The Legend Arrives: An Interview with Arnold Palmer

Arnold Palmer is not only one of the greatest golfers of the modern era – he won virtually every major tournament in the United States and around the world – he is also the first tournament player to become a golf course architect.  His design projects cover 37 states and 26 countries, and offer settings for many of the world’s most prestigious tournaments. He recently provided a preview of Arnold Palmer Design Company’s new course at Rolling Hills Country Club.

To begin with, all our courses employ a traditional, straight-forward design that produces lasting quality. The designs are founded on the principles and strategies of the game and are sensitive to the land and the environment. That means we do not force or design unnecessary grade work or features. That said, Rolling Hills Country Club presents an extraordinary and exciting challenge in regards to the topography.

Exactly. We now have the opportunity to take this damaged piece of property – right in the middle of one of the most beautiful areas of California – and turn it into something beautiful and important.
This is one of the best assignments a golf-course designer can have: We are actually bringing nature back to the land. We are re-greening it. And in that regard, the enhancement that comes with this course is a gift to the entire surrounding community.

It will be completely unique. The re-use of the gravel quarry is one reason. Most of the new holes will wind down into this area and then re-emerge, which will make for a very interesting layout.
Perhaps even more exciting will be working with the new Clubhouse. The new location for the Clubhouse is just fantastic. It sits on a 100-foot rise, from which you can see down into Torrance and the South Bay, and – especially on clear days – all the way across the Los Angeles basin to the Santa Monica and San Gabriel Mountains. The holes close to the new Clubhouse will take extraordinary advantage of these views.

The water features will be quite striking. There will be moving streams and a series of lakes, all complementing the existing topography and built into some new topography that we will create. We will also be melding the existing mature trees with new vegetation. In the end, it is our intention that you will never know the difference: This new course – like the new Clubhouse – will feel like it has always been here.
In every sense, this will be a tremendous improvement to the existing course and land. We believe that everyone – golfers and non-golfers alike – will appreciate the revitalization and transformation of this part of Rolling Hills Estates into something that it always should have been.