Arnold Palmer Design: Latest News: Archives
TPC development required massive earth moving
August 12, 2010
Courtesy of ABCnewspapers.com by Tim Hennagir - Life Editor
The 10-year anniversary tale of Blaine’s Tournament Players Club (TPC) of the Twin Cities is best summarized by three short but deep words: Beat the peat.
Designed by architect and golf legend Arnold Palmer along with consultative input from Minnesota native and world renown PGA Tour player Tom Lehman, the championship course and associated residential housing development sculpted from a former Blaine sod farm literally required a historic earth movement.
Posted: August 12, 2010 12:29 PM
TPC development required massive earth moving
Courtesy of ABCnewspapers.com by Tim Hennagir - Life Editor
The 10-year anniversary tale of Blaine’s Tournament Players Club (TPC) of the Twin Cities is best summarized by three short but deep words: Beat the peat.
Designed by architect and golf legend Arnold Palmer along with consultative input from Minnesota native and world renown PGA Tour player Tom Lehman, the championship course and associated residential housing development sculpted from a former Blaine sod farm literally required a historic earth movement.
Posted: August 12, 2010 12:29 PM
Bay Hill and Deacons Lodge Make Golf Magazine 2010 Top 100 You Can Play
August 09, 2010
ORLANDO, FL - Two Arnold Palmer Design Company courses made the 2010 Golf Magazine Top 100 You Can Play list.
The Bay Hill Club & Lodge in Orlando Florida (www.bayhill.com), Palmer's winter home and host course for the Arnold Palmer Invitational Presented by MasterCard, came in at number 51, up from 2008's rank of 54.
The Bay Hill course saw significant renovations in 2009 and received it's first true test at the 2010 Arnold Palmer Invitational Presented by MasterCard. PGA TOUR pros and club members alike have voiced overwhelmingly positive opinions on the renovations which were conducted under Palmer's keen eye.
"I think it's brilliant." said Ernie Els, 2010 champion of the Arnold Palmer Invitational Presented by MasterCard. "They are really tough pin positions. I mean, 11-under won. That's where, as a designer, that's where you want the winning score to be."
"Even though Bay Hill is a private course, you're still able to stay at the lodge and play a round of golf." said Palmer. "I really like that golfers are able to play my course as the PGA TOUR pros do."
Coming in at #96 on the list is Deacon's Lodge at the Grand View Lodge in Nisswa Minnesota (http://www.grandviewlodge.com/).
The course is named after Palmer's father “Deacon” and is an 18-hole par 72 championship course which features impeccably maintained Bentgrass greens, tees and fairways that smoothly flow across 500 acres of gorgeous forest, wetlands and lakes.
"Deacon's Lodge is very inspiring and challenging" said Palmer. "It's a very beautiful setting."
To view a complete list of Arnold Palmer Design Company courses visit www.arnoldpalmerdesign.com.
Posted: August 9, 2010 02:01 PM
KUNMING'S GOLF GOES NATURAL...
July 08, 2010
As seen in Asian Golf Business MonthlyArnold Palmer Design Company takes a mountain of challenges and transforms them into some of the most memorable golf in Asia.
Golf design solutions really do mirror the mood and expectations in a society. No where is this more true than in China. Golf has been evolving as rapidly as the country and looks to be entering its first golden age of design. Kunming is one of the best places in China to judge the state of the art in Golf Design in the "Middle Kingdom"; the city has played a key roll in golf development within China. Pure Scene Golf Club and Resort appears to have all the ingredients for a watershed design that helps ignite this golden age.
DESIGN PROCESS: It is important to understand how the golf holes were pre-visualized in order to see why they end up looking and playing as they do. We have included these images to show the concept of the hole, the mass earth works required and the finished hole during grow-in of the turf.
Benchmark courses have been coming along in what now appears to be 10-year intervals. 1984 saw the opening of China's first course at Chung Shan Hot spring Golf Club as Arnold Palmer working with golf visionary and business Tycoon Henry Fok produced what was literally a hand-made course. Ten years later the early flurry of golf development in Guangdong Province was punctuated by the 1994 opening of the Jack Nicklaus Signature "World Cup Course" at Mission Hills, Shenzhen.
This was indeed another milestone in golf in China and remains the centerpiece of this amazing golf Mecca. This massive project also showed that there was enough financial might within the industry for serious golf development. The nineties saw Kunming rise to prominence in China golf with the Spring City Club. The Nicklaus and RT Jones Jr. courses there established a turning point in the expectations of what was possible in China. The Club set a new standard for technical excellence in design and construction of golf courses. The fact that both courses remain some of the highest ranked in the country only serves to reinforce how important this project was.
The late 1990's saw golf continue to grow in China but the Asian recession and lack of clarity on golf permitting saw as many projects fail as succeed. This period of time also revealed the first emergence of regional pride in the golf courses of the Provinces. The coastal industrial powerhouses such as Zhejiang, Fujian, and Guangdong provinces all vied for the bragging rights to being China's golf hub. At the same time Yunnan, Hainan, and now Sichuan provinces as tourist magnates also sought, with government encouragement to become golf destinations. Perhaps the most significant change in golf development took place in the boardrooms, not on the design boards of China.
Golf courses no longer needed outside capital to develop. Prior to this, off-shore funding allowed for more of a "hit and run" mentality in golf development. If projects were a hit the rewards were huge; if the projects failed or failed to meet expectations developers just moved on.
With the change of development funding sources from off-shore to internal capital, the nineties ushered in the rise of the domestic real estate development companies. The industry had reached financial critical mass and architects and developers began to see innovative design, cutting edge planning and larger scale as the way to attract attention and capital to their projects. Enhanced planning has also led to a track record of social and environmental success which gave tangible proof to regulatory agencies that this sector of the real estate market was providing high quality development and strengthening the overall domestic economy. If you accept the notion of 10-year cycles as correct then we are now solidly in the third generation of golf design in China.
It is against this backdrop of evolution that the Pure Scene Golf Club and Resort is evaluated. The project began during the second generation of golf development but due to delays in approvals it was realized in the third generation. This turned out to be a huge blessing to the project. The delay occurred at a time when although second generation designs were being built like crazy, the most forward thinking companies were already traveling the globe to see the best the world had to offer in design. Second generation work had many successes but still lacked the confidence to go beyond excellent execution with a few notable exceptions. Generation three designs at the elite level reflected the fusion of past philosophy with bold new solutions that responded to technological advancement and modern play. Kunming East Lake is core golf, in mountainous terrain with rough, naturalistic detailing. It is a fusion course that takes maximum advantage of the sites' unique topography to present 18 exceptional golf holes.
Highlights of the Pure Scene Golf Club and Resort
If there is a challenge greater than playing this remarkable course it is deciding which holes to highlight. Every hole on the golf course, if removed and placed at another venue could easily become the signature hole. Whether you like the breathtaking exhilaration of standing on tees perched on ridges falling away to China's majestic Dianchi Lake, greens that hang on cliff edges, or holes that cross or wander along the edge of natural arroyo's with pinnacles that look like 40-foot terra cotta warriors, the golf course has all of this and more. Fancy a tee shot over a 300-foot deep gorge? No problem. How about Par 3's that have views that reach to infinity or are framed by majestic temples? It's available on both the front and back nine's. Bring your camera and take your time; you're in for one of the most memorable rounds of golf you have ever played.
Holes #1 and #10
Both enjoy the excellent visibility afforded by the elevated tees adjacent to the clubhouse. You have an unobstructed view from tee to green and can select a strategy for each depending upon the pin placement for the day. Both holes are forgiving in the first landing area however it becomes clear that shot accuracy is the key to low scoring on the course. The view also gives a clear indication that you have stepped onto a links inspired design. The golf course tee positions accommodate all levels of play and we recommend that you play your first rounds at a shorter distance as you get to know the course and the subtle but very demanding greens.
Hole #3
Is a dogleg right, 400 yards, with terrain that was perfect for this beautiful par 4. The hole plays over a prominent ridge and is skirted its entire length with a 300-foot drop-off along its right side. The direction of play is clear but elevation and trees hide the landing area from view. Risk and reward define the tee shot. Determine how much forced carry you can accept knowing that with the wind at your back the green, though invisible is almost reachable. This hole echos northern California's great classic coastal golf.
Hole #6
Is the final par 5 on the front nine and the first of two holes guarded by deeply eroded arroyo that would look as at home in a national park as on a golf course . This hole is all about coming as close to the canyon as possible with your tee shot to maximize your choices. The further left you fire your second shot the easier it becomes to land the ball close to the pin in regulation. Stop for a moment on the wooden bridge that crosses the arroyo. The sandstone pinnacles formed by years of natural erosion have been carefully preserved and presented to inspire the golfer with the beauty of nature's hand. A par on this hole is great and a bogey is very respectable.
Hole #8
Is the longest par 3 on the course at 230 yards but plays shorter as it is down hill. The line of flight needs to be dead straight as the fairway continues to narrow and be guarded by wicked natural dunes. A well struck shot of 150 yards will feed automatically to the green complex and collect at the lower right front of the green. This hole should be a straight forward par if played conservatively but attempt a birdie and your score can balloon to a four or five. The green is partially hidden by the naturally eroded topography and a left rear pin placement will challenge the best golfers
Hole #12
Is a par 3 over a canyon, and is certainly one of the most scenic on the course. Your view is of Lake Dianchi 300-feet below and beyond the green past a temple complex all the way back up the lake to Kunming city center. With the prevailing wind normally at your back, club selection can change at a moments notice. Always a relatively short iron shot, the bail out to the right of the green is the safe play but if the pin is hugging the left side of the green there is absolutely no margin for error or you will end up in the bunkers that guard the left side or roll through the green. This is a very scenic hole that plays a lot harder than it looks.
Hole #15
Is the only drivable par four on the course and arguably the most challenging on the golf course. The tees are set below the landing area and massive wild contours visually compress the three lines of flight to the green and make all the landing areas appear much smaller than they are. The tiny green complex rests upon a ridge and with nothing but distant mountains framing the view it further confounds the difficulty in judging the true length of the hole. Come in from the left of the green and you have a larger landing area and an easier tee shot; come in from the right and you are rewarded with a much easier approach to the green regardless of the pin placement.
Hole #16
Is and will always be one of the most unique and breathtaking holes of golf in China. This par four with tees tucked on the hillside below hole 15 green plays dramatically down hill over wild naturally eroded landscape with grasses to a generous landing area that is framed on three sides by another pinnacle-festooned dry wash canyon.
The dogleg right second shot into the long thin green is over the canyon that runs parallel to the hole from turning point to green. This hole could be included in a calendar of fantasy golf but as you stand on the tees you realize that it was careful preservation of a unique landscape that has created the hole.
This is definitely Mother Nature at her best and as you stand on the green you will once again marvel at the golfing experience you are having. This course is a must play for any golfer visiting the Kunming area.
Posted: July 8, 2010 12:12 PM
Palmer Portrait Supports Kids
July 02, 2010
Kingdom Magazine is auctioning Nespresso's Arnold Palmer portrait to benefit the Arnold Palmer Hospital for Children (arnoldpalmerhospital.com).
From now until the end of October, enter a bid at arnieskingdom.com and you could win a stay in Orlando and meet the man himself.
At the end of October, the winning bidder will be invited (with a partner) to the Kingdom Cup at Bay Hill Club & Lodge an invitation-only event, hosted by Arnold Palmer. All expenses will be paid (minus flights and incidentals) and his or her bid will serve as the reserve price at a live auction to take place at the tournament. Naturally the lucky recipients will be included in the bidding process!
Please email your bid to: ms@tmcusallc.com.
Once an ultimate winner is determined, Arnold Palmer will sign and present the portrait.
Posted: July 2, 2010 03:17 PM
Nice design, big gulps at Arnold Palmer-designed Bog near Milwaukee
June 28, 2010
By: H. Lee Murphy - Chicago Business powered by Crain's"Designer Arnold Palmer had a unique challenge in building fairways atop the marsh, and this creation represents some of the best work he's done in the Midwest."
Posted: June 28, 2010 04:17 PM
Half Moon Bay Golf Links Named to Prestigious 'Top 80 Golf Resorts' List by Conde Nast Traveler
June 22, 2010
Thirty-Six Hole, Oceanfront Golf Resort Ranked No. 4 in Competitive California Region in Reader's Choice Survey(HALF MOON BAY, Calif.) - Half Moon Bay Golf Links -- the world-class, 36-hole golf resort set against the dramatic cliffs of the Pacific Ocean just minutes from San Francisco and San Jose -has been named to Conde Nast Traveler's prestigious list of "Top 80 Golf Resorts."
The rankings were based on the magazine's 14th annual "Reader's Choice Survey," in which thousands of readers cast their votes for the best golf courses and hotels in North America and the Caribbean. Half Moon Bay Golf Links was cited for its outstanding golf course design and location overlooking one of the most stunning stretches of coastline in the U.S.
"Conde Nast is one of the most respected and recognized names in world travel," says Mark Kendall, President of Kenmark Golf Management, which operates the golf courses. "The reader's choice ranking is a tremendous honor and validation of our world-class service, strategic golf course design and Tour-level conditioning."
Half Moon Bay Golf Links' two championship caliber layouts are noted for their dramatically different -- yet complementary -- design styles. The Old Course is an American parkland style layout originally designed by Arnold Palmer, and the Ocean Course is an Arthur Hills linksland design nationally renowned for its closing holes perched above the Pacific. The Ocean Course has been enhanced to feature a fast-and-firm playing surface tee through green that adds multiple shot opportunities and fosters short game creativity.
Located 30 minutes from San Francisco International Airport and just 45 minutes from Oakland and San Jose International Airports, Half Moon Bay Golf Links and The Ritz-Carlton Half Moon Bay are easily accessible to the Silicon Valley's numerous corporations, major universities, and research centers. Its enviable location - hard on the Pacific Ocean in the quaint hamlet of Half Moon Bay - is the perfect escape from the area's urban landscapes.
For more information about Half Moon Bay Golf Links: www.hmbgolflinks.com; 650.726.1800.
Posted: June 22, 2010 12:47 PM
Palmer Course Re-Opens in Michigan
June 21, 2010
Manitou Passage, one of Arnold Palmer's course designs in Michigan, has reopened for public play following a recent faceliftThe course at Manitou Passage Golf Club, near the Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore in Michigan, has reopened for public play.
Laid out by Arnold Palmer as Kings Challenge Golf Club in 1998, the course was bought last year by a group, led by Bob Kuras, president of The Homestead at nearby Glen Arbor, with the goal of creating a destination featuring exceptional playing conditions and unmatched service. The Arnold Palmer Design Company, Peridian International and the Wadsworth Golf Construction Company assisted with the renovation efforts.
“We are very excited about the opening of the new Manitou Passage Golf Club and the new experience that guests will be treated to when they play the new course”, said Kuras. “We adopted a very high goal and are delighted with the contributions that Palmer, Peridian and Wadsworth made toward our achieving that goal. We are looking forward to becoming a destination course and providing the playing conditions and service golfers desire and deserve.”
Manitou Passage now measures 6,700 yards, a few hundred yards longer then before and is now a par-71. Each hole features five new repositioned rectangular tee boxes, a popular style from the classic architecture era of the early 20th century. Other changes include the lengthening of holes, restoration of areas with native grasses, and the clearing of trees and brush to open up vistas around the course. In addition, the green complexes, the pride of APDC, have been enhanced.
Complementing the course renovations, the clubhouse and entrance facilities have also been renovated. The new clubhouse features a beautiful stone and cedar shake exterior with an attractive porch area where guests can view shots into the 18th hole. The inside of the clubhouse features a warm, rich interior design including a stone fireplace, leather sofas and open-air ceilings that expand from the new entrance area, dining area and golf shop. The upgrades also include new locker rooms.
Manitou Passage Golf Club are also offering a variety of golf packages through The Homestead. For more information, call (888) 656-7572, or visit manitoupassagegolfclub.com or thehomesteadresort.com
Posted: June 21, 2010 01:07 PM
Arnold Palmer Visits Fawn Lake
June 11, 2010
To fans, Palmer seems ageless
Fredricksburg.com By: ADAM HIMMELSBACH
HE SEEMED to appear out of nowhere, like a tee shot from parts unknown.
With about 200 people waiting for him at the practice range at Fawn Lake Country Club yesterday, Arnold Palmer came into view as he rode across the course in a golf cart.
He was driven past a cardboard cutout of himself before the cart stopped and the crowd cheered.
Palmer stood at the edge of the course--an Arnold Palmer signature course--and gave a thumbs-up. He waved and bowed, a lock of silver hair falling over his forehead.
There were 80 golf balls at his feet and a bag of clubs at his side.
I wondered how many of Palmer's days are like this one. Wherever he goes, people still want to see him hit a golf ball. Even at 80 years old.
There's something about golf that allows legends to stay forever young in the eyes of their fans.
No one wants to see a retired prizefighter take a punch or a retired running back get tackled.
Yet everyone wants to see Arnold Palmer swing a nine-iron.
Read the full story at Fredricksburg.com
Posted: June 11, 2010 04:36 PM
BAY HILL MAKES GOLF INC MAGAZINE RENOVATION OF THE YEAR FINALIST
June 03, 2010
ORLANDO, FL – Arnold Palmer’s Bay Hill Club & Lodge has been selected as a finalist in the $1.6 Million-$4 Million project category for the 2009 Golf Inc. Magazine's Renovation of the Year Competition.
The Bay Hill renovation was conducted under the experienced eye of Palmer himself and the Arnold Palmer Design Company.
Bay Hill is Palmer's winter home, corporate office of the Arnold Palmer Design Company and host course of the PGA TOUR event the Arnold Palmer Invitational Presented by MasterCard, now in it's 33rd year on TOUR.
During the tournament in March, many PGA TOUR players voiced rave reviews of the newly renovated course.
"I like what he (Palmer) did. I really like it." said Davis Love III. "I think it's a much more creative way to play golf. It's a great style for the fans. I think it's more fun to watch."
All the winners and finalists will be recognized in the Summer issue of Golf Inc. Judges for the competition were John Harbottle of John Harbottle Design, Jeff Brauer of GolfScapes and Doc Belitz of OB Sports.
Posted: June 3, 2010 04:43 PM
ARNOLD PALMER INTERVIEW ON PEBBLE BEACH
June 02, 2010
LATROBE, PA - Arnold Palmer discusses the recent changes to the Pebble Beach Golf Links that he and his golf course design company recently performed for the upcoming 2010 U.S. Open.
The primary purpose of the course renovation was to maintain Pebble Beach's historic value.
"It's been a great privilege for me to be on the board at Pebble. And of course my position as a board member is looking after the golf course and the operations that concern the golf course. We tried to really keep it, much as the intentions for maintaining the historic value of the golf course. And of course for me to be doing it, it has been a lot of fun." said Palmer.
"We're extremely pleased to have the Open coming and to work with the USGA. We think it's going to be one of the great Opens of all time."
In looking at old photos of the course, Palmer and his design team "put the golf course where it was when it was beginning." said Palmer. "We tried to restore the greens to their original positions." Play will be shaped in the U.S. Open this year with the changes to the fairways and "will force the players to go closer to the ocean."
The most dramatic hole changes were:
- Hole #1 - Restored green & greenside bunkering to original from 1918 photo
- Hole #3 - Added bunkers on the right side of the fairway; turns hole visually to the left
- Hole #4 - Added a trio of new bunkers short and left of the green
- Hole #6 - Reconfigured bunkering left of fairway to tighten landing area
- Hole #18 - Replaced pine in front of the green with cypress
A total of 4 greens and 16 bunkers were rebuilt, altered or installed. 11 tees were enhanced and 6 holes have new or adjusted trees.
The total length of the course is now 7,014 yards with an average green size of 3,500 sq. ft.
So how will PGA TOUR players fare with the changes at this year's U.S. Open? "I would look for the scores to be pretty good. Moving the hitting areas to the ocean on 9 of the holes is going to have some effect and the fact that some of the greens are smaller will also have an effect. I look for a great tournament. I think the excitement of seeing the guys scoring well at Pebble will be good, but they'll be some disasters too." said Palmer.
[Click here to download a Quicktime of the whole interview. ] Length 20 Min / 48MB
Palmer discusses the Pebble Beach renovation
Courtesy of the USGA
Posted: June 2, 2010 04:51 PM
Arnold Palmer Talks About Pebble Beach Golf Links Renovation for the 2010 U.S. Open
April 30, 2010
Arnold Palmer talks about the bunker renovation that was done at Pebble Beach Golf Links in preparation for the 2010 U.S. Open.
The U.S. Open is often regarded as one of the most difficult and challenging championships in the world and presents a stern test for the greatest players in the world.
Posted: April 30, 2010 04:10 PM
Arnold Palmer Designed Course The Bridges Golf Club Hosts Champions Tour Mississippi Gulf Resort Classic Open Qualifier
April 27, 2010
Three Champions Tour players had to get through Arnold Palmer designed course first to qualify
BILOXI, MS – The open qualifier for the PGA Champions Tour Mississippi Gulf Resort Classic completed play today at The Bridges Golf Club at Hollywood Casino in Bay St. Louis. The field consisted of many recognizable PGA Tour names. "This must be the toughest tour in the world to play on" said Chris Altese, PGA Director of Golf at The Bridges. "It is hard to believe you would have players of this caliber competing in an open qualifier." Rod Spittle and James "Big Daddy" Mason took two of the three qualifying spots both posting 4 under par 68s to lead the field on this Arnold Palmer layout - one of the many courses dotted along this area nicknames the "Golf Coast.". Jay Don Blake, Terry Burke, and Robin Freeman all shot 2 under par 70s in the perfect but breezy conditions and played off for the last remaining spot in this week's Champions Tour field. All three players made par on # 10, a 352-yard par four, which continued the play off to # 17, a demanding 426-yard par four. All players struck perfect tee shots down the middle of the fairway. Blake and Burke both missed their 20 foot birdie attempts while Freeman center cut his 8 foot birdie putt to move on to the Mississippi Gulf Resort Classic field.
For MS Gulf Resort Classic Champions Tour info go to www.golfcoast.com/champions/. For a complete results of the Monday qualifier go to: http://gulfpga.bluegolf.com/bluegolf/gulfpga10/event/gulfpga1029/contest/1/leaderboard.htm.
Posted: April 27, 2010 10:09 AM
Arnold Palmer's Bay Area Gem
April 19, 2010
By Mike Bailey, Senior Staff Writer - GolfCalifornia.comVALLEJO, Calif. - It's easy to get lulled into a false sense of serenity when playing Hiddenbrooke Golf Club for the first time.
If you catch this Arnold Palmer design in the early or late afternoon light, the colors of the fairways, greens, wispy fescues and tan hills are somewhat mesmerizing. But at every corner, danger lurks, whether it's in the form of a dogleg, sloping green, imposing water hazard or a grove of trees.
Amazingly, you hardly notice the houses in this development located within a half hour of San Francisco and Oakland. They are set back far enough that they don't detract from the splendor of the golf course, which has received a five-star rating from Golf Digest. And the homes certainly don't interfere with golf shots. And at Hiddenbrooke Golf Club, which hosted the LPGA's Samsung Championship from 2000-02, you'll get to hit a great variety of shots.
No two holes alike at Hiddenbrooke Golf Club
"I think what people really like here is the great variety of holes," said Siegfried Wroebel, head golf professional at Hiddenbrooke Golf Club. "The ladies really enjoy it because they think it's a fair golf course."
Indeed, there are five sets of tees, and the more forward tees make the course straightforward to navigate. But move back to the tips of what might seem to be a benign yardage at just more than 6,700 yards, and it's all the golf course you want.
It's also a very memorable golf course. Each hole is unique with its topography and views of the valley and hillsides below. Throughout, you'll find babbling brooks and picturesque lakes and ponds, which often come into play. Those who can shape shots will have plenty of opportunity to work the ball both ways. And the par 5s, in particular, present some risk-reward opportunities.
Hiddenbrooke Golf Club's first par 5 is the fifth hole, which has water all down the left side as well as fairway bunkers. At 539 yards one tee up, many players might think about reaching this green in two, but you almost have to hit a perfect shot to avoid the lake or high grass on the right.
The better bet is the par-5 12th, which may be one of the prettiest holes on the golf course. At less than 500 yards from the tips, it's reachable in two, but the green is perched high around a corner with four foreboding bunkers cut into the side of a hill. Find the wrong place in one of those bunkers, and par is a challenge.
Speaking of challenge, Wroebel believes that the long par-4 eighth, with its narrow fairway and hazard down the right side, is one of the most difficult holes on the golf course. There are also a couple of greenside bunkers and a fairway bunker left on this 440-yard dogleg right, which means you've got to thread a couple of shots.
Read the full article at GolfCalifornia.com
Posted: April 19, 2010 10:05 AM
GOLF CLUB OF NEW ENGLAND TO HOST 2012 U.S. JUNIOR AMATEUR
March 30, 2010
Far Hills, N.J. (March 30) – The Golf Club of New England in Stratham, N.H., has been selected by the United States Golf Association as the site of the 2012 U.S. Junior Amateur Championship. It will be the first USGA championship conducted in the state of New Hampshire. The dates of the championship are July 16-21.
