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Latrobe's Native Son
Legendary golfer Arnold Palmer called this town home, and he never forgot where he came from.
By Catherine Orlando Zubchevich
Arnold Palmer was a true American icon: golf legend, mogul, philanthropist, and namesake of one of the most refreshing summertime beverages. Like most great legends, his rags-to-riches story is the stuff of American lore.
While he would go on to dominate the elite world of golf, he came from relatively humble beginnings. Born in Latrobe on September 10, 1929, Arnold learned the game of golf at the Latrobe Country Club, where his father worked. Later, he attended Wake Forest College on a scholarship for his prowess on the links. Palmer stepped away from school and golf to serve his country in the U.S. Coast Guard from 1951 to 1954. At the end of his enlistment period, it was back to Wake Forest and golf.
You could say 1954 was the start of something big for Palmer. After his time with the Coast Guard, he won the U.S. Amateur title that year and elected to go pro after that victory in Detroit.
His professional accolades and titles, standings, and skill speak for themselves. Palmer won four Masters titles, two Open Championships (also known as the British Open), and one U.S. Open. He earned 62 PGA Tour wins, putting him at No. 5 on the PGA all-time victory list.
Also An Entrepreneur
Arnold Palmer was involved in various business ventures throughout his life, leveraging his name and expertise in golf to create successful enterprises. Arnold Palmer was renowned for one of those entrepreneurial efforts—golf course design. He and his design company, Arnold Palmer Design Co., created and renovated numerous golf courses around the world. His designs are celebrated for their strategic layout and challenging yet enjoyable play. One figure claims Palmer was involved with more than 300 golf courses, which can be found in 37 states, 25 countries, and five continents. He was directly involved with three country clubs as president, owner, and/or investor: Latrobe Country Club (Latrobe, Pennsylvania), Bay Hill Club and Lodge (Orlando, Florida) and Pebble Beach golf complex in California.
Closely related to course design was Palmer’s name as a brand in itself. He endorsed a wide range of products, from golf clubs and apparel to golf course maintenance equipment. Palmer had numerous endorsement deals and partnerships with companies in the golf and lifestyle industries with his name and image used to promote products and services, ranging from watches to luxury resorts. He was influential in the founding of the Golf Channel.
One of the most well-known products associated with Arnold Palmer is the half-iced tea, half-lemonade beverage that bears his name. Perhaps one of the most popular and widely available brand is AriZona, with the drink packaging bearing a photo of the iconic golfer. Arnold Palmer’s influence on the business side of golf and his ability to translate his success on the course into successful entrepreneurial endeavors have left a lasting legacy in the world of sports and business.
Palmer Philanthropy
His raw talent during his career was apparent, and his status was buoyed by his physical presence and personality. “He came up during the golden age of television ... and people wanted to watch him. He was the first sports icon and galvanized a group of people to play the game of golf,” says Eric Amato, president and CEO of First Tee Pittsburgh.
The First Tee organization focuses on youth development through the game of golf, promoting child health and wellness while imparting skills for life and the course. The Pittsburgh chapter is one of 150 international branches of the organization, and Arnold Palmer served as an honorary chair at the local level and as a national trustee. Finished in 2020, the state-of-the-art Learning Center bears Palmer’s name and stands on the first hole of the organization’s Bob O’Connor Golf Course. “When building our learning center, we wanted to honor his legacy. The foundation is golf as a transformational activity,” says Amato.
Palmer’s involvement with First Tee was just one of several philanthropic efforts for him. “He really cared about conservation and kids,” says Amato. His charitable work centers around this theme, and his outreach includes hospitals, pediatric research and environmental centers.
His primary charitable organization is the Arnold & Winnie Palmer Foundation. Through this foundation, Palmer supported various causes, with a particular focus on children’s healthcare. The foundation raised funds for children’s hospitals and medical research, making significant contributions to improving healthcare for children. The Arnold Palmer Hospital for Children, founded in 1989, and the Winnie Palmer Hospital for Women & Babies, founded in 2006, are two hospitals in Orlando, Florida, delivering on the Palmers’ promise of caring for children.
Resources from the foundation have also gone to funding the Pediatric Oncology Experimental Therapeutics Investigators’ Consortium (POETIC).
Additionally, Palmer was involved in numerous charitable events and fundraising activities that supported causes related to education, conservation, and community development. A prime example of this commitment is the Winnie Palmer Nature Reserve at Saint Vincent College. Read more about the reserve on page xx.
