In the heart of Pinellas County, Bayou Club is a private golf course enclave offering residents a sense of seclusion and security with easy access to amenities. “The neighborhood has a very exclusive feel to it,” says Michael Lynch, Realtor for Premier Sotheby’s International Realty, with over 30 years of experience and 30 sales in Bayou Club. “The country club’s facilities are excellent, but membership is separate from homeownership, so it's an additional fee." East of Lake Seminole and Boca Ciega Bay in Largo, Florida, the 403-acre community provides more than an upscale golf course for outdoor recreation. Large lakes and ponds surround stately homes, and Bayou Club is several miles from waterfront parks, marinas and preserves. Despite its isolated, suburban feel, it sits in the middle of all the action. “It’s a very centrally located community,” says Lynch. “It’s central to Tampa, St. Petersburg and the Gulf beaches.” Highway 19 loops around Bayou Club, connecting to Interstate 275, so residents can reach downtown St. Pete in 12 miles and St. Pete Beach in 8 miles.
The neighborhood's centerpiece is the Bayou Club itself, a private country club that has been popular since it opened in 1991. The club offers members access to an 18-hole championship golf course, a pool, tennis and pickleball courts and a 24-hour fitness center. Bardmoor Golf and Tennis Club is directly north of the golf course. The public 19-hole course also offers 14 tennis courts and six pickleball courts. “It’s a nice course; they have a pool, a restaurant and a clubhouse,” says Jeff Kay, Treasurer and board member for Chateaux de Bardmoor Condominium Owners Association, which is inside the Bardmoor community next door to Bayou Club. The 258-acre Lake Seminole Park is a nature preserve less than 2 miles west and has a fishing lake, two playgrounds, a boat ramp and a nature trail. Helen S. Howarth Community Park, 2 miles east, has a dog park, nature paths, an equestrian arena, trails and an observation tower overlooking Boca Ciega Bay. The 112-acre War Veterans Memorial Park is 7 miles south and has five commemorative plaques honoring each United States military branch, along with boat ramps and kayak rentals. Turtle Crawl Point sits at the tip of the park and provides scenic views of the bay and various wildlife and nature paths. St. Pete Beach, Indian Shores and Madeira Beach are 8 miles west. Madeira Beach, though one of the more popular areas, has kept its small-town charm. “Here, you have a variety of restaurants and free beaches,” says Kay. “It’s quaint, and it’s not built up.”
The quiet streets are shaded by palms and a canopy of magnolia, gardenia and hibiscus trees. The Bayou Golf Club and lakes provide a peaceful barrier for the homes. “It’s a very family-friendly area and active community,” says Lynch. Bayou Club is filled with ranch-style homes, multi-story Mediterranean-style architecture and Tuscan villa-inspired estates. Most homes were built in the mid-1990s, ranging from the low-$700,000s for a three-bedroom over 2,000 square feet to over $3 million for a five-bedroom estate on the golf course or the water. Residents enjoy large lot sizes, with the average around 18,000 square feet, stretching over a quarter acre. Most homes have multi-car garages, spacious driveways for boats or other toys and in-ground pools surrounded by tropical landscaping. Million-dollar homes are primarily in the gated Bayou Club Estates subdivision, offering the best views of the golf course. Residents can easily walk to the Bayou Club and Bardmoor Golf and Tennis Club. It’s gated and patrolled by security 24 hours a day. The Bayou Club Community Association, the neighborhood’s homeowners’ association, requires a $325 monthly fee covering maintenance, landscaping and security services. It’s separate from the Bayou Golf and Country Club membership, and club membership is not automatic upon moving into the neighborhood.
Most shopping and dining options are along Belcher Road and Highway 694. Anchored by Publix, the Pinellas Crossings shopping center is less than 2 miles south of Bayou Club on Belcher Road. The plaza also has CVS, Starbucks, Wells Fargo and Lowe’s. The community has a diverse selection of restaurants nearby, including Thai spots like Patti’s Kitchen Thai Street Noodles and Ko Thai Kitchen to La Teresita, a staple for Cuban sandwiches since 1976. Cajun Café on the Bayou is a cozy spot known for its etouffee, jambalaya and other Creole dishes. A' Amor'e Pizzeria Grill & Pub is popular for New York-style slices and stromboli. “There’s also a little local place there called Club House, and it’s great for breakfast and lunch,” says Kay. A no-frills spot in neighboring Bardmoor, locals love the café’s all-day breakfast menu, sandwiches and comfort foods like shrimp and grits and country-fried steak. While downtown St. Petersburg is a 12-mile drive, Kay says there are a variety of entertainment options close by. “There are so many things to do in the Clearwater-Tampa area,” he says. “You have Phillies baseball spring training at Baycare Park, Yankees spring training at Steinbrenner [Field] and The Straz Theater, where you can see off-Broadway plays.”
Pinellas County Schools serves the area and is the top school district in Tampa, according to Niche. Students can attend Bardmoor Elementary, Fitzgerald Middle and Hollins High School. Bardmoor, which offers a Spanish dual-language immersion program, earns a B-minus on Niche, and Fitzgerald scores a B. Earning a B-plus on Niche, Hollins High offers volleyball and swimming teams and a robotics club. Alternatively, parents can opt for Tampa-area private schools, including Berkeley Preparatory School, which earns an A-plus rating on Niche.
Belcher Road runs along the community’s eastern edge, connecting Highway 19 and Interstate 275, providing easy access to the rest of the area. Largo is 7 miles away, St. Pete-Clearwater International Airport is 8 miles away, and Tampa is a 22-mile drive via the Howard Frankland Bridge. Public transportation is convenient via Pinellas Suncoast Transit Authority, with bus stops along Belcher Road. The nearest hospital is Bardmoor Emergency Center, 3 miles north, and HCA Florida of St. Petersburg, 5 miles south.
