The Arnold Palmer Design Company, a golf course architecture firm under the Arnold Palmer Group, today announced in the spirit of its founder’s constant and never-ending pursuit of perfection, Arnold Palmer’s Bay Hill Club & Lodge will add an extensive two-acre short game facility and make improvements to the driving range following the 2018 Arnold Palmer Invitational presented by Mastercard.

The initial enhancements will start with the short-game facility and will feature four greens of varying shapes and sizes along with a collection of bunkers built to different depths and design styles to simulate on-course scenarios. For an image, click here.

"It is important for us to design a facility that showcases on-course scenarios not only found at Bay Hill, but other situations players would find when playing at other top clubs around the world,” said Brandon Johnson, APDC architect and vice president. “The new short game area will allow members and guests to get lost in their practice sessions honing basic shots or experimenting with a variety of recovery shots that incorporate flat pitch slopes, nobs, false fronts, backboards and various bunkers styles."

To make way for the short game facility expansion, the ninth hole on the Charger Course will be redesigned into an exciting drivable par four. In addition, the Championship Course will get a new state-of-the-art irrigation system installed. This new system will allow the superintendent to manage water outputs more efficiently and accurately resulting in firmer, faster playing conditions on healthier turf grass.