quality designers and builders, so choosing a place to hang your hat is easy. Aesthetically appropriate, beautiful and amenity-laden, they offer a great way to move into the neighborhood. For groundup construction, one- and two-acre homesites are available for those wishing to move in, and of course you can show up with custom house plans.
Everyone at Balsam Mountain will benefit from The Boarding House. Ten individual cabins and a Dining Hall Lodge comprise this structure, which sits on top of a ridge at 3,700 feet. The Dining Hall Lodge is a 6,600 square-foot gathering spot for Balsam Mountain Preserve members. Top-notch dining, a bar, library and porches with an outdoor fireplace offer a great place to get together and discuss the day’s activities. The ten cabins at The Boarding House are built of antique wood and dry stacked stone and offer accommodation for Balsam Mountain Preserve guests, residents waiting for their homes to be completed or partners in the Boarding House Partners Program, a fractional ownership program that allows access to all that Balsam Mountain Preserve has to offer without the responsibility of maintaining a home.
Whether you pick up your golf clubs or a fishing pole, mount a horse or a mountain bike, or just go for a casual stroll along any of the beautiful trails, there’s no question that a day in Balsam Mountain Preserve is a testament to how beautiful life in this world can be. For outdoor lovers and golfers everywhere, we feel this community is well worth consideration as a place to call home.
Find out more at www.balsammountain.com or call (866) 452-3456.
Posted: June 1, 2008 03:50 PM
APDC Update
April 07, 2008
With 2008 well underway, the Arnold Palmer Design Company (APDC) is as busy as ever designing world-class golf courses for us to enjoy. Looks like we’ll be doing a lot of traveling this year…
Open or Nearly
The home of the PGA of America demands a great golf course on-site, and that’s just what APDC produced with the recently renovated General Course at PGA National. Already a great challenge, the updated course opened in December and the reviews have been fantastic.
“There were several holes that had a significant change for the better,” says golf course architect Brandon Johnson. Number 2 got a makeover, as did No.7, which received some fairway bunkers and a large greenside bunker on the right. Number 8 benefited from some refreshing, and No.12 is now a seriously tempting par-5 with a bit of risk/reward offered. You may think you knew the
course before; it’s worth checking out again.
The Federal Club in Glen Allen, Virginia, is also open and ready for play. “It looks great,” says APDC’s David Couch. “It’s all grown in and starting to look mature; maybe one of the best courses in Virginia.” As Couch explains, the residential lots at the Federal Club are large, so the development and course don’t feel tight or compacted in any way. The 18 holes are “wide open, there’s lots of generous space. It has nice rolling hills, and there’s a creek on three holes.”
Residents of Palm Coast, Florida, recently welcomed a retooled Pine Lakes course. Adjacent to its sibling Mantanzas Woods (set for work as well), the remodeled course received a facelift courtesy of APDC, which rerouted a few holes and improved overall circulation. Also in Florida, Deering Bay in Coral Gables is another refresher, which received new bunkers, new green surfaces, new grass throughout and an overall cleanup that should please players of Coral Gables’ only Palmer course.
Innsbrook Golf & Boating community on North Carolina’s coast in Merry Hill, is benefiting from a Palmer course as well, which should be open soon if it’s not already by the time you read this. It is a stunning setting with five of the holes skirting the Albemarle Sound, two back Salmon creek and several are framed by ponds. Eric Wiltse, who worked on the course, said the course “offers a truly natural golf experience
with its many pristine wooded and wetland areas. Expansive views of the Albemarle Sound can be enjoyed throughout the entire round. Players of all skill levels will enjoy this scenic and challenging championship quality course.” Traditionally styled and quite beautiful, the entire course should be visible from
the clubhouse in this community, which also features 150 slips for boats -- nice!
One of the most exciting courses on the horizon is Newport Dunes in Port Aransas, Texas. Scheduled to be open in May, this one should be a stunner. One of the few links-style courses in Texas, Newport Dunes is part of the Newport Beach and Golf resort community on Mustang Island, and should offer Lone Star golfers a classic course experience. “It’s a special course,” says Wiltse, and not just because it’s designed in classic Scottish fashion. The course is one of the first ocean-side courses APDC has had the chance to design, and water comes into play on numbers 13 through 15, the last being a 476-yard par 4. Wiltse says his favorite hole is No. 14, which is carved through the dunes on the Gulf of Mexico. “It’s a very challenging hole. You play through a trough of dunes, and it all looks very natural… From the tee, you look out over the beach and the Gulf.”
