[Baz]

Is it newly planted? If so, how long ago was it planted?

This is a Cabbage Palm. They are very common and native to Florida and South Carolina.

Sabal palmetto is the botanical name. South Carolina is known as the Palmetto State, in fact.

FWIW, around here you can get new ones installed for about $150 so push come to shove that's what you're looking at value-wise.

It's normal for palms to lose their lower leaves as they grow - so as long as it's those lower fronds turning brown and dying and the middle fronds (what they call the 'heart') is stil green and pushing out new fronds, things are as they should be.

A soil test isn't a bad idea. Can be arranged by contacting your local county's cooperative extension office. Once that is done get some fertilizer recommendations based on the results.

For palms like that - planted in the middle of the lawn - normally you wouldn't need to add anything - the lawn fertilizer is enough to adequately maintain the palm.

If your friend knows someone in the landscape business (not a lawn mow person - someone who actually plants trees and palms), he could get an opinion from them too. Nothing like being there to look and discuss n person.

HTH...good luck!