Arnold Palmer's Bay Hill Club & Lodge

Arnold Palmer's Bay Hill Club & Lodge

Enlarge Photo

Waiting for my tee time, I struck up a conversation with Terry Hayes who came all the way from England to play the course with his wife. “After attending the Arnold Palmer Invitational last March we just had to play here; so we booked a room at the lodge,” he told me. Since Bay Hill is a membership club; the only non-members allowed to play are hotel guests.

 I felt very lucky as I set up to tee off, yet I couldn’t help but wonder why I'm even attempting to play a PGA Tour course where Tiger Woods took home six trophies. Surprisingly I did fairly well through the first five, but at the sixth hole, which curves around water, my ball landed on the green just to roll off and down the slope, over the rocks and into the pond. Battling the numerous doglegs was challenging, and with sand bunkers galore my sand wedge got a good workout. By the time we arrived at the 18^th hole heat exhaustion was setting in, but I kept playing to the finish. The winner here was my partner who played that final hole like a pro.

En route to my room I admired the Invitational trophy on display with a new appreciation for what it takes to win it. bayhill.com

Tags: Arnold Palmer Invitational | Arnold Palmer's Bay Hill Club & Lodge | Bay Hill | Central | golf | golf course