We can’t wait to see it for ourselves.
In the Works
One of the most anticipated projects in the works for APDC is The Reserve at Lake Keowee. In addition to being a great design located on a beautiful site in a lovely community, The Reserve is also set to be one of the first Palmer Premier courses, meaning every aspect of the course -- from the design to the
day-to-day management and operation -- will be overseen by Palmer and held to his extremely high standards.
APDC Executive Vice President Erik Larsen and Couch are working on it, and it’s going to be great.
“It’s a gorgeous spot,” says Couch. “And a severe site, lots of steep slopes and lots of up and down.”
Holes 15 and 16 will have good views of Lake Keowee itself, while the mountains will provide most of the backdrop -- not surprising, as there will be significant elevation changes throughout.
The Carolinas are getting another Premier course -- this time in North Carolina. Seven Falls, near Hendersonville, is going to be an exceptional property, featuring not only a Palmer Premier golf course operation but also a full River Lodge, as it’s set along the banks of the French Broad River. Johnson,
who’s working on the course with APDC course architect Thad Layton, says the course at Seven Falls should be a true golfing challenge. “Hopefully, the idea is to have a lot of strategy, a lot of
options, not only off the tee but around the greens too,” Johnson says. “You’ll have the ability to run the ball, utilize slope and roll to get the ball where you want it to go.”
Johnson also says the course will be a little rough, “definitely taking cues from its natural environment.” As the course is being built on a former pasture, look for rolling land, tall fescue, wildflowers and -- true to the name -- plenty of water.
Also in the state: For the first time ever, North Carolina State University Golf Team will have its own home course, and how great is it that two NCSU alums are in on the design: Erik Larsen and Brandon Johnson.
“We’re moving right along,” says Johnson, (Bachelor of Landscape Architecture, minor in Music Performance and History). “It’s a rolling course, with a big North Carolina roll to it.”
NCSU grad Larsen (Bachelor in Landscape Architecture/Horticulture) and Johnson are creating a native Carolina experience with the new course, located on the Centennial Campus. Johnson explains APDC is taking advantage of the native vegetation and topography. Unfortunately for those with nasty hooks and slices, this includes large stands of native hardwoods lining the fairways and deep native grass for the rough.
“The golf team has never had a home course; they’ve kind of been a band of gypsies,” Johnson says. “Now they’ll have a place to play and to call home… It’s a great amenity for the university.”
Down in Florida again, Owl’s Head is going to be one of the most interesting and natural courses to open in some time. Located in Freeport, near Destin in the state’s Panhandle region, Owl’s Head will be a core golf experience featuring rugged native terrain, including wetland areas, full dunes and bunkers with native grasses.
On the other side of the country, California is getting a couple of new Palmer courses: Los Valles, just north of Los Angeles, and Rolling Hills, near Palos Verdes.
APDC Vice President Victoria Martz and Couch are working on Los Valles, which should provide its resident players with a true LA backdrop: “Magic Mountain is in the background, so there are fireworks shows every night,” Couch says. Hopefully the surroundings won’t distract too much; the course should be a lot of fun, but will have a few tight sections. Look for it spring of 2009. Rolling Hills has a bit more to
go yet, but will eventually provide locals with a nice design. APDC will be completely renovating an existing 18 hole course. The new back 9 specifically will be more of a core golf experience with ups and downs, waterfalls and lake features.
Across the Pond
The United Arab Emirates will soon be getting a Palmer course, with one scheduled for Abu Dhabi. Johnson says the site is a bit of a clean slate that will require a complete overhaul for the eventual core golf experience they’ve planned. We’ll keep our eye on this exciting development.
Palmer continues his work in China with a course scheduled for Kunming. Johnson says it’s going to have a more rugged, links-style feel to it. Interestingly, one of the challenges Palmer’s team is facing is the issue of Feng shui -- a Chinese system of design principles based around the belief that better energy
can be created in a place by properly aligning geography and astronomy. Miss your drive wide left? Blame the stars.
Two of the more significant international developments in progress are Milverton, near Dublin, Ireland, and Vignoly, near Crecy-la-Chapelle, France. Milverton is a beautiful piece of property that features a traditional manor house and old-growth trees. Couch says there’s a lot of character to the property, including historical considerations like old stone walls, which can’t be touched. “The routing was delicate,” he says. Bonus: Views of the ocean and the fishing village of Skerries. Look for it late ’09 or in 2010.
