Bay Hill And Its Living Tribute To Arnold Palmer’s Legacy

The year was 1979 and the excitement level in Florida was off the charts. The old Citrus Open at Rio Pinar was finished and a new era was beginning — Arnold Palmer would have his own tournament at his own golf course outside Orlando — Bay Hill.
Bay Hill was his Florida home and it was a big-boy course compared to Rio Pinar. This was big news, huge news and for a young, twenty-something golfer writer from Tampa, it meant more one-on-one time with Arnold.

Palmer made sure everything was perfect. He came up to me early that week and asked: “Is everything good? What can we do better?” My response, well, you’re face-to-face with The King and he’s asking for constructive criticism? Easy answer: “Everything is great Arnold, really great — I love it here.”

And just like that, one of the Tour’s best events was born and it couldn’t have had a better daddy — Arnold his ownself.

Today’s Tour really misses Palmer and his influence. Truth be known, Arnold brought the PGA Tour to mainstream America when he was in his prime. He played with flair. He looked the part. Strong, smiled at everyone, signed more autographs than anyone in the history of sports.

He won with style and what made him the hero to the everyday player is that he lost some big ones. Arnold showed us all how cruel the game can be — even to the man who would be King.

Arnold never hesitated to let you know what was on his mind. When Tom Watson was a rookie circa 1971, he showed up at a Tour event sporting long hair and a mustache. Palmer told him to lose the mustache and get a haircut. The next day Watson showed up clean-shaven and with a haircut as well.

Arnold chewed out more than a few players who’d sign autographs that looked like senseless scribble. He told them to learn to sign properly so that fans would know who they were. Palmer had one of sports’ most distinct autographs — and he’d slash it out in a matter of seconds. Once asked him to sign a picture for my best friend’s father. “Arnold — can you also put ‘To Charles’ on it?” I asked. It took Arnold like 30 second to write the “To Charles” part and it didn’t even look like he wrote it — but then came the crescendo — the AP signature — big and bold and perfect.

It’s been nearly six years since we lost Arnold. The world of sports is a lessor place without him.

He’d be extraordinarily disappointed at what has transpired with this Saudi Golf League business and the antics of Phil Mickelson.

If he was still with us, Phil might have gotten a call from Arnold and best guess is that there wouldn’t have been pleasant words for Mickelson.

When the Arnold Palmer Invitational gets going this week, you’d wish you had a buck for every person that takes a picture of that Arnold Palmer statue at Bay Hill. This place, this event is a lasting memory, a lasting memorial to golf’s most popular figure ever.

Bryson DeChambeau is back to defend his title and a pretty good field will be looking for that red cardigan sweater that goes to the winner. Bryson filled out his pretty well last year and Arnold would have been near that sixth tee when Bryson hit a monster drive that carried the lake easily, settling just a few yards from the green.

Arnold’s fingerprints still linger on everything a Bay Hill.

This is where the “Arnold Palmer” (half ice tea, half lemonade), was born, ordered by Arnold.

Arnold sat in that grill with friends and had more than a few Kettle Ones on the rocks.

Even in his late 70s and early 80s, Arnold played in the Saturday morning games at Bay Hill with the members.

Arnold was always just one of the guys.

And that’s why everyone loved him so.

Just one of the guys — a regular guy with superstar status. But he never lost his blue-collar touch, never forgot where he came from.

He was a hero to so many, a friend to even more — and a big reason why television put golf on the menu.

It was The King.

We miss him but the memories last forever..