A long time ago, a good friend of mine told me that the things in life you end up regretting the most are the ones you never do. For me, that’s the case with Arnold Palmer’s Bay Hill Club & Lodge. I moved to Orlando in 2012, more than seven years ago, and Bay Hill was always on my to-do list. I had dreams of staying at the Lodge, playing Bay Hill, then coming into the lodge for a drink and bumping into Mr. Palmer, who would strike up a conversation by asking “How’d you do”?
Unfortunately, I never booked that trip to Bay Hill, and sadly on September 25th, 2016, Mr. Palmer passed away. You might be thinking to yourself, this guy’s crazy, sure he could have stayed and played at Bay Hill, but he would never run into Arnold Palmer and have a drink with him.
Well, that’s where your wrong! Mr. Palmer was a legend on and off the golf course, and he considered Bay Hill his second home. The Arnold Palmer fans, in particular, the ones that had a chance to meet Mr. Palmer, know he spent a lot of time at the lodge. He even had his office there and would regularly conduct business at Bay Hill. I’ve heard a ton of stories from close friends how Mr. Palmer would engage with guests and could often be found in the grill or at the bar in the evening enjoying a drink with friends.
While I never got the chance to have that drink with Mr. Palmer, I did finally make the trip to Arnold Palmer’s Bay Hill Club & Lodge.
This past October, I packed up the car and took my daughter with me on the 30-mile journey from my home in Heathrow, FL, to Bay Hill. I thought it was only fitting to take my daughter along for the trip. She’s a huge Arnold Palmer fan, ever since reading his book, A Life Well Played.
We arrived in the evening, the sun had already set, and darkness was upon us by the time we made our way to the check-in desk. We were warmly greeted at reception and off to our room in no time.
We’ve both been to Bay Hill before as patrons of the PGA Tour’s Arnold Palmer Invitational, but staying as a guest at the lodge was a completely different experience. Like any PGA Tour venue, Bay Hill transforms into a stadium course complete with skyboxes, bleachers, and camera towers. It’s a great experience and one I highly recommend.
But on a fall day in October, Arnold Palmer’s Bay Hill Club & Lodge is a peaceful, relaxed atmosphere that reminds you of Mr. Palmer and his love for life, friends, family, and of course, golf.
As you walk the halls of the lodge, you’ll find constant reminders of Mr. Palmer’s legacy iconic photographs, trophies, medals, and old advertisements. All memories of Mr. Palmer’s life, some you might not have known, some you may have forgotten, but one thing is for sure you’ll feel as if Mr. Palmer is still around the corner, or in his office looking over plans for his next course design.
After playing Bay Hill, I learned Mr. Palmer designed 27 holes of golf at Bay Hill, not just the 18-holes showcased during the Arnold Palmer Invitational.
Golf at Bay Hill consists of three 9’s, the Champion, Challenger, and Charger, which provide members and guests at the lodge 27 holes of tour championship golf. The Champion and Challenger nines, make up the Championship Course while the Charger is considered the fun family course.
I recommend playing all 27-holes, WE DID! The Charger has a relaxed atmosphere, no starter, no tee times, just make your way over to the first tee and fit yourself. On a Friday morning, we had no problem getting around the course in just over 90 minutes. We had a blast; the par-36 layout offers several tee options designed to fit everyone from juniors to pros.
Our morning 9 was a warmup for an afternoon tee time on the Championship Course. In between rounds, we made time for lunch. We ended up in the Bay Window Room with a table overlooking the famed putting green and Rolex clock.
After a healthy lunch, we walked outside to the putting green to roll a few practice putts. In between the starter announcing our tee time over the speaker and hitting our opening tee shot, we made time to get a photo with Mr. Palmer. In 2017 the club installed a 13-foot, 1,392-pound bronze statue of Palmer near the first tee. The statue perfectly captures Mr. Palmer’s signature follow-through and provides visitors a chance to snap a selfie with Mr. Palmer.
The round on the Championship Course was a special one. While I’ll always regret not doing it sooner, at least now I can say I’ve done it, and enjoyed a drink with Mr. Palmer in spirit.
If you’re planning a visit to Orlando anytime soon, there is no better place to stay than Arnold Palmer’s Bay Hill & Lodge. I recommend the Perfectly Palmer Package that includes 2-nights’ accommodations in The Lodge, breakfast, one round of golf on the Championship Course, lunch at the Champion’s Turn Halfway House, a complimentary drink, and a Bay Hill Keepsake Gift to remember the experience. At Bay Hill, the legend lives on!
Rob Spellman, is an avid golfer and publisher of Golf Aficionado Magazine, he is a member of the Golf Writers Association of America and the Golf Travel Writers of America.