A Role Model
Arnold Palmer was a role model to many, on and off the course. He took pride in his play and public service. His hometown has taken immense pride in him as well, honoring him with the Arnold Palmer Regional Airport. The naming rights aren’t just pomp and circumstance; Palmer was a certified pilot in his own right.
He has also been recognized nationally and internationally for his contributions not only to golf but also to the greater good. In 1960, just a few years after his professional debut, he was named Sports Illustrated Sportsman of the Year. The award is granted based on who the organization deems “the athlete or team whose performance that year most embodies the spirit of sportsmanship and achievement.” Shortly after receiving this honor, Palmer would serve for the first time as the Ryder Cup Captain in 1963. He played the Ryder Cup six times, and then served as a captain for his seventh time. Sports Illustrated notes he “still has the best ever record—22-8-2, .719—among all Americans with at least 15 matches played.”
Additional golf awards he earned for his commitment to excellence were the United States Golf Association’s Bob Jones Award in 1971 and the Golf Course Superintendents Association of America’s Old Tom Morris Award in 1983. He was inducted into the PGA of America Hall of Fame in 1980, and later, in 1998, he earned the PGA Tour Lifetime Achievement Award. The most illustrious honor, though, came in 2004 when President George W. Bush awarded him the Presidential Medal of Freedom. In published photos of the awards event, the press commented that the president and Palmer were comparing golf grips.
Like all great legends, Arnold Palmer’s accomplishments remain. Top players compete at the annual Arnold Palmer Invitational in Orlando, a yearly tradition since 1979. Young golfers still have the elusive opportunity to earn the Arnold Palmer scholarship from his alma mater, Wake Forest. Thousands of people benefit daily from his philanthropic efforts. And millions must still enjoy his signature drink of choice. His accomplishments were vast and certainly deserved. He was a trailblazer in golf and also during the dawning of an era of televised athletes and sport. His charisma, charity, and skill invigorated the sport of golf and charmed the American public.
Winnie Palmer, CONSERVATIONIST
Winnie Palmer, Arnold Palmer’s first wife, was born Winifred Walzer on February 22, 1934, in Williamsport, Pennsylvania. She met her husband in 1954 at a golf tournament while a student at Brown University; they married shortly after that. They remained married for 45 years until her passing in 1999. By all accounts, Winnie focused her efforts on family and philanthropy, raising the couple’s two daughters and pouring herself into community interests. The fruits of her labor are apparent today in the Winnie Palmer Hospital for Women & Babies in Orlando, Florida, and the Winnie Palmer Nature Reserve (www.wpnr.org) at St. Vincent College in Latrobe, Pennsylvania.
The Nature Reserve epitomizes Winnie’s dedication to conservation and environmental preservation. Situated on 50 acres in Latrobe, WPNR is a beautiful space featuring a wealth of habitats—meadows, gardens, ponds, and wetlands to name a few. The public is invited to learn and play while taking in the landscape.
This beautiful natural space has something for everyone. Events include “Nature Play Days,” where children 2 and younger can enjoy unstructured play and discovery. For older children, offerings include events highlighting being outdoors and STEM in nature. For big groups, the WPNR hosts field trips, summer camps, and birthday parties. Adults don’t have to miss out on the fun, with maker workshops a regular draw. Seasons change, and so too do the programs to reflect the time of year. Hiking trails can be accessed from dawn until dusk throughout the year.
If you thought the Reserve was just picturesque scenery, think again. As a safe haven for nature, wild native animals roam the land. Additionally, a regular cast of educational ambassadors hold court. Box turtles, an American bullfrog, and salamanders roam and “teach” visitors.
Permanent fixtures at the Nature Reserve include the Learning Barn, a reconstructed barn from the site that dates to the 1800s, the Nature Explore Classroom and Children’s Garden, an apiary for the reserve’s bees, and the Lochry Blockhouse, constructed by early settlers in the late 1700s.
This natural enclave is an incredible resource to the surrounding communities, and we have Winnie Palmer and other conservationists to thank for these efforts. The land was purchased to maintain the landscape and scenic beauty after the development of Route 30 and subsequent highway businesses. Winnie served on the board of directors for Saint Vincent College, so she had intimate knowledge of the land and impending plans. Her efforts to preserve this scenic spot were successful.
If you can’t make it out to experience WPNR in person, the organization releases a zine called Radicle and is active on social media. They do, of course, encourage everyone to “Get Outside!” When the outdoors looks like the Winne Palmer Nature Reserve, it’s an easy directive to follow.
