If you play golf then you’ve likely logged more than a few rounds on an Arnold Palmer designed course.
The King was arguably as prolific a golf course architect as he was a player, having a hand in more than 300 designs across the globe.
Along for 17 ½ years of that journey was Brandon Johnson, who has now launched his own design firm in Jacksonville, Florida, after the Arnold Palmer Design Co. closed its doors in September 2023.
And it appears Johnson is already turning into the “go-to” architect when it comes to renovating, restoring or reimagining some of Palmer’s designs.
Johnson has completed some work on the Palmer course at Geneva National Resort in Wisconsin and has been hired recently by Founders Group International for a two-year renovation project at King’s North at Myrtle Beach National, a Palmer design that has long been one of the Grand Strand’s bedrock layouts.
“I didn’t count how many projects I worked on with Mr. Palmer but there were a lot and I had a chance to work all over the world,” Johnson says. “I did some work for the Palmer design firm in China, Europe, Chile, Ireland and Australia. And while we didn’t finish a project on the continent of Africa we looked at a lot of deals over there, so I was fortunate.”
Johnson says he has a couple of additional former Palmer courses that have reached out to him that have yet to be announced, and he hopefully expects more.
“Mr. Palmer did so many positive things for the game of golf,” says Johnson. “As participants and leaders of the game we owe it to his legacy to be responsible stewards of his design legacy. It was an honor and a privilege to have worked with Mr. Palmer and gain his and the family’s trust with his design legacy — a responsibility I hold with great care and pride. I hope former clients and courses understand that and continue to engage me to stay authentic to his design legacy like Founders International has.”
Johnson recalls Palmer’s directive to his stable of golf course architects to give players “heroic choices” and tempt them to “go for it.”
“He wanted us to push the envelope as golf course architects,” Johnson says. “And he didn’t want all of his golf courses to look the same. So certainly when I was working with him we had the freedom to make a lot of our courses different. They all had a different personality and flare to them.”
“King’s North has long been one of Myrtle Beach’s most popular and recognizable courses, and we are look forward to working with Brandon Johnson to ensure that continues to be the case,” says Steve Mays, president of Founders Group International. “Brandon understands Arnold Palmer’s architectural vision as well as anyone, so he is the ideal person to ensure King’s North maintains the architectural integrity of Arnie’s original design while delivering an even better experience going forward.”
King’s North was last renovated in 1996 when Palmer oversaw a complete redesign of what was previously called the North Course. The layout shot to the top of the list of Myrtle Beach’s best designs and was ranked among America’s 100 Greatest Public Courses by Golf Digest.
DEMAND FOR GOLF TRAVEL AT ALL-TIME HIGH
Approximately 12.2 million U.S. adults took a golf trip last year, according to the National Golf Foundation — close to the all-time high set a year earlier and 20 percent higher than the annual average of NGF’s measurement years from 1989-2022.
Based on NGF’s consumer surveys and year-to-date figures, there’s no sign of let-up when it comes to desire for golf travel.
The number of golf travelers in 2024 is projected to exceed 12 million for the third straight year. Conversations with golf resort operators and management companies substantiate heightened interest as well as strong early-season guest momentum and/or pre-bookings, the NGF says.
TSA checkpoint numbers at U.S. airports bolster these findings, with year-to-date numbers on broader travel running ahead of each of the past three years and the pre-pandemic years as well.
Golf tourism overall is the second-biggest economic driver in the industry behind only facility operations, with golfers generating over $31 billion in travel-related golf expenditures within the United States.
The post-pandemic increases in participation and play across the golf landscape have extended to golf tourism, which had been one of the sectors of the industry most adversely affected by the onset of COVID-19 in spring 2020. This momentum has been further amplified by the exposure and buzz accompanying the development at some of the game’s most high-profile properties.
Pinehurst Resort in North Carolina, known as the “Cradle of American Golf,” recently opened its 10th regulation course ahead of hosting the U.S. Open this week.
“We’ve got a lot of runway here to grow, and thankfully we’ve got the land,” says Pinehurst Resort president Tom Pashley. “So, we’re not scrambling trying to figure out how to grow. We just now have to figure out the right timing. And it’s a puzzle. You can’t just add golf without adding rooms. If you do that you haven’t fully optimized the proper formula.”
Meanwhile, Bandon Dunes, which ushered in a new era of destination golf on a remote stretch of Oregon coast, this year opened a new Par 3 course – its seventh overall – in concert with the resort’s 25th anniversary. Streamsong (Florida) and Boyne Resorts (Michigan) are also debuting new short courses this year as a complement to their multitude of championship courses, while Sand Valley (Wisconsin) is unveiling the fifth course in its growing portfolio and the Cabot brand introduced three completely redone courses at Citrus Farms in Florida, with a fourth soon to follow.
While these popular multi-course destinations are some of the most prominent golf getaways in the U.S., they represent just a select niche among the nearly 1,200 golf facilities tied to resorts or resort/real estate properties nationwide. Most are regional draws rather than national, pulling in road-trippers from in-state or surrounding states – in some cases for an overnight stay that involves golf, in others for multi-day stay-and-plays.
And the numbers show more golfers are pursuing these getaways than ever, big and small, the NGF concludes.
IMPACT OF WOMEN’S GOLF DAY FELT YEARROUND
Women’s Golf Day celebrations came to a close last week, but the impact resonates around the globe and the program continues all year long.
“Women’s Golf Day has evolved over the years. We have created an environment where women feel comfortable, supported and excited about golf. Women golf daily and (WGD) is more than just a day, more than a week,” says WGD founder Elisa Gaudet.
Locations that are investing time and passion into the women’s game are now reaping the rewards. One example is Swan Lake Golf Course in New York. Four years ago the location started hosting WGD with 10 women. They didn’t even have enough women to set up a league. Fast forward to 2024 and they have built their membership to carry two leagues and had to run two WGD days for them.
WGD will celebrate its 10th anniversary in 2025. Locations registering today will benefit from year-round access to the website where they can promote and market all of their tee times, pro shop activities, travel and internal events to a highly engaged women’s audience. To sign up simply visit: www.womensgolfday.com/register.
Women’s Golf Day (WGD) is a global movement that engages, empowers, and supports women and girls playing golf and learning the skills that last a lifetime. The yearly one-day, four-hour event has occurred at more than 1,300 locations in 85 countries since its inception and has introduced thousands of new golfers to the sport. WGD is the fastest-growing female golf development initiative in the world and its 2025 weeklong celebration will be May 27-June 3. “Women’s Golf Day is a testament to the incredible power of sport to unite and inspire. It not only celebrates the game of golf, but the community and camaraderie that accompany it. We are inspired by the passion and dedication of our PGA Golf Professionals who work tirelessly to advance inclusion in the game,” says Sandy Cross of the PGA of America.
JUICE BUGGY DEBUTS AT ST. ANDREWS
If you’re ever lucky enough to make it to St. Andrews, you’re aware that the Links includes not only the Old Course, but the New, Jubilee, Eden, Castle, Strathtyrum and Balgove courses, as well.
The Old Course has long featured a halfway facility after the ninth hole, while none of the other courses have had such a place to quench your thirst, until now.
This year, the Links is introducing a Juice Buggy that will be trailed in locations across the Eden, New and Jubilee courses. The menu will include soft drinks and some cold snacks.
The Juice Buggy is only implemented on a trial basis, so be sure to experience the new service, ensuring its return next year.