Impetus For Arnold Palmer Center


November 17, 2005

Introduction

During the first 110 years of its existence, only Francis Ouimet and Bob Jones have had an impact on the game of golf in America and on the United States Golf Association comparable to Arnold Palmer. 

A recipient of the Bob Jones Award, the USGA's highest honor, in 1971 (the year of Mr. Jones' death), and a member of the Selection Committee for the Jones Award since 1993, Arnold was the first man to win three different USGA Championships, the 1954 U.S. Amateur, the 1960 U.S. Open, and the 1981 U.S. Senior Open.  His final round at Cherry Hills resulted in the greatest comeback in U.S. Open history.

Beyond his record as one of golf's all-time champions, Palmer 's greatest legacy will be the way he played the game and how his style and engaging persona captivated the public and grew interest in the game to new levels. 

After assuming the role of Inaugural Chairman of the USGA's Members Program, Arnold Palmer, right, made U.S. President Gerald Ford the first official member. (USGA Photo Archives)
Almost single-handedly Palmer strapped golf on his back and marched with his "Army" into the television era.  Such exposure helped dramatically increase the number of players and golf courses across America .  As interest increased so did the economic value of championship golf, above all the U.S. Open. 

As a direct result of the increased economic performance (in particular broadcast rights) of the U.S. Open, the USGA has been able to significantly increase the services it provides to golfers.  The Association was able to establish its "For the Good of the Game" program, through which more than $5 million per year is provided to fund golf programs for the disabled and economically disadvantaged, as well as to encourage diversity in the game.  Every time a youngster swings a club in a USGA-sponsored program he or she should say a silent thank you to Palmer .

At its June 2004 meeting, the Executive Committee received and approved a new strategic plan for the Museum and Library, which included exploring the construction of a new museum, library, and archives facility in Far Hills.  That analysis was performed and a recommendation to renovate Golf House and build a new museum facility was made and approved at the November Executive Committee meeting.  After a thorough review process, which included a serious vetting of more than a dozen architectural firms, the Princeton, New Jersey firm of Ford Farewell Mills & Gatsch was retained by the USGA on Dec. 8 and will make a report and definitive recommendation to the Executive Committee at the February meeting in Santa Barbara.  The most likely design will involve a new wing to the east of Golf House, designed in the same architectural style as the original John Russell Pope Mansion creating a "quad" effect to the rear of Golf House.  It is our hope to create a Himalayas putting course in the middle of the quad. Golf House will be renovated, remain the point of entry for the visitor and provide an integral part of the visitor experience.  The new facility will house the museum, archives and curatorial staff, as well as new gallery space.

So profound is Palmer 's impact on the game, its people, and the USGA that he was asked, in 1975, to serve as the Inaugural Chairman of the USGA's Members Program.  From the day he enrolled President Gerald Ford as the first member of the program until today when USGA Members number close to 750,000, Palmer 's role as Chairman has been responsible in no small part for the success of the program.  Palmer has also served as a member of the USGA's Museum Committee since 1974.

In 1994, Palmer 's career and contributions to the game were featured in a special exhibition at Golf House. Because of the enduring connection that Palmer represents between all that is good in the ancient and honorable traditions of the game and the people who play and love the game, it is the sincere wish of the USGA to name its new museum in Far Hills, "The Arnold Palmer Center for Golf History of the United States Golf Association."  Never before has a USGA building been dedicated to a single individual and it is extremely unlikely that there will ever be another.  This singular honor would forever remain a fitting tribute to the relationship between Palmer and the USGA.

Background Of The USGA's Role In Preserving Golf History

The USGA Museum and Archives is an educational institution dedicated to fostering an appreciation for the game of golf, its participants, and the Association.  By collecting, preserving, and interpreting the historical developments of the game in the United States , with an emphasis on the Association and its championships, the Museum promotes a greater understanding of golf's cultural significance for a world-wide audience. (Museum and Archives Mission Statement)

The United States Golf Association Museum and Archives is home to the world's premier collection of golf artifacts and memorabilia.  Founded in 1936, the USGA Museum is also the oldest museum in the country dedicated to sports.  In the 70 years since the creation of the museum, the collections have grown to comprise more than 42,000 artifacts, a library of more than 20,000 volumes, half a million photographic images, and several thousand hours of historic film, video, and audio recordings.  Together, these collections document the history and evolution of the game in America and around the world, including the game's greatest champions and most memorable championship moments. 

The United States Golf Association has long recognized and celebrated its role as the custodian of the ancient and honorable traditions of the game. Indeed, the USGA's constitution was amended in 1909 to include the following words: "The Association has been formed and exists for the purpose of promoting and conserving throughout the United States the best interests and true spirit of the game of golf as embodied in its ancient and honorable traditions." For almost 100 years, the USGA has held itself out as the organization within this country charged with preserving, protecting, and promoting the rich traditions and history of the game.

In order to fulfill this mission more fully, the USGA Executive Committee approved the creation of a museum in January 1936, with the stated purpose "to collect implements, balls, etchings, photographs, literature, and similar articles pertaining to the game of Golf and [to] exhibit them therein." So that the game's greatest treasures might be preserved for future generations, "it was further decided that the Association's membership shall be told of the decision and that donations will be accepted." 

