Biography

Arnold Palmer revolutionized golf course design, stamping his name on over 300 courses located across 37 states and 25 countries. He founded the Arnold Palmer Design Company in 1971 while still an active player. While a lot of the design work was done by his longtime partner, Ed Seay, Arnold Palmer was known to provide the overall plan for the courses, emphasizing on individuality of design for each course. Courses designed by him might not feature prominently on the top 100 lists of prominent golf magazines, but many are recognised and acclaimed by golf enthusiasts.

Palmer's designs have been the venues for many distinguished golf events. Turtle Bay, located on the North Shore of Oahu, has seen Champions and LPGA Tour events. The K Club in Ireland was the host for the 2006 Ryder Cup. A few of Palmer's other courses have alternately hosted the Bob Hope Classic. The African American golfer's designs have also seen LPGA World Championship Invitational and PGA's Tournament of Champions, among others.

Many consider the Tralee Golf Club in Ireland to be Palmer's best work, being the first design he did in Europe. Palmer, ever humble, credited the magnificent natural surroundings for the course's beauty. But the Tralee Golf Club is just one among many of Palmer's standout creations. Other notable courses designed by him include Stonewall Resort in West Virginia, Oasis Golf Club in Nevada, Running Y Ranch in Oregon, and Half Moon Bay in California, among others.

Palmer may have passed away in 2016, but his legacy lives on. Brandon Johnson and Thad Layton, architects from the Arnold Palmer Design Company, took over the reins, adopting a more design/build methodology, lauded by contemporaries like Tom Doak, Gil Hanse, and Bill Coore and Ben Crenshaw. Their newer approach, which magnifies the aesthetic and strategic aspects of the course design, coupled with open green complexes, rugged bunkering, and adventuresome putting surface contours, mirrors the enthusiasm that Palmer himself had for the game.