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October 21, 2009
American Legend Arnold Palmer Lends His Voice to No Plane No Gain Campaign
National Business Aviation Association (NBAA) and the General Aviation Manufacturers Association (GAMA)
Orlando, FL, October 20, 2009 – Golf legend and accomplished businessman Arnold Palmer is lending his voice to support the value of business aviation to citizens, companies and communities in a new video and print advertising campaign for No Plane No Gain, the advocacy program jointly sponsored by the National Business Aviation Association (NBAA) and the General Aviation Manufacturers Association (GAMA).
“Arnold Palmer has always been an advocate for business aviation, because he has a first-hand understanding of its essential role in serving towns and communities across the country,” said NBAA President and CEO Ed Bolen. “For his entire career, business aviation has made it possible for him to succeed in golf and business – all from his hometown of Latrobe, PA, which doesn’t have airline service.”
GAMA President and CEO Pete Bunce added: “Through these new ads, we will be able to draw even more attention to the messages No Plane No Gain has been communicating: that business aviation supports over a million jobs, represents a lifeline for small- and medium-sized U.S. towns, enables companies to compete and succeed, and helps provide relief to people and communities in times of crisis.”
The new advertising, rolled out during the Opening General Session of NBAA’s 62nd Annual Meeting & Convention, includes three print ads and three 30-second video ads. The print and video ads complement one another, and build upon the efforts already undertaken through the No Plane No Gain program to educate policymakers and opinion leaders about the value of business aviation to citizens, companies and communities across the U.S.
With a simple, yet powerful delivery, Palmer speaks to the benefits of business aviation in the ads and responds to those who would devalue the use of an airplane for business. For example, in one print ad, Palmer states: “People who build business airplanes make things fly. People who use them make things happen. A few others make things up.” In one of the video spots, Palmer states plainly: “For more than 50 years, using business airplanes is the single most productive thing I have done.”
Addressing the large crowd gathered at the Opening General Session, Palmer explained why he felt compelled to lend his voice to the No Plane No Gain program. “I know the value of business airplanes,” Palmer said. “I know what they have done for me and my companies. I know how important they are to my hometown. And I know how important they are to this country. So I wanted to speak out and help set the record straight.”
To view the video ads, visit the No Plane No Gain web site: www.noplanenogain.org/Video_Advertisements.htm?m=47&s=385
To view the print ads, visit the No Plane No Gain web site: www.noplanenogain.org/Print_Advertisements.htm?m=47&s=416
Posted by scurry at 10:10 AM
October 19, 2009
PALMER ATTENDS ADMINISTAFF SMALL BUSINESS CLASSIC
THE WOODLANDS, TX – Golf legend and Administaff spokesman Arnold Palmer attended the Administaff Small Business Classic presented by United Healthcare at The Woodlands Country Club Tournament Course in Woodlands Texas.
Palmer attended the draw party and played in the Thursday pro-am event with his ever-present 'army' there to cheer him on. The Champions Tour event is one of the first to offer free admission to all ages and on Thursday gave away Arnold Palmer bobbleheads to the first 1,000 fans.
Also in the tournament field was fellow legend Tom Watson whom Palmer had a chance to chat with Thursday afternoon on The Woodlands' putting green. The topic of conversation was the nail-biting British Open Championship this July and Watson's putt on the 72nd hole.
"I watched him putt the ball at the British Open and that made me think I needed to talk to him a little," Palmer said. "Nothing heavy. Just getting the ball started on the right line. He will putt better if he does that. I know that. I told him that was what he needed to do."
"It was a good tip," Watson grinned. "It was coming from the King."
On Sunday, John Cook rose to the top of the field to win the event for his third career Champions Tour title. The 11-time winner on the regular PGA Tour closed with a 4-under 68 and finished with an 11-under 205 to hold off Jay Haas and Bob Tway by two shots.
"Cook made a nice charge on the final day and kept his focus." said Palmer.
Posted by scurry at 01:34 PM
October 08, 2009
CNN: Evergreen Palmer to play until 90
(CNN) -- Golf legend Arnold Palmer has just celebrated his 80th birthday and exclusively told CNN's Living Golf that he hopes to play for another ten years.
