Bay Hill Club and Lodge
Arnold Palmer's home club in Orlando, Bay Hill is the host of the PGA Tour's Arnold Palmer Invitational every March. A Dick Wilson layout from 1961 that Palmer reshaped over decades after buying it in 1974, it plays as a par 72 of about 7,466 yards, and its on site lodge means a traveling golfer can stay and play one of the Tour's most familiar tests.
Photo via Google, contributed by Arnold Palmer's Bay Hill Club & Lodge.
The verdict
Bay Hill is Arnold Palmer's legacy in golf real estate. He first played it in 1965, fell for the course Dick Wilson had routed through the Butler Chain of Lakes, and bought the club in 1974, then spent the rest of his life refining it. The result is a classic Florida championship course of water, sand and Bermuda greens that the world sees every March when the PGA Tour arrives for the Arnold Palmer Invitational and its brutal, water guarded closing holes.
Our verdict: Bay Hill is one of the few Tour venues a visitor can genuinely play, because guests of the lodge get access to the championship course. For a golfer who watches the Invitational each year, walking the same 18th with water down the right and the famous rock wall green is a real thrill. We pair it with Orlando's wider golf and the rest of central Florida. For the region, see our guide to golf in Florida.
Bay Hill Club and Lodge at a glance
- Opened
- 1961
- Designers
- Dick Wilson, Arnold Palmer
- Par
- 72
- Yardage
- About 7,466 yds
- Host
- Arnold Palmer Invitational
- Access
- Lodge guests
Designer, opening year, par and yardage verified June 2026 from Bay Hill and PGA Tour records: the original 18 was a Dick Wilson design opened in 1961, owned and reshaped by Arnold Palmer from 1974, and the championship course used for the Arnold Palmer Invitational plays as a par 72 of about 7,466 yards. The club is private, but guests staying at the on site lodge can play; green fees and stay and play packages are seasonal and indicative for 2026 high season, so always confirm directly before booking.
The holes worth the trip
Bay Hill is a true championship test of length, water and exacting Bermuda greens. The Tour plays it among the harder par 72s on the schedule, and the visitor feels the same demands, just from more forgiving tees. Wind off the lakes and firm, grainy greens reward the player who flights the ball well and reads the surfaces with care.
The closing stretch is the reason the world tunes in. The par 5 16th tempts a long second over water, the par 3 17th is all carry to a shallow green, and the par 4 18th is one of the most recognizable finishers in American golf, a long approach over water to a green ringed by sand and backed by the famous rock wall. To stand on that tee as a guest is the heart of a Bay Hill trip.
On an Orlando and central Florida itinerary, Bay Hill pairs naturally with the First Coast Pete Dye double of TPC Sawgrass Stadium and Dye's Valley a couple of hours north, and with the Gulf coast resort golf of Innisbrook Copperhead.
How to get on
| What to know | Detail |
|---|---|
| Access | A private club whose championship course is open to guests staying at the on site lodge |
| Green fee | Seasonal, available through stay and play lodge packages; indicative for 2026 high season, always confirm directly before booking |
| Booking window | Book the lodge and golf together well ahead, and avoid the weeks around the March Invitational when access closes |
| Handicap and dress | No formal handicap requirement for lodge guests; a standard collared dress code applies |
| Getting there | In the Bay Hill area southwest of Orlando, about 20 minutes from Orlando International Airport |
| Best months | Fall through spring are ideal in central Florida; summers are hot with afternoon storms |
Access and fee details verified June 2026 from Bay Hill information. Lodge stay and play rates are seasonal and change with demand and packages; treat all figures as indicative for 2026 high season and always confirm directly before booking. The championship course is closed to outside play around the Arnold Palmer Invitational each March.
Where to stay nearby
The obvious base is the Bay Hill Lodge itself, the on site hotel that unlocks access to the championship course and packages the rounds with the room. Staying there is the cleanest way to secure a tee time on a course that is otherwise private.
Greater Orlando adds a vast range of resorts and hotels within a short drive, from the lakeside to the theme park corridor, which makes Bay Hill an easy anchor for a family friendly golf trip or a buddies week across central Florida.
Looking for a base? See our recommended hotels and resorts around Orlando.
Build a Florida golf trip
Bay Hill is the Tour venue we love to build an Orlando trip around, with the lodge stay that unlocks the championship course and the tee times booked for you. Tell us roughly when and who is traveling and one concierge costs it to the head, with no obligation.
Bay Hill Club and Lodge questions
Who designed Bay Hill Club and Lodge?
The original 18 holes were designed by Dick Wilson and opened in 1961. Arnold Palmer bought the club in 1974 and reshaped it over the following decades.
What is the par and length of Bay Hill?
The championship course used for the Arnold Palmer Invitational plays as a par 72 of about 7,466 yards from the back tees.
Can the public play Bay Hill?
Bay Hill is a private club, but guests staying at the on site lodge can play the championship course through stay and play packages, outside the weeks of the March Invitational.
What tournament does Bay Hill host?
Bay Hill is the permanent home of the PGA Tour's Arnold Palmer Invitational, played each March, with its famous water guarded closing holes.
Related
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Researched and written by the GolfForKings editorial desk. Designer, opening year, par, yardage and tournament host verified June 2026; lodge green fees and stay and play packages are seasonal, so confirm directly before booking. Last reviewed June 2026.