Superintendents remember 'The King'

When news of Arnold Palmer's death began to circulate Sunday night, it didn't take long to see how much The King's legacy impacted not just the broader world of sports, but also our own small corner of that world in golf course management. As GCSAA's communications guru Craig Smith told me this morning, "Everyone has a great story about Arnold because Arnold was great to everyone."

And from the anecdotes, stories and tidbits filling my timeline last night and again today, there's no doubt that's the case. Some remembered Palmer as a golf course architect. Others recalled his role in sports media as one of the driving forces behind the creation of Golf Channel. Still others fondly remembered his playing days, Arnie's Army and his duels with Jack NIcklaus.

In golf course management, we'll obviously remember Arnold Palmer as the son of a superintendent who never failed to respect and acknowledge the work of others who chose that profession. We'll remember him as the winner of GCSAA's very first Old Tom Morris Award, back in 1983 (pictured here is the cover of the November 1982 issue of GCM, announcing that honor). And we'll remember his ongoing willingness to engage and interact with superintendents whenever he met them, whether at trade shows, industry events or simply during a casual round of golf.

Like most, I have my own Arnold Palmer stories. Thanks to my job at GCSAA, I had the opportunity to meet him on two different occasions. The first came less than a year into my tenure with the association, in 1999 at the GCSAA conference and trade show in Orlando. One of my assignments that week was to attend a corporate function at Bay Hill where Palmer would be the featured speaker, an assignment that definitely scored one in the "best-job-ever" category.

The event was well-attended, with probably 300 people packed into a large conference room at the golf course. When I saw this, I thought my chances of actually making eye contact with Palmer had dropped into slim-and-none territory. But as seems to be the case wherever Palmer was involved, he shook every hand that was put in front of him, including mine as he passed by. The photo you see here (yep, that's me on the left, with hair, that's not grey) remains one of my prized possessions from my time at GCSAA.

My other interaction with Palmer also took place at Bay Hill, but in a much more intimate setting. Jacobsen — which has been the longtime equipment provider for Bay Hill — was launching several new pieces of equipment, and scheduled an unveiling for industry media at the Orlando club. There was a ride-and-drive opportunity with the new equipment, a round of golf and a nice dinner on the agenda, but nowhere was there anything about Palmer. We didn't even know if he was in town.

But following our meal, who should walk into the room to greet the 25 or 30 of us in attendance but Arnold Palmer. He had heard there was an event taking place at the club, and even though he hadn't been asked to appear, he took it upon himself to come into the room and spend a few minutes chatting with each person there. I remember telling him how jealous my dad, a huge Arnie fan, was going to be, and I remember him replying, "Well, tell your dad thanks for being a fan. And I'm glad I could give you a one up on him."

As I said, it seems everyone has a story about Arnold Palmer. And above and beyond the massive impact he had on the growth of the game, on sports media, and on golf course design, among other things, it's those small interactions, those personal memories that truly made him The King to so many of us, both in and out of the golf business.

Comments

[Craig Smith]

I vividly recall having the privilege of escorting Mr. Palmer to the media center following his last U.S. Open in 1994 at Oakmont. Look it up online and enjoy his emotional farewell.