ORLANDO, Fla. — A trip to Bay Hill Club & Lodge inevitably becomes a walk down memory lane for Arnie’s Army.
Fans of Arnold Palmer and spectators at his long-standing tournament should bring a comfortable pair of shoes this week.
Reminders of The King are everywhere on the property he made his home away from native Latrobe, Pa., while forever changing Orlando. But the “Sincerely Arnold Palmer — the Latrobe Legacy Campaign” will give people a chance to more deeply examine many sides of Palmer’s rich and unique life.
“Our goal is to remind everybody that the legacy of Arnold Palmer is about living an incredible American life of global significance,” said Ken Boehner, chairman and president of the Arnold and Winnie Palmer Foundation. “He was rewarded by two genuine loves; one, the love of golf and the other the love of people.”
Following Palmer’s Sept. 25, 2016, death, his family and foundation aimed to ensure he remained relevant to past and future generations.
The API is an annual reminder of Palmer’s impact in golf. Many of the 120 players in this week’s star-studded field either recall a personal interaction or have a strong sense of the tournament namesake’s imprint on the game.
“When you come to a place like this, for someone like me who loves the history of the game, to be able to see a lot of his quotes, see the part of history, how much of the history of the game he’s a part of and to even just see what this golf course was, see the pictures and the tournament he’s created is really, really unique,” world No. 1 Jon Rahm said. “There’s very little to say about him. Loved by many, admired by even more.”
The Legacy Campaign brings much of Palmer’s life in Pennsylvania nearly 1,000 miles south to Florida. Artifacts abounded back in Latrobe, where Palmer’s office and workshop had become neatly cluttered during many decades.
“If we were to stuff any space with all these incredible artifacts, it would require a 50,000 square foot warehouse,” Boehner quipped.
Select letters, trophies, trinkets, photographs and golf clubs are displayed this week near the 18th green at the Lexington Cottage, where the Palmers hosted friends and family and eventually the tournament winner.
“We want people to feel that kind of intimacy and that connection and closeness to Arnold,” Boehner said.
Boehner’s personal favorite among the memorabilia is a painting of a western Pennsylvania barn by President Dwight D. Eisenhower he gave to Winnie Palmer. To the left of the landscape painting are Palmer’s Presidential Medal of Freedom and Congressional Gold Medal.
A photo of Arnold Palmer and Eisenhower, an avid golfer, is among the many displayed. Next to it Palmer and IMG founder Mark McCormack are walking and chatting.
Also on the walls are copies of Palmer’s congratulatory letters to fellow champions, including Tiger Woods, Tom Watson and Lydia Ko, and thank-you notes to the legion of fans who wrote him.
Palmer’s most important trophies are impossible to miss, from his 1954 U.S. Amateur win, two Open Championship victories, four Masters championship and 1960 U.S. Open title.
After digging into the life of one of golf’s greatest champions, those who have the golf itch can swing one of Palmer’s clubs in a simulator for a charge of $19.60. The proceeds will go to Palmer’s Foundation and continue his family’s vast charitable efforts six years after his passing.
“We’re encouraging the Army to support Latrobe and that legacy of philanthropy and giving back,” Boehner said.
The Legacy Campaign will continue past this week, largely back in western Pennsylvania, but eventually the many places Palmer’s impact is felt.
“Our goal is to share all of this continually, 365 days a year, at Bay Hill, in Latrobe, and everywhere else that Mr. Palmer mattered,” Boehner said. “That’s a lot of places.”