Vignoly, just outside of Paris, is nearly done; they’re just waiting for the grass to grow in. This beautiful former pastureland features waterfalls and lovely shaping. It should prove to be one of the best courses in the country.
A course at the Imperial Golf & Country Club in Cebu, Philippines, is coming along with work set to begin in spring. At least three or four holes will be on the ocean. West End, in the Bahamas, is another ocean-side course with at least two holes near the waves. This course also borders the airstrip at this fly-in/fly-out Ginn development, which will feature lots of natural rock outcroppings in play.
Look for more great courses from APDC in the near future.
Posted: April 7, 2008 03:17 PM
Arnold Palmer Interview
March 31, 2008
Arnold Palmer has been typically busy over the past few months and, as ever, his opinions are forthright and well informed. Paul Trow traveled to Bay Hill to pose questions to Mr. Palmer about the latest developments in his life and career, and also about the things that matter right now in golf
Kingdom: The Arnold Palmer Invitational presented by MasterCard has been meticulously prepared as ever. Have you made many changes over the last 12 months to the layout or appearance of Bay Hill this year as this will be the tournament’s 30th anniversary?
Arnold Palmer: We have rebuilt a couple of tees and built a couple of new tees, on No’s 3 and 14 basically, and that’s about it for any changes at all in the golf course. The course will be about the same length with those two exceptions, No 3 is a little longer but 14 is not. It’s just a second tee in the same general position as the first. Regarding the field, we never know who’s going to play until the final moment. We certainly expect a good field and some years we have had an excellent field. I can’t predict how many of the top 20 or 10 , or what have you, will play, but I’m hoping it’s going to be good. We’re very fortunate that we traditionally have one of the strongest fields on the PGA Tour.
K: The USGA’s new Center for Golf History, which is named after you, opens shortly. When did you last visit and what can you tell us about the Center?
AP: It will open on June 3rd and we just had a President’s Council meeting here at Bay Hill. That went very well and the report to the board was very favorable and quite interesting. I’m excited to go back for the opening to see what has been done since the original dedication in November of 2005.
K: General Motors Corporation is a new sponsor of the Arnold Palmer Invitational this year. You have obviously had a long-standing relationship with GM — how did this relationship come about and are there any plans to expand on this relationship?
AP: I’ve always had some relationship with General Motors. I have been a dealer for many, many years and am still a dealer. Of course, they have been very helpful through the Pontiac division, providing us with tournament courtesy cars for the players and they will be doing that again this year.
K: With the Masters Tournament soon upon us, are you planning to attend and have you been asked once again to be the honorary starter?
AP: I have agreed to that request, but won’t stay the duration of the tournament. I plan to leave at some point on Thursday after the tournament begins. As for playing in the Par-Three tournament [which takes place on the Wednesday before the start of the tournament], I’m looking at that but haven’t made a decision yet.
K: During the winter months, how do you keep in shape -- by playing regular social golf and/or making regular visits to the gym?
AP: I work out every morning, first thing. When I play golf it’s mostly social, but I’m always working on my game. I used to do a lot of swimming, but haven’t done much in recent years. So, I work out, come to the office here and do my paperwork then I go to practice, hit a few balls and play golf. We have a Shoot-Out here every day at Bay Hill and it’s very exciting. It’s fun golf and you don’t have to make your own game -- you just put your name on the list and the pro shop makes the foursomes or fivesomes. Every day we do that. It’s a regular gang we have here. On New Year’s Eve we had 125 in our Shoot-Out and it was really competitive. There are no handicaps, everybody plays from scratch. They try to pair A, B, C, D and E players.
K: Lorena Ochoa won the LPGA Tour money list by a huge margin. What sort of long-term impact do you feel she can have on the game worldwide? Also, can you comment on her conduct on and off the course and obvious rapport with the galleries?
AP: Well I think she’s doing very well. I don’t know her personally, but I read about her and watch her at tournaments and she is obviously quite a star and quite a player. I suspect there’s an opportunity for the LPGA to generate some real interest in the competition between her and Annika Sorenstam, which will in turn will create some additional interest in the Tour.
K: It seems that the LPGA is a much more competitive and successful Tour these days?
AP: Yes, the players are getting better, [chuckles] and prettier too. They’re very attractive and they’re good players which I think is a great asset to the LPGA.
