By Leonard Finkel
Quite a few years ago I had the privilege of meeting Howdy Giles when I was the editor of Golf Journeys Magazine. I interviewed Howdy for a cover story titled “Commander in Chief.” Howdy was in essence, the commander-in-chief of Arnie’s Army, the multitude of Arnold Palmer fans. Howdy was more than a fan; he built his life if seemed around following Palmer. His house was decorated in early, middle and late Palmer motifs. Howdy developed a unique friendship with Mr. Palmer and documented it with thousands upon thousands of rolls of film. With the Tour at Bay Hill this week, Palmer’s PGA Tour event, I thought it appropriate to feature “The King and I” – forward by Arnold Palmer .
The pictures that came out of that long-term relationship are featured in Howdy’s book, “The King and I.” Below is Arnold Palmer’s forward for the book. I hope you enjoy.
How often have you heard somebody described as “one of a kind”? I think just about everybody has hung such a tagline on a person or two of their acquaintanceship. I know that I have…quite a few times over these many years, in fact. Mark McCormack, my longtime business manager and close friend, was a brilliant, one-of-a-kind person. So was my talented course-design partner, Ed Seay, and the boisterous sportswriter who covered my career from the start, Bob Drum.
Yet nobody has ever fit that description better than Howdy Giles, whose omnipresence and photographic talents made this book possible. I’ve had hundreds of people tell me that somebody they know is my No. 1 fan, and I certainly appreciate that kind of support. But I’m afraid that none of them can make a case that would take that distinction away from Howdy.
It seems so long ago that my late wife, Winnie, introduced me to Howdy and Carolyn Giles after she met them. She learned how big a fan of mine the young dentist and amateur photographer really was. Because his boundless enthusiasm struck a special chord with me, I encouraged him to be a friend as well as a fan. It got so I always knew that when Howdy and his ever-present camera were on the scene, my day would be recorded and preserved on hundreds of rolls of film.
What you will discover in this book is a unique and fairly complete photographic chronicle of my career and personal life back to the early 1970s. I believe the readers will get the same pleasurable memories that I did as they leaf through this attractive book. Arnold Palmer
Leonard Finkel is the author of The Secrets to the Game of Golf & Life and former editor in chief of Golf Journeys Magazine. His work has been featured in almost 200 publications including Golf Magazine, Golf Digest, The Wall Street Journal, USA Today, Golf Illustrated, Golf Tips and Player Magazine. He has written more than a dozen cover stories for Golf Today Magazine. He has written extensively about golf and travel and has added poker to his writing repertoire. Finkel also works as a marketing and public relations consultant. His specialty niche is writing advertorial copy. Prior to his career in golf, Finkel owned a chain of retail stores and a consulting and import company based in Asia. He attended the University of Utah.