Arnold Palmer, the golf legend and, with an assist from IMG founder Mark McCormack, sports marketing icon, includes “co-founder of Golf Channel” on his extensive resume. The winner of seven major tournaments became friends with cable entrepreneur Joe Gibbs in 1990 and five years later they launched the Golf Channel. Multichannel.com news editor Mike Reynolds spoke with The King via phone at his home in Palm Springs, Calif., about the network’s early days, its current lineup and the state of some key players’ games.

MCN: Mr. Palmer, how are you feeling? Still getting out and hitting that ball?

Arnold Palmer: I’m not playing right now. I fell, and did a 360 and dislocated my right shoulder. It’s giving me a fit.

MCN: Are you OK?

AP: It’s been slow, but it’s getting better. I have been going to therapy three days a week. I’m like a caged lion. I want to get back out there and swing the golf clubs.

MCN: Going back to the early days, what were your thoughts when you first heard about the idea of a 24/7 channel dedicated to golf from Joe Gibbs?

AP: I had some questions that I wanted answered. But Joe and I spent a lot of time together and we talked and got things worked out. It’s been a great success.

MCN: Has it helped grow the game?

AP: Absolutely. It’s been very popular. I’m very proud of all the work that has been done by Comcast and now working together with NBC. Golf Channel has made a tremendous impact on the sport.

MCN: How much do you watch Golf Channel? Are you aMorning DriveandGolf Centralguy?

AP: Yes sir. I try to stay in touch with the game, especially through Golf Channel. I watch the interviews with the players and the [shows] you mentioned. I watch the players here, and on the Asian Tour, the European Tour and the African [Sunshine] Tour. I try to watch at odd times to see what’s going on at different times during the day.

MCN: So, you’re watching early morning, in the afternoon and late at night.

AP: Yes, sir. There are a lot of different kinds of stuff, beyond the tournaments. There is a lot of original programming around the game that you wouldn’t see on TV otherwise.

MCN: What did you think of the documentary about you?Arniewas acclaimed and did very well with viewers.

AP: The reaction has been great. People come up to me all the time even now, and they say they’ve watched three or four times. They show it to guests when they come visit. It’s very flattering.

MCN: What do you think of the young players on tour? What about Rory McIlroy?

AP: Rory is one of the finest younger golfers I’ve ever seen. He could be golf’s shining light over the next few years.

MCN: What are your thoughts about [Comcast CEO] Brian Roberts and [Golf Channel] president Mike McCarley?

AP: I know them both very well. Mike has been doing a great job since he came to the Golf Channel. Brian and Comcast have always supported Golf and are 100% involved. He has a real commitment to it.

MCN: How are their games?

AP: Brian plays quite well. He’s a member at Augusta. Mike’s a good golfer. I’ve played with him quite frequently, and he’s going to keep at it and do very well.

MCN: What else would you like to see on the network going forward?

AP: We’ve done quite a bit already, and we’re going to continue to build because the audience wants to see new and innovative things.

Narrator Tom Selleck sets up Golf Channel’s three-part documentary tribute to a golfing legend by noting: “Someday – even decades – maybe centuries from now, they’ll hear the name Arnold Palmer and they’ll want to know everything.”

For those who are too young or have forgotten, Arnie brings memories and perspective to the course Palmer set on America’s sports and culture that teed off more than a half-century ago.

With 100 interviews and conversations with a still sharp Palmer over the past year,Arnie is produced by 13-time Emmy Award winner and former NBC Sports feature producer Israel DeHerrera.

Screening the first two parts of Golf’s home movie of sorts – Palmer is a co-founder of the 83 million home channel – Arnie weighs in on the influence of his steely father Deacon and loving mother Doris, and the profound impact the death of Buddy Worsham, his college buddy from Wake Forest, had on the young man.

Arnie also examines what was Palmer’s hardy initial embrace of Mark McCormack, the late IMG founder, whose influence on the player’s life and the sports world is boundless. Peyton Manning, who knows a million or few about pitching, talks about the invention of sports marketing. That was fueled by the proliferation of TV, which reached 88% of U.S. households in 1960, during Palmer's on-course ascension.

Palmer’s business enterprises  and charitable legacy, particularly the hospitals named for his late wife, Winnie, are also explored. So, too, is how the man the common folk loved and helped golf explode have had their love requited over the years by the leader of Armie's Army. Palmer responds to all letters/request he receives -- all housed in countless boxes in a shed at his Latrobe, Pa., home.

The doc delves into his competitive relationship and friendship with Jack Nicklaus and their contrasting personalities and styles. Palmer, the extrovert, swung fast and produced low drives, while the more introverted, deliberate Nicklaus fashioned high shots that ultimately surpassed Palmer on the course. What's unsaid is that the superiority of his game has kept the Golden Bear in the public eye more than Palmer, as Jack's 18 majors are continually mentioned in many Tiger Woods' discussions.

Then, there is the golf itself.  Black and white footage dramatically captures Palmer's hard-charging, go-for-broke style that would make Phil Mickelson proud. "The King's" aggressive nature yielded seven Grand Slams, as well as implosion on 18 that ended his chance to become the first man ever to repeat at the Masters, back in 1961. The case is also made how three shots could have quadrupled Palmer's total of one U.S. Open. His triumphs at the British and shortcomings at the PGA are also chronicled in the second part of the documentary.

You can take viewer mulligans in the sense that there will be encores on the network and on the Golf Live Xtra app to screen Arnie. But what better way to cap the Masters 2014 Sunday by spending time with Arnie, the man who burnished his royal links legacy at Augusta National.

Arnie premieres April 13 at 10 p.m. on Golf Channel.