K: Which young players on the PGA Tour would you pinpoint as stars of the future, potential Ryder Cup participants and even possible major winners?
AP: Well there’s Daniel Chopra. Certainly in the last six months, he’s become quite a figure on the PGA Tour. He’s won two tournaments and his golf, I would say, has been outstanding. He’s a good player and he’s been playing here at Bay Hill for about a year. I’ve gotten to know him well and he’s a nice young man.
K: Have any American players caught your eye?
AP: Hunter Mahan played well in the British Open. Brandt Snedecker is a pretty good player and Joe Durant has done well recently. Then there’s Steve Stricker; he’s really come on. He used to work for me at Palmer Golf. He had a spell in the doldrums, but he’s back now. Of the guys we know who are coming to Bay Hill this year, there’s [Rory] Sabbatini, [Geoff] Ogilvy, Woody Austin, Aaron Baddeley and Stewart Cink. Jason Day, an Australian, is another boy to watch.
K: How is the budding career of your grandson Sam Saunders going?
AP: I can tell you one thing, I’m very proud of my grandson. The other day the coach invited him to an outing at Clemson and he was the only one on the golf team invited. The reason was that he had the highest grade points average of anybody on the team, and the lowest scoring average. And he shot 66 at that outing which was very nice.
K: The [British] Open is returning this year to Royal Birkdale, the scene of your first Claret Jug in 1961. What are your recollections of that victory and how do you rate the course in comparison with the other venues for this championship?
AP: For me that was a great week. There were a lot of things happening. I hit a lot of good shots and it was my first British Open win. That shot I hit at 16 in the last round out of a bush was interesting. I didn’t make the putt, but it gave me the opportunity to win. It’s a great golf course and I enjoyed the hell out of it. The conditions on the final day were the toughest we had played. And I played my best golf the day the weather was really bad in the last round.
K: [Pointing to a picture on the desk] Is that the latest addition to the Palmer Family?
AP: Yes that is my new great grandson -- Samuel James Schneider. He lives in New York.
K: The PGA National Resort & Spa in Palm Beach has recently been renovated. What can you say about the freshening-up work that has been done on the course you originally designed there?
AP: It’s very good. As a matter of fact I’m going down there later this month to take another look and maybe hit a few shots on the reconditioned golf course.
K: What Arnold Palmer Design Company courses are under construction at present
and which ones are taking up most of your time?
AP: We’re doing one called Seven Falls in North Carolina, near Asheville, which is really very good. It’s in the mountains but isn’t a hilly golf course because it sits in a valley. The setting is beautiful and the project is shaping up to be one of our first Palmer Premier golf courses. We’re doing all kinds of things there like putting in practice ranges and a short course in addition to the 18-hole championship course. There’s going to be a pre-opening there in June but the official grand opening for the course will not be until 2009. We’ve got another course up in the Florida Panhandle called Owl’s Head which is shaping up rather rapidly and we’ve got North Carolina State University in Raleigh which is also coming along. We’re doing some repairs to Matanzas Woods which is on the Palm Coast. The Federal Club up in Richmond, Virginia is just finishing up and they’re playing golf there right now -- it’s a very nice course.
K: You also currently a number of courses under construction in the Far East. Do you see the Far East as the next big growth area for golf?
AP: We’re working on a course in Beijing. Currently we’re not doing anything in Japan but we’ve got some stuff on the go in the Philippines and we’re looking at doing something in the Bahamas, which is very popular with golfers at the moment. As far as the growth of golf in the Far East is concerned, it’s growing as fast as we’re building them. It’s a real hot spot for golf that will continue to be an ongoing place to build golf courses without question. Asia
generally is going to continue to be very popular.
K: We have an article in this issue with Babe Krinock, the man who taught you to fly. Did you ever think of teaching him how to play golf?
AP: [Laughing] What are you doing with Babe? He plays golf, and actually he’s a pretty good golfer. I’ve given him tips and I’ve played with him once or twice. He’s 84 years old and he taught me to fly in 1955 – so you can figure that out. And he’s still playing golf and instructing at the Arnold Palmer Airport in Latrobe, Pennsylvania.
K: What charity work are you currently devoting some of your time to?
AP: I am very involved in the Arnold Palmer Medical Center which is right here in Orlando and that consists of the Arnold Palmer Children’s Hospital, the Winnie Palmer Hospital for Women & Babies. The Arnold Palmer Medical Center has 3,124 employees including 501 physicians and as of January 7, 2008 more than $10 million had been raised for this cause by our tournament. There were 13,898 births at the center in 2007 compared with 12,552 in 2006. Due to the construction of new units to deal with cancer and kidney disease, we are currently operating 136 beds in the Arnold Palmer Hospital. But when that work is completed, we will be licensed for 158.
