Streamsong Resort

With this trip to the popular Streamsong Resort in Central FL, I got to play the Red before the Black; they could not be any further apart in the challenge. A truly epic layout with the largest most challenging green complexes I have seen to date. Massive fairways with hard to execute approaches into every Green.

A work related outing brought me to the popular Streamsong Resort in Central FL. A truly epic property carved into the swampy plains of the sunshine state, the course was a lot of fun, challenging, and awe inspiring.

This was our groups first time playing Streamsong Red and all I have to say is the layout is phenomenal. I have played Sawgrass and Torrey Pines South and this stacks up right against those two and could arguably be better. The design is something you will have never experienced before. Each hole is its own real estate, meaning there aren't any adjacent holes near it so it seems like you are playing that hole only. If you get off the tee well you will be ok and I definitely recommend a caddie - they know the course very well and there are a lot of blind tee shots and greens are very undulating so its good to know where to miss. The greens were not plush but good. They aerated a few weeks before we played on 6/9 so they're still recovering. Tee boxes and fairways were mint condition. Clubhouse and bar are resort style and very high class. Staff was super nice and hospitable. We will be back here annually.

This review is for the Black course. Played there 2 weeks ago. Apparently they have a fungus on the fairways, and it is bad. Possibly the WORST fairways I have ever played on. It was mud. Every hole.
The wonderful caddy we had, said we should have played one of the other courses. I mean this was awful. You had to pick your ball off this muck/mud every hole and find some grass.
Note to Streamsong management: Close your course till you get it right. Greenskeepers in the north are fired for way less than these conditions.
Dont waste your money guys on this one, till they fix it.
The greens were fabulous,and the biggest I have ever played.

This course was one of the most fun courses I have ever played. Huge greens and fairways with bold features and lots of slope. A great change from the typical Florida course. Tons of options and gives you the ability to recover after an errant shot. I would advise to try the putting course before playing the black course. Great on course bathrooms and snack bars.

What a unique course! the fairways are huge but in excellent condition. The greens demand precision .The traps are strategically placed,but fair. Our caddies Nathan And Grant were great. I strongly recommend the use of caddies . Be prepared for undulating fast putts. Approach shots are critically important

Played red course. Check in was easy. The range and pitching practice green were great. Layout of the course was incredible. I wasn’t impressed with the conditions. It was in good shape but when u pay what it cost to play here, I’m expecting close to mint. . I played championsgate the week before and also grand bear near Biloxi and they were in better condition. Lake Jovita and eaglebrooke too. Especially the greens. Streamsong greens were pretty good but just not excellent like u would expect.. By no means am I complaining , I just expected mint when u are considered a top 20 in the USA and at the price u charge. I do think they should have local resident rates. Talking to employees they don’t get a lot of local play. We are local and I don’t see myself paying these prices to play the other courses as my expectations weren’t met. My fellow players felt the exact same way. It was good just not what we expected since we have played nicer courses lately . Everyone was nice, our caddie Tommy Fleetwood was great . Just with caddie and tee time , we spent $240 each and it just wasn’t worth it even though we enjoyed the day .

Played all Streamsong courses many times. Course conditions are the worst I've seen. Most greens on the Red course are diseased. Lots of unfilled divots in the fairways. Not worth paying $20.00 let alone $200.00.
On the positive, the caddie was excellent.

The Red course feels more put together than the other two courses at Streamsong. This was day 3 of our trip and we had already worked our way around the other two courses on the property. This course has a classic feel to it, and flows nicely for the whole round. Most of the holes are straight forward, what you see is what you get. Many holes on the Blue and Black courses are a bit quirky and we had some blind shots on those courses, not so on the Red. This is not a bad or good thing. Red is a spectacular track with great holes in a beautiful setting. Which course is best of the three? Let the debate begin!

As usual we started with breakfast in the clubhouse which was always good every day of the trip then took the short ride up to the driving range and pitching area to warm up. The range and practice greens are shared between the Blue and Red courses and is a great place to loosen up before a round.

After teeing off we had no issues with pace throughout the day. There was a group ahead of us that kept a good pace and we kept good distance between the groups with no waiting throughout the round. The pace was not fast, we were at about 430 for the round, but on a course like this we wanted to take our time and enjoy the surroundings. Our group did not have caddies so we just used the pull carts provided by the resort and those work great! There were no holes where we felt like a caddie was absolutely necessary, the course plays right out in front of you. I know that lots of players at the resort prefer to have caddies and I am sure the experience is worth the price, but I cannot attest.

