Bayhead/Lake at Countryside Country Club

Countryside Country Club's Bayhead/Lake combination draws from two of the club's three nine-hole loops, both designed by Gary Player and opened in the early 1970s. The facility sits in Clearwater, part of the Tampa Bay metropolitan area along Florida's Gulf Coast, where residential golf communities expanded rapidly during that era. Player's design work in Florida from this period typically emphasized strategic bunkering and water management within relatively flat terrain, characteristics common to the region's golf landscape.

The Bayhead and Lake nines reflect their names, with water hazards figuring prominently into the routing. Lakes, retention ponds, and natural wetlands come into play on multiple holes across both loops, requiring golfers to navigate carries and manage risk on approach shots. The course sits within a mature residential community where homes line many fairways, and established tree growth—primarily pine, palm, and native Florida species—frames holes and defines playing corridors.

Countryside operates as a private club serving the Clearwater area, offering members access to all three nines in various eighteen-hole combinations. The relatively flat topography allows for walkable golf, though carts are standard in Florida's climate. Conditioning focuses on year-round playability given the subtropical weather, with bermudagrass fairways and overseeded surfaces during cooler months. The layout provides a straightforward test of accuracy and course management rather than dramatic elevation or severe hazards, typical of Player's residential Florida designs from the period.