The Country Club of Winter Haven

The Country Club of Winter Haven's Lake Region course represents a collaboration between Rees Jones and Bill Bergin in central Florida's distinctive lakeland terrain. Winter Haven sits amid one of the highest concentrations of natural lakes in the state, and this routing takes advantage of the rolling topography and water features that define the region's geography. The design incorporates the sandy soils and native vegetation characteristic of Florida's interior ridge country, creating playing corridors that differ from the flatter coastal courses found elsewhere in the state. Jones, known for his U.S. Open course preparations and strategic design philosophy, brought his emphasis on risk-reward options and demanding approach play to the project. Bergin's involvement reflects a regional design sensibility suited to the club's membership and the central Florida golf market. The course layout works with the natural elevation changes—modest by most standards but significant for Florida—and the presence of multiple lakes that come into play on various holes. The Country Club of Winter Haven operates as a private facility serving the local community in Polk County. Winter Haven itself has a long association with citrus agriculture and tourism, and the club reflects the area's established residential character. The Lake Region course provides members with a championship-length test that emphasizes accuracy and course management, particularly around the water hazards that give the layout its name and strategic complexity.