The Arnold Palmer Invitational is coming back to Bay Hill Club and Lodge with a total purse of $20 million. But before the golfers tee off, the course underwent a few tweaks. 

Talking to the media at the presser ahead of the Arnold Palmer Invitational, Chris Gotterup confirmed a few changes on the course. First up, the team modified the front two bunkers on the 10th for better playability. And they removed a front right bunker on the 11th. This made an interesting spine for the players to explore their fairway approach. 

On the 14th hole, designers combined the left bunkers into one larger hazard. With a few palm trees in it, the design blends heritage with modern shaping. 

Gotterup continued, “Then probably one of the most noticeable changes you'll hear talked about on TV this week from a playing perspective is we brought back all the short game areas, so all the runoffs around the greens we hand mow. Those are tight and you'll see a lot more variety in the chipping and short game shots around the green this year because it's not all rough surrounds.” 

Mowing these areas demands more manpower and time. And the new look of the course seemed to please Gotterup. 

“Because it makes you think a little bit more and it really changes the look as you're hitting into the greens,” he said. “It sometimes can give a much more intimidating look. So I'm excited to see a lot of really fun shots around the greens this year.”

But these are the greens that once attracted Arnold Palmer himself. And the attraction was enough to make him bring a PGA Tour event to the course. 

Arnold Palmer Highlights His Love for Bay Hill

After he played the Bay Hill for the first time, Palmer told his wife, Winnie, “I’ve just played the best golf course in Florida, and I want to own it.” He claimed that it was “paradise on Earth" and compared it to the Garden of Eden. 

In 1970, Palmer signed a five-year lease for the club. But after the lease was void, he decided to buy the Bay Hill Club and Lodge. And four years after that, it became a venue for a PGA Tour event. 

Weighing in on his decision to bring a PGA Tour event to the course, Palmer said, “I realized that this indeed was a way I could give something valuable back to the PGA TOUR, which has been so very good to me and my family.”

Now, Bay Hill sharpens its identity while honoring Palmer’s legacy. But can players ace the new design of the course at the Arnold Palmer Invitational?

Read more at Daily Club Golf!

Written by

Krushna Pattnaik

Edited by

Joyita Das