PGA tournaments a possibility, says Arnold Palmer
Golf legend Arnold Palmer says he plans to build a course in Grand Cayman that will be capable of hosting the biggest tournaments in the world.
The 84-year-old multiple Majors winner told a packed house at the Westin resort last week that his course – part of a planned $360 million development in the eastern districts – would be something the island could be proud of.
“We can build one of the great golf courses of all time,” he said.
Palmer, who has designed and built nearly 400 courses across the world from Argentina to Japan, said he was more excited about the Cayman project than any he had worked on in years.
He said it was too early to say if the Cayman Islands would be in line to host a PGA tour tournament, but he did not rule it out.
“I’m not going to deny that you might, and I would be the first to support that notion, but I hate to get people too excited about something that might happen so far in advance. When this golf course is finished, it will certainly be one that is going to be capable of having a wonderful tournament here.”
Thad Layton, a course designer working with Palmer on the project, said the course would be designed with both professionals and enthusiastic amateurs in mind.
“This will be a golf course that anyone, no matter what their level of play, will be able to go out and enjoy,” Layton said. “We can have a PGA tour event if that is of interest to the island in the future. We will design a golf course that is capable of challenging the world’s best golfers, but also for people like you and me that just enjoy going out on the weekend.”
Palmer, who has inspired top golfers for decades, including Tiger Woods, expects to make several trips to Cayman as the golf course is designed and built. Last week’s announcement that government will partner with Ironwood to build a 10-mile extension to the East-West Arterial road was critical to ensuring financing for the project, according to a spokeswoman for the developer. Now that the road deal is signed, planning permission is expected to be granted.
Palmer said he was impressed with Cayman and thrilled by the possibilities.
“This has got my excitement up more than anything other than my wife in many years,” he said.
And he insisted he was going to do it his way.
“I won’t suggest you give me tips on how to do a golf course. If you feel like it, go ahead, I probably won’t listen anyway. Let me and my guys go; you will see things at some point that make you go ‘boy, does he really know what he’s doing?’ Well I’ve done this for so long and for so many people, and I can’t think of too many that really hate me.
“I think this is something that you will be proud of long after I am down the road. I think you will be extremely proud of what is here and what you have attracted to your homeland.”
He acknowledged that one of the big challenges, as with many golf courses worldwide, would be water, and the cost associated with keeping the golf course green.
“Water is going to become one of the biggest priorities in the business of golf, in building courses and maintaining the type of environment that people want.”
Nickname: “The King”
Age: 84
Major wins: Seven. The Masters Tournament (U.S.) four times (1958, 1960. 1962, 1964), The Open Championship (U.K.) twice (1961, 1962), U.S. Open once (1960)
Tour titles: 62
Career: Fifth on the all-time list of PGA tournament winners, seventh on the all-time list of major winners
Noteworthy: Palmer is regarded as one of the greatest golfers ever in men’s professional golf. In 1974, he was inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame.
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