Late great Arnold Palmer did lots for Tucson golf scene

When Arnold Palmer was 76, he worked with Tucson’s First Tee program while in Tucson to christen the nine holes he designed at Starr Pass Golf Club. The Conquistadores presented Arnie with a gold-plated Conquistadores helmet that day in 2005, emblematic of his victory at the 1967 Tucson Open. In his fabulous career, Palmer played in the Tucson Open seven times, beginning in 1955 at El Rio Golf Course. (He didn’t win a penny that year.) My favorite Tucson-related Arnie story is that after playing his new layout at Starr Pass, he sat with noted Tucson golf writer Jack Rickard and spoke about golf, his management firm that operated Starr Pass, and a lot of other stuff. Most impressive, he called Jack by name when he sat down. First class. 

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