[A.G._Crockett]

Goodness, but we are holding Palmer to a high standard here!  I took his comments very simply to be a very honest man looking back at his career and expressing a regret, and maybe even setting a goal, and I don't know of too many 74 yr. olds who couldn't do the same.  I would also imagine that most, if not all, working architects, hope that the best is yet ahead, and/or that they wish they had done some things differently.  

If, in fact, his courses are not rated highly in large part because of housing (and LOTS of it, I grant you!), doesn't that say a lot more about the ratings than what his design firm evolved to?  

[Matt_Ward]

A.G.

The standard for AP is no less than I apply to others.

The issue I have with Palmer -- like other tour players who want to be "designers" -- is understanding that it's really hard to believe that someone who raked in a boat load of cash for all these fast food designs now laments about what "might have been." I'm sure AP wasn't "regretting" the day when the check was handed to him!

AP built an Empire that raked in mega bucks. Nothing wrong with that. There's also nothing wrong with reviewing that body of work and holding it up to the light of day in terms of originality and creative appeal -- both things generally lacking in a good number of AP designed courses. It's always about creating more and more and more -- rather than better and better and better.

Arnold -- the man -- the golfer -- is one thing. Arnold Palmer -- the brand -- the Empire builder -- sought to max out his name and he's done that well. Unfortunately, the quality of all but a very small handful of designs is simply formulaic and nondescript IMHO whether housing is / was there or not.

[TEPaul]

Matt Ward said;

"Arnold -- the man -- the golfer -- is one thing. Arnold Palmer -- the brand -- the Empire builder -- sought to max out his name and he's done that well."

Matt:

I tend to look at all that as one and the same thing---Arnold Palmer, period!

[Matt_Ward]

TEPaul:

You need to understand the mechanics of branding and marketing.

AP has much to be admired as the golfer -- it's the insatiable desire to be the Empire builder with plenty of nondescript layouts that makes me believe that quantity rather than quality has been agenda item #1.

From Penzoil to Cooper tires, to name just two, Palmer has been on widening the AP "brand" (remember the umbrella brand theme!) to include a diversity of products. On the architectural side it's hard for me to believe that AP really stopped and said to himself we should be doing more in terms of quality that will stand the test of time than simply placating builders who simply want to use his name to line their pockets with more and more real estate sales.

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