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Bay Hill Club & Lodge is a private golf club and hotel in the southeastern United States, located in Bay Hill, Florida, a suburb southwest of Orlando. The golf course covers 270 acres, offering 27 holes of golf. Since 1979, the club has hosted the Arnold Palmer Invitational, a tournament on the PGA Tour. The club was owned by Arnold Palmer from 1974 until his death in 2016, and now by his daughter and son-in-law, Amy and Roy Saunders.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Location | Bay Hill, Florida, a suburb southwest of Orlando |
| Type | Private golf club and hotel |
| Owner | Arnold Palmer (1974-2016), now owned by his daughter and son-in-law Amy & Roy Saunders |
| Golf Course Designer | Dick Wilson |
| Builder | Bob Simmons |
| Golf Holes | 27 (Challenger, Champion and Charger nines) |
| Golf Course Area | 270 acres |
| Amenities | Tennis, Arnold Palmer Golf Academy, 69-room Lodge, 6 guest cottages, etc. |
| Events | Arnold Palmer Invitational (since 1979) |
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What You'll Learn
Arnold Palmer's Bay Hill Golf Club
The course was designed by Dick Wilson in 1961 and built by Bob Simmons. It covers 270 acres and lies between the community of Bay Hill and the Butler Chain of Lakes. There are 27 holes of golf available, including the Challenger, Champion, and Charger nines. The course is known for rewarding strategic shots rather than pure distance, and for its brutal rough.
The club offers a variety of amenities, including the Arnold Palmer Golf Academy, tennis courts, a marina, and dining and spa facilities. It also features a 69-room lodge and six guest cottages. Access to the golf course and club amenities is restricted to members and registered lodge guests, while the golf shop is open to the public.
Since 1979, Arnold Palmer's Bay Hill Club & Lodge has hosted the Arnold Palmer Invitational, a tournament on the PGA Tour. The club has received positive reviews from guests, who have praised the staff for their welcoming attitude and helpfulness. The course has also been well-regarded, offering a challenging yet fair test for both professional and amateur golfers.
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Location: Bay Hill, Florida
Bay Hill is a suburb of Orlando, Florida, in the southeastern United States. The area was originally part of the vast holdings of Dr. P. Phillips, a Tennessee physician who became the world's largest individual grower of citrus fruit and the producer of the first acceptable canned orange juice. In 1954, Dr. Phillips sold most of his land to Granada Groves, retaining only the raw land that would later become Bay Hill. This land was unproductive and lacked the necessary nutrients and water-holding capacity to grow citrus fruit economically.
In 1959, two men with a vision for the land became involved: Tom Barnes, a native of Minnesota, and his partner, Tom Dore, a Michigan businessman. They broke ground on the golf course in 1960, christening the area "Bay Hill" for the bay that touched its Northwest boundary and the surrounding hills, lakes, and wetlands. The first 18 holes at Bay Hill (the Champion and Challenger nines) were designed by Dick Wilson and built by Bob Simmons, with Simmons also designing and building the additional 9 holes (the Charger nine) after Wilson's death. The course covers 270 acres and offers 27 holes of golf.
In 1970, Arnold Palmer, already a celebrated golfer, took a five-year lease on the property with an option to buy, and Bay Hill was transformed into a world-class facility. Palmer became the owner in 1975 and successfully negotiated for Bay Hill to host a major event on the PGA Tour in 1979, known as the Arnold Palmer Invitational. The tournament attracts one of the strongest fields of the season and is played on one of the circuit's finest courses.
Today, Bay Hill is a thriving community with beautiful homes surrounding the golf courses and lining the boulevards. It offers a private golf club and hotel, the Bay Hill Club & Lodge, which features a 69-room lodge, 6 guest cottages, the Arnold Palmer Golf Academy, and various amenities such as tennis. The Golf Shop at the club is open to the public.
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Hosted the Arnold Palmer Invitational since 1979
The Bay Hill Club & Lodge is a private golf club and hotel located in Bay Hill, Florida, a suburb southwest of Orlando. The golf course has been hosting the Arnold Palmer Invitational, a tournament on the PGA Tour, since 1979. Arnold Palmer owned the club from 1974 until his death in 2016, and it is now owned by his daughter and son-in-law, Amy and Roy Saunders.
The Arnold Palmer Invitational is one of only five tournaments given "invitational" status by the PGA Tour. This means it has a reduced field of players compared to full-field open tournaments and more freedom in determining which players are eligible to participate. The tournament is played each March at the Bay Hill Club & Lodge, challenging the best players in the world with its strategic layout and demanding greens.