Greens on the course were lightning fast on the day we played, definitely the fastest of all three courses. They had just installed the new Mach 1 Bermuda and it was rolling great! The rest of the course was also in great condition like the other two courses. This course has lots of great big fairway bunkers, luckily the fairways are mostly quite wide, so you should be able to steer clear of the sand unless you are taking a lot of aggressive lines off the tee.

The first six holes make a loop back to the clubhouse around a series of lakes. A couple of the holes require accurate drives to avoid the water and huge sand dunes bordering the holes. Hole 4 is a fun uphill par 4 that could be drivable if the winds were helping a bit. Swing away, there’s tons of fairway out there! I really felt the course opened up on hole 7 as it heads away from the clubhouse and the rest of the course circles the Blue Course in the center. Make sure you stop by the snack bar at hole 9 for some great BBQ!

After you grab some brisket you have another drivable par 4 in hole 9, just about 260 yards. Holes 12 and 13 are 450 and 451 respectively. You just get a bonus stroke on the par 5 13th! Make sure you take advantage of it. Hole 15 has a monstrous bunker running down the left side of the fairway, be careful if you are trying to cut the corner on the number one handicap hole heading up the hill.

Hole 16 is the scenic signature on this course, a serious par 3. The tee shot goes over the same lake as hole 7 on Blue, but is much longer, is guarded in the front by bunkers, and has a severe downhill slope to the left of the green. This is a much tougher hole than the beautiful, but relatively dainty 7th on Blue.

The tee shot on 17 is another thinker as you can challenge the beach running down the right to end up in a nice valley pitching up to the green or go for safety left and leave a bit longer shot. Hole 18 is a good uphill par 5 where avoiding the bunkers off the tee shot is key if you want to post a low score.

Red is well put together and has a nice flow. It is not by any means boring, the holes on this course have character and blend extremely well with the contours of the land. This is a great design in a beautiful golf haven. I cannot wait to go back.

Our tee time was fairly early in the morning and we found ourselves hitting our first shots into the mist. The first tee is perched on a tall dune and played straight down to a wide fairway. On any day it is a dramatic setting, with the foggy conditions it was surreal. We hit, and saw no golf balls off the tee, thankfully they had a couple guys down in the fairway listening for balls landing and we were able to find all of our shots. On this trip we opted to not have caddies. Blue did not offer any holes where we could not figure out where to hit, so I will say we were fine without assistance except when we couldn’t see.

The conditions on Blue were great like all of the other courses on property. The new Mach 1 Bermuda green were nice and smooth, and I’d say a tad slower than the greens on Red, but still very good.

By the middle of hole 2 the fog had lifted and we could see the expanse of this beautiful golf course before us. Large rolling fairways and bunkers that appear to by meticulously carved out of the ground. The setting is unique and pristine. Blue is one of those courses that feels like it fits the land to perfection.

The 4th hole at Blue is a great design. The tee shot must be kept a bit right to avoid the bunkers left, and shot 2 is straight up a big hill to the green. There is an enormous bunker guarding the green on the right and any ball left slightly short of the green middle or left will roll all the way down the hill leaving a long (and blind) pitch back up to the putting surface. The par 3 5th is a fun shot from the plateau just above the 4 green.

After the short par 4 6th the signature hole of the entire resort awaits. Hole 7 is a medium length par 3 which plays downhill over a lake. It’s not too tough but it is framed beautifully by the surrounding dunes and the footbridge over the lake. I dare you not to take a picture from this tee box! After we hit our shots we walked towards the green and saw several large gators swimming and sunning themselves near the footbridge. A good reminder to stay away from the water in these parts.

Holes 8 and forward play among the interior of the Red course. It is easy to see the differences of design style between Doak and the team of Coore/Crenshaw. It is a treat to have this much good golf by these great designers in one spot. The meat of this course works its way around a few lakes so there are some possible hazards out there especially with some fairways having some dramatic pitch to them. On hole 13, a drivable par 4 you need to hug the right side of the fairway to have any chance of hitting the green or end up well below it left.

The holes closing out the Blue course are pretty tough. The long, uphill par 5 17th requires a second shot over a huge band of bunkers crossing the fairway. Hole 18 is the best closing hole of the three courses on property. This is a mammoth par 4 with an uphill tee shot. With a good tee ball you will be able to see the green down the rolling hill, but you will likely have a long iron in hand. I thought a hit a good drive and had to press a 5 wood to get my second shot to the putting surface. I love tough closing holes, maybe I’m just a glutton for punishment!

It was a tough call for me, but Blue wins out for me amongst the three courses at Streamsong. I feel it overall offered great views, most interesting holes, and best layout at the resort. You should decide for yourself though. Make sure you play all three!

