While Bay Hill Club & Lodge first opened in 1961, it didn't become the regular home of the PGA Tour event currently known as the Arnold Palmer Invitational until 1979.
And contrary to popular belief, Bay Hill, which actually features 27 holes in total, is not one of the more than 300 courses around the world that "The King" designed throughout his extraordinary life.
The first 18 holes at Bay Hill — the Champion and Challenger nines, which are the 18 holes used during the API — were designed by Dick Wilson and built by Bob Simmons. The Charger nine, which were added in 1969, were designed and built by Simmons.
Palmer purchased the property in 1974, brought the PGA Tour in five years later, and the rest, as they say, is history.
Over the years, Bay Hill has provided plenty of memorable moments, many of which came from Tiger Woods, who took eight of his 82 PGA Tour victories at Arnie's Place. And with its length, abundance of water, thick rough, and slick greens, the layout is also considered one of the toughest tracks on tour, which naturally pleased Palmer to no end.
Another great feature of Bay Hill, of course, is that anyone can play it—well, sort of.
How to play Bay Hill and how much it costs
Technically, Bay Hill Club & Lodge is a private club, one that features many other amenities outside the golf courses, including a marina, tennis, swimming, and a full spa and fitness center.
As such, one option to gain access to the golf courses is to become a full-fledged member. But that's certainly an expensive way to go, as initiation fees are said to start at approximately $30,000, with annual dues in the $8,000 range.
Guests of members can also tee it up at Bay Hill, so that's certainly another way to go if that's available to you.
If not, the only other option is to book one of the 70 lodge rooms on the 2,800-acre property, as doing so entitles you to one 18-hole round per each night of your stay—with an additional cost, of course.
The room rate depends on the type of accommodation you choose, as there are regular lodge rooms, suites, and guest cottages available. While regular rooms can go as low as $275 per night, the price goes up for suites and cottages, and the time of year also plays a part in the rate.
As far as Bay Hill greens fees go once you've made your reservation, those can be as much as around $500 during the peak season from January to May. However, during the summer months, the rate drops considerably to a little more than $100.
The reasoning there, of course, is that Central Florida is ridiculously hot in the summer, so your round could get a little uncomfortable at times. As someone who once lived in the Orlando area, I can attest to that.
And there you have it. If you can swing any of that, you can take some swings at Bay Hill.