Bay Hill Club & Lodge assistant superintendent John Owens shares his experiences as part of the agronomy team. Photo by Howard Richman
Chris Knapp caught on quick what Bay Hill Club & Lodge means to those who are its caretakers.
During Tuesday morning’s GCSAA Interactive Facility Tour “Inside Tournament Prep at Bay Hill presented by The Toro Co. (there also was an afternoon session), Knapp and 150 GCSAA Conference and Trade Show attendees received an exclusive behind-the-scenes tour focused on tournament preparation and post-event recovery for the facility’s PGA Tour Arnold Palmer Invitational scheduled for March 5-8.
Knapp, a 10-year GCSAA Class A member at Amherst Country Club in Amherst, N.H., intently listened to what speakers like Bay Hill’s Chris Flynn, CGCS, and superintendent Alex Hills had to say. The way they spoke of their fondness for Bay Hill golf legend Arnold Palmer — who owned the Orlando facility beginning in 1974 — left an impression. “They’re steeped in Arnold Palmer and what he means to them. They cherish him and what he’s done. That’s cool,” Knapp said.
Knapp and the others in attendance explored the strategies, staffing models, and equipment that drive the high-performance conditions at Bay Hill. They also gained insight on what it takes to host one of the PGA Tour’s well-known tournaments.
Attendees rotated through stations covering course set-up, agronomic planning, communication protocols and more, including a stop at the maintenance facility for a sponsored presentation by Toro highlighting their role in tournament support and equipment innovation.
Flynn, Bay Hill’s director of grounds and a 28-year GCSAA member, shared some interesting behind-the-scenes facts about the tournament. He discussed the greens, which he called “the flattest greens on the PGA Tour.” And, he said, they are made to be as fast as they can make them, depending on weather conditions. The Stimpmeter? “We’ve had 14 up to 15,” he said, noting PGA Tour agronomy has asked them to dial things back occasionally. As for the course’s rough, Flynn shared how Palmer wanted it tall to enhance the golfers’ challenge, featuring a final cut pre-tourney. “It’s 4.5 inches on Tuesday the week before tournament week,” Flynn said.
A seven-year GCSAA member, Hills quickly realized what Palmer has meant to Bay Hill. And, in the process, to her. “I never met him, but it’s pretty powerful to work for him (Palmer died in 2016, and his daughter and son-in-law now are owners). Great people to work for,” Hills said.
Flynn and Hills were accompanied during the sessions by equipment manager Luis Flores, assistant superintendent John Owens and PGA Tour agronomist Bland Cooper. This will be Bland’s 19th Bay Hill tournament. He let the attendees know when they watch that they shouldn’t be fooled by four par-fives, which some may figure will be easier on the world’s best golfers. “The greens are mostly flat,” Cooper said, “but there’s a more back to front pitch. And as big as they (greens) are, they’re hard to hold.”
As for Knapp, one other thing that stood out was how Bay Hill totals 55,000 rounds annually yet is all systems go come the tourney. “What they do before the tournament shows how dialed in they are in preparation,” Knapp said.
Howard Richman is GCM’s associate editor.