“The opportunity to host the U.S. Junior Amateur is a major triumph for the state and the club,” said Craig Benson, former governor of New Hampshire and honorary chairman of the Golf Club of New England. “With the work we’ve done here at the Golf Club of New England, we finally have a venue worthy of joining the 47 other states that have shared the honor of hosting such an event. We look forward to hosting golf’s rising stars and hope to continue to be a part of the USGA’s rich heritage.”
Designed by Arnold Palmer and opened in 2003, the Golf Club of New England (www.golfclubne.com) is located in southeastern New Hampshire on 450 acres of former farmland. The Golf Club of New England has hosted USGA qualifying for the 2004 U.S. Amateur and USGA Senior Women’s Amateur, the 2005 U.S. Mid-Amateur and the 2006 and 2009 USGA Senior Amateur.
“The USGA is delighted to add New Hampshire to the list of states to serve as host for one of our championships,” said Jim Hyler, USGA president. “The U.S. Junior Amateur dates back to 1948 and its list of competitors is long and distinguished. The Association wishes the Golf Club of New England every success for the 2012 U.S. Junior Amateur Championship.”
Only three states have yet to host a USGA championship – Alaska, New Hampshire and Utah. With Utah’s Soldier Hollow Golf Course in Midway, near Salt Lake City, selected as the site of the 2012 U.S. Amateur Public Links and the Golf Club of New England named to host the 65th U.S. Junior Amateur, only Alaska will not have served as a USGA championship host after 2012.
The 2010 U.S. Junior Amateur will be contested July 19-24 at Egypt Valley Country Club in Ada, Mich. The 2011 U.S. Junior Amateur is scheduled for July 18-23 at Gold Mountain Golf Club in Bremerton, Wash.
The U.S. Junior Amateur is open to male golfers who are under 18 years old and have a USGA Handicap Index that does not exceed 6.4.
About the USGA
The USGA is the national governing body of golf in the USA and Mexico. The USGA annually conducts the U.S. Open, U.S. Women's Open, U.S. Senior Open and 10 national amateur championships. It also conducts two state team championships and helps conduct the Walker Cup Match, Curtis Cup Match and World Amateur Team Championships.
The USGA also writes the Rules of Golf, conducts equipment testing, provides expert course maintenance consultations, maintains a Handicap System® and celebrates the history of the game. Since 1983, the USGA Turfgrass and Environmental Research Program has awarded more than $31 million to more than 400 research projects for better turf and a better environment at universities across the country. The USGA also funds an ongoing “For the Good of the Game” grants program, which has allocated more than $65 million over 13 years to programs that bring the game’s values to youths from disadvantaged backgrounds and people with disabilities. For more information about the USGA, visit www.usga.org.
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Media Contact: Pete Kowalski (pkowalski@usga.org)
Web Address: www.usga.org
USGA Phone: 908-234-2300 ext.1322 (office)
Posted: March 30, 2010 04:49 PM
Four Seasons Resort Aviara Golf Club near San Diego: Augusta of the West Coast
March 26, 2010
By David R. Holland, Senior Writer - WorldGolf.com
CARLSBAD, Calif. – Welcome to Augusta of the West Coast. That's the beauty found at the Four Seasons Resort Aviara Golf Club, an Arnold Palmer design that measures 7,007 yards at par 72, just 30 miles from downtown San Diego.
No, Aviara is not a classic Alister MacKenzie design. And a round of April golf does not weave through the blooming hills of Augusta, with the whites and pinks of the dogwoods and the explosion of azalea reds.
Rather, Aviara features one botanical hole after another with trees, flowers and shrubs of yellows, reds and purples, a view of the Batiquitos Lagoon and a journey through three coastal canyons. Eucalyptus trees and Torrey pines line some fairways.
Read the full story at WorldGolf.com
Posted: March 26, 2010 01:18 PM
Arnold Palmer's Bay Hill Club and Lodge better than ever after reconstruction
March 25, 2010
By Erik Peterson, Staff Writer - OrlandoGolf.com ORLANDO, Fla. - One of Florida's best golf courses recently received a facelift, but if you ask the surgeon with the scalpel, it was about more than just cosmetics. "The opinion is that we make courses harder and harder," Arnold Palmer said of renovating Bay Hill Club & Lodge, the course he's owned and lived at for more than 40 years. "Our purpose has changed a little bit. We decided to rethink that." Some of the changes were made with the PGA Tour's Arnold Palmer Invitational in mind - most notably converting Nos. 4 and 16 to true par 5s - but a few significant changes to the golf course are meant to inject more versatility into how Bay Hill plays for you, the resort golfer. Read the full story on OrlandoGolf.comPosted: March 25, 2010 10:06 AM
Erik Larsen of Orlando, Fla. Elected President of American Society of Golf Course Architects
March 19, 2010
Erik Larsen, ASGCA was elected President of the American Society of Golf Course Architects (ASGCA) at the organization’s recent 64th Annual Meeting in Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla.
Larsen is Executive Vice President and Senior Golf Course Architect of Arnold Palmer Design Company, based in Orlando, Fla. He holds a BSLA from North Carolina State University and counts ASGCA Past President Ed Seay as a former colleague and mentor. He is a CLARB-certified Landscape Architect and is also a member of the American Society of Landscape Architects and Urban Land Institute.
His list of courses numbers more than 100 and includes new layouts Deacon’s Lodge, Brainerd, Minn.; Running T Ranch, Klamath Falls, Ore.; Spencer T. Olin Community Golf Course, Alton, Ill; Links at Kuilima, Oahu, Hawaii and remodeled courses Boca West, Boca Raton, Fla. and Westwood Municipal, Newton, Iowa.
As President, Larsen plans to publicize the concept that golf courses have value which encompasses golf and its uniqueness as a game of integrity, competitiveness and fellowship that’s played on dynamic, beautiful playing grounds. Beyond the game that’s played on the land, the golf course serves as green space, wildlife and flora habitat and can be used for other activities that benefit the community, like trails for jogging and cross country skiing or as concert space.
Larsen lives in Orlando, Fla. with his wife and has three daughters. In addition to serving on the Executive and Public Relations Committees of ASGCA, he served as the group’s Supplier’s Directory Chairman.
ASGCA Background
Founded in 1946 by 14 leading architects, the American Society of Golf Course Architects is a non-profit organization comprised of experienced golf course designers located throughout the United States and Canada. Members have completed a rigorous two-year long application process that includes the peer review of four representative golf courses. ASGCA members are experienced golf course architects, able to counsel in all aspects of golf course design and remodeling and comprise many of the great talents throughout the golf industry.
For more information about ASGCA, including a current list of members, log on to the ASGCA website at http://www.asgca.org or call (262) 786-5960.
Posted: March 19, 2010 03:20 PM
Changes prepare Pebble Beach Golf Links for 2010 U.S. Open
February 24, 2010
GolfCalifornia.comBy Jason Scott Deegan, Senior Contributor
The hazards that make Pebble Beach Golf Links the most spectacular golf course in the land - the Stillwater Cove and Carmel Bay in the Pacific Ocean - will be in play more than ever at the 2010 U.S. Open June 17-20.
Pebble Beach has been tweaked, massaged and molded into what the brass at the United States Golf Association hope is a tougher test of golf. The USGA, in consultation with Arnold Palmer, managing partner at the resort, has added new tees, trees, bunkers and slopes to the world's most famous course.
To say that Pebble Beach isn't the golf same course that Tiger Woods dismantled en route to a landslide 15-stroke victory at the 2000 U.S. Open would be true, but it wouldn't be entirely accurate. The changes don't deface the Mona Lisa of golf. They only enhance it.
Read the full story at CaliforniaGolf.com
Posted: February 24, 2010 04:01 PM
Half Moon Bay Golf Links receives Gold Medal from Golf Magazine
February 19, 2010
WorldGolf.comHALF MOON BAY, Calif. -- Half Moon Bay Golf Links -- the world-class, 36-hole golf resort set against the dramatic cliffs of the Pacific Ocean just minutes from San Francisco and San Jose -received a "Gold Medal" rating in GOLF Magazine's 2010 edition of "Premier Resorts."
Read the full release at WorldGolf.com
Posted: February 19, 2010 02:38 PM
Nationwide Tour to play new Chiquita Classic at Palmer designed TPC River's Bend
MAINEVILLE, Ohio -- The Nationwide Tour added a new tournament to its 2010 schedule Friday with the announcement of the Chiquita Classic, to be played July 12-18 at the TPC River's Bend in the Cincinnati suburb of Maineville, Ohio.
The Chiquita Classic will feature a field of 156 competing over 72 holes of stroke play for a purse of $550,000. The TPC River's Bend is a 7,180-yard par-72 layout designed by legend Arnold Palmer which opened in 2001. A pro-am will be played at TPC River's Bend on Wednesday, July 14th.
All four rounds of the Chiquita Classic will air on GOLF CHANNEL in the U.S. The tournament will also be made available around the world, including China, Japan, Korea and parts of Latin America and Europe.
Read the full article on PGATour.com
Posted: February 19, 2010 11:21 AM
Golf Digest Names Las Vegas' Angel Park Golf Club as Top 50 Best Women's Course
From golflasvegasnow.comFebruary 19, 2010 (Las Vegas, Nevada)--Angel Park Golf Club is the home of two 18-hole Arnold Palmer Las Vegas golf courses, a lighted par 3, an all-grass putting course, and expansive practice facilties. For seemingly too many years to count, this facility and its Las Vegas golf courses have earned status as the "Best Golf Course in Las Vegas" in a local newspaper poll. Now, Golf Digest has named Angel Park to a list of the Top 50 most friendly women golf courses in America.
"We take our loyalty to female guests very seriously," says David Stead, Director of Golf at Angel Park Golf Club. "Although the game of golf sort of started out as a male-centric game, I gotta tell you that the ladies who tee it up at our club are just as captivated with this wonderful game as the men. Their participation is good for everyone." Angel Park Golf Club is also home to a restaurant and patio with terrific views, plus a full-service pro shop. And Las Vegas golfers can reserve Las Vegas golf tee times for the best rate guaranteed at the official Angel Park Golf Club website.
Read the full story on golflasvegasnow.com
Posted: February 19, 2010 10:35 AM
Myrtle Beach National's King's North course: Arnold Palmer's gem is much more than just The Gambler
February 16, 2010
By Josh Hoke, Contributor - TravelGolf.comMYRTLE BEACH, S.C. - Challengers of the King's North course at Myrtle Beach National will find a multitude of risk-reward opportunities.
That doesn't just apply to the famed sixth hole, "The Gambler," but rather much of the entire Arnold Palmer-designed layout, which has established itself as main attraction in the 54-hole Myrtle Beach National field.
Read the full story on TravelGolf.com
Posted: February 16, 2010 02:01 PM
Great Golf in Port Aransas on the Texas Gulf Coast
February 04, 2010
By: Steve Habel - Read the full Story on CyberGolf.comNewport Dunes makes its mark in Port Aransas in a Hurry
Located on the northern tip of Mustang Island, Port Aransas is the hub of coastal activities and family fun on the Texas Coast. The bays, jetties and deep Gulf waters offer the finest fishing around, and the town - known locally as "Port A" - boasts beautiful beaches leading to the deep-blue waters of the Gulf of Mexico.
It's also the perfect spot for a true links-style course, a vision that Arnold Palmer Design Group turned into reality with Newport Dunes Golf Club. Weighing in at 6,821 wind-swept yards from the tips, the par-71 track meanders through sweeping, untamed native dunes and offers spectacular views of both the Gulf of Mexico and Corpus Christi Bay.
An Aerial View of the 13th & 14th Holes at Newport Dunes
Reminiscent of the coastal links in Scotland, Newport Dunes tests golfers with ocean breezes, rolling fairways lined with native grasses and imposing greens. The design combines with the nature to uncover a new golf experience on each round. True to its design charter, Newport Dunes features stacked-wall bunkers and deceptive landing areas, all of which make the course - rated at 72.9 and sloped at 121 - play much harder than the scorecard indicates.
"We truly believe that Newport Dunes plays more like a course with a 138 or 139 slope because of the bunkers, the winds and the contours on the greens," said Kevin Michael, Newport Dunes' general manager. "Our fairways here - which are grassed with Seashore Paspalum - are wide, but they are rolling, and they end with punitive native areas."
Newport Dunes is the first "ocean-side" track designed by Palmer in North America and the only course to fit the category in Texas. The fairways traverse over, up, down and through the dunes and past native flora, rare and endangered seaside plants and the verdant seashore grass, making it visually stunning and a blast to play.
Read the full Story on CyberGolf.com
For more details on Newport Dunes, visit www.newportdunesgolf.com.
Posted: February 4, 2010 12:30 PM
Thad Layton Selected to Judge the 2010 Golf World Lido Competition
February 03, 2010
Golf World's Annual Golf Design Contest
2010 Lido Competition
By Ron Whitten
February 8, 2010
Read the full article on GolfDigest.com
If the $3,000 grand prize isn't enough to convince you to enter the 2010 Lido Competition, the annual golf design contest co-sponsored by Golf World and the Alister MacKenzie Society, then consider this: If this year's winner attends the MacKenzie Society annual meeting at Ireland's Cork GC Aug. 21-24, he or she will receive a bonus $2,000 to help defray travel expenses.
And if that's still not enough, permit us to suggest one more reason: winning the Lido Prize can lead to even bigger and better things.
Our prime example is Thad Layton, who won the 2003 Lido Prize for his original hole design (pictured on right) which, as all entries must do, utilized the design philosophy of Dr. MacKenzie within the confines of a two-shot par 4. Back in '06, Layton was a "CADD monkey" for Arnold Palmer Course Design Co., doing computer design and graphics. Today, Layton is a golf architect for Palmer and has worked on, among other projects, the renovations of Pebble Beach (for this year's U.S. Open), Bay Hill in Orlando (for this year's Arnold Palmer Invitational) and The Bridges in Bay St. Louis, Miss., where he first got involved in the golf business as a grunt laborer in 1996.
Layton will serve as this year's judge for the Lido Competition, the first time a former winner has ever judged the contest.
The Lido Competition is based upon a magazine design contest won by Dr. MacKenzie in 1914. His winning hole, a par 4 with triple avenues of play, was later constructed by contest founder C.B. Macdonald on his Lido Golf Club on Long Island, N.Y. Sadly, the course, and hole, did not survive World War II.
As in previous Lido contests, entrants are restricted to a hand-drawn design, on paper not larger than 11"x17" along with one sheet of supporting explanation. One entry per contestant. An entry form is required. To download an entry form, as well as a full set of rules click here. Deadline for receipt of all entries is April 1, 2010. No fooling. The winner will be announced by May 1, 2010.
--Ron Whitten
Posted: February 3, 2010 03:10 PM
PALMER ON ESPN
January 06, 2010
Arnold Palmer visited the ESPN offices in Bristol Connecticut in August 2009 making an appearance on SportsCenter and while there filmed one of the renowned 'This is SportsCenter' commercials.
ESPN.com's Jason Sobel covered the entire August 26, 2009 visit by accompanying Mr. Palmer and posting periodic live blog entries throughout the day. Read "Spending the day with Arnold Palmer" on the ESPN website or listen to the Podcast.
Later in the afternoon on the ESPN campus, someone asked Mr. Palmer if he could chip a golf ball into a cup of Arnold Palmer.
Palmer delivered.
Posted: January 6, 2010 06:33 PM
Turtle Bay Resort's Arnold Palmer golf course will earn your respect
January 04, 2010
By Mike Bailey, Senior Staff Writer - HawaiiGolf.com
KAHUKU, Hawaii - If you're looking for lots of Pacific Ocean views and spectacular white sand beaches, the Arnold Palmer Course at Turtle Bay Resort probably isn't you cup of Waialua coffee
But if you want to test your game, in sometimes difficult conditions, you've come to the right place.
Because Palmer and longtime partner Ed Seay didn't do typical resort golf at Turtle Bay Resort; they built a tournament course. It is no wonder that the golf course, one of two 18-hole layouts at the resort, is the current host of the LPGA's SBS Open and former site of a Champions Tour event.
Recently, Turtle Bay Resort was named as the site of the Hawaii State Open.
Read the full story at HawaiiGolf.com
Posted: January 4, 2010 12:34 PM
NEWPORT DUNES AND INNSBROOK MAKE GOLF DIGEST'S BEST NEW COURSES 2009
December 14, 2009
The Arnold Palmer Design Company is very proud of Newport Dunes G.C. and Innsbrook Golf & Boat Club making Golf Digest's list of America's Best New Courses of 2009. The annual ranking, which is in its 27th year, will be featured in the January 2010 issue of Golf Digest, on newsstands now. The complete rankings can be viewed online now at www.golfdigest.com/rankings/courses/new/2010/01/bestnewcourses.Posted: December 14, 2009 04:22 PM
Tralee Golf Club - County Kerry, Ireland
December 11, 2009
For sheer exuberance, the setting of Tralee is tough to beat.
The design of the golf course at Tralee polarizes golfers. Some swear by it as among the finest and finding playing elsewhere to be a bit boring. Others contend the two nines are too disparate and the course has too many all-or-nothing shots to be considered great. How can both views exist among reasonable men?
As for the first point of view, those who endlessly sing Tralee’s praises, a large part of their reasoning lies in the course’s setting. Its appeal is impossible to overstate but Peter Dobereiner did well when he wrote, ‘Robert Louis Stevenson was wrong, and by a long chalk, when he described the Monterey Peninsula of California as the finest conjunction of land and sea that this earth has to offer. As a spectacle Tralee is in a different class.’ In recent times, Old Head of Kinsale has received considerable attention for its setting but it too falls visually short of the diverse glories on offer at Tralee. Though the biggest dunes are found on the second nine, the views afforded when playing the front are every bit as captivating.
Though the biggest dunes are found on the second nine, the views afforded when playing the front are just as captivating.
Pictures will never capture the sight that awaits you upon first seeing the course and no man could be faulted for falling under its charms. However, the important thing is the golf, so how about the specific holes themselves? Are there compelling shots and does the course strategy draw you back again and again?In analyzing the course, the Club’s instructions to architect Ed Seay should be considered: build us as many spectacular holes as possible. On more than one occasion, Seay had to be talked into some of the final green placements. He advised them that the third green out on a promontory would need to be replaced virtually every year. He thought the twelfth green located directly above an eighty foot chasm on a 440 yard par four was excessive. He worried that the back markers on the sixteenth tee would require a driver on some days, and even then the ball could still end up in another deep chasm.
And yet the Club told him to press ahead with all of them. The biggest reason? They, like most in Ireland and the United Kingdom, prefer match to stroke play. As Archie Baird, the curator of the golf museum in Gullane, Scotland recently remarked, ‘Americans are killing the game. Look at them after a match. You have four unhappy men bent over their scorecards frowning. With match play, at least two men are always smiling!’
This same belief helps explain why the members of Tralee swear by their golf course. Who can blame them? The course offers many incomparably thrilling moments; only a scorecard and pencil mentality could ruin the day’s fun.
Read the full article at GolfClubAtlas.com
Posted: December 11, 2009 11:04 AM
STARR PASS COUNTRY CLUB TO HOST 2009 FAMILY GOLF FESTIVAL
December 03, 2009
Golfing Families Invited For a Fun and FREE Day of Golf Activities & InstructionORLANDO, Fla. - December 2, 2009...Marriott Golf, one of the world's premier golf operators, is once again reaching out to families all over the world and promoting "togetherness in golf." Starr Pass Country Club, at 364 West Starr Pass Blvd., Tucson, AZ, today announced that it will be hosting its second annual Family Golf Festival on Sunday, December 13 from noon to 4 p.m.
The Marriott International Family Golf Festival, which encourages parents and children to learn and play the game together, invites families to Starr Pass Country Club for a day of FREE golf activities and instruction, including short game and full swing clinics with chances to win a number of great giveaways and golf discount certificates.
Event highlights include: * Noon: Equipment demos for both juniors and adults will be sponsored by Nike and Callaway * 12:30 p.m.: Starr Pass professionals will conduct free golf clinic's for all participants * Popular Nickelodeon animated television stars Sponge Bob Square Pants and Dora the Explorer will be on hand all day to greet guests!
For more information on this year's Family Golf Festival, please call the Golf Shop at (520) 670-0406.
Posted: December 3, 2009 02:02 PM
Five-star K Club retains top AA award
November 23, 2009
TravelDaily.co.uk — Exclusive Irish golf and spa resort, The K Club, has retained its prestigious AA ‘5 Red Star’ accolade for the 14th consecutive year. Awarded to hotels which offer the highest standards of service and attention to detail, The K Club is amongst only a handful of Irish hotels to receive the award, considered to be the ultimate accolade within the hotel industry.
The five-star hotel, which is world-renowned for offering exceptional standards of hospitality and which famously hosted the Ryder Cup in 2006, was praised for its impressive facilities, which include two Arnold Palmer-designed championship golf courses, an ultra-chic spa and deluxe accommodation throughout.
Posted: November 23, 2009 11:49 AM
Pebble Beach turns back clock for 2010 U.S. Open
November 11, 2009
November 11, 2009 - Kevin Merfeld from Monterey County The Herald writes about the recent course changes at Pebble Beach and what they mean for the upcoming 2010 U.S. Open.
If it seems like Pebble Beach is going back in time, that's because it actually did.
After the 2000 U.S. Open at Pebble Beach, senior vice president of golf RJ Harper went through photos of the course from the early 1900s with co-owner Arnold Palmer and his design team.
"If you go way back through a series of decades and you look at photos from superintendent to superintendent, all these golf holes have evolved," Harper said. "We wanted to keep the golf course and its original integrity in mind and make sure we didn't do anything that's odd or looks awkward or misplaced. Everything we did got a final stamp of approval from Arnold."
Read the full article at MontereyHerald.com
Posted: November 11, 2009 05:32 PM
PALMER'S KAPALUA BAY COURSE IS FOR ALL PLAYERS
November 03, 2009
November 3, 2009 – In the feature story on HawaiiGolf.com by senior writer David R. Holland, Hawaiian royalty used Maui as a playground - and so can you, lists the 6,600-yard par 72 Arnold Palmer designed Kapalua Bay course as "stunning".
Allan Long, a former University of Arizona golfer, describes his experiences at the Kapalua Bay Course.
"If you can hold on to your hat, the views at the fifth, a 205-yard par 3, of Oneloa Bay are stunning. The fourth hole, a 357-yard, par 4, is a fun, ocean-view hole. Because of the cross wind, it's a challenge just to keep the ball in play. Ask the folks at the Kapalua Golf Academy how to do that."
Long goes on to highlight the difference between the Plantation Course and the Palmer designed Bay Course.
"While the Plantation course at Kapalua is probably the best course on the island, I have always been fond of the Bay Course," Long said. "My first Maui golf trip was here and I was instantly taken in with the Bay Course. It's not the challenge of the Plantation Course, but you can get caught up in the beauty. No matter what kind of shape my game is in when I arrive, it always seems to show up at the Bay Course. Any level of golfer will enjoy it, and it is one that I never tire of playing."
This review is directly in line with Palmer's golf course design philosophy: “I believe in traditional, straight forward design that produces courses with lasting quality and that are exciting and enjoyable for all players."
Read the full article at HawaiiGolf.com
Posted: November 3, 2009 05:01 PM
China's revolution
November 02, 2009
By Tim Maitland of Golf365.co.za -- It's hard to truly capture in words just how far and how fast Chinese golf has developed. The fact that Arnold Palmer - the designer of the first modern course in China and a man so famous in his playing days that, like Elvis Presley, he was known simply as "The King" - went completely unrecognized doesn't begin to tell the story.Read the full story
Posted: November 2, 2009 02:18 PM
The K Club named Ireland's leading golf resort
October 26, 2009
Easier.com - Exclusive Irish golf and spa resort The K Club has retained its position as Ireland’s Leading Golf Resort, after receiving the award at the World Travel Awards 2009. This is the sixth time The K Club has won, making it the record-holder in this category.
The delighted management team celebrated its success at a red-carpet award ceremony in Portugal on 17th October.
Nominated by travel agents worldwide, the prestigious World Travel Awards acknowledge, reward and celebrate excellence in all sectors of the global travel and tourism industry and have placed The K Club amongst the most celebrated destinations across the globe. The accolade is a welcome tribute for the Kildare hotel, which celebrates its 18th birthday this year.
Michael Davern, The K Club’s general manager commented, “We are incredibly proud and honoured to receive this award again, which is testament to the hard work, dedication and passion of our excellent team at The K Club. As we celebrate our 18th anniversary year, this award is a great reflection of our achievements.
“To be named as Ireland’s Leading Golf Resort for the sixth time demonstrates The K Club’s continued commitment to excellence; with world class golf facilities that have attracted all the greats of the game alongside impeccable standards of service and a friendly Irish welcome which ensures guests return time and again.
