Arnold Palmer Invitational: Bay Hill’s final 4 holes will separate best from the rest

The PGA Tour returns to Bay Hill Club & Lodge with the Arnold Palmer Invitational, the fourth signature event of the 2024 season.

The field is tough this week, but the golf course is also full of trouble.

Water makes an appearance on the ninth hole, and when the wind picks up, Bay Hill takes on a U.S. Open-like feel.

Since 2020, only one winner has finished double digits under par. Bryson DeChambeau had a similar performance in 2021, shooting 11 under for the week and winning by one spot.

Therefore, mitigating mistakes is of paramount importance. But to do so, players must find the fairway from the tee to be successful at Ernie’s Place.

“I think it’s important to hit the golf ball down the fairway. I think you have to play really smart here,” Patrick Cantlay said Tuesday.

“There are some very tricky hole positions and if you are out of position it is very important to get the ball in the right place to have a chance of scoring. Definitely one of the most difficult stops on tour ”

With temperatures in the mid-80s this week and wind gusts of 20 to 25 mph, the course will only get more difficult as the championship progresses.

It should entertain golf fans around the world.

Knowing this, let’s explore Bay Hill’s final four holes, which will play a pivotal role in determining the winner.

Hole 15 – Par 4, 467 yards

After Bay Hill continues to kick players in the mouth for 14 holes, they arrive at the difficult par-4 15th out of breath. But like the rest of the golf course, there is little reprieve at No. 15.

Last year, this dogleg right par 4 ranked as the third most difficult hole of the tournament. The fairway narrows significantly beyond the trap, requiring a 250-yard carry past the bunker at the corner of the dogleg.

At 300 yards from the tee, the fairway is only 21 yards wide, leaving little room for error. Magnolia trees on both sides make the target appear smaller than it appears, making this hole one of the most difficult driving holes on the property.

Players then face a second shot to a green protected by three sand traps.

Two people guard the front of the green, and a third person sits at the back left.

The putting surface is a little difficult. The overall slope is from the back to the front, but there are subtle bulges on the left front and right front that create a feeling of fit. A large drop-off on the left side of the green (between two bunkers) is also recovered if you pull your tee shot. The left side of this green also generally slopes in that direction.

Anyone who makes it to number 4 here will leave number 15 satisfied.

Hole 16 – Par 5, 511 yards

Photo credit: Keyur Khamar/PGA Tour (Getty Images)

At the 2023 Arnold Palmer Invitational, more players made a birdie on the par-5 16th than did not. This hole is one of his easiest on the PGA Tour, and he played it almost half a stroke under par last year.

But strangely, this hole creates more pressure for the player.

Tour pros are hoping for four birdies here, and the tension will be high in the second half of the round, especially on Sunday’s downhill stretch. If you don’t get a birdie here, you will essentially lose strokes to the remaining players.

The 16th at Bay Hill is a dogleg to the right, but not as tough as the tough par-4 15th.

There are two bunkers on either side of the fairway about 300 yards from the teeing ground, and only large bombers can clear them. It takes 345 yards of carry to get Trapp right.

However, finding this fairway is important to get a birdie here. The fairway is approximately 34 yards wide at 300 yards, making it a wide fairway by Bay Hill standards.

Players then hit mid-to-long irons into a green protected by three sand traps and water.

On the left, water has more influence as the pond collects what it pulls. However, the stream that flows into the pond flows approximately 25 yards in front of the green. If you make the wrong short, you will be submerged in water.

Hole 17 – Par 3, 221 yards

Photo by Chris Condon/PGA Tour

The penultimate hole at Ernie’s Place is a beast.

A huge “beach bunker” protects this kidney-shaped green, and a stream winds gently through its far right corner.

A pond in front of a large bunker shouldn’t be a factor, but a bad mishit can end there.

There are two other sand traps next to this green, one to the front left and one to the back left.

But the great thing about this gorgeous hole is that players can tee off from an elevated tee and take in the stunning views of this par 3. This also acts as an advantage, as players are more likely to be able to hit his 220-yard shot with one of his clubs dropping, rather than swinging it all the way.

Still, those who find this green from the tee will be delighted.

The green slopes primarily from back to front, toward the beach bunker, and toward the front left portion of the green.

Hole 18 – Par 4, 458 yards

Photo by Sam Greenwood/Getty Images

No hole at Bay Hill commands more prestige than the finisher, the tough par-4 18th.

You’ve probably seen the highlight of Tiger Woods doing a big fist pump on this boomerang-shaped green.

But there’s more to this hole than just the putting surface, as the area around it slopes heavily toward the water.

The tee shot is quite straightforward.

Out-of-bounds lurks on the left, but players will only reload if they truly hit their tee shot.

Thick, steep rough runs down both sides of the fairway. A large pond flanking the green is 330 yards from the right tee box, but players rarely reach it on their drives.

As with most holes at Bay Hill, finding the fairway is key here. If a player misses, a layup to the left is likely. Due to the rough along this fairway, you cannot carry water to the green on your shot.

You can’t miss the second shot short and right. If you don’t, you’ll find water or maybe even rocks lining this green.

The left and back sides of this green are protected by three sand traps, forcing players to choose narrow targets.

It’s an incredible finishing hole that will earn you a birdie. But double bogeys lurk, giving him one of the most entertaining closing holes on the PGA Tour.

Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images

Jack Mirko is a golf staff writer for SB Nation’s Playing Through.Be sure to check it out @_PlayingThrough Cover more golf. You can follow him on Twitter @jack_milko In the same way.