Golf legend Arnold Palmer passed away Sunday at the age of 87. Palmer was an iconic golfer and a tremendous ambassador of the game, bringing golf to new heights. NCA extends our condolences to Palmer’s family as well as the golf and club community that knew him so well. He will be greatly missed.
Palmer was a friend of NCA for decades. He advocated on behalf of NCA and shared his thoughts with us in an interview back in 2011. Here are some excerpts from our interview with him and a recap of our advocacy work with Palmer.
Palmer on private club rules:
“I would say that private clubs have developed a more relaxed atmosphere. The clubs have recognized that they face much more competition to attract their family members to club activities in this day and age when there are so many more activities appealing to adults and children. One thing most clubs have done, it seems, is to adjust from rigid rules to today’s lifestyles in dress codes, food service and the like.
It has also been good to see that many racial and ethnic constraints in the private-club world are melting away in these more-enlightened times.
As for the future, I see the industry going with the technological flow and utilizing the constant advances to their best advantage, just as they have up until now.”
Palmer on golf’s outlook:
Surveys show that the growth of the game has flattened out in recent years, part of that, of course, is because of the economy. On the other hand, greater effort is being taken to interest young people and bring them into the game through organizations like The First Tee program. I am optimistic that our great game not only will survive but will thrive again in future years.
Palmer on the golf’s role for the environment:
“Contrary to what some uninformed people say, I think that golf courses usually enhance the wildlife and environment on and around them. A good example would be the course that we created on property that was a landfill. Another would be Arbor Links, a daily-fee course we built for the Arbor Day Foundation in Nebraska that is, in effect, a living environmental laboratory. People are working very hard to improve the environment by using less water and fewer chemicals. I think it is imperative that this be done.
When I’m designing a new course, I am sometimes influenced by existing holes I’ve seen and played. When you consider all of the courses (some 300) we have done on a wide variety of land and terrain, you won’t detect that influence in very many holes. Persons who don’t know who the designer was don’t come away from our courses identifying them as Palmer courses.
As for wildlife, often there is more local wildlife on a site after many courses are completed than beforehand.”
Palmer on NCA and its role in protecting clubs:
“The National Club Association is certainly one of the most important of the many organizations that make up the framework of support for the many aspects of the game of golf. As the private club industry’s only active voice in Washington, the NCA plays a key role in keeping all of us up-to-date and aware of what is going on in the halls of our federal government.”
In 1978, Palmer played a key role in helping NCA fight and defeat a proposal by President Carter that would disallow deductions for club dues. Here an excerpt on how the iconic golfer teamed up with NCA to defeat the proposal.
“In addition to testifying before Congress, NCA mounted an extensive campaign to retain the tax deduction for clubs. The lobbying campaign included visits with all key Congressional leaders and Administration officials. Arnold Palmer was called upon to assist in the effort. Prior to the House-Senate Conference Committees’ meeting that was to decide the fate of club dues deductions, Arnold Palmer, at the request of NCA, talked at length with Rep. Dan Rostenkowski (D-IL) about the devastating effect the disallowance would impose on private clubs.
“Palmer discussed the anticipated club closings that would result should dues deductions be eliminated, and told the Congressmen that thousands of employees would probably be laid off. Palmer was a crucial participant in helping develop a compromise proposal that ultimately saved club dues at the final hour.
“As a result of their efforts, the private club industry managed to keep the wolf at bay … Congress approved a tax bill that did not end deductions for club dues. The important victory for private clubs came in the waning minutes of the 95th Congress when, despite intense lobbying by Administration officials, a House-Senate Conference Committee rejected the provision that would have ended club dues deductions.”
Though legislation was enacted in 1993 that caused the deductibility of dues to be lost, NCA continues to fight for measures that protect the rights of clubs and their members, and remembers the legend of our industry for his contributions to golf and his commitment to the private club industry.
Phillip Mike is NCA’s senior communications manager.