“It’s been an exciting year for us – not only with the birthday celebrations, but with the launch of our new offering of fractional ownership of luxury properties with Firstlight The K Club, which is certain to appeal to an international audience, with a choice of houses, apartments and duplex residences on offer.
“We would like to thank all those who have voted for The K Club and look forward to welcoming guests old and new during the forthcoming year.”
The luxurious five-star resort, set amidst 550 acres of breathtaking County Kildare countryside yet just half an hour’s drive from Dublin, boasts two championship golf courses designed by the legendary Arnold Palmer – the Palmer Ryder Cup Course and the Palmer Smurfit Course. It is globally renowned for hosting The Ryder Cup in 2006, as well as 13 European Opens, and all the world’s leading golfers have played here including Tiger Woods, Colin Montgomery, Phil Mickelson, Darren Clarke, Paul McGinley and Justin Rose, to name a few.
Designed in the style of a French chateau and dating back to 1880, the magnificent hotel offers the highest standards of service with sixty superior, deluxe and river rooms and nine suites, all of which feature large marble bathrooms and elegant period furnishing. The K Club’s opulent surroundings and reputation for providing exceptional standards of service have ensured that celebrities including Bill Clinton, David and Victoria Beckham and Sean Connery have flocked to this charming retreat.
Keen golfers can enjoy the Ultimate Championship Golf Experience at The K Club from just £228 per person, which includes one or two nights in a luxurious superior room, accompanied by a full Irish breakfast each morning. The package also includes a round of golf on each of the resort’s championship courses and a gourmet dinner in the River Room restaurant.
For bookings visit kclub.com.
*Based on two adults sharing. (Based on rate of exchange at time of issue).
Posted: October 26, 2009 10:01 AM
Q-SCHOOL GOLFERS PLAY WELL ON PALMER COURSE
October 23, 2009
Ideal weather with light to nonexistent wind have made Arnold Palmer's normally challenging layout defenseless to a group of very good players on Thursday in Stage One PGA Tour Qualifying at Dayton Valley Golf & Country Club.
After 36 holes, nearly 80 percent of the players in the field (54 of 68) were under par on the 7,218-yard course and only eight players were over par at the halfway point.
READ THE FULL ARTICLE at the Reno-Gazette Journal.
Posted: October 23, 2009 03:37 PM
Bay Creek Resort & Club in Cape Charles, Virginia honored in GolfWorld
October 22, 2009
CAPE CHARLES, Va. -- Bay Creek Resort & Club - managed by Billy Casper Golf (BCG) - has been named the No. 12 Resort Course in the Untied States by GolfWorld in the magazine's 2009 Readers' Choice Awards.
At 7,250 yards, the accompanying Arnold Palmer Signature Course spoils golfers with a calming seaside feel, natural sand dunes, five sets of tees and perfectly manicured fairways and greens.
Opened along with the Bay Creek Palmer course in 2001, the practice facilities at Bay Creek provide a great setting for player development. Whether guided by experienced PGA-certified instructors or working individually, golfers of all skill levels will benefit from the state-of-the-art range with five target greens and short game area featuring a chipping and putting green with bunkers.
Posted: October 22, 2009 12:28 PM
PALMER UNVEILS BAY HILL COURSE RENOVATIONS DURING MEDIA DAY
October 01, 2009
ORLANDO, FL - Arnold Palmer hosted select national and local media at his Bay Hill home course Tuesday September 29th to unveil the course changes he and his design company recently completed. The par on the Bay Hill course is now 72 (7,400 yards), from 70 (7,162 yards), which should yield more birdies at the upcoming 2010 Arnold Palmer Invitational presented by MasterCard.
"We're going to go with four par 4s again, with the thinking that the galleries and the people enjoy seeing players make birdies. said Palmer. "We're going to give them an opportunity to make birdies."
The media day at Bay Hill started with breakfast followed by golf, lunch, Q&A and the property was open for tours, including the design office where Palmer's Bay Hill changes were meticulously planned.
Palmer treated 10 foursomes to play the newly-renovated course by setting up groups of three media members paired with a staff member from Bay Hill, Arnold Palmer Design Company, Arnold Palmer Invitational presented by MasterCard and the Arnold Palmer Golf Academy.
Palmer's staff included:
Bay Hill: Roy Saunders, Blake Terry, Brian Kennedy
Arnold Palmer Design Company: Eric Wiltse, Thad Layton, David Couch and Brandon Johnson
Arnold Palmer Invitational presented by MasterCard: Scott Wellington
Arnold Palmer Golf Academy: John O'Leary, Tom Garner
Quite a number of golf publications and local print media were in attendance including The Golf Channel and local Channel 6 Orlando and were able to engage directly on the course with Palmer's design company architects andBay Hill grounds crew Matt Beaver and John Anderson to discuss the renovation specifics in detail.
In 2008, Bay Hill was ranked No. 18 out of 54 for course difficulty on the PGA Tour. Changing holes 4 and 16 from par 4 holes to par 5 holes is not going to make the course play any easier.The shifted and reshaped fairway bunkers on these holes add a new dimension while increasing birdie opportunities.
Also benefiting from the increase in birdies will be the "Birdies for Babies" program which benefits one of the tournament's official charities, the Winnie Palmer Hospital for Women and Babies at the Arnold Palmer Medical Center in Orlando.
Then there is Hole No. 17 which is already known as one of golf's most difficult par 3s. Palmer made it slightly more intimidating by reshaping and extending the beach bunker, increasing the number of pin locations along the perimeter of the green and reshaping bunkers that are closer to the green surface.
Bay Hill has recently been listed as one of the top 50 resorts in Golf World's second annual "Readers' Choice Awards." Golf World readers based their evaluation of the nation's golf facilities on 13 different performance criteria, such as quality of the course, course conditions, reputation/prestige and service. More than 46,000 individual facility ratings were received and the top 50 courses in each category, as voted on by their readers. The pre-renovation ranking will be published in the September 28 issue of Golf World.
Palmer expects excitement with the new birdie making potential when Tiger Woods returns to defend his title at the 2010 Arnold Palmer Invitational presented by MasterCard.
"There's a risk-reward situation there, I like that." said Palmer. "I'm really pleased with the outcome."
Bay Hill Course Tour (Before/After)
Posted: October 1, 2009 12:20 PM
Crescent Pointe Golf Club in Bluffton, South Carolina: An Arnold Palmer gauntlet
By Lisa Allen, Contributor - travelgolf.com BLUFFTON, S.C. - Simply put, Crescent Pointe Golf Club is a tough course. Only 6,770 yards from the Arnold Palmer tips, and it adds an extra par 3 on the front for a 71 total, but there isn't anything it doesn't dish out. Bring your game or stay in the bar. Read the full storyPosted: October 1, 2009 10:33 AM
The Golf Channel: Arnold Palmer introduces renovated Bay Hill
September 30, 2009
By ERIK PETERSON
Travel Editor, GolfChannel.com
Posted: September 30, 2009
ORLANDO, Fla. — If Bay Hill Club & Lodge was a thrilling novel, then Tiger Woods' 15-footer to win the Arnold Palmer Invitational last March was a fitting end to Volume 1. And just days after closing the book, Arnold Palmer put pen back to paper, leading a renovation of one of golf's most revered venues.
Volume 2 was officially released Tuesday, as Arnold Palmer reintroduced his pride and joy, less than five months after its wall-to-wall renovation began. While the routing remains the same, significant work was done around each of the greens, which allows for more creative short game shots, and more hole locations. The bunkers were also reworked to make them more visually intimidating.
"The opinion is that we make courses harder and harder," Palmer said of renovating Bay Hill. "Our purpose has changed a little bit. We decided to rethink that."
PGA Tour players will be glad to hear that Nos. 4 and 16 were made into true par 5s, and that some of the rough around the greens has been replaced by run-off areas, but does that mean Bay Hill is easier? Arnold Palmer Design Company architect Thad Layton thinks it depends on who's playing the course.
"For the amateur player, it will be easier because the forward tees are shorter and the new runoffs will allow them to putt the ball from off the green," Layton said. "But I think the pros will have a more difficult time deciding what shot to hit from the closely mown collection areas around the greens."
The collection areas appear on holes 1-6 and 10-16.
Another significant change that players will have to negotiate is a flattening of the putting surfaces, which gives the PGA Tour flexibility in setting hole locations for the tournament.
The PGA Tour has what it calls the 2 percent rule, meaning it won't cut holes in places where there is more than a 2 percent slope to the green. By flattening the putting surfaces, hole locations can go where no hole location has gone before.
While it's debatable that flatter greens make a golf course tougher, this characteristic fulfills one of Palmer's initial requests for the renovation to "get the greens closer to the water hazards." Palmer wanted pins tucked closer to the edges, bringing the jagged-rock waterlines - a Bay Hill signature - more into play.
Greens were also reseeded with Emerald Bermudagrass, a new seed from Houston that has never been used on a Palmer-designed golf course. The hope is that the surface is less grainy than the previous Tif-Eagle grass, but Palmer admitted it will take about a year before they really find out how much grain they have.
Before players even get to the greens, however, they'll have to avoid reshaped and repositioned bunkers that are much more visible on tee shots and approach shots than before. Perhaps the best example of this theory at work is No. 4, which was converted into a true par 5 without lengthening the hole (it had been played as a par 4 during the Invitational).
The fairway bunkers at No. 4 were moved out into the 270-300-yard range, and a new bunker was added left of the fairway 100 yards from the green to guard the lay-up area. The green was elevated and made smaller, while roll-off areas were created front right and back left.
The other hole that was made into a true par 5 without being lengthened is No. 16, which also played as a daunting par 4 for the pros.
While a better viewing corridor from the tee down to the landing area has been created, fairway bunkers have been adjusted and brought closer to the fairway. An accurate tee shot will give players a chance to go for the green in two, but getting your ball in position is easier said than done.
Up at the green bunkers were reshaped and the beach-style bunker left of the green was replaced by a collection area. With the green smoothed out, more pin locations can be cut near the treacherous water hazard, which Palmer expects will make for interesting risk-reward scenarios coming down the stretch on Sunday.
"It'll be an exciting hole to watch," Palmer said of No. 16. He grinned and added that, "I'll certainly be there lurking."
At No. 18 a new tee was created to give players a better angle for their tee shot, though Palmer believes the longer hitters will still hit 3-wood. As for the 25-foot putt Tiger made at No. 18 on Sunday to win in 2008? Palmer said the green is flatter so it doesn't break as much as it used to.
Whether you're an amateur or a professional, Bay Hill is an enjoyable golf experience that lets you hit a variety of shots. And with Arnold Palmer as the author, you know Version 2 will be even better than the original.
Posted: September 30, 2009 05:15 PM
PALMER RECEIVES CONGRESSIONAL GOLD MEDAL
WASHINGTON D.C. – Today at 1:30pm, Arnold Palmer will stop at the White House where President Barack Obama will sign into law The Congressional Gold Medal honoring the golf legend.
Photo Credit: White House/Samantha AppletonPresident Barack Obama signs the Arnold Palmer Gold Medal Act in the Oval Office, Wednesday, Sept. 30, 2009. Looking on from left are: Rep. Tim Murphy of Pennsylvania, Arnold Palmer, Mrs. Kathleen Palmer, Rep. John Tanner of Tennessee, Sen. Mark Udall of Colorado, Sen. Mel Martinez of Florida and Rep. Joe Baca of California (at front). Official White House Photo by Samantha Appleton.
The award will make Palmer the first sports person in history to receive all 3 of the United States highest civilian honors including the National Sports Award from former President Bill Clinton in 1993 (a one-time award) and the Presidential Medal of Freedom from former President George W. Bush in 2004.
"I don't know that I've done anything to deserve it, but I accept," Mr. Palmer said yesterday from his office at the Bay Hill Club in Orlando, Fla. "That's pretty fantastic."
The Congressional Gold Medal was first given to George Washington in 1776 and to 141 exemplary Americans since. "I didn't know George Washington," Palmer said with a grin. "But if I did, I would shake his hand and say, 'You're the first, and I won't be the last.'"
Palmer will become the fifth athlete to receive the honor from Congress, which is considered the highest expression of national appreciation for achievements and contributions. Byron Nelson is the only other golfer to receive the medal, which was given posthumously in 2006.
The Arnold Palmer Gold Medal Act, H.R. 1243, was introduced by Congressman Joe Baca (D-California) and first passed the House of Representatives in April and was unanimously passed by the Senate on Palmer's 80th birthday on September 10th. U.S. Sen. Mel Martinez, R-Fla., who lives in Orlando, sponsored the Senate bill nominating Mr. Palmer for the medal. Such bills must be cosponsored by at least two-thirds of the members of the House and 67 in the Senate before even being considered in the respective chambers.
"Arnold Palmer is a legend and a giant among golfers," said Rep. Baca. "Arnold elevated the game of golf both at home and abroad, and is respected across the globe. He won 92 championships in professional competition, but even more significant, he is an exemplary American who always gave back to others."
Arnold Palmer's charismatic personality, swashbuckling style of golf and unfailing sense of kindness and thoughtfulness have endeared him to millions throughout the world. Palmer and his late wife Winnie have supported numerous philanthropic causes, including the March of Dimes, nature conservation, cancer prevention and women's and children's health. He has founded the Arnold Palmer Pavilion at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center and the Arnold Palmer Medical Center in Orlando, Florida where the Arnold Palmer Hospital for Children and the Winnie Palmer Hospital for Women and Babies are located, which celebrated it's 20th anniversary on its namesakes' birthday this year.
Adding to the historical significance, one year later to this day, Coast Guardsman vet Palmer received the prestigious Lone Sailor Award in Washington by the U.S. Navy Memorial to Sea Service veterans "who have excelled with distinction at their respective careers while exemplifying the core values of Honor, Courage and Commitment." Palmer told the crowd, "Those three words are what life is all about as far as I'm concerned."
"It's pretty good stuff," Palmer said. "Quite overwhelming."
Posted: September 30, 2009 12:31 PM
ARNOLD PALMER AND ARNOLD PALMER ENTERPRISES RENEW JACOBSEN CONTRACT THROUGH 2014
September 25, 2009
Properties remain exclusively maintained with Jacobsen turf equipmentCharlotte, N.C. (Sept. 25, 2009) — Golf legend Arnold Palmer and Arnold Palmer Enterprises have renewed their exclusive turf maintenance agreement with Jacobsen, a Textron Inc. (NYSE: TXT) Company, through 2014.
The agreement covers the renowned Bay Hill Club and Lodge and the Arnold Palmer Design Company (APDC) properties in Orlando, Fl., along with the Latrobe Country Club in Latrobe, Pa. As a result of the renewed agreement, Jacobsen will be offering competitive terms on all products supplied to APDC clients, ensuring that their courses are maintained to the peak of perfection.
“I am very proud of my long-standing association with the Textron family of companies — Jacobsen, E-Z-GO and Cessna,” Palmer said. “I have enjoyed working with the various companies for many years and remain a Textron fan because of the unmatched innovation and quality of its equipment as well as top-notch service. All of those qualities are extremely important to me when I purchase equipment or make recommendations to my golf course design clients and no one does it better.”
The 18 holes of the combined Challenger and Champion courses at the Bay Hill Club and Lodge play 7,205 yards with a par of 72. The course has a rating is 75.1, a slope rating of 139, and features beautifully maintained Bermuda grass. Designed by Dick Wilson and Arnold Palmer, the Challenger-Champion golf course opened in 1963, and is showcased each spring during the Arnold Palmer Invitational, one of the most popular stops for the PGA TOUR®.
The 6,407 yard, par 72 Latrobe course at the Latrobe Country Club was designed by Emil Loeffler, John McGlynn and James G. Harrison, opening in 1922. It is located 40 miles east of Pittsburgh, Pa., in the scenic Laurel Highlands. The course rating is 72.4 with a slope rating of 138. Palmer’s father worked at the club during the construction phase and became the course superintendent in 1926 and the club professional in 1931. Today, the club is managed by Palmer’s younger brother, Jerry.
E-Z-GO, also a Textron Inc. Company, has an exclusivity agreement with Arnold Palmer Enterprises as well and supplies each of these facilities with golf cars. Palmer’s preference for Textron manufacturing goes beyond his love of the game of golf. He also flies high in the sky with his Cessna Citation X, which he still pilots at the age of 80.
About Jacobsen
Jacobsen manufactures an extensive range of turf maintenance equipment and utility
vehicles to meet the needs of today’s grounds care professionals. Jacobsen provides
dedicated support and service training and conducts thorough testing for quality and
reliability. The company markets Jacobsen products in the U.S. and internationally
through an extensive distribution network and the Ransomes brand through independent
distribution in Africa, Asia, Europe, the Middle East, North America, Oceania and South
America. Jacobsen, headquartered in Charlotte, N.C., is a Textron company. Additional
information about the company, its products and commitment to customer support is
available at www.Jacobsen.com.
About Textron
Textron Inc. is a multi-industry company that leverages its global network of aircraft,
defense, industrial and finance businesses to provide customers with innovative solutions
and services. Textron is known around the world for its powerful brands such as Bell
Helicopter, Cessna Aircraft Company, Jacobsen, Kautex, Lycoming, E-Z-GO, Greenlee,
and Textron Systems. More information is available at www.textron.com.
Posted: September 25, 2009 04:13 PM
A Really Green Golf Course
Stonewall Resort honored for environmentally friendly practicesThe Charleston Gazette - September 24, 2009 - By John McCoy, Staff writer
ROANOKE, W.Va. - Everyone expects golf courses to be green. Some, however, are "greener" than others. The Arnold Palmer Signature Course at Lewis County's Stonewall Resort is one of the greener courses you'll find.
"The Palmer Course at Stonewall Resort has shown a strong commitment to its environmental program," said Jim Sluiter, an Audubon staff ecologist. "The folks there are to be commended for their efforts to provide a sanctuary for wildlife on the golf-course property."
Posted: September 25, 2009 03:43 PM
Golf Course Architect Talks Lonnie Poole, Shares Tips
September 24, 2009
By Chris RichterIt isn’t often that a golf course architect gets to design a course for his or her alma mater. But that’s what happened with the Lonnie Poole Golf Course, NC State’s new course on Centennial Campus. It was a “dream come true,” says Brandon Johnson ’97. He worked on it with fellow alumnus Erik Larsen ’77, who’s executive vice president and senior golf course architect at Arnold Palmer Design. We spoke with Johnson, an architect for the company, about the course.
Posted: September 24, 2009 11:44 AM
Arnold Palmer's Bay Hill Club & Lodge in Orlando: Fit for a king
September 23, 2009
Courtesy of GolfChannel.comBy WorldGolf.com
Posted: September 22, 2009
ORLANDO, Fla. - Tiger Woods and Arnold Palmer will forever be intimately linked to the Bay Hill Club & Lodge.
And that, perhaps, is the best indicator of how special this private southwest Orlando golf course really is. Marketing executives couldn't dream up a better pair of icons to be associated with their course.
Palmer has long served as the face of Bay Hill, bringing his Arnold Palmer Invitational to Florida every year since 1979. The course's daily afternoon shootout, sometimes with Palmer in the game, has become the stuff of legend. Woods is linked to Bay Hill for one reason: how thoroughly he has dominated the Invitational, winning a record six times, including a PGA Tour-record-tying four times in a row from 2000 to 2003.
Bay Hill General Manager Ray Easler calls the Woods-Palmer connection to Bay Hill "an incredible marriage."
Bay Hill is one of the toughest courses on Tour, one of the reasons why Tiger Woods has won a record six times here. "It seems to be fate that the two are tied together," Easler said. "Tiger only lives a mile and a half away. He plays with us every year. You have the new legend coming about next to the living legend."
Past champions of the Invitational reads like a hall-of-fame banquet: Ernie Els (1998), Phil Mickelson (1997), Ben Crenshaw (1993), Fred Couples (1992), Tom Kite (1989), Payne Stewart (1987) and Fuzzy Zoeller (1985), to name a few.
Only Doral Golf Resort and Spa's Blue Monster has hosted a pro tournament longer than Bay Hill. The 7,157-yard course continues to stand up to the world's best players and put on a show while doing so. The 31st annual Arnold Palmer Invitational Presented by MasterCard had a new slot on the PGA Tour calendar this past March, just two weeks before the Masters. And for the second consecutive year, Woods won with a dramatic birdie putt on the 72nd and final hole.
"I like the new dates, and it could make our field stronger, although we've always enjoyed having great fields," Palmer, winner of 62 PGA Tour titles, including seven majors, told PGATour.com.
Nothing's easy at Bay Hill
To keep up with today's long bombers, Bay Hill, designed by the venerable Dick Wilson in 1961, converted in 2007 to a par-70 layout for the tournament with two member par 5s playing as par 4s.
Playing the 27 holes of Bay Hill without a tour card requires an invitation from a member or a stay in its 64-room lodge. The added expense of spending the night is well worth the chance to tee it up at a place so steeped in history. Tennis courts, a health club, a luxury spa and the Arnold Palmer Golf Academy make Bay Hill feel more like a resort getaway than just a private club.
The layout itself has a few pedestrian Florida holes, where the typical bunkers and water hazards await. But they are offset by several stunners that confound even the world's best.
The 558-yard sixth hole bends boomerang-style around a massive pond. John Daly hit six consecutive tee shots into the water for an 18 in 1998. It was a "Tin Cup" moment in real life, showcasing how tempting it is to cut off too much of the corner.
The property has just enough humps and ridges to create several semi-blind tee shots, notably the par-5 12th and par-4 15th. Playing the proper angle off the tee on many holes could be the difference of at least two strokes.
The golf course's finish garners more than its share of the TV coverage for the simple reason that people love carnage. A train wreck is possible on any of the final three holes. The 517-yard, par-5 16th now plays as a nasty par 4, forcing players to carry the water hazard in front on their second shot or risk being called a wimp in the locker room. The skinny green on the 219-yard 17th is hard to hit and hold.
And we've all witnessed the destructive charms of the 18th hole. Years ago, Palmer himself transformed a weak par 5 into a stout par 4 of 441 yards with a hook-shaped green tucked behind the rock-lined "Devil's Bathtub," a pond that has rinsed the likes of Vijay Singh and others.
Who can forget Woods' rousing birdie putt, and subsequent fist-pump, on the green to capture the 2008 tournament? Not to be outdone, Robert Gamez holed a 7-iron from 176 yards for an eagle to beat Greg Norman by one in 1990. A plaque in the fairway still marks the accomplishment.
It's a fitting finish to a course fit for a King - Arnold Palmer himself.
Bay Hill Club & Lodge: The verdict
Easler considers Bay Hill a classic golf course that the pros love to play before The Masters.
"It really hasn't changed an enormous amount the last 40 years," he said. "A lot of the newer courses are designed for longer hitters. Bay Hill is suited to shotmakers. That is Mr. Palmer's style. Also, the way we set it up is along the lines of Augusta. We are the tuneup for Augusta. We have long rough and fast greens."
Playing where the pros play is no marketing sham. It's a thrill to tee it up at PGA Tour stops, especially dynamic layouts like Bay Hill. The course features arguably the second-best three-hole finish in Florida (behind the TPC of Sawgrass Stadium course). The chance to run into "Mr. Palmer" and shake his hand just adds to the allure.
Posted: September 23, 2009 02:48 PM
PALMER DESIGNED COURSES DOT GOLF DIGEST'S TOP 75 GOLF RESORTS 2009
September 22, 2009
Golf Digest magazine's biannual feature, "The 75 Best Golf Resorts in North America," published in the October 2009 issue, cites eight Arnold Palmer designed resorts amongst the prestigious list.
In the number one spot sits Pebble Beach, which has been at the top of the last three of four rankings in what is considered by many as one of the most definitive rankings in golf. Ratings are based on Golf Digest's 900 plus course ranking panelists who score the resorts and courses.
Arnold Palmer and his design company recently gave Pebble Beach a small facelift, which lengthened the legendary course to 7,014 yds, for the upcoming fifth hosting of the U.S. Open Championship in June 2010. To read more about the changes visit the Kingdom Magazine Issue 14 article Pebble Beach.
Also making the list is Palmer's home course, the Bay Hill Club & Lodge in Orlando, FL, home of PGA Tour event the Arnold Palmer Invitational Presented by MasterCard. The recent renovations to Palmer's classic course were implemented with his expert vision throughout the entire process. For more information about the changes to Bay Hill please read Palmer and His Design Company Renovate Bay Hill Course.
Arnold Palmer Design Company golf resorts that made the list:
- 1. PEBBLE BEACH RESORT/INN AT SPANISH BAY (3)* Score: 89.17 Contact & Directions: pebblebeach.com, 800-654-9300 Room Rate:** $595 New & Notable: Site of the 2010 U.S. Open, Pebble has been strengthened and lengthened to more than 7,000 yards. At $495, the green fee is stratospheric -- but check its website for money-saving packages.
