The Arnold Palmer Invitational snarls traffic in Bay Hill.

Posted on by Thor

I live in North Bay which is directly adjacent to the Bay Hill Golf Course. Once a year my quiet suburban street becomes a driveway for all the manic golf fans intent on finding a parking spot right at the Bay Hill Golf Club. A residents pass card comes in the mail that must be kept in my car so that I am not turned away from access to the drive home. Parking at Bay Hill is very limited. Some neighbors allow parking on their lawns and then golf cart access to the entrance. Ten temporary lots are created just for this event on the golf course greens. Cars park all over the rolling greens with black mesh fencing put in place probably to protect some cars from stray golf balls. I took a stroll down to the course one evening to get a sketch of the circus atmosphere. Cars were leaving in a steady stream. Mini buses were parked to transport workers, volunteers and attendees to off site parking lots.

It was the golden hour right before the sun set. Trees lit up y warm orange. A Peregrine falcon swooped over the golf course. Puzzle piece foam pads try to protect some grassy areas from the worst of the automotive tire damage. I decided to set up across from the Invitational entrance. Historic billboard photos lined the drive with photos of past Invitational winners. The competition began in 1954. A family waited to be picked up. Clearly the competition for the day was over and this was the time of the mass exodus.

The Invitational began on March 14th and continues through March 20. A Practise, Pro-Am badge is $50 for the week, allowing you to follow your favorite player on their practise rounds on Monday through Wednesday. A weekly club house badge is $250 allowing on site parking, access to the clubhouse and great views of the greens.

The Arnold Palmer Invitational holds a place of high stature in professional golf. The tournament, one of the premiere-event
jewels on the PGA Tour, annually attracts one of the strongest fields of
the season to one of the circuit’s finest courses with the entire
production overseen and directed by one of the game’s all-time greats,
Arnold Palmer. Its stature is attributable primarily to Palmer and
the tremendous respect that he has among his peers in tournament golf.

I hare never actually sketched and reported on the tournament. I only realize it is going on when traffic gets crazy and blimps circle overhead. Some year, I need to get a press pass and spend a solid day sketching the event.

16th hole at the Bay Hill Invitational

Posted on by Thor

On March 22nd Jesse Newton invited me to a Green Party at the 16th hole of the Bay Hill Invitational. My North Bay neighborhood is right near the Bay Hill Country Club, so we were issued neighborhood access passes for the car to guarantee we would not be turned away since parking for the golf event is a logistical nightmare. My sister Pat Boehme was in town to go to my gallery opening. Mark Baratelli of The Daily City was up for an adventure as well, so the four of us drove towards South Bay and thanks to the neighborhood car passes we were able to drive through check points and avoid traffic tie ups.

The South Bay home was absolutely gorgeous. It was a casual but very fashionable affair. A bar was set up behind the home next to the pool. Many of the people at the party were restaurant and bar owners and it was a crowd of beautiful people. Right behind the pool deck, a small grassy hill sloped down toward a small pond. Just beyond the pond was the 16th hole. I ordered a soda and turned my back to the golf because I needed to sketch the beautiful people. One woman had a white paddle with “Quiet” written on it. Whenever an important putt was about to happen she would raise the paddle and hush the revelers. Once the ball was in the hole the party conversations would fire back up with plenty of laughter and joking. The “Quiet” sign holder posed provocatively for me several times but I knew she wouldn’t be able to hold the poses long. I sketched her when she least expected it. Several times during the party the “Quiet” paddle was used like a fraternity butt spanker.

A short path to the left lead to a spot right next to a TV camera tower where the putting action could be viewed from up close. It was possible to get closer to the action than any of the spectators on the greens behind their ropes. I glanced over my shoulder periodically when I heard the crowd on the green murmur or applaud. But honestly, the gorgeous people on the hill captured most of my attention. Mark and I joked about how this must be what it feels like to be part of the “in” socialite crowd.

A women introduced herself and watched me work for a while. She analyzed my composition and decided that the woman in the black tights and shapely hips was the primary focus of the sketch, the rest was just supporting detail. I laughed. “Guilty as charged” I had to admit.With the sketch done, Terry, Pat and I retired to a shady spot in the pool area. I had to sit in the direct sunlight to get the sketch, so my neck got sunburned. I have no idea who won the golf tournament. The last balls plopped into the holes and the golf greens slowly cleared as the sun set. With so much to see and sketch the tournament scores were the least of my concerns.

Bay Hill Invitational

Posted on by Thor

Once a year the Bay Hill Invitational golf tournament caused all sorts of traffic in my neighborhood. Our neighborhood association issued parking permits to residents so they can get into the neighborhood. Policemen directed traffic for people trying to get to the golf tournament. I decided to go for a walk to see what traffic was like at the golf course. The walk there and back was perhaps three miles. Glancing between the quiet suburban homes I could see that there were plenty of cars parked on the green grass of the golf course itself. Some homes charged people to park on their front lawns and they then shuttled fans to the entrance using golf carts.

I ended my walk in front of the Bay Hill Club House. It was late afternoon and there was a long line of Buses waiting to transfer fans back to their cars. I believe a large empty lot near Universal Studios was being used as the overflow parking lot. Since all the buses were blocking the street, event staff and police had to use walkie talkies to be sure that cars could go down the single lane without a head on collision.

Walking home I realized there were several spots where I could have walked on the golf course to do a sketch. It was hot however and I didn’t feel like watching grown men hit a ball with a stick.