Bay Hill Club and Lodge
Arnold Palmer's home course, and one of the PGA Tour's great spring tests. Dick Wilson laid out Bay Hill in 1961 on the lakes and sand of Orlando, Palmer bought it and made it his own, and every March the best in the world tackle its watery finish at the Arnold Palmer Invitational.
Photo: Arnold Palmer's Bay Hill Club and Lodge via Google.
The verdict
Dick Wilson routed Bay Hill in 1961 on rolling, lake studded land in the Dr. Phillips area of Orlando, and it was Arnold Palmer, who fell for the place and bought it, who turned it into a tournament course and a way of life. It is a par 72 that plays to around 7,300 yards from the back, longer still for the professionals, and Wilson's hallmarks are everywhere: raised greens for visibility and drainage, bold bunkering and water that gathers as the round goes on. It has hosted the PGA Tour's Arnold Palmer Invitational every year since 1979.
Bay Hill is a stern, honest examination rather than a quirky one, a course that asks for long, accurate driving and nerveless iron play into firm greens. The finish, across water to a peninsula green, is one of the most demanding closes the Tour visits all year. For the travelling golfer it offers the rare chance to play a genuine PGA Tour venue, walking the same holes that decide the King's own tournament.
Bay Hill at a glance
- Opened
- 1961
- Designer
- Dick Wilson
- Type
- Championship parkland
- Par
- 72
- Yardage
- Around 7,300 yds
- Green fee
- Around $105 to $475
Designer, opening year and par verified June 2026 from the club and leading course databases; the course plays to around 7,300 yards from the back tees, longer in tournament setup, and has been refined over the years by Arnold Palmer. It has hosted the PGA Tour's Arnold Palmer Invitational since 1979. Green fees are indicative, from around 105 US dollars in summer to about 475 dollars at the January to May peak in the 2026 calendar, for guests of the lodge. Fees change by season and year, so always confirm directly before booking.
The holes worth the trip
Bay Hill demands driving from the first, with Wilson's bunkering and the Florida water pinching the landing areas and asking for length and accuracy in equal measure. The raised greens shrug off the loose approach, so finding the fairway is the foundation of any good round here.
The closing stretch is where the tournament is won and lost. The par 3 seventeenth plays across water to a shallow green, and the par 4 eighteenth, one of the toughest finishers on Tour, demands a long approach over the lake to a peninsula green ringed by rock and grandstands. It is a finish that has decided the Arnold Palmer Invitational many times over.
Through the round the firm, raised greens and the ever present water keep the pressure on, rewarding the golfer who drives well and commits to the shot. Bay Hill gives the visiting player a true Tour test and the chance to stand on the eighteenth tee and feel exactly what the professionals face every March.
How to get on
| What to know | Detail |
|---|---|
| Access | A semi private club; play is reserved for guests of the Bay Hill lodge |
| Green fee | From around 105 US dollars in summer to about 475 dollars at peak (indicative, 2026) |
| Booking | Stay at the lodge to play; each night's stay includes a round, book ahead for the season |
| On the day | Carts standard; a forecaddie is required. Smart golf dress |
| Getting there | In the Dr. Phillips area of Orlando, around 20 minutes from Orlando International airport |
| Best months | October to May for the most comfortable Florida golfing conditions |
Access and indicative green fees verified June 2026; they change without notice, so always confirm directly before booking with the club or your trip planner. Check tee time availability.
Where to stay nearby
Access to Bay Hill runs through the lodge, so the natural and the only direct base is the Bay Hill Club and Lodge itself, an unpretentious, golf first property where each night's stay includes a round. Staying here is the way to play the course.
Orlando beyond the gates offers every kind of hotel and the wider draw of the theme parks and dining, with many more courses within a short drive. For a golf trip that mixes a Tour venue with the variety of central Florida, the city has few rivals.
Looking for a base? See our recommended hotels and resorts near Bay Hill and Orlando.
Build an Orlando golf trip
We book the Bay Hill lodge and round, pair it with the best of Orlando's courses and arrange the transfers to suit. Tell us roughly when and who is travelling and one concierge costs it to the head, with no obligation.
Bay Hill questions
Who designed Bay Hill and when did it open?
Bay Hill was designed by Dick Wilson and opened in 1961 in the Dr. Phillips area of Orlando. Arnold Palmer later bought the club and refined the course, and Wilson's original routing remains in place.
What is the par and length of Bay Hill?
Bay Hill is a par 72 of around 7,300 yards from the back tees, longer in tournament setup, with raised greens, bold bunkering and water in play through the closing stretch.
How much does it cost to play Bay Hill?
Indicative 2026 green fees run from around 105 US dollars in summer to about 475 dollars at the January to May peak, for guests of the lodge. Fees change by season and year, so always confirm directly before booking.
Can visitors play Bay Hill?
Bay Hill is a semi private club, and play is reserved for guests of the Bay Hill Club and Lodge. Each night's stay includes a round, so the way to play is to book a stay at the lodge.
Related
The Tee Sheet
Tee time windows, course access changes and the trips worth taking. Every other week.
Researched and written by the GolfForKings editorial desk. Designer, opening year and par verified June 2026; indicative green fees verified June 2026. Last reviewed June 2026.