- 18. THE RITZ-CARLTON, HALF MOON BAY (CALIF.) (28) Score: 78.77 Contact & Directions: ritzcarlton.com, 650-712-7000 Room Rate: $419 New & Notable: Arthur Hills' super-scenic Ocean Course is being groomed to accept links-style run-up shots. This project concludes before the end of the year. The second course is an Arnold Palmer design.
- T-38. FOUR SEASONS RESORT AVIARA (44) Carlsbad, Calif. Score: 72.67 Contact & Directions: fourseasons.com, 760-603-6800 Room Rate: $395 New & Notable: Greenside bunkers are filled with high-quality silica sand, and the redesigned Aviara clubhouse opened in December, completing the resort's modernization project.
- 49. BARTON CREEK (47) Austin Score: 70.91 Contact & Directions: bartoncreek.com, 800-336-6158 Room Rate: $210 New & Notable: Fazio Canyons, one of two Tom Fazio courses at the resort, was the site of U.S. Open local qualifying. Arnold Palmer and Ben Crenshaw/Bill Coore designed the other two courses.
- 55. RESORT SEMIAHMOO (NR) Blaine, Wash. Score: 69.71 Contact & Directions: semiahmoo.com, 800-770-7992 Room Rate: $149 New & Notable: Loomis Trail was the site of the NCAA Division II Men's Golf Championship in May, and tee boxes on Arnold Palmer's Semiahmoo course have been reconstructed and enlarged.
- 56. LA QUINTA (CALIF.) RESORT& CLUB/PGA WEST (42) Score: 69.69 Contact & Directions:laquintaresort.com, 760-564-4111 Room Rate: $199 New & Notable: Three courses (out of five) have been updated: new GPS systems, bunkers and tee boxes at the Stadium and Nicklaus courses and a few new greens on the Mountain.
- 58. TURTLE BAY RESORT (64) Oahu, Hawaii Score: 69.29 Contact & Directions: turtlebayresort.com, 808-293-6000 Room Rate: $371 New & Notable: The practice area at the George Fazio Course has more than doubled to 16,000 square feet to accommodate more golfers. The Palmer Course's range is even bigger.
- 69. BAY HILL CLUB & LODGE (74) Orlando Score: 67.74 Contact & Directions: bayhill.com, 888-422-9445 Room Rate: $225 New & Notable: Home to Arnold Palmer and his popular PGA Tour stop, the course is getting a $2 million upgrade (tees, greens and bunkers) to be completed Oct. 1.
Posted: September 22, 2009 05:14 PM
Arnold Palmer-designed Zhailjau Golf Resort Yields Exciting Play for the Kazakhstan Open
September 17, 2009
Some superb strokeplay as well as a hefty slice of luck helped England’s Gary Boyd to a round of 63 on the rain-affected opening day of the Kazakhstan Open, which carries the largest prize fund of a regular Challenge Tour event.
Boyd smashed the course record at the stunning Arnold Palmer-designed Zhailjau Golf Resort in Almaty, Kazakhstan, with nine birdies in a flawless round of golf. That represents Boyd’s lowest round to par – his previous best was an eight under par 62 in Poland last year – in a fledgling professional career which has so far yielded one Challenge Tour victory.
For more details and updates visit the official tournament website.
Posted: September 17, 2009 04:05 PM
N.C. State's Lonnie Poole Golf Course packs plenty of punch
September 16, 2009
As published on GolfChannel.comBy ERIK PETERSON
Travel Editor, GolfChannel.com
Posted: September 16, 2009
RALEIGH, N.C. – With new golf course openings few and far between these days, it came as a breath of fresh air when the Arnold Palmer-designed Lonnie Poole Golf Course opened earlier this year. But behind all the pomp and circumstance lies a golf course that’ll bring even the longest hitters to their knees.
The third hole at Lonnie Poole Golf Course
Situated atop rolling terrain, adjacent to the main campus at North Carolina State University, the par-71 tips out at 7,358 yards and gives Tobacco Road Golf Club a run for its money in the unofficial battle for North Carolina’s most difficult golf course. Even from the third-longest set of tees the course boasts a 500-yard par-4 (No. 3) and a par 5 approaching 600 yards (No. 11).
Palmer’s first public golf course design in Raleigh, Lonnie Poole is a super-sized version of the friendly, resort-style layouts for which Palmer is known. With wide fairways and large greens, it’s a bombers delight, a perfect venue for the long-hitting collegian (it's the new home for North Carolina State University’s men’s and women’s golf teams).
Holes 11 and 12 give players a dramatic view of the Raleigh skyline, a rare treat considering Lonnie Poole is the first course built inside the city’s Interstate 440 beltline since 1948. No. 11 might be the toughest tee shot because of a gnarly tree branch that overhangs the tee, requiring a cut-shot if you’re playing the back tee (one member of the grounds crew said he wouldn’t be surprised if they cut it down). At 658 yards it’s a three-shotter for just about everyone.
A few holes down the stretch have treacherous water hazards, most notably No. 15, which has a lake left off the tee and another one short and right of the green. The par-4 18th is a good birdie hole that will undoubtedly set the stage for some exciting tournament finishes.
N.C. State’s golf course, like its football team, looks to have the key components in place, and a bright future on the horizon.
Posted: September 16, 2009 11:47 AM
SENATE PASSES BACA BILL TO HONOR ARNOLD PALMER
September 10, 2009
Bill Awards Congressional Gold Medal to Golfing Legend, Awaits President’s Signature into Law
Washington, DC – Today, the U.S. Senate passed legislation introduced by Congressman Joe Baca (D-Rialto) that awards the Congressional Gold Medal to world famous golf professional Arnold Palmer. The Arnold Palmer Gold Medal Act, H.R. 1243, officially recognizes Palmer for his service to the nation in promoting excellence and good sportsmanship in golf. The legislation first passed the House of Representatives this past April, and was unanimously passed by the Senate earlier today.
“Arnold Palmer is a legend and a giant among golfers,” said Rep. Baca. “Arnold elevated the game of golf both at home and abroad, and is respected across the globe. He won 92 championships in professional competition, but even more significant, he is an exemplary American who always gave back to others.”
“Arnold Palmer served his country with distinction in the U.S. Coast Guard, and has spent countless hours dedicated to improving the lives of others,” continued Rep. Baca. “He and his beloved wife Winnie did amazing work for numerous charities, including the March of Dimes, children’s hospitals, and prostate cancer research. Arnold is a humble man who loved his children and family, and never forgot where he came from. I thank my colleagues in the Senate for honoring a legend who has given so much, and I urge the President to quickly sign this recognition into law.”
Arnold Palmer’s magnetic personality and unfailing sense of kindness and thoughtfulness have endeared him to millions throughout the world. He has been the recipient of countless honors including virtually every national award in golf and both the Hickok Athlete of the Year and Sports Illustrated’s Sportsman of the Year awards. He was chosen as the Athlete of the Decade for the 1960s in a national Associated Press poll. In addition, Arnold Palmer spoke before a joint session of Congress in March of 1990, in commemoration of the 100th birthday of President Dwight Eisenhower.
Through his charitable foundation, Arnold Palmer and his wife Winnie have supported numerous philanthropic causes, including the March of Dimes, nature conservation, cancer prevention, and women’s and children’s health. He has also founded both the Arnold Palmer Pavilion at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center and the Arnold Palmer Hospital for Children in Orlando, Florida.
“I have had the opportunity to play a round of golf with Arnold Palmer,” added Rep. Baca. “My son, Rialto City Councilman Joe Baca, Jr., was also in attendance. Walking those eighteen holes with Arnold Palmer was one of the greatest experiences of my life. Not only is he a golf legend, but he also is a genuine person with a great sense of humor.”
“I truly believe that Arnold Palmer is deserving of this honor, and it is fitting the Senate passed this legislation on the eve of his 80th birthday,” continued Rep. Baca. “But it’s not just about his success on the links. Arnold also has contributed significantly to American society and culture and is an outstanding role model, especially for young people.”
Congressman Baca currently serves as a Member of the House Professional Sports Caucus, and Chair of the Caucus’ Golf Committee.
###
Posted: September 10, 2009 12:31 AM
HAPPY 80TH BIRTHDAY ARNOLD PALMER
Born September 10, 1929 to Milfred Jerome (Deacon) and Doris Palmer is Arnold Daniel Palmer.
Some September 10th birthday highlights in Arnold Palmer's life include:
- 1966 -- Palmer, 37, becomes agitated by meddling tasks given to him by Winnie in order to distract him from Secret Service men surreptitiously prowling the Latrobe countryside. Unbeknownst to Palmer, they were there to assure the safety of one of the most powerful and popular men in the world who flew to Latrobe for a surprise birthday visit. And for the first time in his life, Palmer’s plane is flown without him or his knowledge -- pilot Darrell Brown flies it to Gettysburg to pick up President Dwight Eisenhower for a surprise visit. "I was oblivious to it all," Palmer says, “until I answered the door and found General Eisenhower standing there with an overnight bag. ‘Say, you wouldn’t have room to put up an old man for the night, would you?’ One of the nicest weekends of my life followed. It was the thrill of a lifetime."
- 1972 -- Tournament volunteers at Firestone Country Club arrange for a birthday cake and surprise party for Palmer, 43, as he served as a commentator for NBC Sports during the World Series of Golf.
- 1989 -- The 255-bed Arnold Palmer Hospital for Children in Orlando opens to great fanfare. The first baby is born within hours after the ribbon cutting. Within 15 years, more than 100,000 children will be born in the Palmer hospital. Long-time friend Bob Hope serves as emcee at one of Palmer's 60th birthday events.
- 1993 -- Parade Magazine publishes a Hoest & Reiner cartoon that shows a disgruntled man telling his wife, “The doctor wasn’t in . . . His office is closed for Arnold Palmer’s birthday.”
- 1995 -- Palmer concludes the last round of the GTE Northwest Classic at Inglewood C.C. in Inglewood, California, with a stellar 66. It is on his 66th birthday and is noted for being the first time he’s ever shot his age.
- 2005 -- Palmer celebrates his 76th at the wedding of his granddaughter, Katherine Ann (Katie) Saunders, 23, to James Parker Spears at Lake Toxaway, North Carolina, the Saunders family's summer home.
- 2007 -- On his 78th birthday, Palmer is on hand at the Arnold Palmer Regional Airport in Latrobe for the unveiling of the Zenos Frudako's statue of him. An exact replica is unveiled across the Atlantic at the Tralee course in Ireland.
- Birthday luck? -- What might be most remarkable is that 66 percent of Palmer's aces - 8 of 14 - whose dates are verifiable occurred in September, with five of those being struck between September 3 through 7. Three days after his birthday Palmer carded his best score ever, a 60, at Latrobe Country Club on September 13, 1969.
As the legend turns 80, many articles have been published by the media celebrating the storied career and life of the all-american Arnold Palmer.
ArnoldPalmer.com
- August 14, 2009 -- Arnold Palmer Hospital for Children Announces Gift Registry Honoring its Namesakes’ 80th Birthday
- August 26, 2009 -- Palmer Celebrates 80th Birthday with Style
- August 31, 2009 -- Arnold Palmer Hospital Celebrates 20 Years of Caring
- September 10, 2009 -- SENATE PASSES BACA BILL TO HONOR ARNOLD PALMER
- September 10, 2009 -- HAPPY 80TH BIRTHDAY ARNOLD PALMER
Golf Digest
September 2009 Issue
- Arnold at 80 by Editor Jerry Tarde -- Read full story
- Cover Story: Palmer In His Prime - As Arnold turns 80, it's time to savor the skill and charisma that changed golf
- Birthday Greetings for Arnie -- Read full story
Golf World
- September 10, 2009 -- Paying homage to Arnie
- September 14, 2009 -- Taking the Measure of Arnie's Greatness
- September 14, 2009 -- What He Means To Me
USGA Museum
- The Arnold Palmer Memory Book -- This site is dedicated to the fans of Arnold Palmer. It is a place for all who have a story to tell about this remarkable man and athlete. We encourage you to share your personal memories - as words, images, or videos - with others who admire, honor, and cherish Arnold Palmer as he approaches his 80th birthday.
Kingdom Magazine
- Palmer Foreward - A year, and a lifetime, to remember
- Q&A - The King Reflects - The King sits down with Chris Rodell, reflects on a lifetime of achievements and looks forward to more
- 80 Most Significant Moments by Chris Rodell
USA Today
September 2, 2009
- Arnold Palmer: Remembering 80 Years - By Jerry Potter, USA Today
- 'The camera fell in love with Arnold Palmer' - By Michael Hiestand, USA Today
- Surprise! Eisenhower visit marked Palmer's 37th birthday - By Jerry Potter, USA Today
- With fame, everybody knows Palmer's name - From staff reports, USA Today
- Palmer, 'a character' and 'competitor,' still searching for perfect swing - By Steve DiMeglio, USA Today
- Photo gallery: Images of Palmer at home in PA
Wall Street Journal
- September 5, 2009 -- "Palmer's Go-for-It Greatness: The Legend Looks Back on a Daring, Uncompromising Style Few Attempt Anymore" by John Paul Newport.
Golf Channel
- September 8, 2009 -- Golf Channel paying special tribute to Arnold Palmer's 80th -- Visit the website | Timeline | Photo Gallery | Video | Stories and Birthday Wishes
- September 9, 2009 -- Arnold Palmer ushers in golf on television
- September 9, 2009 -- The King's Crowning Achievement
- September 9, 2009 -- Players recollect memories of meeting the King
PGA Tour
- Video -- Arnold Palmer on his first Masters victory -- Watch the video
- September 8, 2009 -- For his birthday, 80 things we love about Arnie
- September 9, 2009 -- The King turns 80: Images and impact of Arnold Palmer
- September 9, 2009 -- The King's legacy: TOUR players on Arnold Palmer
- September 9, 2009 -- The King turns 80: Our favorite memories of Palmer
- September 9, 2009 -- Palmer's influence felt in the golf world and beyond
- September 9, 2009 -- By the numbers: Palmer's six decades on the PGA TOUR
- September 9, 2009 -- Special note from Palmer cheers father battling cancer
Associated Press
- September 9, 2009 -- Arnold Palmer, The King, to celebrate his 80th
ESPN
- September 9, 2009 -- Palmer hits legendary landmark by Jason Sobel
- August 31, 2009 -- Video -- Arnold Palmer Chips into an Arnold Palmer
- August 26, 2009 -- Spending the day with Arnold Palmer by Jason Sobel
- Video -- Arnold Palmer On Turning 80
Fox Sports
- September 10, 2009 -- Catching up with The King at his castle
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
- September 9, 2009 -- Love of Palmer par for the course 'A treasure to the game of golf and a gift to mankind' by Chuck Finder, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
The Desert Sun - Palm Springs
- September 10, 2009 -- Happy 80th, Arnold Palmer
The Los Angeles Times
- September 9, 2009 -- Golfer Arnold Palmer, 80, remains a game-changer
Reuters UK
- September 10, 2009 -- Golf-Tributes pour in for 'King' Palmer on his 80th birthday
The State - South Carolina
- September 10, 2009 -- Arnie's army celebrates 80
LIFE Magazine
- August 18, 2009 -- Top 10 Greatest Golfers of All Time
Posted: September 10, 2009 12:01 AM
Arnold Palmer Hospital Celebrates 20 Years of Caring
August 31, 2009
The hospital turns 20 on the 80th birthday of its legendary namesake Arnold Palmer
August 31, 2009 (Orlando, FL)
-- Arnold Palmer Hospital for Children will celebrate its 20th
birthday on September 10, coinciding with its legendary namesake, Arnold
Palmer's 80th birthday. For the past 20 years Arnold Palmer
Hospital has been providing advanced, highly specialized medical care
to children and women from across Central Florida and the world.
To commemorate this milestone birthday, several celebration events are
planned throughout the month of September including a community leader
breakfast hosted by the Orlando Regional Chamber of Commerce and hospital
visit by Arnold Palmer (September 4), a VIP 80th Birthday
dinner for Arnold Palmer hosted by Loews Portofino Bay Hotel at Universal
Studios Orlando® (September 5) and a community block party (September
26). For more information, log on to www.arnoldpalmerhospital.com/
"We are honored to be celebrating 20
years of caring along side Arnold Palmer as he celebrates his 80th
birthday. We are extremely appreciative of all he and his family have
done for the babies, children and women here in Central Florida and
beyond," said John Bozard, president, Arnold Palmer Medical Center.
"Through his generosity and those of others thousands of lives have
been touched over the past 20 years and we look forward to continuing
the Palmer legacy of caring for many years to come."
Arnold Palmer Hospital for Children opened
its doors on September 10, 1989, as Central Florida's first freestanding
children and women's hospital. The 281-bed facility offered pediatric,
obstetric and women's services all in one facility and was built to
accommodate 6,500 births. Over the past 20 years, the hospital's staff
has delivered 179,000 babies, cared for 296,000 inpatients and 840,000
outpatients. It also saw the birth of a new facility, Winnie Palmer
Hospital for Women & Babies, named after Mr. Palmer's late wife
Winnie. The 285-bed facility opened on May 30, 2006, expanding the hospital's
obstetric, neonatal and gynecological services. With the opening of
Winnie Palmer Hospital, Arnold Palmer Hospital became a dedicated, 158-bed
children's hospital and the two facilities in addition to the Howard
Phillips Center for Children & Families formed the Arnold Palmer
Medical Center, which is one of the largest children and women's facilities
in the nation.
Arnold Palmer Hospital for Children,
supported by the Arnold Palmer Medical Center Foundation, is a 158-bed
facility dedicated exclusively to the needs of children. Located in
Orlando, Arnold Palmer Hospital provides expertise in pediatric specialties
such as cardiac care, craniomaxillofacial surgery, emergency and trauma
care, gastroenterology, nephrology, neurology, neurosurgery, oncology,
orthopedics, pulmonology and sports medicine. Visit arnoldpalmerhospital.com
to learn more about all of our specialties.
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Posted: August 31, 2009 11:28 AM
PALMER CELEBRATES 80TH BIRTHDAY WITH STYLE
August 26, 2009
This September 10th, 2009 legendary golfer and philanthropist Arnold Palmer celebrates his 80th birthday in conjunction with the 20th anniversary of his namesake hospital. The hospital opened in 1989 as the Arnold Palmer Hospital for Children & Women, becoming children-only in 2006 when the Winnie Palmer Hospital for Women & Babies opened.
The milestone birthday will be ushered in with a week long celebration beginning in Orlando and then heading to his native state of Pennsylvania.
The festivities will begin with a hospital birthday breakfast with Palmer on Friday, Sept. 4. On Saturday the 5th, Palmer will be the main guest at the Party at the Portofino Bay Hotel where his unparalleled commitment in support of the Arnold Palmer Medical Center will be honored.
The next week Palmer will fly his Cessna Citation X to Arnold Palmer Regional Airport in Latrobe, PA and on Tuesday, September 8th he will attend a dinner at PNC Park in Pittsburgh, home of the Pirates. Before dinner, Palmer will throw out the ceremonial first pitch as the Pirates play against the Chicago Cubs. That night will be Arnold Palmer Bobblehead Night at PNC Park and will mark the first time Palmer has been honored with a bobblehead created in his likeness. The following day Palmer will participate in a golf outing and dinner in his honor at Laurel Valley Golf Club.
And to celebrate his actual birthday on September 10th? Palmer and some of his closest friends will tee it up at his home course, Latrobe Country Club.
Posted: August 26, 2009 03:45 PM
PALMER AND HIS DESIGN COMPANY RENOVATE BAY HILL COURSE
August 20, 2009
ORLANDO, FL – This summer, Arnold Palmer and the Arnold Palmer Design Company tweaked his classic course, the Bay Hill Club & Lodge, host course for PGA Tour event Arnold Palmer Invitational presented by MasterCard, under the thoughtful experienced eye of Palmer himself.
"Bay Hill is a great golf course. We don’t want to change it; let's tweak it.", said Arnold Palmer to his design company architects Erik Larsen, Thad Layton and Brandon Johnson during initial project meetings at Bay Hill, where the design company and Invitational offices are also located. "Let's get the greens closer to the water and take the sand where you can see it."
"We had the unique ability for our event staff to work on-site with Mr. Palmer, APDC design architects, Roy Saunders and employees of the Bay Hill Club. Matt Beaver, John Anderson and the Bay Hill grounds crew worked closely with the Landscapes Unlimited team to make this renovation a success. Having everyone here has been a distinct advantage for our event." said Tournament Director Scott Wellington. "Players are really going to enjoy the changes."
The specific goals of the renovation were focused in three distinct areas: Agronomic/Maintenance (greens), Playability and Aesthetics.
The previous greens needed to be completely removed because of nematodes in the soil, small plant-parasitic pests, that made it difficult to maintain good turf quality. "To improve the turf conditions on the greens, new Emerald Bermuda grass was installed and proved to be the best performer in test plots grown at Bay Hill prior to construction." said Matt Beaver. "This new grass requires less maintenance than the previous and the new irrigation heads around the greens will provide a more precise application of water."
With Palmer's lifetime of experience designing courses around the world, to actually building push-up greens with his father Deacon at Latrobe Country Club, he was extremely hands-on with the entire renovation process from start to finish. "I love the Bay Hill course, it's my home, which is why it was so important to me to be involved with everything." said Palmer. "The renovations really add some new dimensions of play for Tour players and our members."
"I've introduced firm, fast playing conditions on slopes around greens mowed at fairway height that run away from the green surface and take the ball farther away from the intended target instead of stopping it, like the previous heavy rough did." said Palmer. "With these new conditions we hope to add creativity to recovery shots. Along with putting new pin positions around the outside of the greens and cutting bunkers up closer to the greens we have made my course more interesting to play and view."
"PGA Tour Shotlink data was used extensively to properly site bunkers and now reflects the new distances of the modern game." said architect Brandon Johnson. Over time the edges of the greens had shrunk significantly and a few greens had too much slope to place a pin, especially on the edges of the greens. Johnson goes on to say, "The new greens allow us to increase the pinnable areas on the edges of the greens for the Invitational and make the players think a little bit more about shot and strategy in their pre-tournament preparation and during play."
"We really improved the turf conditions and playability of tees by making them all consistently level." said architect Thad Layton. "Some of the narrow "runway" tees are now more visually appealing and large enough to handle wear from high golf traffic."
Course aesthetics have received a boost in visual impact with the bunker renovation. "The bunkers will give Bay Hill a new look and will help define the tee and approach shots into more visually and strategically intimidating golf." said Roy Saunders of Bay Hill. "The entire APDC team has been a pleasure to work with on these changes. I would recommend this talented and professional team to any club seeking to revamp their course. I appreciate our members' patience during this process and am confident they will be very pleased with the end results."
"I'm very proud of everyone involved to make the Bay Hill course renovation a success. Especially, since the renovations had to be completed in 2 months so the course can properly grow in and open in September." said Arnold Palmer. "I know the 2010 Invitational will be very exciting to watch with these new course changes in place."
For detailed hole-by-hole renovation descriptions please read below. For more information or to renovate your course please visit the Arnold Palmer Design Company website at www.arnoldpalmerdesign.com.
ABOUT THE ARNOLD PALMER DESIGN COMPANY
The Arnold Palmer Design Company has long been regarded as one of the premier companies in the golf course architectural industry. Founded 37 years ago in 1972, APDC has created approximately 300 courses around the world. APDC's design philosophy is straightforward: to design beautiful golf courses that are fun to play while maintaining the utmost respect for nature. Headquartered in Orlando, Florida, at Arnold Palmer’s winter home, the Bay Hill Club and Lodge, this location allows clients to come enjoy Palmer's world-class resort and play on the renowned golf course which hosts the annual Arnold Palmer Invitational presented by MasterCard on the PGA Tour. For more information on the Arnold Palmer Design Company call (407) 876-1068 or visit www.arnoldpalmerdesign.com.
Bay Hill Course Renovations Hole-by-Hole
Hole #1
The tees were widened and shifted right to provide a better angle to access the fairway. Bunkers 180 yds off the tee to the right were eliminated and converted to rough. Bunkers outside of dogleg were enlarged to provide visibility from the tee. Greenside bunkers were moved closer, deepened, and flashed higher to frame the green. Interior of the old green surface was replicated and the edges softened to provide better hole locations closer to the bunkers.
Hole #2
One of the few "major" changes, this green was rotated 30 degrees clockwise to enable players to hold long iron and woods into green. A natural slope on the right utilized to feed shots onto the green enabling shorter players to access front right pin locations. The front left bunker was eliminated and converted to fairway run-off area. Tees were realigned and moved closer to cart path. With the green now rotated and back tee expanded, this hole can play as long as 245 yards.
Hole #3
The tees were realigned and moved closer to the cart path opening up an unobstructed view of the fairway. The first fairway bunker on the right was converted to fairway. The second fairway bunker was enlarged and moved closer to the landing area. The fairway leading into the green was expanded, enabling a ground approach into green. The green was expanded towards the water to create an array of pin positions tight to the hazard. The greenside bunkers were moved closer, deepened, and flashed higher to frame green.
