One of golf's most iconic figures, Arnold Palmer, would have been turning 94 on Sept. 10. He was of course a legendary player on the course, with 62 PGA Tour wins and seven major titles. But he was also a celebrated golf course designer. Because his influences and contributions to all areas of golf are so significant, Arnie might be under-appreciated as an architect—which is a compliment to everything he gave to us in his career.
Perhaps most notable among Palmer's designs is his courses at Bay Hill Club and Lodge in Orlando, where the Arnold Palmer Invitational is played on the PGA Tour each year. The Champion/Challenger course at Bay Hill has been updated quite a bit through the years, and The King always had final say over its tweaks. Much of the attention this week will be on Arnie's contributions to the tournament game. But we shouldn't lose sight of his contributions to course design. To shine a little more light on Arnie the course designer, we present the 10 best golf courses under the Arnold Palmer design umbrella.
From Golf Digest Architecture Editor emeritus Ron Whitten:
I've always been fascinated by the design of Bay Hill, Arnold Palmer's home course for over 45 years (although Tiger Woods owns it, competitively-speaking, as he's won there eight times.) For one thing, it's rather hilly, a rarity in Florida (although not in the Orlando market) and dotted with sinkhole ponds incorporated in the design in dramatic ways.
I always thought the wrap-around-a-lake par-5 sixth was Dick Wilson's version of Robert Trent Jones's decade-older 13th at The Dunes Club at Myrtle Beach. Each of the two rivals had claimed the other was always stealing his ideas. But the hole I like best at Bay Hill is the par-4 eighth, a lovely dogleg-right with a diagonal green perched above a small circular pond. OK, I admit that it reminds me of the sixth at Hazeltine National, another Trent Jones product, but I don't think Wilson picked Trent's pocket on this one, as both courses were built about the same time, in the early 1960s.
For our complete review, visit Bay Hill's Places to Play page here.
Tradition G.C., La Quinta, Calif. (1998)
Channing Benjamin
Hard against the Santa Rosa Mountains, it’s the prettiest course in Palm Springs. Palmer admitted he insisted on elaborate flower-bed landscaping because his late wife, Winnie, loved floral displays. Tradition Golf Club, which unveiled a statue to Mr. Palmer a few years ago in honor of his contributions to the club, is ranked 187th in the United States in our most recent Second 100 Greatest rankings and 21st on our ultra-competitive Best Courses in California.
Tralee G.C., County Kerry, Ireland (1984)
Stephen Szurlej
A captivating design that starts like Pebble Beach along high cliffs and finishes in rugged dunes similar to Ballybunion. Tralee was recently ranked 11th on Golf Digest's top-20 courses in Ireland.
Adios G.C., Coconut Creek, Fla. (1984)
An exclusive male-only oasis in busy South Florida, Adios is the rare Florida course with no housing. The layout is testy, with narrow fairways among pines and ponds and highly contoured greens. Adios was named one of Golf Digest's "Best Damn Clubs," mostly for being a great hang, but also for its stout course.
Old Tabby Links, Spring Island, S.C. (1993)
Said to have been Palmer’s favorite, Old Tabby is a gorgeous lowcountry layout, with fairways framed by mammoth live oaks and greens edged by lagoons and tidal marsh. It's currently ranked 17th in our Best Courses in South Carolina.
Musgrove Mill G.C., Clinton, S.C. (1988)
Called “the Pine Valley of the South,” but with its low profile, small, perched greens and vast waste areas, it’s more akin to Pete Dye’s famed The Golf Club in Ohio. It's currently ranked 19th in our Best Courses in South Carolina.
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Balsam Mountain Preserve, Sylva, N.C. (2007)
Courtesy of the club
Ranked 19th in our latest Best in North Carolina rankings, Balsam Mountain Preserve was routed on a 4,400-acre community that rises as high as 5,500 feet above sea level with extraordinary views of the Great Smoky Mountains.
ArborLinks G. Cse., Nebraska City, Neb. (2002)
Lauded for its environmental sensitivity, ArborLinks was built in open plains, but this being the hometown of Arbor Day, some trees have been selectively planted for strategic and sustainable reasons. ArborLinks is ranked No. 8 on our Best Courses in Nebraska list.
Aviara G.C., Carlsbad, Calif. (1991)
Aviara provides a public version of Tradition with elaborate bunkering, extensive water-scapes and hillsides of brilliant flowers. It's ranked among Golf Digest's Best Courses You Can Play in California.
Lonnie Poole G. Cse. at North Carolina State University, Raleigh (2009)
Photo by Roger Winstead/Lonnie Poole Golf Course
For those unable to land an invitation to Musgrove Mill, the public Lonnie Poole offers a similar experience of vast waste bunkers, tight greens and shotmaking demands.
Dakota Dunes (S.D.) G.C. (1991)
A most unusual course, built in sand dunes along the Missouri River with many holes cut through stands of tall cottonwood trees. It was long ranked the top course in the state. Dakota Dunes is currently ranked No. 3 on our Best Courses in South Dakota.