The course covers 270 acres and offers 27 holes of golf: the Challenger, Champion, and Charger nines. It features water hazards, narrow fairways, and fast greens, testing every aspect of a player's game. The Bay Hill Club & Lodge also provides a range of amenities, including a 69-room lodge, guest cottages, and the Arnold Palmer Golf Academy.
Over the years, the Arnold Palmer Invitational has seen some memorable performances. Tiger Woods won the tournament for a record-tying eighth time in 2013, while in 2014, Keegan Bradley claimed victory ahead of Adam Scott, who had led the first three rounds. In 2015, Matt Every became the third golfer to defend his title, beating Henrik Stenson by one shot.
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Designed by Dick Wilson in 1961
The Bay Hill Club & Lodge is a private golf club and hotel located in Bay Hill, Florida, a suburb southwest of Orlando. The golf course was designed by Dick Wilson in 1961 and built by Bob Simmons. Wilson was a native Philadelphian who grew up working on the maintenance crew at Merion Golf Club. After college, he worked on the construction team of Howard C. Toomey and William S. Flynn, who were instrumental in reshaping American golf.
Wilson's design at Bay Hill is considered one of his best works. The course covers 270 acres and offers 27 holes of golf: the Challenger, Champion, and Charger nines. Wilson's typical approach was to slightly elevate the putting surfaces to improve visibility and drainage. This can be seen at Bay Hill, where he designed the first 18 holes. The course features a wrap-around-a-lake par-5 sixth hole, which some believe was inspired by a similar hole at The Dunes Club at Myrtle Beach, designed by Robert Trent Jones.
There is some debate about Wilson's level of involvement in the project. Thomas F. Barnes, a Florida real-estate developer, claimed that he designed the course and that Wilson merely reviewed his design. However, others, including Wilson's associates, von Hagge and Joe Lee, have stated that Wilson was the architect of record and made several visits to the site. Lee insisted that Wilson deserves to have his name on the course.
After Wilson's death, Simmons designed and built the additional 9 holes, the Charger nine. The course was owned by Arnold Palmer from 1974 until his death in 2016 and has hosted the Arnold Palmer Invitational since 1979. Today, it is owned by Palmer's daughter and son-in-law, Amy and Roy Saunders, and continues to be a renowned golf destination.
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Owned by Arnold Palmer from 1974-2016
The Bay Hill Club & Lodge is a private golf club and hotel in the southeastern United States, located in Bay Hill, Florida, a suburb southwest of Orlando. The golf course was first designed in 1960 by Thomas Barnes and his partner, Tom Dore, and the first 18 holes were completed in 1961. The course was designed and built by Dick Wilson, with the construction work carried out by Bob Simmons.
The golf club was owned by Arnold Palmer from 1974 until his death in 2016. During his ownership, Palmer transformed the club into a world-class facility. In 1979, he successfully negotiated for Bay Hill to host a major event on the PGA Tour, the Arnold Palmer Invitational, which is now one of the premier events on the tour. Palmer also oversaw a renovation of the course in 2009, focusing on agronomic/maintenance, playability, and aesthetics.
The course covers 270 acres and offers 27 holes of golf: the Challenger, Champion, and Charger nines. It is known for its elevated putting surfaces, which improve visibility and drainage. The club also offers a lodge, guest cottages, a golf academy, and amenities such as tennis.
The history of Bay Hill began in the 1950s when the land was owned by Dr. P. Phillips, a Tennessee physician who was a citrus grower and producer of canned orange juice. In 1954, Phillips sold most of his holdings, retaining only the raw land, which his son later developed. In the late 1950s, Barnes and Dore became involved, with the dream of creating a championship golf course, and broke ground on the course in 1960.
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Frequently asked questions
Arnold Palmer's Bay Hill Golf Club is located in Bay Hill, Florida, a suburb southwest of Orlando.
The club is considered one of designer Dick Wilson's best works, illustrating his typical approach of slightly elevating the putting surfaces to improve visibility and drainage.
Arnold Palmer owned the club from 1974 until his death in 2016. It is now owned by his daughter and son-in-law, Amy and Roy Saunders.
The club offers a 69-room lodge, six guest cottages, the Arnold Palmer Golf Academy, and various amenities such as tennis.
You must be a member or registered lodge guest to access the golf course and club amenities. However, the Golf Shop is open to the public.