Hole #4
This hole was converted into a true par 5 without lengthening the hole. This was achieved by moving out the fairway bunkering into the 270-300 yard range, a new lay-up bunker was added to the left of the fairway 100 yards from the green to guard the lay up area, bunkers adjacent the the green were re-configured, a reduced green size with an elevated green surface with tightly mown surrounds and deep bunkers.
Hole #5
The tees were realigned and moved closer to the cart path which opened up an unobstructed view of the fairway. Bunkers were enlarged and repositioned to force decisions off the tee. A new fairway cut over the left fairway bunker provides the opportunity for a drivable par 4 from the forward tee. A steep slope on the front right of the green will provide a new layer of difficulty on this crowned green surface.
Hole #6
The tees were raised and moved closer to the lake. The first fairway bunker was eliminated. The sand in the next two fairway bunkers were taken higher to increase visibility from the tee. The green was expanded toward the water to the front, left, and rear. A fairway cut was introduced to collect shots hit through the green and to provide shot options that were previously non-existent. This allowed us to create a new tournament viewing area behind the new #6 green.
Hole #7
The tees were expanded and fanned out to the left. The fairway cut short of the green, steepened to repel shots short of the green to the bottom of slope. The greenside bunkers were deepened and pushed tight to the green. A new front right pin location will be quite a test for members and tournament players.
Hole #8
A new tee was added on a spit of land surrounded by mature trees. The tees were shifted to the left for better views of fairway from all tees. The fairway bunker was flashed higher for better visibility from the teeing areas. Expanded the green left toward the water and softened the back right of the green to create a difficult hole location between the bunkers. The first half of the greenside bunker on the right of the fairway was filled to better show off 2 new bunkers adjacent to the green.
Hole #9
The tees were widened. The fairway bunker on the left was shifted 40 yards down the fairway to better challenge tee shots. Two fairway bunkers on the right were converted to rough. The green was rotated to the right to engage the re-configured bunker complex to the right of the green.
Hole #10
We made the left fairway bunkers slightly larger and shifted them to the right to engage the fairway. The right fairway bunker was moved 50 yards forward to bring it more into play. Very subtle green modifications were made by squaring off the edges to introduce pins on the corners. The approach and side slopes of the green surrounds were made sharper to introduce a tightly mowed slope on the surrounds.
Hole #11
The right side fairway bunkers were shifted closer to the fairway line and repositioned to fit today’s distance requirements by eliminating the first bunker and converting it to turf and replacing it with one at the 285-300 yard turning point. Certain areas around the perimeter of the green were smoothed out to introduce pins closer to the greenside bunkers and lake edge. A roll off left and behind the green that blends into the #12 tee was introduced.
Hole #12
The three hidden fairway bunkers that were located at the beginning of the fairway were eliminated and replaced with two bunkers; One protecting the inside right corner at approximately 260 - 270 yards off the tee and one protecting the outside left corner of the fairway at approximately 300 yards from the back tee. The left fairway line has been shifted slightly to the left to widen the fairway and provides an obscured view from the fairway for the second shot. The second landing area fairway bunkers were repositioned for visibility and to engage play better. Old shaping and mounds that blocked views into the bunkers and green complex were removed. The green side bunkers were reshaped, positioned for visibility and moved closer to the green to protect the corner pin locations.
Every effort was made to keep the original character of this green which was slightly modified to introduce corner pin locations behind bunkers and adjacent to the steep shaved slopes on the green surrounds.
Hole #13
The Championship tee was pushed back ten yards and all the tees were repositioned. Before the renovation there were three hidden fairway bunkers on the left side of the golf hole. During the renovation this bunker complex was reshaped to include two highly visible bunkers that were shifted and repositioned closer to the fairway to become more in play off the tee. The right fairway bunker was reshaped and shifted closer to the fairway too.
This green previously had a lot of movement along the edges that did not allow for pin positions close to the lake edge or greenside bunkers. The perimeter rolls were softened and the green enlarged on the front right and back right to introduce pin locations all along the lake edge and close to the greenside bunkers. The greenside bunkers were also reshaped for visibility from tee and fairway and shifted closer to the green.
Hole #14
This hole has a significant visual change. Previously, 90% of the bunkers on this hole were not visible from the tee and neither was the green surface. The old green had sharp rolls along the edge that did not allow for perimeter pin locations or pins behind the bunkers.
The front right bunker complex was eliminated and a tightly mown grass slope along the entire right side of the green was created. The left greenside bunkers were reshaped and moved closer to the green to better protect pin locations on the left side of this green. The greenside bunkers behind the green were reshaped, made visible and shifted closer to the green surface to protect back right and back left pin locations. The green surface has been smoothed out to allow for more pinnable space but still retains a hint of the old green contours.
Hole #15
A back tee was built that could add 50 yards to the hole if desired. If used, this new back tee will bring the reshaped fairway bunker more into play and turn it into a real obstacle off the tee. Originally there were two fairway bunkers protecting the inside right corner of the fairway. The bunker complex was reshaped with one large bunker that was slightly repositioned to bring it more into play. This green complex received three changes. Firstly, it was reduced in size and moved out of the shadows cast by the surrounding trees. Second, the green was shifted away from the cart path. Third, the green size and contours were made more appropriate for the type of shots played from the original back tee location. The front greenside bunkers were reshaped, repositioned and moved closer to the green surface allowing for a more intimidating approach shot. The right green side bunkers were removed and replaced with a tightly mown grass slope. The back greenside bunker was reshaped for visibility and moved closer to the green surface. While this green did change slightly there are several elements from the old green that were incorporated into the changes.
Hole #16
Tees – The tee complex was shifted left to utilize the natural ridge line and to increase visibility down the golf hole. A large swale was reshaped from the back tee down to the fairway that increases overall visibility and opens up a view slot down to the fairway.
The two right side fairway bunkers were reshaped, combined to make one large fairway bunker that is now highly visible from the tee, and shifted closer to the fairway to bring it more into play. Two of the left side fairway bunkers were removed and converted to rough. This allows for one prominent fairway bunker to protect the left side.
The green complex was reshaped and the beach bunker removed to incorporate shaved slopes and collection areas on the middle right, back right and back left of the green. The front greenside bunker was reshaped and moved closer to the green. A small back right greenside bunker was added to help protect the back right pin locations. The green surface was smoothed out to allow for more pin locations around the perimeter, lake edge and beside the bunkers. While the green was modified for increased pin locations the original green contours were incorporated in the renovation.
Hole #17
Visually this hole will look different and slightly more intimidating, but strategically should play better with increased pin locations along the perimeter of the green with reshaped bunkers that are closer to the green surface. The most dramatic change on this hole is the expansion of the beach bunker. The green was shifted seven to ten feet to allow for the beach bunker to be reshaped and contoured for drainage, playability and visibility.
Hole #18
A back tee was added to increase the hole yardage by approximately 10 yards. The renovated green is almost a carbon copy of the old green with slight modifications in the green size to accommodate an additional front pin location and middle back pin location.
Practice Green
The practice green tries to replicate the golf shots you can expect on the "new" Bay Hill course. A large fairway cut was introduced around the chipping green. Repositioned the bunker to hit down the length of the green, allowing golfers to practice both long and short sand shots. The bunker tripled in size and deepened to reflect new bunkers on the course. The "False front" on the chipping green will allow golfers to practice this difficult short shot.
Posted: August 20, 2009 11:02 AM
PALMER DESIGNS NEW NCSU GOLF COURSE
August 13, 2009
RALEIGH, NC – On July 31st, Arnold Palmer was present for the grand-opening of the Lonnie Poole Golf Course at North Carolina State University. Two Arnold Palmer Design Company architects, NCSU graduates Erik Larsen and Brandon A. Johnson, worked on this special project with Mr. Palmer.
The 18-hole, 7,358-yard, par 71 course located on Centennial Campus will serve as the home course for the men's and women's NCSU golf teams, but also grow into its role as a 250-acre outdoor classroom and living laboratory for students enrolled in the Professional Golf Management major. More than 200 undergraduates in the turfgrass program will utilize the course for field labs and about 20 graduate students will tend to environmental research projects.
"The Lonnie Poole course has been a very special project for myself, Erik and Brandon. We all have some roots in North Carolina and we're very excited to see the project become such a success for the school and community." said Palmer. "The course also provides an excellent example to students on how to design a "green" course that is sensitive to the environment."
"This golf course is pure golf." said APDC Excecutive Vice President Erik Larsen. "No interruptions from housing or roads. Just a great walk on beautiful rolling NC land. Big views to the Raleigh skyline, pleasant streams, thick woods and open meadows all contribute to the round of golf. Bunkers are big and nasty looking, however the golf course is easier than it looks. Perfectly maintained Bermuda fairways and tees, plus bent grass greens contrast dramatically with the native roughs and woodlands. This course has US Open qualities. This players course will be fun for everyone to play, certainly to look at and just enjoy being there."
Larsen continues with his alumni perspective. "As an Alumni, I am very proud of the quality of the golf course. It has been a great reward to give something back to NC State by virtue of what the university taught me; design. Working for Arnold Palmer has provided many incredible opportunities, but this rates as one of the best for me personally. The course will be a gem for the teams, recreation, horticulture and agronomy for NC State."
APDC architect Brandon Johnson had heart-felt Alumni sentiments toward the project as well. "I was always extra excited to make site visits because I felt like I was coming home. It is certainly a dream come true and an opportunity of a lifetime to work with Mr. Palmer and Erik on designing the Lonnie Poole Golf Course at NC State University. Another satisfying experience during the course of the project was being able to reconnect with two of my most influential design professors, Art Rice and Fernando Magallanes, who I owe many thanks for their support and guidance."
Johnson talks about Lonnie Poole and reminisced further about his deeply rooted connection to the course. "To hear Lonnie Poole tell his story of putting together the donation funds for the golf course and the great deal he got in 1997 takes me back. In 1997, I graduated from NC State and shortly before graduation I visited Claude McKinney at Centennial Campus to talk about the proposed golf course. I remember walking away from my visit thinking 'I sure missed getting to play the golf course as a student'. But 12 years later I was lucky enough to be involved as a professional to help design the course. In retrospect, I think I got the better part of that deal."
The News & Observer wrote: "It’s a golf course that offers interesting topographical contrasts. The front nine is more wooded, the holes intermingled with small streams. The back nine has more dramatic elevation changes — and more scenery. Stand on the 11th tee and the Raleigh skyline is more than visible — it’s close at hand, with the tee less than two miles from the city center. Visitors also can see the university’s Bell Tower in the distance."
"The thing I like best about this course is that you could put it anywhere and it would be a fantastic course, but when you put it with the views of the city and the proximity to downtown …" said Chip Watson of Carolinas Golf Group and the general manager of the golf course. “Arnold Palmer said it best: ‘We’ve never built a course anywhere close to a city like that.’”
"We hope to have designed a fun, beautiful and strategically challenging golf course that the University and the public will enjoy and compete on for a long time." said Palmer. "We wanted to use the natural big roll of the property to help dictate hole strategy and options for play. On the majority of the holes, we wanted that days' pin position to influence strategy and decision making on the tee."
"The player will find on some fairways unusually wide in spots, like holes 5 and 7. Without careful study, that feeling of width may lull one into a false sense of security off the tee. For example on hole 5, if you're in the fairway to the right, your approach shot will be hindered by the treeline. Players will need to have some experience on the course to be able to fully understand the ideal angles and lies to play from."
On Aug. 15-16, the V Foundation will hold its Golf Classic for Cancer Research at the Lonnie Poole Golf Course, a fitting host site for fans and friends of Jim Valvano.
View the full press conference TV coverage from WRAL – 25 minutes: http://www.wralsportsfan.com/rs/video/5700313/
ABOUT THE ARNOLD PALMER DESIGN COMPANY
The Arnold Palmer Design Company has long been regarded as one of the premier companies in the golf course architectural industry. Founded 37 years ago in 1972, APDC has created approximately 300 courses around the world. APDC's design philosophy is straightforward: to design beautiful golf courses that are fun to play while maintaining the utmost respect for nature. Headquartered in Orlando, Florida, at Arnold Palmer’s winter home, the Bay Hill Club and Lodge, this location allows clients to come enjoy Palmer's world-class resort and play on the renowned golf course which hosts the annual Arnold Palmer Invitational presented by MasterCard on the PGA Tour. For more information on the Arnold Palmer Design Company call (407) 876-1068 or visit www.arnoldpalmerdesign.com.
Posted: August 13, 2009 11:22 AM
ARNOLD PALMER-DESIGNED ZHAILJAU GOLF RESORT TO HOST THE FIFTH KAZAKHSTAN OPEN
August 12, 2009
This September 17-20, 2009, the lucrative Kazakhstan Open, now in it's fifth year on the European Challenge Tour, will be hosted on the championship course at the Arnold Palmer Design Company-designed Zhailjau Golf Resort in Almaty, Kazakhstan.
The event carries the largest purse (€400,000) for a regular Challenge Tour event and will now be hosted beside a new residential development and luxury hotel in the shadow of the vast snowcapped Tien Shan mountain range.
“We designed Zhailjau Golf Resort with our standard preoccupation to quality golf, but did not know who may play it other than the President. We are happy it has been discovered by the Kazakhstan Open and the Challenge Tour. We are confident it will represent itself well. Hopefully, the event will draw many people to play there." said APDC Executive Vice President Erik Larsen.
The Arnold Palmer Design Company layout will provide one of the most captivating stages on the Challenge Tour schedule. The course has significant elevation changes, a routing that constantly changes directions to take advantage of the wind and with five par 5's and five par 3's there is a great variety in distances that will require every club in the bag. Water comes into play on only 5-holes, but the 7,197 yard, par 72 course should provide a stern test for the Challenge Tour Membership.
“We finished the course back in 2005 and had high hopes that it would one day draw people in to play from around the world. Obviously, we are very pleased that the Challenge Tour has discovered our design in Almaty and deemed it fit to host one of their prestigious events." said APDC Architect Thad Layton.
Alain de Soultrait, Director of the Challenge Tour, said: “The Kazakhstan Open is undoubtedly one of the most important tournaments on the Challenge Tour schedule, so it is essential that we find a course capable of staging it. The Zhailjau Golf Resort is certainly a fitting venue, and I have no doubt our Members will enjoy playing there. Any course which carries the great Arnold Palmer’s signature is sure to provide a true test. The Kazakhstan Open has developed and improved significantly over the past five years, and moving to a new course is an exciting stage in that process.”
Nurtay Abykayev, President of the National Federation of Golf in Kazakhstan, said: “We have thoroughly enjoyed staging the Kazakhstan Open at Nurtau Golf Club, but the chance to move to Zhailjau Golf Resort should open up a new chapter in the development of the tournament. It is a great layout – tough, but fair – and I’m really looking forward to seeing how the players fare in September. We should thank the members for allowing us use of their fabulous course for what promises to be another great week. I am confident that the new venue will ensure the tournament continues to go from strength to strength.”
“It is very rewarding to be part of growing the game in this emerging part of the world.” said Arnold Palmer. "I think the course will provide excellent championship level play."
To underline its importance, in each of the four years since Ireland’s Stephen Browne won the inaugural event, the Kazakhstan Open champion has progressed onto The European Tour at the end of the season.
ABOUT THE ARNOLD PALMER DESIGN COMPANY
The Arnold Palmer Design Company has long been regarded as one of the premier companies in the golf course architectural industry. Founded 37 years ago in 1972, APDC has created approximately 300 courses around the world. APDC's design philosophy is straightforward: to design beautiful golf courses that are fun to play while maintaining the utmost respect for nature. Headquartered in Orlando, Florida, at Arnold Palmer’s winter home, the Bay Hill Club and Lodge, this location allows clients to come enjoy Palmer's world-class resort and play on the renowned golf course which hosts the annual Arnold Palmer Invitational presented by MasterCard on the PGA Tour. For more information on the Arnold Palmer Design Company call (407) 876-1068 or visit www.arnoldpalmerdesign.com.
Posted: August 12, 2009 11:18 AM
USGA MUSEUM LAUNCHES ARNOLD PALMER MEMORY BOOK
May 18, 2009
The United States Golf Association is inviting the public to participate in a very special project to celebrate a true sporting legend and a great American.
Arnold Palmer will be celebrating his 80th birthday on September 10, 2009. To honor the occasion, the USGA Museum has launched an online Arnold Palmer Memory Book. The purpose of the Web site is to collect personal stories and memories of Arnold, and allow the public to view other fans’ appreciation of him. Fans can submit their reflections about Arnold in the form of words, images or video.
Arnold’s influence on the game of golf and sports in America has been felt for many years. Collectively, these testimonials will document the remarkable contributions Arnold has made to golf, not simply as a player, but as the embodiment of all that is honorable and exceptional about the game.
“Even if you’ve never had the opportunity to meet him, it seems that almost everyone in and around the game has their own Arnold Palmer story,” said USGA Director of Communications & Museum Rand Jerris. “Perhaps he was a childhood hero, maybe you once saw him play, or you just have a favorite story about him. The key is that we’re looking for personal stories – honest, from-the-heart sentiments that capture the essence of what Arnold Palmer has meant to the game.”
Later this year, the USGA Museum will edit and assemble the very best submissions into a bound volume, for presentation to Arnold as an 80th birthday present.
To participate in the Arnold Palmer Memory Book, log on to usgamuseum.com/arnoldpalmer .
Posted: May 18, 2009 04:36 PM
PALMER HONORED AT GOLF BUSINESS FORUM, PLAYS ST. ANDREWS
May 01, 2009
Arnold Palmer takes off in his Cessna Citation X from Arnold Palmer Regional Airport at his Latrobe, PA, hometown on Monday, May 4, and flies to Cardiff, Wales, to attend the Golf Business Forum, at which he will receive a Lifetime Achievement Award the next day.
"I am honored to be accepting this award from the Golf Business Forum and am very proud to be associated with an organization that does so much to further the sport of golf." said Palmer.
Palmer is scheduled to conduct a golf clinic and meet with some upcoming young Welsh golfers that afternoon.
Staff members of Arnold Palmer Design Company will attend the Tuesday sessions with Palmer. "The Golf Business Forum has continually provided excellent support to APDC and the golf development industry throughout the world." said Erik Larsen, Executive Vice President of APDC. "We are very appreciative for all that the GBF does to help grow the sport."
On Wednesday, Palmer and his group will fly on to St. Andrews, Scotland, where Palmer will play the Old Course in the Spring Medal of the Royal & Ancient with Sir Michael Bonallack, the former Secretary and Chief Executive of the R&A and British Amateur champion, and Harmish Ritchie, the current R&A captain. Palmer will participate in other activities at St. Andrews later in the day before he, his wife Kit and the rest of his party fly back to Latrobe on Friday.
Posted: May 1, 2009 09:53 AM
NEWPORT DUNES OPENS TO GREAT REVIEWS
December 10, 2008
Newport Dunes Golf Club in Port Aransas, Texas, just opened this autumn, but the Arnold Palmer-designed course is already being recognized as one of the few true links courses in the United States. It has no trees and lots of wind and roll, making it a must-play destination for links course lovers.
APDC was founded in 1972 and has been responsible for the design of approximately 300 golf courses around the world. Newport Dunes is located on historic Mustang Island in the vintage town of Port Aransas, a location along the Gulf of Mexico noted – in addition to golf -- for its deep-sea fishing, bird watching, beach, ocean and leisure activities.
The par-71 golf course stretches to 6,985 yards from the championship tees and plays through the sand dunes of the Texas coast. It will be sure to challenge any golfer with a warm gulf breeze, fast and rolling greens, and deep stacked and walled bunkers.
“The signature holes are Nos. 13, 14, and 15,” Palmer said. “These holes are located along the Gulf of Mexico and are routed through natural sand dunes. Each of the holes offers spectacular views of the beach and the ocean. The course is designed in the true links style with pot bunkers that are very similar to the classic courses such as St. Andrews.
“The courses are very windy with native dunes grasses which contribute to the Scottish feel,” Palmer continued. “The differences between Scotland and this course are that the fairways are wider here and the entire course is planted with paspalum, mowed at fairway height with no rough. We feel this will help the high handicap players and in general make the course enjoyable for golfers of all skill levels.”
Posted: December 10, 2008 09:00 AM
PALMER COURSE SELECTED BEST IN CHINA
October 31, 2008
A golf course designed by Arnold Palmer Design Company – Beijing Cascades – has been selected as the "Best New Course in China 2007-2008" by Golf Magazine China.
"It’s very nice to be recognized as doing the best work in China right now. We intend to maintain that reputation with our work there in the future," said Arnold Palmer about the No. 1 designation.
The design of the 18 holes at Beijing Cascades Country Golf Club began in May 2005 and the 7,272-yard, par-72 golf course opened in 2007. The location is in Beijing’s Chaoyang District, on Dongwei Road.
Arnold Palmer Design reached the Chinese capital three decades after Palmer reintroduced golf to that country. Palmer's Chung Shan Hot Spring design in southern China in the 1980s was the first new golf course in the country in more than half a century and touched off China’s still-on-going golf boom.
A private golf club for members only, Beijing Cascades features deluxe villas designed by DFS Architects of Canada and a top-notch clubhouse which includes a swimming pool, restaurant, cafeteria, pro shop, business center, meeting rooms and guest rooms.
Beijing Cascades takes its name from the breathtaking scenes of cascading water to be found on the property. Clear lakes, winding bridges and manicured gardens may also be seen.
An additional nine holes at Beijing Cascades have been designed and are currently under construction. The new holes should be open next year, and Palmer promises they will be "just as stunning as the first 18."
Work is also underway on a new Arnold Palmer Design course in Kunming, China, and should be completed next year.
Posted: October 31, 2008 05:40 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
Exclusive 2008 Arnold Palmer Invitational presented by MasterCard Reports
March 16, 2008
Final Round
WOODS HAS ANOTHER UNBELIEVABLE FINISH FOR HIS FIFTH VICTORY IN ARNOLD PALMER INVITATIONAL PRESENTED BY MASTERCARD
As Tiger Woods studied his 25-foot birdie putt on the final hole of the 2008 Arnold Palmer Invitational presented by MasterCard, he was convincing himself that he could make it, because he had a similar putt in the same situation seven years earlier at the Bay Hill Club.He was not alone in his thinking.
Arnold Palmer, the tournament host, stood behind the 18th green, waiting to present the trophy. He said to tournament director Scott Wellington: "You know what's going to happen, don't you?"
On the green, Woods struck the putt then started backing up, his eyes riveted on the ball. A third of the way along, the putt took a break to the right as Woods lowered into a crouch, his right hand moving towards his hat.
When the putt tumbled into the hole, Woods produced a celebration like none before. He arose, turned and slammed his hat to the ground as he let out a roar.
Moments later, Woods looked perplexed when caddie Steve Williams handed him his hat. "I was like, 'How did he get my hat?'" Woods said. "Evidently, it came off. I need to see the highlights. I was so into the moment of the putt going in and winning the golf tournament."
Woods and Palmer hugged, and Palmer said: "It doesn't surprise me you made the putt." To those around him, Palmer added: "Damn, I used to play and I know about these things. That's unbelievable."
It was the 64th victory on the PGA Tour for Woods, just 32 years old, tying him with Ben Hogan for third place on the career list behind Sam Snead (82) and Jack Nicklaus (73). Earlier this year, Woods passed Palmer (62). "It's pretty amazing to be in that kind of company," Woods said. "I've had an amazing run in my career, and hopefully, it continues."
The victory was his fifth in the Arnold Palmer Invitational. He became the first player in PGA Tour history to win four different tournaments at least five times each. It also extended his then-current PGA Tour winning streak to five (he placed fifth in his next tournament).
He closed with a six-under-par 66 for a 270 total, 10 under par, to win by one stroke over Bart Bryant, who shot 67 but said he was not surprised by the winning putt. "That's why he's Tiger Woods," Bryant said. "He has an incredible way of pulling off the shot or the putt when he needs to. He's done it before. He'll do it again."
Following Bryant, tied for third place at 273, were Cliff Kresge, who also shot 67, and Vijay Singh and Sean O'Hair, both with 69s.
Not since 2001, here against Phil Mickelson, had Woods won a PGA Tour event by one stroke with a birdie on the 72nd hole.
"I kept telling myself, 'I've done this before. I did it against Phil, and this time it's a bit deeper into the green and the putt has a little bit more break and it has a little more grain. I've done it before, and I can do it again," Woods said.
While everyone else was talking about the putt, the next morning when Woods called his swing coach, all he wanted to talk about was the shot that set it up. "He was so happy with himself," Hank Haney said.
It was a 5-iron from 164 yards, and those two numbers are an example why that was an exquisite shot. The wind had switched and was coming into him from the right. The flag was tucked behind the lake on a green framed by rocks. Bunkers guard the back of the green, which slopes toward the water.