K: Are you currently involved in any project with the First Tee program?
AP: I’m very involved. It’s a shame Doc Giffin isn’t here because he would tell you that when we closed the Arnold Palmer Golf Company a couple of years ago I bought back all the inventory that was left. Shortly we will be giving all of that inventory to the First Tee program, which amounts to a couple of hundred sets of clubs -- irons and woods.
K: We understand you have an experimental green here at Bay Hill. What is that all about?
AP: It’s already in and growing. It’s an experimental grass green that we are doing with SubAir and their new Hydronics System. It’s got L93, A1 and G2 bent grass on half. Then I have Sea Island Supreme, Miniverde and Champion Bermuda on the other half. We will know what works and what doesn’t in maybe a year.
K: What memories do you have of the singer and entertainer Don Cherry, an old
golfing adversary of yours both at amateur and professional level?
AP: He is a good friend of mine and lives in Las Vegas. He’s done a lot of albums and still does a lot of cabaret. He turned professional and played as a pro for a while, but it was too tough for him to maintain that career along with his singing. He did a million-selling record called ‘Band of Gold’ in 1955 and re-recorded it for his album ‘There Goes My Everything’ in 1968. I see him once a year out in Las Vegas.
K: You have recently received the Golf Coaches’ Association of America’s lifetime
achievement award. What does this mean to you?
AP: I’ve always been pretty big on college golf and young amateurs coming along, particularly at school age. Good coaching is something that goes along with that, like the Palmer Cup, which is an inter-collegiate event between the U.S.A. and Europe. Coaches are very important to continuing that program and making it successful and international. It’s not just about America.
K: You must be pleased with the way the Golf Channel has developed during the dozen or so years that have passed since it launched?
AP: I think it’s been fantastic. It’s very good and I think will continue to become more of a dominant part of the game of golf as more tournaments come within reach of the cameras.
K: If you were granted one wish for the game of golf in 2008, what would it be?
AP: At my age I can’t even wish that I will win the Masters or the Open, so I can’t get into that. I suppose I would like to see golf continue to make the progress that it has made over the last 50 years. I think international golf is now becoming a key to the golf world and suppose that I would like to see the progress they’re making overseas continue here too.
Posted: March 31, 2008 03:00 PM
Welcome to the tenth edition of Kingdom
Spring is in the air, and what a great season it is. I love this time of year because, in addition to other things, it means it's time for The Masters. This year, as many of you know, marks the 50th anniversary of my first win at Augusta. I'll never forget my 3-wood shot from the middle of the fairway on 13 on the final day that sailed 230 yards to land within 18 feet of the pin. And what an exciting finish. I'm sure the action at this year's Masters will be great, too. I'm delighted to say that I’ll be there once again to kick things off as the Honorary Starter. Maybe I'll see you there.
As soon as that's wrapped up, I'll be back at work with the excellent team at the Arnold Palmer Design Company. We've had a few courses open recently, and there are more on the way. Really looking forward to Seven Falls in North Carolina and to Newport Dunes in Texas. Newport is a beautiful spot that brings the Gulf of Mexico into play, and it should provide a unique, Scottish links-style experience. Also, I'm really excited about The Reserve at Lake Keowee. One of the first Palmer Premier courses, it's going to redefine how people think about golf courses. Overseas, we're headed to Abu Dhabi to build a course there. There's so much happening in the Emirates these days and it's great to be a part of it. Also, we’re headed back to China. I built the first modern golf course in the country and we are working on a few more.
Finally, it's going to be great to celebrate the 30th anniversary of the Arnold Palmer Invitational. It's provided so many great memories over the years here at Bay Hill and I know it will continue to do so -- especially with the support of companies like GM, which we welcome as a new associate sponsor this year.
Of course, we welcome the support of the fans as well. After all, you make it all possible and worthwhile. As always, thanks to all of you who have written to me over the years to say hello and to tell me how much you enjoy Kingdom. I always look forward to meeting you at the various events and tournaments I attend, and I welcome your feedback on my courses, which I hope you enjoy. See you on the golf course!
Sincerely,
Arnold Palmer
Posted: March 31, 2008 02:36 PM
