Kingdom: The R&A has initiated the Mark H McCormack medal to be presented each year to the player at the top of the amateur world rankings. How close to his heart do you believe this would be?
Arnold Palmer: I think he’d be very proud since he ignited a lot of the awards and statistics of golf for both pro and amateur standings. He would be most gracious and pleased with the fact that this award is coming forth.
K: We understand you became a great grandfather for the first time. How important has family been in your life as a pro, and how important is family now?
AP: Here’s a picture of my great-granddaughter! (Charlotte Winifred is the daughter of
Katie and Parker Spears, and the first grandchild for Katie’s parents, Roy and Arnold’s daughter Amy Saunders) Well, of course, my wife, Winnie, was a very important factor in my golf and my family relationships. We were married for 45 years. Losing her in 1999 was a tough situation. But the fact that she gave me two great daughters and two great families gave me something to strive for, to be able to take care of them and share my life with them through Winnie. And, of course, my second wife, Kit, Kathleen Gawthrop, has been able to pick up and carry me into the present day and hopefully far into the future.
K: So many families are spread all over the country. You could live anywhere in the world, yet you always go home to Latrobe. Why?
AP: I get that question a lot, and now you tell me a place in the world that’s nicer than this right here, right now (gestures out the window to a golden autumn day)? You can’t. I mean there isn’t another place like this. This is just perfect. Of course, I still live in Florida, too. I spend the cold months in Florida, but I still consider this my homestead.
K: Do you ever watch The Weather Channel during those cold months and chuckle, “Boy, I’m glad I’m not up there right now!”
AP: True! You said it! That’s the case. But this is a great spot, and I’ll always enjoy it here. But I enjoy Florida, too. I enjoy Bay Hill and Orlando. I have a lot of associations there that are very important to me.
K: We know that you recently visited the Arnold Palmer Regional Airport in Latrobe for the unveiling of a statue of yourself. How's the airport doing? Still growing?
AP: They did a very good job with the statue. It’s very flattering. The statue, my name on the airport, the whole thing keeps my connection to Latrobe very whole and that’s something I’m very proud of. The airport is growing and it will continue to grow. We look for a continued expansion. We have certainly one of the finest airports in the world. For a private, county/state airport, it’s one of the best.
K: The U.S. Route 30 gateway to Latrobe is now forever bracketed by tributes to Arnold and Winnie Palmer. How satisfied are you the results of the Winnie Palmer Nature Reserve? And what are the practical and ornamental benefits of the Reserve to the town she loved so much?
AP: The whole community has made some great contributions to the airport and we’re very pleased and proud of that. The Reserve was something Winnie wanted and was very important to her. She wanted to protect the view and all the things that Saint Vincent College stands for. She was on the board at Saint Vincent and she was very proud of that. She did not want to see development ruin what she thought was a beautiful place and a wonderful thing. It’s an educational centerpiece, a recreational area for people to get out and get away from the hubbub of business and a place for people to go relax. The old blockhouse there goes back to the 18th century and is very historically important in reminding people what was in this area hundreds of years ago. It furthers education, gives young and old people an opportunity to go out and stroll through the park and really see and feel a relaxed place.
K: I am sure you are aware that at the same time they unveiled a statue of you by the same artist, Zenos Frudakis, at Tralee. When was the last time you visited Tralee and does it get just more and more beautiful each time you visit?
AP: It just continues to improve from an aesthetic and golfing standpoint. When I think about when we started Tralee and the people from Tralee came and asked us to do a golf course for them, and what has happened in that time is a miracle. It’s an extremely popular place for people to go and play golf. It’s been about five years since I’ve been back, but I hope to go back, see the statue and play some golf there.
K: How do you rate the new FedEx Cup system which is deciding the main part of this year's PGA Tour season?
AP: I think that the FedEx Cup is great. It’s a real opportunity for professionals with a great financial reward. I’m not sure they all understand that and that’s too bad. It gives them an opportunity to get to do some things they might never have had opportunities to do before.