To fulfill this mandate, the USGA has actively promoted the Museum to its champions, members (both individuals and clubs), and to the broader golf community for nearly 70 years. In so doing, we have asked the golf world to assist in collecting and preserving the history of the game. We have asked them to donate significant artifacts to us, and in return we have promised to preserve and display these treasures for future generations.

As a result of this publicly stated responsibility, the USGA has been the recipient of countless personal treasures from some of the game's greatest moments: Bob Jones' Calamity Jane II putter, medals, and personal scrapbooks from the Grand Slam; the scorecards and balls from the 1913 U.S. Open playoff between Francis Ouimet, Harry Vardon, and Ted Ray; Ben Hogan's entire collection of golf memorabilia, including trophies, medals, clubs, and awards, in addition to the l-iron he used in the 1950 U.S. Open at to complete his dramatic return from a horrific car accident; Babe Zaharias' wedge and personal photo album from the 1954 U.S. Women's Open when she returned from her battle with cancer to once again dominate women's golf; the modified soil-sampling tool used by Admiral Alan Shepard to play golf on the lunar surface in 1971; the fragments of golf clubs and golf balls pulled from the rubble of the World Trade Center, reflecting the passion for the game that every golfer feels. These are but a few of the treasures we have collected and displayed in our current Museum.

The importance of the collections is reflected, in no small way, by the list of individuals, clubs, and organizations who have contributed to the collections.  Through the years, more than 2,000 donors, including more than 220 USGA champions, have presented artifacts and memorabilia to the collections.  Moving forward, these treasures will continue to serve not simply as artifacts for display or study in the Museum, but more importantly they will serve as key elements in our communications strategy. As we develop and disseminate the message that the USGA acts in the best interests of the game of golf, it is important that our audience recognize and embrace our role as guardian of the game's ancient and honorable traditions. Our collections of historical artifacts and memorabilia provide physical testimony to our stated responsibilities and mission.

Since 1972, Golf House in Far Hills, N.J., has provided public exhibition galleries, staff offices and collections storage for the Museum and Archives.  When the USGA moved to Far Hills from New York City, the Museum occupied only the first floor of Golf House, with offices for additional USGA departments on the upper floors as well as in the basement.  Following the completion of the new Administration Building, Golf House was extensively renovated in 1987 and the Museum and Archives came to occupy all four floors of the structure. 

Due primarily to the inadequacy of Golf House to properly preserve the collections, the USGA Executive Committee has recently approved a plan to renovate the existing museum and construct an addition of approximately 20,000 square feet to house public galleries, collections storage areas, and staff offices.  The primary objectives of the project are threefold:

First, to provide a proper facility for the long-term care, preservation, and display of the USGA's comprehensive historical collections.   Foremost among our responsibilities, the world-class collections of the USGA Museum and Archives must be preserved for future generations, so that the game's rich history will forever continue to inform its future.   Proper storage facilities will insure that these valuable collections are maintained in proper environmental conditions to ensure their survival.  However, a museum must also fulfill its responsibility to share these collections with the public.  New gallery space will be created to showcase the treasures of the USGA collections.  Exhibits will be created to focus specifically and intensively on the Association's most prominent function - the various championships conducted by the USGA, especially the U.S. Open.

In addition to more than 400 Clubs of Champions, the collections include many artifacts, photographs, films, and videos that will be utilized to create an energetic and dynamic atmosphere celebrating the greatest moments, stories, and champions in the USGA's history.  We feel that this singular focus on the USGA's most visible activities will present an experience that is both compelling and educational, while placing the Center for Golf History directly in the service of the Association.  For the visitor to Far Hills, the proposed facility would provide an opportunity to experience fully both the historical collections and the ongoing work of the Association.  We believe that the visitor's experience should provide a unique insight into the USGA and its activities, so that guests are made to feel welcome and privileged during their visit.

Second, to promote the Center for Golf History as the premier research facility for the study of the game's history.  In recent years, the Association has devoted significant resources to the care, organization, and management of our most significant assets - the Library, Photographic Archives, and Film & Video Archives.  As the premier collections of their kind in the world, these three archives would form the nucleus of the new Center for Golf History.  The facility would address the growing needs of researchers, scholars, writers, historians, media outlets, and the general public, and would be the finest golf research facility in the world, a center of scholarship on the game's history.  These activities will in turn position the USGA Museum and Archives as the premier repository for the game of golf.

Third, to allow the USGA to better fulfill its stated responsibility to promote and conserve "the best interests and true spirit of the game of Golf as embodied in its ancient and honorable traditions."  It is our expectation that the new Center for Golf History will develop as a key communications vehicle for the Association.  The game of golf, and the USGA itself, are merely a reflection of those who play the game and their achievements.  By telling the story of our great golfers we will reveal much about the game and the USGA.

In addition to opportunities to view the collections and campus of the USGA, it is our intention that a visit also include an experience that allows visitors to interact more fully with the game's history through some form of participatory activity.  While we need to finalize our thinking, our current thought involves a Himalayas-style putting course or a 3-hole turn-of-the-century course.

Conclusion

These are exciting times.  The mission upon which we have embarked is to spread the gospel of the game of golf and the role of the USGA by using our rich history as the medium.  Nowhere is that history richer, nor the relationship with the USGA more meaningful than with Arnold Palmer.  Through the Palmer Center at Far Hills the spirit of Arnold Palmer and the tradition of the USGA will live on as one for many generations to come.  Please feel free to contact us with any questions.