Woods could have hit an 8-iron that distance, but Haney said Woods is all about control, and he prefers to use more club than usual in the wind.
On the shot, Woods held a slight cut with his 5-iron against the wind and posed over the shot until it landed safely, 25 feet above the hole. Williams, his caddie, held out his hand and Woods slapped it with force.
"It's always fun to see shots he gets excited about," Haney said.
"The hardest thing to do under pressure is play a delicate shot," Haney added. "Under the hardest conditions, you'd rather have a shot that you can swing at hard. All he could talk about was the shot on 18. He told me, 'I knew if I didn't do it right, I could up-shoot it into the wind and it's in the water. If I flipped it, I hit it into the back bunker.' He had to commit to do it correctly. And he pulled it off.
"That was phenomenal. That made him feel good."
Said Williams: "I just hope people, whether they like Tiger Woods or not, whether they like sports or not, realize what we're seeing. This is the greatest golfer ever they are looking at."
"You've all heard what I've had to say about Tiger in the past," Palmer said. "I can't see him doing anything but continuing to pass other people's records in the future. I don't see any change in what he's doing or how he's doing it. I think he is just in a position to continue to do the things that he's done very well up to this point."
The Associated Press, The New York Times, and Golf World contributed to this report.
First Round
COUPLES, HENRY POST 65s TO SHARE LEAD
Two men who haven't been in the lead for quite some time were well out in front of the one player who isn't used to being anywhere but at the top.
Former Bay Hill champion Fred Couples, who missed nearly all of last year because of his chronically bad back, fired an early 5-under-par 65 to set the pace in the first round of the Arnold Palmer Invitational presented by MasterCard. Late in the day, J.J. Henry posted one of only three bogey free rounds at the Bay Hill Club for his best score ever here to join Couples in the lead.
The two veterans were among the 33 players ahead of world No. 1 Tiger Woods, who has won his last four PGA Tour starts and eight of his last nine overall. The winner of four straight titles at Bay Hill (2000-2003), Woods couldn't get out of first gear with his swing in posting level-par 70.
"I just did not hit my irons very good," said Woods after his round of two birdies and two bogeys on a day with plenty of sunshine and mild breezes. "I missed some greens that I don't normally miss. "I missed one with a sand wedge, one with a pitching wedge - mistakes I don't normally make.
"I drove it well today. I drove a few drives to the right with my driver, but other than that, drove every single fairway. Just didn't take advantage of it."
Plenty of others did, however, though No. 2 Phil Mickelson wasn't among them. He bogeyed his opening hole and struggled to a 2-over 72.
England's Lee Westwood forged the lead alone with six birdies in his first 12 holes, but he couldn't sustain the run and ended up one-shot back at 4-under 66, tied with defending champion Vijay Singh, 1999 runner-up Tom Lehman and Lucas Glover.
Five men, including No. 8 Jim Furyk, were two behind with 67s.
Couples and Henry aren't the most likely pair to be perched on top.
Newly minted as the U.S. Presidents Cup captain for 2009, Couples, 48, started just three events last year because of his creaky back. He hadn't led a tournament since the third round of the 2005 Memorial Tournament and hadn't led after the first round since the 2003 Players Championship.
"I like to play well, and this year I've hit the ball pretty well," Couples, who won the 1992 Arnold Palmer Invitational, said after his second-best score in 55 rounds at Bay Hill. "Today was a good round on a very, very tough course, and that's kind of what I got out of it."
Henry, 32, who had missed four of seven cuts this year, hadn't broken par in eight rounds over three previous starts at Bay Hill. He hadn't held a lead since the first round of the 2004 AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am.
"Thanks for reminding me of that. Appreciate that. I shoot the best round of the day and all I hear is that," Henry said jokingly when his record at Bay Hill was mentioned.
"To be honest with you, it's been a little bit frustrating the start of the year for me," he said, turning serious. "I felt like I've actually worked hard early this year and towards the end of last year, and was really excited about starting the '08 season. I feel like I've been close, I really have. I had not quite figured it out. Maybe my ball-striking has been pretty good, and today finally just everything clicked and hit a lot of fairways and greens, which you have to do on a difficult golf course like this."
Couples also hit plenty of fairways (12) and greens (11), but unlike a week ago at the PODS Championship he was able to convert more opportunities. He needed a mere 23 putts.
He admits that he's excited by being named Presidents Cup captain, but his performance was more a product of feeling better and being able to put more work into his game.
"There's definitely a boost. It's very exciting," Couples said of his role as captain. "(But) nothing that I know of except for practice is going to make you play better. I did work with [instructor] Butch (Harmon) before I went to Tampa and I started to feel pretty good. I actually played OK there.
"But coming here, you know, I think just seeing everyone and having Tiger laugh at you and Mickelson, and have a few young guys tell me they want to make the team ... you know, it's all a nice feeling. I don't know how long it's going to last. But you know, it's good. It's good, because I'm playing."
And playing quite well, at that.
First Round
LEHMAN HAS HIS BEST ROUND OF THE YEAR
It's no surprise that Tom Lehman is playing well again at the Arnold Palmer Invitational presented by MasterCard. After all, he's finished in the top 10 at Bay Hill on four occasions, including a runner-up showing in 1999, and seven times overall in his 15 appearances.
But at age 49 and coming off a dispiriting run on the West Coast, Lehman wasn't exactly brimming with confidence when he arrived in Orlando.
His fortunes dramatically improved when the former British Open champion opened the Arnold Palmer Invitational with a 4-under-par 66 to put himself on the leaderboard for the first time this year.
"The ability to play good golf is always there no matter how old you are. It just seems that it gets more difficult to do it consistently," Lehman said after traversing Bay Hill suffering one bogey against five birdies, including a 7-footer at the treacherous 18th. "I can play extremely well at times, but I don't play extremely well for extended periods of time like I used to."
Lehman hopes he can extend Thursday's play three more days after a solid performance - a vast departure from recent results. In five starts this year he's missed three cuts and was 55th and 58th in the other two.
"I play well here, generally. I like the course. It seems to fit my game," said Lehman, who lost to fellow Minnesota native Tim Herron in a playoff in 1999. "I like the way it looks. And I've played here a lot, so I've learned how to play it."
Since his last start at the Northern Trust Open, Lehman has relearned a bit about his swing with the help of close friend and former Tour player Dennis Trixler, who visited him in Scottsdale, Arizona. Trixler figured out Lehman's problem - a reverse pivot that was making his head dip on the backswing. That flaw removed, he's swinging well again, and hopeful for the rest of the week.
"I hate to play poorly, I just hate it," Lehman said. "The first five weeks of the year was a comedy of errors. Sometimes you just have to try to figure out, 'where do I have to go from here?' You go back to the simple little things, and just take care of the small things. If I can do the small things right, then the big things will take care of themselves."
First Round
HELLO AGAIN FOR WOODS, WILSON
Mark Wilson is no stranger to playing alongside the No. 1 player in the world. It's just that it's been awhile.
Wilson was paired with Tiger Woods for the first time in his professional career in the first round of the Arnold Palmer Invitational presented by MasterCard, and despite a quadruple-bogey 8 on the 18th hole, Wilson ended equaling Woods's score of even-par 70.
The last time Wilson shared the fairways with Woods was the final of the 1992 USGA Junior Amateur Championship at Wollaston Golf Club in Milton, Massachusetts. Woods won his second of three straight Junior Amateur titles, 1 up, after rallying from two down with five holes to play. (Woods won his first in 1991 at Bay Hill.)
"Things have changed a lot since then for both of us," Wilson said with a wry smile. "I have one win (at last year's Honda Classic) and he has a few more. He's a little better now than he was then.
"It was fun. We have children about the same age, and we talked about that ... dirty diapers and all," Wilson added. "You know, it wasn't something that was going to be overwhelming. I think I've been around long enough to be pretty secure with what I'm doing on the golf course."
Said Woods: "It's good to see him out here and a lot of guys that I grew up playing junior golf with and college golf with are all out here now. So a lot of good memories."
FURYK UPSWING
Jim Furyk, who has dipped to No. 8 in the world, wasn't happy with his play on the West Coast. After tying for fifth at the Mercedes-Benz Championship, he didn't post another finish better than 20th and was knocked out in the first round of the World-Golf Championships-Accenture Match Play Championship.
His game appears on the upswing after an opening 67 at Bay Hill.
"I think it's decent. It's not where I want it to be, but I'm not upset with it," said Furyk, whose best finish in the Arnold Palmer Invitational is a tie for eighth in 1998. "I played a good round. I would like to get a good week under my belt and build that one week to a few weeks and right now get some confidence."
TENNIS ANYONE?
Sergio Garcia, who briefly dated female tennis star Martina Hingis, hasn't lost his affection for the courts. The talented Spaniard was engrossed in a singles match with Andy Martinez, Tom Lehman's longtime caddie, late in the afternoon on Bay Hill's clay courts. Garcia was unwinding after shooting an even-par 70, tied for 35th place, in the opening round of the Arnold Palmer Invitational.
Second Round
SINGH STAKES HIS DEFENSE WITH 66-65 START
Thin to win is a common expression in golf.
Vijay Singh might be taking it to new extremes.
Eighteen pounds lighter after contracting food poisoning on a recent trip to a tournament in India, Singh is nonetheless playing the heavy again at the Bay Hill Club. The defending champion chipped in from off the green twice to shoot a 5-under-par 65 and forge a two-stroke lead in the Arnold Palmer Invitational presented by MasterCard.
Singh, 45, completed 36 holes in 9-under-par 131, two strokes better than Carl Pettersson, who also shot 65 for 133. Jim Furyk, Lee Westwood and Ken Duke were another stroke back at 134. Furyk and Duke shot 67 and Westwood 68.
Playing for the 16th year in a row at Bay Hill, where he has three times been runner-up, Singh posted his 13th straight sub-par score here and leads at the halfway mark for the second time.
"I hit the ball really good off the tee. I gave myself a lot of birdie opportunities," Singh said after matching his career low at Bay Hill. "It also helped by chipping in twice, as well, so those are always good to have. You know, playing solid, not doing anything special. Not doing anything too much wrong, either, of the just cruising along."
While Singh was cruising, four-time Bay Hill champion and No. 1 player in the world Tiger Woods was snoozing. Woods, who has a four-tournament winning streak on the PGA Tour on the line, fell farther off the pace after a 2-under 68. At this stage last year, Singh was in an identical position to Woods now, 138 and seven back of Rocco Mediate.
"I just wasn't swinging the club very well today, and when I did put myself in position to make a putt, I didn't make them," said Woods, who won his four titles consecutively from 2000-03. "I'll have to play better and make a lot more putts than I have been."
The cut fell at 2-over-par 142 with 71 players advancing.
Among the casualties sent packing were Dan Forsman, the 1986 winner, Tim Herron, the 1999 winner, Rod Pampling, the 2006 champion, and Rocco Mediate, last year's runner-up. Other notable players missing the cut included Paul Casey, Colin Montgomerie, Luke Donald, Scott Verplank, Stuart Appleby, Charles Howell III and Bay Hill member Daniel Chopra, who captured the season-opening Mercedes-Benz Championship.
Meanwhile, Wake Forest senior Webb Simpson birdied the last two holes and became the sixth amateur in tournament history to make the cut, shooting his second straight 71 for a 142 total.
Pat Perez recorded the 11th hole-in-one in tournament history and the second of his career on the way to 65, knocking in a 5-iron from 218 yards. He's among eight players tied with Woods for 20th place, as is first-round co-leader Fred Couples, who shot 73. J.J. Henry, who shared the first-round lead with Couples, is among four players tied for sixth after an even-par 70.
Singh, who lost a playoff at Pebble Beach earlier this year, played solidly but also benefited from two shots finding the hole from off the green. He canned a 45-foot chip at the par-3 14th hole for birdie, and then, after missing the green right of the par-5 sixth hole, found the bottom of the cup again, this time from 32 feet.
A famous practice player, Singh was down for five days with food poisoning, a "forced rest," he said. He didn't start hitting balls again until last Friday and didn't start to feel up to full strength until Wednesday's pro-am.
Fortunately, he's familiar with Bay Hill and comfortable here, and it's showing.
"I've played here, for, goodness, 15 years, every year, and it's very familiar," said Singh, winner of 31 PGA Tour titles, the last coming at this event. "I played more golf here than I did in TPC (Sawgrass, where he has a home) more or less, because TPC, I just go and play the tournament there. Here, it's every year I've played it. I've played more rounds here than any other tournament I've played.
"So, I'm just very familiar, very aware of where to hit it and where not to hit it, and just the familiarity I have with the golf course, the better I play," he added. "My game plan is the same. I don't change my game plan. More or less, sometimes I don't need a yardage from the caddie. I just know where to hit it; that's how much I know the golf course."
Second Round
IMMELMAN, DAVIS PLAY ON AFTER 64s
Moving day came early - but not a moment too soon - for two international players during the second round of the Arnold Palmer Invitational presented by MasterCard.
Taking advantage of a friendly mix of soft greens and softer breezes, South Africa's Trevor Immelman and England's Brian Davis each fired 6-under-par 64s, the low rounds of the tournament, to save themselves from what looked like a short week of work.
Immelman, 28, who has a home in Orlando, improved nine strokes thanks to a round of seven birdies against one bogey. The key to his day was hitting 15 greens in regulation.
Davis, 33, improved even more dramatically, trimming 11 shots off his opening score after converting nine birdies. Ironically, Davis hit the same number of greens each round - 13 - but his luck proved diametrically opposite. He needed just 24 putts compared to 36 the first round.
"I found something," said Davis, who tied for seventh at the Honda Classic two weeks ago after leading through 36 holes. "I played good today. I played good. I just hit it close quite a lot of times, and again, I left myself four-footers underneath the hole and that makes such a difference."
"I would say in general it was one of my best rounds," added Davis, who moved up from a tie for 101st to a tie for 29th place.
Immelman improved 66 places to a share of 16th place.
"It's been a massive difference between today and what I've produced the rest of the season, which has been pretty rubbish," said Immelman, who tied for seventh two weeks ago at the Honda Classic, his only top-10 finish of the season. "You know, I got off to a nice start and birdied my first hole which was the 10th, and just kept it going. And today I was able to make some free swings out there and hole the putts. When I hit it close, I holed the putt, and it was a great feeling to finally get a good round under my belt.
Like Davis, putting was the difference for Immelman.
"Yeah, I've put a lot of work into my putting in the last few weeks, and didn't putt very well yesterday and did some more work when I was done last night," Immelman said. "It's all about confidence. Once you start rolling a few in, that hole starts to look slightly bigger."
Second Round
SIMPSON ADDS NAME TO AMATEUR LIST
Amateur Webb Simpson, a senior at Wake Forest - attending on the Arnold Palmer Scholarship - joined a distinguished group in making the 36-hole cut at the Arnold Palmer Invitational presented by MasterCard.
With his second straight 1-over-par 71, Simpson became the seventh amateur to qualify for the weekend at Bay Hill in the tournament's 30-year history. John Cook was the first in 1979, followed by Mitch Voges in 1992, John Harris in 1994, Matt Kuchar in 1998 and 1999 and Bubba Dickerson in 2002.
Simpson, 22, who plans to turn professional this summer, birdied the 17th and 18th holes at Bay Hill, two of the most difficult on the course, to sneak in on the number with a 142 total. He holed a 12-foot putt on the par-3 17th, and then holed out from off the green from 15 feet at the 18th.
"I'm just trying to soak it in," said Simpson, a U.S. Walker Cup player competing for the second time at Bay Hill after winning his second Southern Amateur title in 2007. "This year I feel a lot more at home than in 2006, which is good because I need to get used to being out here."
HOMETOWN HERO
After shooting an 83 in the second round of last week's PODS Championship, Cliff Kresge returned to his Orlando area home and worked hard on some adjustments to his swing. Now his fortunes are on the upswing.
Kresge is tied for sixth place after two rounds at Bay Hill at 5-under 135. His 68 followed 67 in the first round. Both scores better than any of his six previous rounds here.
"A couple of weeks ago I made a little bit of a swing change, and it seemed to have really paid off," Kresge said. "I'm getting a little more confidence with it, and I'm able to hit consistent shots, and I'm just ready to play now."
He's also ready to win on the PGA Tour, particularly at Bay Hill. "This would be as special as any major in my book because it's my hometown, so it would be really special for me."
MAJOR PHIL
Phil Mickelson, winner at Bay Hill in 1997, fired a 67 to move to 1-under 139 for the championship - a good round on a golf course that he has seen evolve into one of the toughest on the PGA Tour. "It has slowly become that," Mickelson said when asked about the course being on par with major venues in terms of its demands. "With the conversion of the par-5s to par-4s ... it's just getting a lot more difficult."
Third Round
WOODS, SINGH IN RECORD LOGJAM AT TOP
An unprecedented logjam atop the leaderboard at the Arnold Palmer Invitational presented by MasterCard sets up a final round of priceless possibilities.
Five men, including four-time Bay Hill winner Tiger Woods and defending champion Vijay Singh, share the lead at 6-under-par 204 after a topsy-turvy day full of highs and lows, eagles and others. Also in the mix are Bubba Watson, Bart Bryant and last week's winner of the PODS Championship, Sean O'Hair, who fired a bogey-free 63, the low round of the tournament.
The five tied at the top eclipsed by two the previous record for the number of players sharing the 54-hole lead set in 1990.
Just like Singh did a year ago, Woods, the No. 1 player in the world, made up seven shots in the third round after a solid 4-under 66. Woods, who has 63 career victories, has won 42 of 45 on the PGA Tour when holding at least a share of the 54-hole lead. A victory would tie him for third on the all-time list with Ben Hogan.
"It was a lot better today," said Woods, who won four straight at Bay Hill from 2000-03, all while playing in the final group, as he will with O'Hair. "Certainly hit the ball a lot more clean today and I was controlling my trajectory. If you don't hit the ball, you know, well today, you can shoot a pretty high number pretty easily."
Singh looked like he was going to be one of them, spilling five shots in the first eight holes before steadying himself for a 3-over 73. Bryant, one of seven men who were in first place at some juncture, posted his third consecutive 68. Watson also had 68.
"I just hung in there. I knew there was a lot of golf to be played," said Singh, 45, seeking his first win since last year's victory at Bay Hill. "I just believed in my swing and kept going. I fought back, and at least I have a chance."
Join the crowd. Twenty-four players are within four shots of the lead, including Nick Watney, whose eagle at No. 12 elevated him to a two-shot edge, only to see that evaporate with a quadruple bogey at 16. He ended up with 70.
The hot and increasingly windy day produced results so odd that one of the leaders, O'Hair, shot an inward 30, tying the nine-hole record, and another, Singh, stumbled to an outward 40 to end up in the same place. The top three players on the leaderboard at the start of the day - Singh, Lee Westwood and Carl Pettersson - combined to shoot 9 over par.
"I think it's anybody's game," Bryant said. "But if you're going to say, does it have somebody's game, obviously, he (Tiger) is the guy to beat, there's no doubt about it. That's not to say that somebody can't go out and play a great round and beat him, and not to say he's going to play perfect golf, either. It's definitely there for the taking."
O'Hair's score, which lifted him 49 places, was the lowest since Palmer converted the course to a par 70 last year. He had a chance to tie the course record shared by Andy Bean and Greg Norman but left short a downhill putt for birdie at the 18th.
Singh began the day with a two-shot lead, but gave way to Watney, who after an eagle at the 12th got to 9 under par. He yielded control to Bryant, who couldn't hang on either, promptly dunking a ball in the water at 16 and making bogey.
Ken Duke also had a piece of first place until bogeys at two of the last three dropped him into a tie for seventh with Watney, Westwood, Tom Lehman and Orlando's Cliff Kresge.
In sixth place alone is Hunter Mahan, who was 7 under par through 13 holes before settling for 65, moving up 32 places.
Of course, all eyes will likely be on Woods, who responded not only to a pre-round pep talk from Palmer, but also a bit of ribbing Friday night from Watson, who frequently joins him for practice rounds.
"You knew he was going to play good," Watson, the only left-hander in the lead group, said. "I sent him a text last night and said, 'You'd better get off your butt and start doing something,' and he did. No matter if he's struggling he finds a way just like today he found a way."
Watson added that "everything he (Woods) does, it's going to be incredible and it's going to be unbelievable." Still, he wasn't about to capitulate. "I think it's going to be a good battle coming down the stretch," he said. "It's going to be fun."
Third Round
BAY HILL AGAIN IN TIGER'S SIGHTS
Tiger Woods in first place is the last place his peers would like to see him.
All Woods wanted at the Arnold Palmer Invitational presented by MasterCard was to shoot a score that would get him in contention for his fifth straight PGA Tour victory and fifth professional win at Bay Hill, where he began his march through the record books with the 1991 USGA Junior Amateur Championship.
Instead, after a clutch 4-under-par 66 on a hot and increasingly windy day, Woods rose all the way to the top, tied with four others, with 18 holes remaining. Given that he is 42 of 45 on the PGA Tour when holding at least a share of the 54-hole lead, his chances for adding to his 63 Tour titles improved appreciably.
"I'm back in the tournament," Woods, 32, said early in the afternoon, before the winds freshened and pacesetters started falling back towards the No. 1 player in the world. "It's nice to have to go out there and play a good round of golf and win the tournament instead of having to play a great round of golf to hopefully get myself back in the mix. I did the work today to get myself back in the tournament."
Woods, indeed, did the work, mixing six birdies against two bogeys to improve his score by two strokes for the second day in a row. His 70-68-66 progression puts him at 6-under-par 204 and in a good frame of mind for the sprint to the finish.
"I feel good. I just wanted to get myself back in the tournament," said Woods, who won the Arnold Palmer Invitational four straight times from 2000-03. "I was on the periphery there, seven back. A good round can win the tournament."
After struggling with his swing the first two rounds and making few putts, Woods went back to his home in nearby Isleworth and worked out a few kinks. In the third round, he hit 10 fairways and 14 greens. The last of his six birdies - after he hit it to 2 feet at 15 - came at the difficult 485-yard par-4 16th when he stiffed a 6-iron to four feet. It was just one of three birdies for the day on a hole that played the most difficult with a 4.507 average.
"It worked out perfect," he said.
Just like most of the events that unfolded."It's very wide open," he said. "A bunch of guys have a chance. If the wind blows like it did today, then it will be very interesting tomorrow."
Third Round
O'HAIR EQUALS RECORD WITH 30
Sean O'Hair was pondering a trip to Sea World with his children in the afternoon. This after a spotless round of golf at Bay Hill that had him swimming with the big fishes once again.
Winner last week at the PODS Championship in Palm Harbor, Florida, O'Hair glided around the Bay Hill Club with a bogey-free 63, the low round of the tournament, which lifted him from the ranks of also-ran to contender in the Arnold Palmer Invitational presented by MasterCard.
O'Hair, a former Orlando resident, began the day 1 over par for the tournament and 10 strokes behind 36-hole leader Vijay Singh. When he holed out with a closing 30 on the inward nine, O'Hair had moved up from a tie for 49th to a tie for third and was three behind Singh, who hadn't yet hit a ball.
He'll begin the free-for-all final round tied for first place with a chance to become the only player besides No. 1 Tiger Woods in the last two seasons to win back-to-back starts.
"That (repeating) would be cool," said O'Hair, 25, who last week overcame a three-stroke deficit to Stewart Cink for his second PGA Tour title. "I just need to do my part and let it fall into place, not think too much, not try too hard. I need to do the same things I've been doing and stay out of my own way."
O'Hair's score was the lowest since Palmer converted the Bay Hill course to a par 70 last year. He had a chance to tie the course record shared by Andy Bean and Greg Norman, but he left short a downhill putt for birdie at the 18th.
"That green is just a little slow than the rest and I didn't adjust," shrugged O'Hair, who eagled the par-5 12th hole for the second day in a row and added five birdies. One was a chip-in from off the green at the 14th from 65 feet.
"That kept some momentum going," he said.
O'Hair hit 12 fairways and 16 greens, which were soft after overnight rains and relatively smooth given that he and partner Retief Goosen were in the seventh group to tee off. As the round progressed, O'Hair simply went with what turned out to be a very good flow.
"You can't think about what you are shooting. You can't think about what you want to shoot. You can't think about anything but the next shot," O'Hair said. "You are literally going one shot at a time and just allowing it to happen rather than trying to make something happen."
Tournament:Arnold Palmer Invitational presented by MasterCard
Ending:March 16, 2008
Purse: $5,800,000
Total FedExCup Points: 25,000
Course:Bay Hill Club & Lodge
Par:70
Posted: March 16, 2008 06:28 PM
A Tribute to Ed Seay (1938 - 2007)
August 15, 2007
Ed Seay, died August 14, 2007 at his home in Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla. He was 69.
Born in Dade City, Fla., Mr. Seay graduated from the University of Florida with a degree in Landscape Architecture, was a commissioned officer of the United States Marine Corps. He was a past president of the American Society of Golf Course Architects, a member of ULI (as a member of the Recreational Development Council), and a member of the American Society of Landscape Architects. He also belonged to several state and regional golf associations including the National Golf Foundation.
