Golf fans visiting this year’s Arnold Palmer Invitational at Bay Hill Club in Florida will have an opportunity to immerse themselves in the life and experiences of the tournament’s iconic namesake in the Arnold Palmer Experience, a series of interactive experiences designed to celebrate ‘The King’ and his life.
In the year of what would have been his 90th birthday, sporting fan experience experts Provision Events (PVE) has been commissioned to create ‘The Arnold Palmer Experience’ to give visiting fans the opportunity to learn about his life and live through some of the greatest moments of his career.
Starting in a 360-degree theatre, visitors will learn about the life of Palmer in a film, created by PVE, that highlights his path from son of a groundskeeper to one of the most well loved and respected icons of the game.
From there, fans will move through a simulator area, where they will take on some of the most iconic moments from Palmer’s career, including memorable shots from the 1960 US Open at Cherry Hills, the 1961 Open Championship at Birkdale and his approach shot over the water on the 18th at host venue Bay Hill. Visitors can then upload their swing for a side-by-side comparison with the swing of the great man, and share their swings via social media.
Also on show will be artefacts and information from key points in Palmer’s career that will help visitors to immerse themselves in the life and legacy of the golfing icon.
Jon Podany, CEO of Arnold Palmer Enterprises, said: “We are thrilled to partner with Provision Events on the Arnold Palmer Experience to honor Mr Palmer and bring his legacy to life. Their body of work at events worldwide was very attractive and gave us the confidence that they were the right fit for the project. We can’t wait to share the end result with our guests at this year’s API and beyond.”
Provision Events has been trusted with delivering immersive sporting fan experiences at the biggest events in the world, such as The Olympics, the Ryder Cup, Wimbledon and The Open Championship, but the responsibility for enhancing Palmer’s legacy is something that carries special significance for the company, as Simon Jones, Head of Sales & Business Development at PVE explained. “There are only a handful of people that have come close to the impact Mr Palmer has had on the game of golf. So to be trusted with this experience that will celebrate his life and continue his legacy is especially important to us. We’re delighted to have been chosen to deliver the Arnold Palmer Experience and are incredibly proud of the work we’ve done on this project.”
Plans are in place for the 360-degree theatre to remain open for Bay Hill members and Lodge guests following the tournament, and for it to then travel to Palmer’s birthplace, Latrobe, this summer leading into his 90th birthday in September.