Bay Hill Club & Lodge - Orlando, FL

[SPY ZINGER]

Arnold Palmer's Bay Hill Club and Lodge

Orlando, FL

 

 

It's rare in professional sports that the average everyday fan can play on or in the same venue where their favorite team plays. When the opportunity arises to play not only a private club, but one that hosts a PGA Tour stop, it's a pretty special day for me. But this isn't just any tournament, and the host isn't just any host. This is the Arnold Palmer Invitational at Bay Hill.

 

 

This past month, I had the rare opportunity to play Arnold Palmer's Bay Hill, in Orlando, FL. When I pulled into the facility, I quickly realized that I was not at a country club. This is a golf club. The clubhouse and adjacent lodge is understated. Where Bay Hill shines and separates itself from the Orlando pack is it's focus on how they treat their guests. As an average everyday hack, the staff at Bay Hill treated me like the most important person they would encounter that day. The quality of the actual golf doesn't start in the parking lot, but the atmosphere and tone for the day is. Much like Disney down the road, Bay Hill is doing things right in the way they welcome their members and guests of the lodge.

 

 

Arriving on the first tee, you can't help but replay the history of tournaments past, and the legends that have started their round in much of the same way I started my round. It's a bucket list course rich in history. You assume the mindset that today, score doesn't really matter. It's more about the experience as well as the opportunity to play one of the most recognized stops on the PGA Tour. The tee boxes, locations from the fairway, and tight pin positions you see on T.V. will become your reality for the day. In many ways, it will be as close as anyone will ever come to playing a PGA Tour event. The playing conditions, as expected, are next to perfect.

 

 

One of the surprises coming off the 18th at Bay Hill was how fair the course is for the average guy. Yes, it's long, and there is a definite emphasis on shotmaking. However, there is a lot of green grass outside the fairways making it easy to recover from errant tee shots. Other than landing at the bottom of a pond, it's difficult to lose a ball at Bay Hill.

 

 

Walking into the clubhouse after the round to grab a sandwich, I stopped dead in my tracks with a moment of starstruck. Arnold Palmer, the man himself, was sitting there having himself some lunch right among the rest of us. But, I hear that is par for the course for Palmer. He often drives his cart right up on the practice range to talk to his members, or watches them come in on 18. The man loves the game, and it's in that spirit that the Bay Hill Club and Lodge operate. They love the game, and they have a passion for ensuring you do as well.

 

 

My playing partner for the day, Marita Engzelius, LPGA Futures Tour Player, and winner of the 2014 Symetra Tour Championship.

 

[GolfSpy Barbajo]

What an awesome experience Zinger. Did either Arnie or Marita know they were in the presence of the Best Looking Man in Golf, Under 50 Division?

[SPY ZINGER]

What an awesome experience Zinger. Did either Arnie or Marita know they were in the presence of the Best Looking Man in Golf, Under 50 Division?

Marita definitely did! I didn't talk to AP...didn't feel like bothering him at his own club.

[GolfSpy Barbajo]

Marita definitely did! I didn't talk to AP...didn't feel like bothering him at his own club.

 

It's like the Force - he felt your presence...

 

Just have to warn you, the competition is tougher once you join the "Champion's Division."

[NiftyNiblick]

That looks and sounds like a very memorable day, 'zinger.

I, on the other hand, had to bathe my dog because the road salting chemicals after the snow storm were making her itch and I didn't want her licking them.

She was so grateful that I then got a very aggressive face licking and had to shower myself. So I guess we had similar days.

[SPY ZINGER]

That looks and sounds like a very memorable day, 'zinger.

 

I, on the other hand, had to bathe my dog because the road salting chemicals after the snow storm were making her itch and I didn't want her licking them.

 

She was so grateful that I then got a very aggressive face licking and had to shower myself. So I guess we had similar days.

Haha, well thanks! However, I am back in Minneapolis now and covered in snow as well. I went to Disney back in November and that was the lone round I played.

[NiftyNiblick]

Minneapolis--now, I imagine, we're talking serious snow and cold!

 

Two kids were rescued barely in time recently because they must have thought that they lived in Minnesota and tried to ice fish.  New England weather is pretty damned far from tropical, but unless you're near the Canadian border and well off the coast, we don't usually have enough sustained cold without interruption to safely support ice fishing or pond hockey.  You guys actually do.

[Kenny B]

Very nice Zinger! I was going to say that those pics were not taken today! We teed off today at 9:30 at the LPGA Int'l Jones course in Daytona Beach and it was 45* with a 15-25 mph wind. I came to Florida to get warm. It was warmer at home.

[fozcycle]

Thanks for sharing Zinger......I live in Tampa and have yet to go to Bay Hill......maybe after I retire this year I can have a day there.  How did you score?

[revkev]

I've been there and done that Foz - it plays very long!  And this was back in the late 80's early 90's when the course was shorter and I could hit it farther.

 

Really nice piece Zinger - thanks!

[SPY ZINGER]

Thanks guys, I left the Hill with an 89.

 

The Everyman can play the course, you just have to stay at the lodge which isn't too outrageous.

[Jmikecpa]

Nice write up.  I have been fortunate to play Bay Hill several times when I had a client in Orlando.  I have a signed flag at home by the man himself and it is one of my prized possessions.  Have a second flag signed by Mr. Palmer at my Grandfather's house from when we played Latrobe my junior year of high school and got to spend some time with Mr. Palmer.