Ed was actively engaged in golf course architecture and recreational development planning for nearly 40 years and was known and respected all over the world. He began working with Arnold Palmer in 1972 and in 1979 they formed the Palmer Course Design Company. Ed participated in the design, construction, and promotion of more than 350 golf courses worldwide with more than 250 designed with Arnold Palmer. Prior to his joining Palmer, Ed had the distinction of having designed many well-known courses. Among the most prominent is Sawgrass Country Club in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida, which was the site of the Tournament Players Championship from 1977 through 1981.
Ed Seay loved life and lived it to the fullest. He was a highly respected mentor and leader to those he worked with. He is survived by his wife, Lynn, and adult children Mason Seay and Tracy Raymond.
More information on Mr. Seay's career, as well as video clips of him discussing his work, is available at the ASGCA Architects Gallery.
Posted: August 15, 2007 03:30 PM
Arnold Palmer at Seven Falls ground
breaking ceremony
August 13, 2007
As seen in the Times-News, North Carolina. 8/13/2007
ETOWAH - Arnold Palmer traded a golf club for a shovel Monday as he and his design team, along with developers, broke ground on the Palmer Premier championship course at Seven Falls Golf and River Club.
With bulldozers roaring in the background, the retired professional golfer spoke at a gathering of property owners and the media as part of the groundbreaking ceremony for the 18-hole course to be built off Pleasant Grove Road.
Seven Falls Golf and River Club will be a private community on about 2,000 acres along the French Broad River west of Hendersonville.
The natural beauty of the land was the primary reason Palmer chose the location for his Palmer Premier golf course, the first in the nation, he said.
"I think you've got so many advantages here," Palmer said. "Let's start with the property. You've got a perfect piece of property. It's as natural and inviting as anything we've ever seen for a golf course. The best part is you'll be able to play golf year-round because of the nice climate. I think people who are going to live here are very fortunate."
Read the entire story here.
Posted: August 13, 2007 11:00 AM
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
The K Club Ready For Major Test
September 12, 2006
Arnold Palmer Design Company marks a milestone at The 2006 Ryder Cup played next week in Ireland.
When The 2006 Ryder Cup commences next week at The K Club in Straffan, County Kildare, Ireland, Arnold Palmer and his golf course design team are going to be looking on with a mixture of pride, excitement and intense interest. The 24 contestants from the United States and Europe who will decide the biennial competition September 22-24 will be challenged not only by one another, but also by a strong and finely tuned architectural achievement from the Arnold Palmer Design Company.
“This is a great honor. It’s really going to be something special, a special week,” said Harrison Minchew, Vice President, Senior Golf Course Architect, and Director of Design Services for Arnold Palmer Design. “To see one of our golf courses showcased in a major tournament – and this is a major event – it’s a nice feather in our caps. In some ways it hasn’t hit us yet; it probably won’t hit us until the matches start. But we’re going to enjoy watching it all unfold and see how the golf course plays into the outcome.”
The Palmer Design team first started work on The K Club in 1989, and the course opened in 1991. A par-72 parkland-style course that measures 7,370 yards, the gently rolling layout has undergone a number of revisions in preparation for The Ryder Cup. Among the changes overseen by Palmer, a former Ryder Cup player and captain, include new bunker placements or the addition or removal of bunkers, redesigns of greens, the addition of trees and the lengthening of eight holes.
Palmer, Minchew, and Erik Larsen, Executive Vice President, Managing Director, and Senior Golf Course Architect, plan to be in attendance when the matches begin. “The volume is really going to be turned up; it’s the Ryder Cup,” Minchew said.
In assessing the personnel of the two teams, Minchew said neither side has an advantage in relation to the layout, which will be made more challenging by expected cool and breezy weather conditions. “The Ryder Cup usually comes down to putting,” he said, “but the wind is going to be a factor, and players are going to have to control their trajectory and keep a handle on their ball striking.”
While much has been made of the strong finish at The K Club – the final three holes are a strong par-4 17th sandwiched between potentially reachable par-5s after the first eight holes on each side were switched just for The Ryder Cup – Minchew has mapped out some early holes that could weigh heavily in the outcome of many matches. The 170-yard par-3 third hole, featuring a wide and shallow green that reminds one of the 12th at Augusta National Golf Club, could well set the tone. He also said that holes six through11, “could determine a lot of matches.”
“There might even be the odd bogey winning some holes,” Minchew remarked.“The toughest hole, or the key hole, on the first nine is No. 7, a par-4 of 430 yards. It plays into the wind towards the River Liffey. There is water to the right off the tee, and a pond fronting the green, with the river beyond. A bogey could win this hole.”
The ninth hole is stern par-4 measuring 461 yards with a tree lurking in the middle of the fairway. Only the longest hitters will be able to fly past it and have a clear shot to the small green. The 10th is 584 yards, but plays slightly downhill and will be reached in two by many. A birdie will be welcome there heading to the 11th tee, a tricky par 4 that is 450 yards but both shots must steer clear of water and the elevated green has a pronounced right-to-left slope towards the lake.
“I think at the end of the week that stretch is going to prove huge,” Minchew said. “It’s such a good stretch, but we think the whole golf course is going to be a great test. Obviously, match play is different from a stroke-play tournament, but no matter what, the guys out there are going to have to play some good golf to make a score. As a designer, that’s what you want – you want them to have to execute and think. You want to try to bring out their best.”
The Arnold Palmer Design Company, based in Orlando, Florida, at Palmer’s Bay Hill Club, is a complete worldwide golf course planning and design organization. Its design and business philosophy has been the genuine, traditional, and sound standard of excellence that Arnold Palmer has demonstrated throughout his life and his career.
The staff of the Arnold Palmer Design Company is driven by professionalism and urgency to meet their clients’ needs and requirements. Whether the course is private, resort, or public, the traditional Palmer philosophy is the foundation of every design. “All of the great courses blend in naturally with the existing environment,” Palmer said. “My belief is in straight-forward design that produces courses with lasting quality that are exciting and enjoyable for all players. The designs are founded on the principles and strategies of the game and are sensitive to the land and the environment.”
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Media Contact:
Bev Norwood
216-436-3409
bnorwood@arnoldpalmer.com
Posted: September 12, 2006 04:58 PM
Palmer Recalls Ryder Cup Days
August 08, 2006
Champion golfer and architect plans to be in attendance as The 2006 Ryder Cup is contested at his K Club design.
That Arnold Palmer plans to be on hand when The 2006 Ryder Cup is held September 22-24 at Straffan, County Kildare, Ireland, is appropriate, not only because of his affection for one of the great events in golf and his exceptional performances in it, but also because his golf course, The K Club, is playing host to the biennial matches between Europe and the United States.
“I am very much looking forward to watching the matches and seeing how the players respond to competing on what I consider one of my best golf courses,” Palmer, who will be 77 on September 10, said with notable anticipation in his voice. “With some of the changes we made for the Ryder Cup, The K Club has so many strong holes, and I think it’s going to produce an exciting competition. I think the golf course will hold up quite well when it’s all said and done, and I think the players will enjoy the challenge there.”
The United States leads the Ryder Cup series 24-9-2, but Europe has won four of the last five, including a dominating 18½-to-9½ triumph two years ago at Oakland Hills Country Club in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan. The only United States victory in the last 10 years came in 1999 at The Country Club in Brookline, Massachusetts. The Americans have not won abroad since 1993 at The De Vere Belfry in Sutton Coldfield, England.
The K Club is a parkland-style course that measures 7,355 yards and plays to par 72. Palmer, the winner of 63 PGA TOUR titles, including seven majors, designed the layout in 1991, but late last year he and his design team revised it. Among the alterations: new bunker placements or the addition or removal of bunkers, redesigns of greens, the addition of trees in a few areas and added length to eight holes.
Palmer’s record in the Ryder Cup is one of the most distinguished in the history of the event. In six appearances starting in 1961 and ending in 1973, Palmer played in 32 matches and won 22, the most ever for a U.S. player. His 23 points is second only to Billy Casper, who scored 23 ½ for America. His 11 singles matches and six victories are both all-time highs for the U.S.
The U.S. won each of the six times Palmer competed. In addition, he was the winning captain in 1975 when his U.S. squad swept to a resounding 21-11 decision at Laurel Valley Golf Club in Ligonier, Pennsylvania, not far from Palmer’s hometown of Latrobe.
“I’m extremely proud of my Ryder Cup record. It meant a lot to me and it still means a lot to me,” said Palmer, who played in 1961, ’63, ’65, ’67, ’71 and ’73. “From the day I first started playing, I thought that representing your country in a major golf tournament was one of the most important things I could do in the game. I still get all choked up now thinking about how much I enjoyed it, how much fun I had playing, and how I enjoyed winning for my country.”
Palmer said he enjoyed his many matches playing with contemporaries like Jack Nicklaus, Dave Marr, Julius Boros, and Billy Casper. “You play golf with these guys all the time, trying to beat one another as we play against each other, but the Ryder Cup then puts you in a different situation,” he said. “It’s a fun thing, but you’re still very intent on winning. I enjoyed the whole experience of getting to play with various players instead of against them.”
As a captain, Palmer said one memory stands out, aside from the honor of leading a U.S. team so close to home. “The most interesting thing about Laurel Valley was that Jack was on the team, and he was my strong guy,” Palmer recalls. “He played very well in the team matches, but there he was getting beat twice in one day in singles by Brian Barnes. I was glad we didn’t need those points. It turned out that we won, and we won handily.”
Palmer didn’t have any advice for current U.S. captain Tom Lehman to turn around America’s recent ill fortunes. “All I can say to Tom is that once the matches begin there isn’t much he can do, which can be frustrating,” Palmer said. “All he can do is help the guys prepare as best they can and try to put together some teams that click. The rest is up to the guys on the course. I’m sure it’s going to be an exciting week, and we’re going to see a lot of great golf out of both sides, and I expect a close contest. It will be interesting to watch it all unfold, and as the guy who designed the golf course, I suppose I’ll have a little extra curiosity about what goes on.”
The Arnold Palmer Design Company, based in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida, but moving in October to Orlando and Palmer’s Bay Hill Club operations, is a complete worldwide golf course planning and design organization. Its design and business philosophy has been the genuine, traditional, and sound standard of excellence that Arnold Palmer has demonstrated throughout his life and his career.
The staff of the Arnold Palmer Design Company is driven by professionalism and urgency to meet their clients’ needs and requirements. Whether the course is private, resort, or public, the traditional Palmer philosophy is the foundation of every design. “All of the great courses blend in naturally with the existing environment,” Palmer said. “My belief is in straight-forward design that produces courses with lasting quality that are exciting and enjoyable for all players. The designs are founded on the principles and strategies of the game and are sensitive to the land and the environment.”
-30-
Media Contact:
Bev Norwood
216-436-3409
bnorwood@arnoldpalmer.com
Corporate Headquarters As of October 1, 2006
572 Ponte Vedra Boulevard 9000 Bay Hill Boulevard
Ponte Vedra Beach, FL 32082 Suite 300
904-285-3960 Orlando, FL 32819
Posted: August 8, 2006 02:44 PM
Palmer Course Design's Ed Seay receives Distinguished Service Award from ASGCA
April 07, 2006
PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Florida – Palmer Course Design announces company co-founder and president, Ed Seay, recently received the Distinguished Service Award from the American Society of Golf Course Architects (ASGCA) board of governors for his tremendous contributions to the organization and its members. Seay was recently presented with the award during the ASGCA’s 60th annual meeting in Pinehurst, N.C.
“Receiving this award from my peers is a humbling honor,” Seay said. “The golf industry is a special fellowship and I am very proud to be a part of it.”
Seay was president of the ASGCA from 1976 to 1977, the inaugural year of the United States Golf Association’s (USGA) associate membership program. Seay recognized the importance of supporting the USGA and encouraged the ASGCA to maintain 100 percent membership in the organization, which had a tremendous impact on its success. Seay also pushed for greater prominence and influence for ASGCA members in the golf industry.
Seay began his career in 1964 as an associate for golf course architect Ellis Maples. Maples learned his craft from his father, Frank, who was a construction and greens superintendent and from Scottish golf course architect, Donald Ross, the hand behind Pinehurst Courses No. 1, 2 and 3. Maples also left his mark at the famed Pinehurst Country Club as the architect for Course No. 5. Under Maples, Seay was involved in the design and construction of 27 golf courses — a number that would grow over the next 40 years to more than 350 courses worldwide.
Seay began working with golf legend Arnold Palmer in 1971 and formed Palmer Course Design in 1979. Seay continues to be involved with state, regional and national golf associations. Seay is a member of the American Society of Landscape Architects, the National Golf Foundation, Florida Turf-Grass Association, Georgia Golf Course Superintendents Association and the Urban Land Institute.
Founded on the philosophy and standards of excellence set forth by the game’s ambassador, Arnold Palmer, Palmer Course Design has created some of golf’s most memorable and awe-inspiring courses throughout the world. With nearly 300 active projects and open golf courses in 38 states and 23 countries, Palmer Course Design applies fundamental design elements to any style of course and is committed to providing a great golf experience as the company continues to develop its exciting new designs.
For more information about Palmer Course Design, call (904) 285-3960 or visit www.palmerdesign.com
Posted: April 7, 2006 03:47 PM
Palmer Course Design on PBS
March 02, 2006
Choose the desired link to watch the PBS Palmer Course Design Video.
Posted: March 2, 2006 03:43 PM
PCDC Announces Opening of the Classic Club at NorthStar
January 20, 2006
PALM DESERT, California – Ponte Vedra Beach-based Palmer Course Design recently celebrated the completion of The Classic Club at NorthStar, the new 7,305-yard host course for the PGA TOUR’s Bob Hope Chrysler Classic, held each year in January.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
PALMER COURSE DESIGN ANNOUNCES OPENING OF THE CLASSIC CLUB AT NORTHSTAR
PALM DESERT, California – Ponte Vedra Beach-based Palmer Course Design recently celebrated the completion of The Classic Club at NorthStar, the new 7,305-yard host course for the PGA TOUR’s Bob Hope Chrysler Classic, held each year in January.
“We designed The Classic Club to have a unique look for the desert,” said Palmer Course Design Senior Golf Course Architect and Director of Environmental Services Victoria Martz. “It features a variety of playable hazards that are both beautiful and intimidating. It is a wonderful combination of challenge and fun for TOUR professionals
and amateurs alike.”
The Classic Club at NorthStar provides a fan-friendly venue for the annual Bob Hope Chrysler Classic with plateaus offering expansive views for spectators to see from one hole to the next. It is a core golf course that features dramatic elevation changes, cascading waterfalls, rock streams, numerous stone bridges, and more than 4,800 mature pine and California pepper trees. According to Martz, the trees were planted to create a forested feel in the desert surrounded by mountain ranges. Water is brought into play on 13 out of the 18 holes with 30 acres of lakes and water features dotting the course. The shortest hole on the course, the par-3 No. 12, is one of The Classic Club’s most visually interesting and challenging holes. Measuring 162 yards from tee to green, players will need accuracy on their side as they aim for the pin that is surrounded by a large lake, waterfalls and a wrap-around sand bunker. Golf legend and Palmer Course Design Chairman Arnold Palmer personally provided the design criteria and on-site review from concept to completion for this spectacular hole.
The Classic Club at NorthStar is a public course that was donated to the Bob Hope Chrysler Classic by the H. N. & Francis C. Berger Foundation, a charitable organization dedicated to “helping people help themselves.”
Founded on the philosophy and standards of excellence set forth by the game’s ambassador, Arnold Palmer, Palmer Course Design has created some of golf’s most memorable and awe-inspiring courses throughout the world. With nearly 300 active projects and open golf courses in 38 states and 23 countries, Palmer Course Design applies fundamental design elements to any style of course and is committed to providing a great golf experience as the company continues to develop its exciting new designs.
Posted: January 20, 2006 03:40 PM
Palmer Course Design Building Championship Golf Course at White Oak Plantation
November 08, 2005
TRYON, North Carolina – Golf legend Arnold Palmer and the team at Palmer Course Design recently celebrated the groundbreaking of White Oak Plantation in Tryon, N.C., a new resort development featuring a championship golf course by Palmer and his world-renowned golf course architecture company.
TRYON, North Carolina – Golf legend Arnold Palmer and the team at Palmer Course Design recently celebrated the groundbreaking of White Oak Plantation in Tryon, N.C., a new resort development featuring a championship golf course by Palmer and his world-renowned golf course architecture company.
“Mr. Palmer and Palmer Course Design were the perfect fit for designing the course at White Oak,” said Michael Savidge, managing partner, White Oak Developers. “The Palmer name is synonymous with beautiful, enjoyable golf courses that look challenging but are playable for every skill level. With the area’s stunning landscape and the team’s vision for creating memorable golf courses, we knew we wanted White Oak Plantation to have a Palmer-designed golf course as its centerpiece.”
The course at White Oak Plantation will be a semi-private par-72 core golf course situated in the foothills of western North Carolina. The 7,300-yard track will be designed as a stadium golf course with the field of play following the development’s namesakes, White Oak Creek, and the home sites situated atop surrounding hills, creating a natural amphitheater. White Oak Creek will be brought into play on nearly every hole with 15 of the 18 greens overlooking the creek and the creek’s waterfall showcased on the 16th as the course’s signature hole.
According to Palmer Course Design Project Coordinator David Couch, the landscaping at White Oak Plantation will resemble a lush garden with flowering trees and plants throughout the course.
“We have a gorgeous piece of land with stunning natural elements to work with for the golf course at White Oak,” said Couch. “The land is already set up for golf. We are simply adding the features to create a golf course.”
The new course is anticipated to be open for play in spring 2007.
Founded on the philosophy and standards of excellence set forth by the game’s ambassador, Arnold Palmer, Palmer Course Design has created some of golf’s most memorable and awe-inspiring courses throughout the world. With nearly 300 active projects and open golf courses in 38 states and 23 countries, Palmer Course Design applies fundamental design elements to any style of course and is committed to providing a great golf experience as the company continues to develop its exciting new designs.
For more information about Palmer Course Design, call (904) 285-3960 or visit www.palmerdesign.com.
Photo:
Palmer Course Design Project Coordinator David Couch
Posted: November 8, 2005 03:34 PM
PCDC Remodeling Golf Course at Pine Lakes Country Club in Palm Coast
October 31, 2005
PALM COAST, Florida –Palmer Course Design is remodeling the 18-hole golf course at Pine Lakes Country Club, a 7,050-yard signature course in Palm Coast, Fla. originally designed by the golf course architecture firm in 1980. The remodeling project will update many holes to align with the latest in golf equipment technology, according to Golf Course Architect Ron Howell.
“We are taking an enjoyable course and enhancing it by adding landscaping and shifting tees and bunkers to strategic locations,” Howell said. “The renovations will benefit players of all levels while bringing more elements back into play.”
Palmer Course Design is adding 100-150 yards and four to five new tees to Pine Lakes, as well as lush landscaping and trees throughout the course. All of the greens are being re-grassed and many will be shifted to bring water into play and to avoid shading issues. New sand bunkers will be added to the course and several of the bunkers will be reshaped and moved to tactical areas throughout the course. Howell and his team at Palmer Course Design will also adjust the fairway lines to accommodate both low and high handicap players. According to Howell, the course at Pine Lakes will retain the qualities that players have enjoyed for years.
The nearly $1 million renovation of the course and practice area is anticipated to be complete and ready for play in summer 2006.
Pine Lakes Country Club was acquired by LandMar Group in 2004 and will be managed by the company’s affiliate Hampton Golf Inc., continuing a successful golf partnership with the company and Hampton Golf President M.G. Orender. Hampton Golf and Palmer Course Design also partnered for the stunning Golf Club at North Hampton in Fernandina Beach, Fla. and will work together on the remodel of Matanzas Woods Golf Course in Palm Coast in 2006.
Founded on the philosophy and standards of excellence set forth by the game’s ambassador, Arnold Palmer, Palmer Course Design has created some of golf’s most memorable and awe-inspiring courses throughout the world. With nearly 300 active projects and open golf courses in 38 states and 23 countries, Palmer Course Design applies fundamental design elements to any style of course and is committed to providing a great golf experience as the company continues to develop its exciting new designs.
For more information about Palmer Course Design, call (904) 285-3960 or visit www.palmerdesign.com.
Photo: Golf Course Architect Ron Howell
Posted: October 31, 2005 03:33 PM
Palmer Course Design Completes Renovation of Sawgrass Country Club Golf Course
August 24, 2005
PONTE VEDRA BEACH, FL –Palmer Course Design recently completed the renovation of the West nine holes at Sawgrass Country Club’s famed East-West championship golf course that hosted THE PLAYERS Championship from 1977 to 1981 in Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla.
Palmer Course Design Press Release
August 24, 2005
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
For further information contact:
Erik Larsen, Executive Vice President
Palmer Course Design
Phone: (904) 285-3960
Fax: (904) 285-2119
erik@palmerdesign.com
www.palmerdesign.com
Maxine McBride, President
Clockwork Marketing Services, Inc.
Phone: (904) 280-7960
Fax: (904) 280-2567
maxine@clockworkmarketingservices.com
PALMER COURSE DESIGN COMPLETES RENOVATION OF SAWGRASS COUNTRY CLUB GOLF COURSE
PONTE VEDRA BEACH, FL –Palmer Course Design recently completed the renovation of the West nine holes at Sawgrass Country Club’s famed East-West championship golf course that hosted THE PLAYERS Championship from 1977 to 1981 in Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla.
“The course is in the grow-in phase and is looking great,” said Palmer Course Design Executive Vice President and Senior Golf Course Architect Erik Larsen. “Sawgrass is a beautiful and true tournament course. It is also a great example of why a 27-hole design works well. We closed the West nine for renovations and players were still able to play a full 18 holes.”
During the renovation, Larsen and the Palmer Course Design team installed a new irrigation system for the back nine, filled the bunkers with new sand and resurfaced the putting greens with TifEagle© grass, a variety of Bermuda grass that when maintained properly provides a premier putting surface.
According to Larsen, the renovation is on-schedule and anticipated to be open for play in October of this year.
Sawgrass Country Club is a par-72 course originally designed by Palmer Course Design President Ed Seay. The private oceanside course consistently ranks among the top 100 courses to play in the state of Florida.
For more than 35 years, Palmer Course Design Company has been a worldwide leader in golf course architecture, creating some of golf’s most memorable and awe-inspiring courses. With more than 250 active projects and open golf courses in 38 states and 23 countries, Palmer Course Design provides comprehensive golf course planning and design. Founded on the philosophy and standards of excellence set forth by the game’s ambassador, Arnold Palmer, Palmer Course Design applies traditional design elements to every course whether private, public or resort.
For more information about Palmer Course Design, call (904) 285-3960 or visit www.palmerdesign.com.
Posted: August 24, 2005 03:18 PM
Palmer Course Design Announces Opening of Golf Club of New England
July 08, 2005
GREENLAND, NH. –Palmer Course Design recently unveiled its first golf course in New Hampshire, the Golf Club of New England, a private stand-alone golf course nestled on 450 acres of lush woodlands and natural terrain.
“We were able to work with the native topography and some exciting natural elements to create a pure golf experience,” said Erik Larsen, one of the architects of the Golf Club of New England. “The Golf Club of New England is simply about golf. Our design offers multiple playing strategies, providing players a unique golf experience at every hole.”
Palmer Course Design Press Release
July 8, 2005
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
For further information contact:
Erik Larsen, Executive Vice President
Palmer Course Design
Phone: (904) 285-3960
Fax: (904) 285-2119
erik@palmerdesign.com
www.palmerdesign.com
Maxine McBride, President
Clockwork Marketing Services, Inc.
Phone: (904) 280-7960
Fax: (904) 280-2567
maxine@clockworkmarketingservices.com
PALMER COURSE DESIGN ANNOUNCES OPENING OF GOLF CLUB OF NEW ENGLAND
GREENLAND, NH. –Palmer Course Design recently unveiled its first golf course in New Hampshire, the Golf Club of New England, a private stand-alone golf course nestled on 450 acres of lush woodlands and natural terrain.
“We were able to work with the native topography and some exciting natural elements to create a pure golf experience,” said Erik Larsen, one of the architects of the Golf Club of New England. “The Golf Club of New England is simply about golf. Our design offers multiple playing strategies, providing players a unique golf experience at every hole.”
The Golf Club of New England is a 7,122-yard, par-72 course located in the seacoast region of New Hampshire. It was a collaborative effort between Larsen and Project Architect Harrison Minchew, a talented design team that took advantage of the stunning landscape in their design of this core golf course. The course features nice roll from tee to green, exciting vertical changes, open fields, wetlands, running streams and a wide variety of mature trees.
“Designing a stand-alone course gives you the freedom to have fun with the layout,” Larsen added. “The Golf Club of New England was a pleasure to design, but seeing the finished product after 18 months and having it come out even more beautiful than we envisioned, is really rewarding.”
