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  • Donald Ross

Turned Arnold Palmer down…twice…

In 1966 The Open was being played at Muirfield. Jack Nicklaus, Gary Player and Arnold Palmer had entered.

In his preparation for the competition Gary Player stayed for 10 days at Gleneagles where I played with him for the duration.

Incidentally Jack won the tournament that year!

The big 3 returned to The Glen on the Saturday evening, there was no Sunday golf in those days. Where the BBC started making a program about ‘The Big 3’ playing the Kings, St Andrews and Carnoustie golf courses.

The filming at Gleneagles took 10 hours and I chauffeured Henry Longhurst, the commentator, on the course for the duration, in his union jack bonneted Mini Moke

On the Sunday Arnold player asked to take one of the boys out and as luck would have it, it was me.

The king and I played the Kings!


Afterwards, he gave me the putter out of his bag and half a dozen gloves, the grey gloves with the upturned umbrella on the back. They were so big I could have put them on my feet, he had the biggest hands I’ve ever seen.


Arnold Palmer offered me, at that time, the chance of a life time to work with him in the States.

As an inexperience 20 year old, I said no , ‘no thank you Mr Palmer’.


In 1970 The Open was at St Andrews and again Arnold Palmer, whilst having whiskeys in his suite asked me if I wanted to go to America he would take me, and again I said no….. I wanted to be a touring Pro.


As fate would have it, in 1971 a car crash saw the end of my tournament golf as windshield glass shattered the vision in my left eye.


From then FeelGolf method and Donald Ross FeelGolf School was born!


Reminiscing about the King!

FeelGolf School was born!

Reminiscing about Gary Player and Davie the Caddie!


The Kings, 18th tee, today!

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