K: One of the biggest complaints is that the money is deferred. What would you have done if you’d have won a tournament and the sponsor would have said, “Congratulations, Arnold, here’s a check for $10 million, but you can’t cash it for 15 years.” What would you have said?
AP: I’d have said, ‘Thank you very much!’ You put $10 million in my retirement fund and you’ll see how well I handle it. It doesn’t matter if you use it now or not. It’s there and it’ll be there. So it’s as good as if it’s in your hands. That’s a lot of money. It doesn’t matter if it’s 5 years, 10 years or 20 years until you get it. It’s a great package to have lying there and to forge ahead with that in your back pocket.
K: Do you have any plans for some sort of memorial for your late colleague Ed Seay?
AP: We’re thinking about that. I don’t know just what we’re going to do, but I hope it’ll be something that’ll recognize Ed as one of the great architects and one of the great promoters of the American Society of Golf Course Architects. Ed was very active and was president of the association and made many contributions to it. It’s a little early to be doing anything. But, count on it, we’re going to do something.
K: Do you plan to play in any more 'super senior' exhibitions in parallel with Senior Tour events like the ones you took part in earlier this year?
AP: I do not. Not unless my game suddenly takes a turn for the better. I don’t have any plans to play other than a few charity events, some obligations like for Administaff where I’ll go play a pro-am or something like that. But I have no plans to embarrass myself like I have recently. Sure, I miss being out on tour and I miss the competition. But I have competition right here at home when I play with my friends. I do some charity stuff and I open our golf courses, so that keeps me fulfilled.
K: Do you still practice much, and what department of your game do you work on most?
AP: Just regular playing. The biggest drawback in my game right now is getting a little more distance. And it’s kind of fun for me to work on hitting the ball a little further. I have no chances of going out and trying to set the world on fire. If I haven’t done that by now, there’s no sense in trying. All seniors need to exercise and keep in good physical shape. Stretching and mobility is a very important part of keeping your game in good shape as we age.
K: We realize that most of the golf you play these days is social golf. Who do you play with most regularly?
AP: I have a group of guys here in Latrobe that I
play with quite often. They’re young guys, my children’s age. And at Bay Hill we have the shoot-out that I play
in occasionally.
K: You recently witnessed an ace. Aren’t you due for No. 20?
AP: That was one of my guys, a local dentist (Dr. Jim Bryan), and it was a beautiful shot. It was about 190 yards and he hit a 6-iron on number 4 at Latrobe. I’ve had 19. I need to make another one.
K: Communities and philanthropic organizations have, through the years, been known to host Arnold Palmer days. But three prestigious groups combined in late June to hold what could have been called "Honor Palmer Week" when you were inducted into two Halls of Fame and honored by another — in three different states. How can you keep up with all the accolades? Are there any awards like these that have particular meaning to you or does the whole thing become kind of a blur?
AP: I’m flattered that they do that. It’s never old hat. A lot of it is inspired by fund-raisers calling attention to golf organizations or doing something to benefit First Tee or some other golf group so when that happens it’s something I always enjoy doing.
K: Now that Bay Hill's renovation and expansion is basically complete, what are future plans for the club and course? What more can be done — if anything?
AP: We’ve renovated the hotel and the club, but it’s a never-ending and ongoing upgrade of the golf course and the club itself. And we’ll never completely finish doing upgrades.
K: The Arnold Palmer Invitational is looming fast. Any new plans for the set up of the course for the ‘08 tournament?
AP: We’re going to change No. 3 tee, and we’re presently renovating the 14th tee and those will be done for the tournament. We redid the sand traps through the summer. We continue to do some areas where we need some additional drainage, but it’s been pretty dry so that hasn’t been much of a concern.
K: Vijay Singh finally won the AP invitational for the first time this year, after you first invited him to participate years ago as a relative unknown. Is there a relatively unknown player who has similarly caught your eye this year?
