Arnold Palmer can
now play 18 holes at Augusta National Golf Club any time he wants.
Palmer, a four-time
Masters champion, is one of the incoming members at Augusta National, home
of The Masters and one of the most exclusive and private golf clubs in
the country, The Augusta Chronicle reported.
Palmer is the only
former Masters champion of the modern era to be a member at the club, which
is estimated to have 300-plus members. Palmer won The Masters in 1958,
1960, 1962, and 1964.
Masters champions
are automatically honorary Augusta National members, but they must be accompanied
by a member to play. Now, Palmer, 70, will be able to bring his own guests
and participate in all club functions.
Palmer, who splits
time between homes in Orlando, Fla., and Latrobe, Pa., declined comment
on his Augusta National membership.
Palmer also is the
only Augusta National member to have a plaque in his honour on the golf
course. In 1995, on the 40th anniversary of his first Masters appearance,
Arnold Palmer Day was declared on Tuesday of Masters Week and a plaque
was dedicated in Palmer's honour. It is located on a water fountain behind
the 16th tee.