The design team created the holes to be a balanced combination of demanding but enjoyable play with pictorial natural beauty, which is evident on holes such as the No. 8, where carrying the ball over the marsh is just half the battle. Tall, lush grass on the edges of intimidating bunkers contrasting with beautifully manicured bentgrass fairways creates drama and challenging play from the 1st tee to the 18th green.
For more than 35 years, Palmer Course Design Company has been a worldwide leader in golf course architecture, creating some of golf’s most memorable and awe-inspiring courses. With more than 250 active projects and open golf courses in 38 states and 23 countries, Palmer Course Design provides comprehensive golf course planning and design. Founded on the philosophy and standards of excellence set forth by the game’s ambassador, Arnold Palmer, Palmer Course Design applies traditional design elements to every course whether private, public or resort.
For more information about Palmer Course Design, call (904) 285-3960 or visit www.palmerdesign.com.
For more information about membership opportunities at the Golf Club of New England, contact Stacy Levesque at (603) 772-4900 or visit www.golfclubne.com.
Posted: July 8, 2005 03:17 PM
Palmer Course Design Opens First Golf Course In Portugal
June 20, 2005
VILAMOURA, Portugal – Palmer Course Design announces the opening of The Victoria Clube de Golfe, a new 7,176-yard championship golf course in Vilamoura and the company’s first design in Portugal. The Victoria Clube de Golfe is the longest 18-hole layout in the country and will host the 2005 World Cup Championships – Algarve World Cup.
“In our design of The Victoria Clube, we took our cue from the area’s natural environment and created something that looks as if it has always been there,” Palmer Course Design Vice President, Senior Golf Course Architect and Director of Environmental Services Vicki Martz said. “Having the course recognized by European Tour and PGA Tour officials as a tournament caliber course and selected as host for the Algarve Cup and future tournaments, even before its opening, is an exciting honor for us.”
Palmer Course Design Press Release
June 20, 2005
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
For further information contact:
Erik Larsen, Executive Vice President
Palmer Course Design
Phone: (904) 285-3960
Fax: (904) 285-2119
erik@palmerdesign.com
www.palmerdesign.com
Maxine McBride, President
Clockwork Marketing Services, Inc.
Phone: (904) 280-7960
Fax: (904) 280-2567
maxine@clockworkmarketingservices.com
PALMER COURSE DESIGN OPENS FIRST GOLF COURSE IN PORTUGAL, THE VICTORIA CLUBE DE GOLFE
VILAMOURA, Portugal – Palmer Course Design announces the opening of The Victoria Clube de Golfe, a new 7,176-yard championship golf course in Vilamoura and the company’s first design in Portugal. The Victoria Clube de Golfe is the longest 18-hole layout in the country and will host the 2005 World Cup Championships – Algarve World Cup.
“In our design of The Victoria Clube, we took our cue from the area’s natural environment and created something that looks as if it has always been there,” Palmer Course Design Vice President, Senior Golf Course Architect and Director of Environmental Services Vicki Martz said. “Having the course recognized by European Tour and PGA Tour officials as a tournament caliber course and selected as host for the Algarve Cup and future tournaments, even before its opening, is an exciting honor for us.”
Designed with balanced nines, the front takes advantage of the Algarve’s native topography and utilizes natural drainage swales while the back nine at The Victoria Clube offers an open feel with soft rolling fairways of lush Bermuda and flowing natural streams. This par-72 course created by Palmer Course Design, has an abundance of challenging water features meandering through the tract designed to complement and preserve the surrounding area’s hilly terrain.
With 32 acres of lakes, The Victoria Clube capitalizes on the Palmer risk/reward philosophy and provides an unparalleled combination of stunning natural beauty and demanding play. Palmer Course Design incorporated water on the 11th, 12th and 13th known as “The Victoria Corner” and utilized the location of a large lake between holes 14 and 18, creating a menacing but attractive challenge for golfers. Cascading waterfalls on the par-5 17th offer a unique hazard for players to navigate and provide a spectacular lasting impression of this new course.
Each hole at The Victoria Clube has a minimum of five tees, allowing golfers of every level and handicap the opportunity to play this picturesque new design in Europe, which is the epitome of the Palmer standard.
For more than 35 years, Palmer Course Design Company has been a worldwide leader in golf course architecture, creating some of golf’s most memorable and awe-inspiring courses. With more than 250 active projects and open golf courses in 38 states and 23 countries, Palmer Course Design provides comprehensive golf course planning and design. Founded on the philosophy and standards of excellence set forth by the game’s ambassador, Arnold Palmer, Palmer Course Design applies traditional design elements to every course whether private, public or resort.
For more information about Palmer Course Design, call (904) 285-3960 or visit www.palmerdesign.com.
Posted: June 20, 2005 03:15 PM
Reunion Resort Opens Two Courses
February 10, 2005
PONTE VEDRA BEACH, FL, February 10, 2005 –The Reunion Resort will open two of the resort’s three signature courses on February 14, 2005. Arnold Palmer and Tom Watson will headline the grand opening of The Legacy Course, designed by Palmer, and the The Independence Course, designed by Watson. The Reunion Resort will open the third course, The Tradition, designed by Jack Nicklaus in the fall of 2005.
Palmer and Watson will warm up at a clinic, during which they will answer questions from the invited guests. An exhibition round will follow as the two golfers play a selection of holes on each course. They will then hold a press conference prior to the afternoon festivities planned for the guests.
“We are especially proud of our ongoing relationship with The Ginn Company,” said Palmer. “Committed to a Championship golf course, The Ginn Company allowed us to design on an exceptional piece of property with 50 foot elevation changes, unusual for this part of Florida.” In addition, Ginn Golf transplanted over 400 oak and palm trees on the course, to enhance the environment and leave the golfer with an enjoyable, yet challenging round of golf.
Joining Palmer for the events from Palmer Course Design Company will be, Ed Seay, the company’s Executive Vice President, Ray Wiltse, the project architect, and Ron Howell, the project coordinator.
“Given the panoramic views, the variety of uphill and downhill shots, the large native grass areas, and the few houses that overlook the course, The Legacy Course is core golf at its best,” said Wiltse. Bucking a recent trend in country club living, core golf refers to a limited number of houses or no housing at all, on the course but tends to give the golfer an opportunity to truly enjoy the environment.
Palmer Course Design Company is an international golf course and recreational planning and design organization formed by Palmer and Seay over thirty years ago. The foundation of its design and business philosophy is the genuine, traditional and sound standard of excellence exhibited by Arnold Palmer, the game’s most famous player and ambassador. Whether the course is private, public, or resort, the Palmer standard of excellence is the foundation of every design. Palmer Course Design has more than 300 active projects and open golf courses, covering 38 states and 20 countries.
Posted: February 10, 2005 03:13 PM
Palmer Course Design and National Golf Development Corp. Announce New Relationship
August 27, 2004
Ponte Vedra Beach, FL – Palmer Course Design Company is pleased to announce a new relationship with National Golf Development Corporation, based in Moscow, Russia.
“I am very pleased and happy with this new relationship,” said Arnold Palmer. “We look forward to bringing golf courses to Russia and expanding the game in that part of the world.”
National Golf Development Corporation is working as a representative for Palmer Course Design Company with clients in Russia who are seeking golf course design and development services. Within their master planning service Palmer Course Design also provides comprehensive recreation planning for their clients. This includes tennis facilities, hiking and bike trails, field sports complexes, aquatic and physical recreation as well as fishing, ecological, and passive activities.
Palmer Course Design Company is an international golf course planning and design organization formed by Palmer and Ed Seay over thirty years ago. The foundation of its design and business philosophy is the genuine, traditional and sound standard of excellence exhibited by Arnold Palmer, the game’s most famous player and ambassador. Whether the course is private, public, or resort, the Palmer standard of excellence is the foundation of every design. The Palmer Course Design Company has more than 300 active projects and open golf courses, covering 33 states and 20 countries.
Posted: August 27, 2004 03:12 PM
Palmer visits latest creation at Hawthorn Woods
June 17, 2004
Ponte Vedra Beach, FL –Arnold Palmer made a construction inspection visit to his company’s latest golf course – Hawthorn Woods Country Club in Hawthorn Woods, Illinois on Thursday, June 17th.
“We design golf courses to fit the land. Here at Hawthorn Woods Country Club, we are using the native woodlands, wetland areas, lakes, and rolling slopes to create a unique golf course that weekend golfers will enjoy, but will also be a challenge to the lower handicap player”, said Palmer.
Currently under construction, Hawthorn Woods Country Club, developed by Toll Brothers Inc., is a private golf course in a country club community. The course will measure 7100 yards with a par 72, and is expected to be ready for a soft opening in the fall of 2005. The anticipated grand opening will be in the spring of 2006.
“Hawthorn Woods will offer a unique blend of beauty, variety and playability,“ said Kevin Benedict, Vice President of Palmer Course Design Company and project architect. Also accompanying Mr. Palmer was Thad Layton, the project coordinator.
The golf course presents many visually exciting features yet provides a fair, challenging test of golf. With dramatic gradework, bunkering and water features, Hawthorn Woods Country Club will quickly be recognized as a uniquely exciting addition to the Chicagoland golfscape.
Palmer Course Design Company is an international golf course planning and design organization formed by Palmer and Ed Seay over thirty years ago. The foundation of its design and business philosophy is the genuine, traditional and sound standard of excellence exhibited by Arnold Palmer, the game’s most famous player and ambassador. Whether the course is private, public, or resort, the Palmer standard of excellence is the foundation of every design. The Palmer Course Design Company has more than 300 active projects and open golf courses, covering 33 states and 20 countries.
Posted: June 17, 2004 03:11 PM
Palmer opens newest course, located in Costa Rica
May 18, 2004
Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida--Arnold Palmer headlined the grand opening ceremonies for The Four Seasons Resort at Peninsula Papagayo, an 18-hole championship resort golf course near Liberia, Costa Rica on May 10, 2004. The course is located on Peninsula Papagayo on the north west coast of Costa Rica.
Palmer loosened up during a clinic, as he does for any competition, and answered questions from the invited guests. In an exhibition, Palmer played nine holes of the 6,760 yard, par 72 Signature course.
“We are proud to have Peninsula Papagayo as one of our newest designed courses,” said Palmer. “This course represents my basic design philosophy. It is exciting and enjoyable for all players and respects and preserves the existing terrain.”
Joining Palmer for the events, from Palmer Course Design Company were, Greg Stang, the project architect, and Ron Howell the project coordinator. The entire golf course has been planted with a single variety of Paspalum grass. This grass is very adaptable to tropical climates and is watered with a mix of salt and fresh water.
“The golf course plays up and down the various elevation changes found on the peninsula. These elevation changes, along with strong trade winds, and dramatic ocean views on 13 holes, create a challenging, yet fun round of golf for all players,” said Stang.
Palmer Course Design Company is an international golf course planning and design organization formed by Palmer and Seay over thirty years ago. The foundation of its design and business philosophy is the genuine, traditional and sound standard of excellence exhibited by Arnold Palmer, the game’s most famous player and ambassador. Whether the course is private, public, or resort, the Palmer standard of excellence is the foundation of every design. The Palmer Course Design Company has more than 250 active projects and open golf courses, covering 36 states and over 20 countries.
Posted: May 18, 2004 03:10 PM
Palmer Course Design and Native American Junior Golf Association Forge Partnership
Palmer Course Design Company and the Native American Junior Golf Association are proud to announce a joint partnership between the two organizations. The partnership will see Palmer Course Design offer it’s golf planning expertise to the NAJGA and will make a donation to NAJGA in the name of any tribe constructing a golf facility.
Palmer Course Design views this partnership as an opportunity to help tribes reach their economic goals while at the same time helping to grow the game of golf in Indian Country through the NAJGA.
NAJGA, based in Lawrence and Topeka, Kansas, is in its fourth year of operation and is currently working with seven tribes across the country. It hopes to have 15 – 20 Chapters on board by the end of next year. James “JB” Cisneros is the founder of the Native American Junior Golf Association and a member of the Kickapoo Tribe. He has been actively promoting the organization and its goal of providing tribes with access to the best equipment, instruction, and facilities. This effort is greatly supported by NAJGA’s president, Mr. Steve McDonald, a Native American and member of the Prairie Bank Potawatomi, and a 17 year member of the PGA of America.
The partnership was officially cemented during a blanket ceremony at the Bay Hill Invitational this past March in Orlando, Florida. JB Cisneros, NAJGA founder presented Arnold Palmer with a blanket blessed by tribal elders of the Kickapoo Tribe in Kansas. Palmer stated that he was excited at the positive benefits the NAJGA would have on Native American youth, as well as the potential growth of golf domestically that this organization could provide.
Posted: May 18, 2004 03:08 PM
Palmer opens latest Signature course at Mountain View Country Club
February 18, 2004
Ponte Vedra Beach, FL – Arnold Palmer headlined the grand opening festivities introducing Mountain View Country Club on February 13, 2004. This is the newest Arnold Palmer Signature Course and is located in LaQuinta, California.
“We are proud to have Mountain View Country Club as one of our newest designed courses and especially proud of the relationship with Toll Brothers, Inc. Mountain View is one of twelve courses owned or developed by Toll Brothers that have been designed by Palmer Course Design Company,” said Palmer. “This course represents my basic design philosophy. It is exciting and enjoyable for all players and respects and preserves the existing terrain.”
During a clinic, Palmer loosened up as he would for any competition, and answered questions from the invited guests. In an exhibition, Palmer played nine holes of the 7,483-yard par-72 golf course. He then held a press conference as part of the grand opening festivities. Joining Palmer for the events from Palmer Course Design Company were Vicki Martz, Vice President and Project Architect, and Thad Layton, Design Associate for Mountain View.
“Mountain View Country Club has dramatic elevation changes which we have incorporated into the course, along with the creation of a deep arroyo. A number of cascading water features, and five sets of tees on most holes make this an exciting, challenging course, yet a fun round of golf for every player,” said Martz.
Palmer Course Design Company is an international golf course planning and design organization formed by Palmer and Seay over thirty years ago. The foundation of its design and business philosophy is the genuine, traditional, and sound standard of excellence exhibited by Arnold Palmer, the game’s most famous player and ambassador. Whether the course is private, public, or resort, the Palmer standard of excellence is the foundation of every design. The Palmer Course Design Company has more than 300 active projects and open golf courses, covering 36 states and 20 countries.
Posted: February 18, 2004 03:06 PM
Kingdom Magazine Inagural Issue Launch
January 09, 2004
Palmer Course Design Company and Media Cell Publishing are pleased to announce the successful launch of Kingdom Magazine. The Inaugural issue was distributed to over 250 existing Palmer designed courses throughout the United States.
Kingdom which is published twice a year is a comprehensive golf lifestyle publication with features on golf courses, equipment, travel, as well as topics specific to Arnold Palmer. Geared for those who are members or guests of Palmer designed courses the magazine will expand to international distribution with the Spring 04 Issue.
For further information contact:
Kevin Benedict, Palmer Course Design Co.
904-285-3960 kevin@palmerdesign.com
Matthew Squire, The Media Cell LTD.
011-44-207-345-5066 ms@themediacell.com
Posted: January 9, 2004 03:05 PM
Palmer Opens First Signature Course in Iowa at The Tournament Club of Iowa
August 14, 2003
Ponte Vedra Beach, FL – Arnold Palmer will headline the grand opening festivities introducing the Tournament Club of Iowa on August 14, 2003. This is the first Arnold Palmer Signature Course in Iowa and is located 15 miles NW of Des Moines, in Polk City.
During a clinic, Palmer will loosen up as he does for any competition, and answer questions from the invited guests. In an exhibition, Palmer will play nine holes of the 7,043 yard, par 72 Signature course with Dr. Tom Davis, Men’s Basketball Coach at Drake University. He will then hold a press conference as part of the grand opening festivities. Joining Palmer for the events, from Palmer Course Design Company will be Erik Larsen, Vice President, and the architect in charge of this project.
“We enjoy designing fun and challenging golf courses, and the Tournament Club of Iowa is truly one of our best works,” said Palmer.
Developed by Tradition Golf, LLC and Knapp Properties, and constructed by Enebak Construction, the site consists of 500 acres encompassing three inter-connected valleys that meander below the Big Creek Dam with many key design features. Centering the valley is Big Creek itself along with a handful of significant lakes. All through the property are high bluffs with ravines, stylish patches of open areas plus a saturation of heavily wooded areas. There are mature oaks, maples and lindens.
“The Tournament Club of Iowa is an exciting course with many unique features. A good mix of uphill, and downhill shots and carries over deep ravines will produce a challenging and fun round of golf for every player,” said Larsen.
Palmer Course Design is proud to announce that TCI anticipates hosting a regular stop on the PGA Champions Tour in the near future.
Palmer Course Design Company is an international golf course planning and design organization formed by Palmer and Seay over thirty years ago. The foundation of its design and business philosophy is the genuine, traditional, and sound standard of excellence exhibited by Arnold Palmer, the game’s most famous player and ambassador. Whether the course is private, public, or resort, the Palmer standard of excellence is the foundation of every design. The Palmer Course Design Company has more than 300 active projects and open golf courses, covering 36 states and 20 countries.
Posted: August 14, 2003 03:04 PM
Arnold Palmer Proud to Open Ireland's Newest Addition, The K Club - South Course
July 21, 2003
Ponte Vedra Beach, FL – Arnold Palmer and Dr. Michael Smurfit officially opened the newest addition to the Palmer family of courses, the South Course at The K Club in Straffen County, Ireland on July 21, 2003.
Design of the K Club began in the late 1980’s when Palmer Course Design Company was chosen as golf course architects for the North Course. During the summer of 2000, Dr. Smurfit came back to Palmer Course Design with the request for design of a second course. The South Course features 30’ elevation changes, Bentgrass greens, and lakes with extensive aquatic plantings.
Since its official opening in July 1991, the North Course has hosted the European Open, the Smurfit Irish Professional Championship and the PGA Cup Matches. The K Club has now been chosen to host the 2006 Ryder Cup Matches.
“I was delighted, along with all at Palmer Course Design Company, to learn that The K Club has been chosen to stage the 2006 Ryder Cup matches,” said Palmer. “When we received the briefs to design the golf course, Michael Smurfit and I decided to come up with a challenge which would be enjoyable for the club golfer, yet worthy of hosting top professional tournaments. There can be no higher accolade then to have our creation played by the elite of the world of golf. Ireland, Smurfit and The Kildare Hotel & Country Club are most deserving of this great sporting event.”
Palmer Course Design Company is an international golf course planning and design organization formed by Palmer and Seay over thirty years ago. The foundation of its design and business philosophy is the genuine, traditional and sound standard of excellence exhibited by Arnold Palmer, the game’s most famous player and ambassador. Whether the course is private, public, or resort, the Palmer standard of excellence is the foundation of every design. The Palmer Course Design Company has more than 250 active projects and open golf courses, covering 33 states and 20 countries.
Posted: July 21, 2003 03:04 PM
Arnold Palmer Kicks-off Charity Tournament at The Signature at West Neck
July 07, 2003
Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida--Arnold Palmer headlined festivities for a charity golf tournament at The Signature at West Neck, an 18-hole championship, daily fee golf course in Virginia Beach, VA on July 7, 2003. The golf tournament was held for the benefit of Hope Haven Children’s Home.
During his pre-round practice routine, Palmer fielded questions from invited guests. In an exhibition, Palmer played the front nine holes of the 7,010 yard, par 72 Signature course. He then assisted the owner of the course, Dick Foster of Baymark Construction, in presenting a check to Hope Haven Children’s Home. The tournament raised $26,000 for Hope Haven, a Christian based shelter for children from distressed family situations.
“We are proud to have The Signature at West Neck as one of our Signature designed courses” said Palmer. “This course represents my basic design philosophy of being exciting and enjoyable for all players, while respecting and preserving the existing terrain.”
Joining Palmer for the events, from Palmer Course Design Company was, Vicki Martz, the company’s Vice President, and the golf course’s architect. The course boasts TifSport Bermuda grass fairways and bentgrass greens, and was designed with five sets of tees, measuring from 7,010 (gold tees) to 5,012 (red tees). This site offered us the ability to produce a very scenic golf course that blends with the natural environment yet provides a very challenging but fair round.
“All of us at Palmer Course Design are proud that this course is hosting a golf tournament for such a worthy cause,” said Martz.
Palmer Course Design Company is an international golf course planning and design organization formed by Palmer and Seay over thirty years ago. The foundation of its design and business philosophy is the genuine, traditional and sound standard of excellence exhibited by Arnold Palmer, the game’s most famous player and ambassador. Whether the course is private, public, or resort, the Palmer standard of excellence is the foundation of every design. The Palmer Course Design Company has more than 250 active projects and open golf courses, covering 36 states and 20 countries.
Posted: July 7, 2003 03:03 PM
Palmer Lands New Design for City of LaQuinta
April 06, 2003
Crowning a much anticipated international design competition, Palmer Course Design company of Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida, prevailed over three other finalists on Friday to secure the right to negotiate with the City of La Quinta for the design of the highly touted municipal golf course located at SilverRock Ranch. The City circulated a total of 38 RFP’s to noted course architects worldwide. Initial interviews narrowed the candidates to sixteen and last week, it was time for the ‘final four’ to put their most convincing presentation before the Redevelopment Agency, whose $42.5 million purchase of the 525 acre site from KSL Resorts last year destined this project for high visibility within the golf development industry.
Adjacent to private golf communities PGA West and the Tradition Golf Club, both of which feature Arnold Palmer golf course designs, SilverRock Ranch is regarded as one of the most desirable golf resort developments nationwide because of the site’s natural beauty and its location within the Palm Springs area, already a mecca for the sport.
Erik Larsen, Vice President and Senior Golf Course Architect with PCDC made an impassioned presentation to the Agency on behalf of the unique and irreplaceable value of selecting the “King of Golf” for the citizen’s course: “Mr. Palmer has not only been visiting La Quinta since before the town was incorporated (1980), but as a resident of The Tradition, he is literally your neighbor. He believes in providing beautiful courses that are fun to play and that inspire golfers to come back time after time, because they’ve had such a good experience. By the same token, we at PCDC are experienced at designing a challenging course for the more accomplished golfer. I can assure you that Arnold Palmer will be a personal ambassador for the City’s success with this spectacular property.”
GMA International, master planners from Newport Beach, California, prepared the conceptual design plan, which was unanimously adopted by the City’s Redevelopment Agency last month. The GMA Plan proposes a championship course parallel to the Santa Rosa Mountain backdrop, accented with lakes and water features. Other land uses for SilverRock reflect multiple hotel sites, including a boutique hotel and spa, golf clubhouse facility and community center, recreational facilities and private residence villas around the two and one-half golf courses.
Thematic influences considered by GMA and the City include an international village motif heavily-flavored toward the ‘ultimate’ golf experience, which might include a Q School, a Golf Hall of Fame, as well an innovative teaching and conditioning facilities. The Dave Pelz School currently occupies the site of the old Ahmanson ranch house on site and leases the facility from the City on a year-by-year basis. When questioned, Larsen identified the SilverRock team as the same skilled designers that created Tradition: Mr. Palmer, Larsen, and David Chapman. In addition to master planning SilverRock Ranch and The Tradition, GMA also designed and entitled The Hideaway, a private golf community across the street from the new development.
Contract negotiations with PCDC will commence immediately as current schedules call for grading of the first course to begin this fall. Community speculation and interest in securing a permanent relationship with the Bob Hope Chrysler Classic may have contributed to the favorable impression of Palmer’s organization. Arnold Palmer has contributed to the success of the Hope Classic for many years and is credited with assisting the positive financial impact the Classic has on the community through the support of his personal involvement and the international resources of the Palmer organization.
Posted: April 6, 2003 03:01 PM
Stonewall Selected as 10 Best You Can Play
February 26, 2003
Golf Magazine in its March 2003 issue announced Stonewall Resort golf course as one of the "Top 10 Courses You Can Play" for 2003.
Stonewall Resort is located in the foothills of the Alleghenies, near Roanoke, West Virginia. The front nine of the 7,149 yard course starts down on the shores of scenic Stonewall Jackson Lake. The course, which builds in interest and elevation on the back nine, features golf holes shaded by sugar maple, fir and pecan trees, and offering majestic views of the Blue Ridge Mountains. "Folks are going to want to play it again and again," said Arnold Palmer at the grand opening in May 2002.
Also noted in the March list was Arbor Links in Nebraska City, Nebraska. Arbor Links was given an honorable mention in the same category. Arbor Links is a cooperative effort with Palmer Course Design Company, Landscapes Unlimited and the National Arbor Day Foundation leading the endeavor. The course offers a unique study into the effects of a golf course on the environment, while providing the golfer with an exciting day on the links, including prairie, hilltops, wooded ravines and streams. "A very striking and demanding test of golf" said Erik Larsen, the project architect.
Posted: February 26, 2003 02:50 PM