AP: There are a lot of young guys that are coming on. Right now I’m watching numerous players, but I don’t have any particular one that’s coming on as fast as they might. Charles Howell, Adam Scott and a lot of the international players are very good. I’m watching a lot of them, but I think Tiger is kind of swamping the show right now. It’s hard to pick someone that’s going to knock him off. I don’t see anyone coming along that’s going to do that.
K: What tournaments or match-ups did you enjoy in 2007 so far?
AP: The one at the TPC at Boston, which is one of our courses, where Tiger and Phil had a great match that came down to the last hole. But I don’t see anyone coming along to challenge Tiger right now. He’s just head and shoulders above everyone else.
K: I understand you want to remain impartial, but isn’t there one player you’re unabashedly rooting for?
AP: Yes, I do have that one favorite, my grandson Sam Saunders, but he’s just getting mature. I hope he’ll mature into a really great player. He’s doing well in school (Clemson University) and that’s very important to me. He’s playing good, but I don’t think he’s playing as well as he thinks he should be. We’ll see how it all turns out.
K: How much have technological advances shaped the modern game, or is it still the same basic game of fundamentals? I.E: Does a good player with great equipment have an advantage over a great player with fair equipment?
AP: The great player would be my choice. You could put anything in Tiger’s hands and he’d still be the top player.
K: What are some of the new APDC courses under construction that you’re particularly excited about?
AP: I think Seven Falls near Asheville, North Carolina, is going to be very good. I think the Reserve at Lake Keowee in South Carolina and a course we’re doing at North Carolina State University in Raleigh are going to be great situations. We’re hoping to get White Oak in North Carolina really flying this winter and this spring. Those are all jobs that have potential to be great courses.
K: What are the challenges of developing courses in China and how does APDC cope with them? Also: What are the differences between building a course in China in 1985 and building one today?
AP: We’re actively doing some jobs in China and that’s a real hot spot for golf. Dubai is another one that’s coming on very fast. I think the international scene is one that we’re going to be reckoning with in the near future. And I don’t think the American scene is out of stead too far. I think we will see more, but for the moment let’s call it flat.
K: Many of your readers enjoy sporting clays and recreational shotgun hunting. Have you enjoyed these sports? And if you do, where and when have you found time to try them?
AP: I have done it. I was on a shooting team a few years ago. But I was so busy that I didn’t have time to take it up and do it the way you should. I enjoy it, but I didn’t have the time. I may start. It’s one of the things I want to do when I get spare time, but first I need to get the spare time.
K: Like you did for the sport worldwide, Lorena Ochoa seems to have made a great impact on golf in Mexico. What do you think she's done for the game, and how important do you think she'll be for the future of the sport?
AP: I think she’s a great addition to the LPGA, and I think, certainly, the more she does and the more recognized she is will help golf worldwide. And the fact that she is from Mexico is going to ignite a bigger draw in her country and the golfing world. She’s an amazing star and certainly should be recognized as such.
K: You have been instrumental in breaking down barriers — perceived and real — in golf. To what extent do you believe there are still barriers between golf and "the common man" in the U.S. and abroad? What can be done to overcome them (if they exist)?
AP: I think it has been fairly good what they’ve done. I would like to see a little more done for the economics for the average guy playing golf. The First Tee brings a great awareness into young people about the affordability of playing golf. And that’s something I think we’ll see more of and we should see more of so that they can learn and play the game. Golf is a tremendous vehicle for business. It’s a golden opportunity for people to get together, do business and enjoy themselves.
K: How's Mulligan doing? Do you anticipate getting him a canine friend any time soon or does he like to fly solo?
AP: I think Mulligan’s going to be the head honcho for a while. He doesn’t listen to me, but he’s a good dog. He’s my buddy.
News:
Palmer named host of 2009 Bob Hope Chrysler Classic
Golf and Palm Springs icon Arnold Palmer will host the 50th anniversary of the Bob Hope Chrysler Classic, to be played Jan. 19-25, 2009.
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IN ADDITION, 25% of all subscription revenue will be donated equally between Arnie’s Army Battles Prostate Cancer and the Winnie Palmer Hospital for Women and Babies in Orlando.