A Life Well Played: My Stories by Arnold Palmer. St. Martin’s Press. 272 pages. 2016
****
This was Arnold Palmer’s 13th book, and the sequel to his 1999 autobiography A Golfer’s Life. The book, which was published shortly after his death on September 25 at age 87, features 75 short stories on a wide range of topics under the headings of Golf, Life and Business. As a bonus on the audiobook version of the book Arnie reads the beginning section of the book, be it in a very weak voice.
Arnie writes that the biggest influence in golf and life was his father, “Paps”. He taught him to be a sportsman along with good sportsmanship. He rode him hard and rarely complimented him. His parents taught him manners and respect. Other major influences on him were his first wife Winnie, agent Mark McCormack, and the game of golf.
Of the 75 stories Palmer includes here, I had many favorites. Among them were:
- His love of Latrobe Country Club (he considered Latrobe, PA to be home), Bay Hill, and Pebble Beach
- His thoughts about Jack Nicklaus
- Playing boldly, charging and going for broke
- Arnie’s Army
- His thoughts on civility, trust (sealing some of his most important business deals with just a handshake), and listening well
- Signing autographs (and doing a good job of it too)
- His love and devotion to first wife Winnie
- His love of flying. He wrote that had he not made a career of playing golf, he would have most likely been an airline pilot
- His heroes (his father, Bryon Nelson, Walter Hagen and Bobby Jones)
- His charity efforts, especially those related to children
- His relationship to Ike (Dwight D. Eisenhower)
- Golf course design. He still had plans to design the “ultimate course”
- The Golf Channel, which he co-founded
- The Arnold Palmer drink (iced tea and lemonade)