Read the full article at CNN.com
Posted by scurry at 04:19 PM
October 06, 2009
LA Times: Arnold Palmer, the King of golf, shows no signs of slowing down
Los Angeles Times - October 6, 2009 - By Bill Dwyre
At 80, Palmer looks trim and tan and still flies his own plane. During a stop at Rolling Hills Country Club, he answers some questions, including how an iced tea and lemonade blend came to bear his name.
If you play golf, watch it on TV, think you might take it up someday, or have hit a ball under a windmill and through a clown's mouth, there was no better place to be on a sparkling clear Saturday morning in Southern California.
The King was in town. The golfer who never had a gallery, always an Army, was in the house.
Arnold Palmer got out of a car, hitched up his pants and walked into the courtyard at the Rolling Hills Country Club like somebody about to shop for a new putter. The man who made the game the multi-billion-dollar sport it is today never acts like it. People surround him, keeping an arm's length as one would for royalty. And it is Palmer, always a little embarrassed by this sort of adulation, who engages them first.
Read the full story at LAtimes.com
Posted by scurry at 05:13 PM
October 01, 2009
PALMER UNVEILS BAY HILL COURSE RENOVATIONS DURING MEDIA DAY
ORLANDO, FL - Arnold Palmer hosted select national and local media at his Bay Hill home course Tuesday September 29th to unveil the course changes he and his design company recently completed. The par on the Bay Hill course is now 72 (7,400 yards), from 70 (7,162 yards), which should yield more birdies at the upcoming 2010 Arnold Palmer Invitational presented by MasterCard.
"We're going to go with four par 4s again, with the thinking that the galleries and the people enjoy seeing players make birdies. said Palmer. "We're going to give them an opportunity to make birdies."
The media day at Bay Hill started with breakfast followed by golf, lunch, Q&A and the property was open for tours, including the design office where Palmer's Bay Hill changes were meticulously planned.
Palmer treated 10 foursomes to play the newly-renovated course by setting up groups of three media members paired with a staff member from Bay Hill, Arnold Palmer Design Company, Arnold Palmer Invitational presented by MasterCard and the Arnold Palmer Golf Academy.
Palmer's staff included:
Bay Hill: Roy Saunders, Blake Terry, Brian Kennedy
Arnold Palmer Design Company: Eric Wiltse, Thad Layton, David Couch and Brandon Johnson
Arnold Palmer Invitational presented by MasterCard: Scott Wellington
Arnold Palmer Golf Academy: John O'Leary, Tom Garner
Quite a number of golf publications and local print media were in attendance including The Golf Channel and local Channel 6 Orlando and were able to engage directly on the course with Palmer's design company architects andBay Hill grounds crew Matt Beaver and John Anderson to discuss the renovation specifics in detail.
In 2008, Bay Hill was ranked No. 18 out of 54 for course difficulty on the PGA Tour. Changing holes 4 and 16 from par 4 holes to par 5 holes is not going to make the course play any easier.The shifted and reshaped fairway bunkers on these holes add a new dimension while increasing birdie opportunities.
Also benefiting from the increase in birdies will be the "Birdies for Babies" program which benefits one of the tournament's official charities, the Winnie Palmer Hospital for Women and Babies at the Arnold Palmer Medical Center in Orlando.
Then there is Hole No. 17 which is already known as one of golf's most difficult par 3s. Palmer made it slightly more intimidating by reshaping and extending the beach bunker, increasing the number of pin locations along the perimeter of the green and reshaping bunkers that are closer to the green surface.
Bay Hill has recently been listed as one of the top 50 resorts in Golf World's second annual "Readers' Choice Awards." Golf World readers based their evaluation of the nation's golf facilities on 13 different performance criteria, such as quality of the course, course conditions, reputation/prestige and service. More than 46,000 individual facility ratings were received and the top 50 courses in each category, as voted on by their readers. The pre-renovation ranking will be published in the September 28 issue of Golf World.
Palmer expects excitement with the new birdie making potential when Tiger Woods returns to defend his title at the 2010 Arnold Palmer Invitational presented by MasterCard.
"There's a risk-reward situation there, I like that." said Palmer. "I'm really pleased with the outcome."
Bay Hill Course Tour (Before/After)
Posted by scurry at 12:20 PM