Get ready for some serious putting on this quirky and supremely fun golf course. It’s the newest course at Streamsong and it will have you wishing you would have hit at least a couple shots differently after seeing where they end up. Players who are purists might not like the design and gigantic greens. (some with sprinklers within the surface) What you will get at Streamsong Black is a big golf course spread across vast sand dunes, huge waste areas, and a few blind shots. Sound interesting?

Players at Black will hit a lot of fairways and greens. Whether you will be in good position or not is another story. I’m not sure that I’ve ever seen this much grass layed out with so few penal areas like lakes, rough, and trees. You can swing away on this course for the most part and be just fine most of the time. Reaching the putting surface may not always be best for you as you could easily be putting from 100 or more feet on several of the greens out here. Hitting the right spots is key. The greens are massive and have lots of contour to them. A two putt is going to be a good stat! While Blue and Red both had the new grass installed on their greens recently, Black stayed with the original grass. The surfaces were very nice to putt on. Smooth and pretty quick.

The opening few holes of Black are a good way to start a round. Not too much difficulty. Hole 4 is a dual fairway par 5 where you must pick a side of attack or end up in the penalty area between fairways. This is a dynamic hole with lots of options and good risk reward for anyone trying to get to the green side fairway off the tee. Players are met with the first blind shot of the day on hole 5. This par 3 plays uphill to a hidden green. You’ll want to spot the hole location before hitting, and keep it left; the right side of the green is flanked by one of the deepest and largest sandy areas I have ever seen!

Hole 9 is literally a windmill hole! We did not have caddies, so we guessed on the tee shot since we had no idea whee the hole was. All of us hit our tee shots too far right into a sandy area. After thinking about it, there was a plaque that looked like a target on the tee, I think that was a guide for the tee shot. If there is a course on property where caddies would be most helpful then Black is it. There are a lot of things about the course I wish we had info on. The second shot on 9 is hit towards the windmill to a gigantic punchbowl green. The entire putting surface is concave and is surrounded by mounds. If you get your ball over the mounds then it will settle in on the green somewhere. It is super fun to watch balls fly into the punchbowl and roll around.

Make sure to stop by the halfway house on the course for a mid round snack. They specialize in a Lobster Roll, and they have good hot dogs too!

Black makes it’s way back towards the clubhouse on hole 11 before changing complexion a bit as the course tightens up a bit, but don’t worry, there is still plenty of fairway out there, the holes just don’t feel as big after hole 11. I love the finishing holes at this course. 14 is a drivable par 4 uphill to a green that rejects balls like a turtle back. 17 is a good downhill par 3 with a carry over native grass, and 18 Is a fun closing par 5 with the green framed by the contemporary clubhouse. If you hit a good drive on 18 you should feel compelled to go for the green; don’t be short though, there is a lake and deep bunkers guarding the green. You got this!

The Clubhouse at Black is the coolest building at the resort and has the best restaurant and bar. Make sure you try the food and a few beers in the awesome building, and don’t miss the putting course just outside. It’s a great place to enjoy a drink and unwind after a round.

Of the three course at Streamsong I rate Black as the funnest. There are some weird holes and crazy greens, but I love it! Gil Hanse did a great job of using this land to put his stamp on it. I hope to return soon to play this course again and see which way my ball bounces!

Streamsong Blue is my 2nd favorite golf course I have ever played (As of writing this review, I have played 95 different courses).

Everything e is exactly what you would want from a golf experience. The resort is in the middle of the middle of nowhere in Central Florida. When you get to the entrance, it's kind of a "we're not in Florida anymore" moment. Massive sand dunes, water, and a massive resort greet you, followed by your first views of the golf courses.

There is a shuttle to pick you up from the parking lot and take you to the clubhouse (Blue and Red share a clubhouse). The range and short game facility are not amazing, but exactly what you need.

In terms of the actual course, it is simply incredible. There is just something about playing golf in a remote location with absolutely nothing to worry about except your next shot. The fairways are firm and fast, as are the greens. I've never played true links golf in the British Isles, but I can't imagine it is much different than this.

Some of my favorite holes/shots are the tee shot on #1. You tee off from a 100 ft sand dune on a drivable par 4. #6 is another drivable par 4 with the same dune you tee off on #1 surrounding the green. #7 is the "signature" hole and is an awesome par 3 over water. On the back, #13 is the 3rd drivable par 4 on the course (I really like drivable par 4s). #14 is a uphill par 5 around water with a massive fairway where you can tee it high and let it fly.

I took a day trip to Streamsong, but I would love to take a trip here for 3-4 days and play every course a couple of times. It one of the best golf destinations there is.

Blue was the first Streamsong course I played, about four years ago. In the interim, I've played the delightfully weird Black a few times. Recently, I played the Red and Blue in a day in order to get a look at their new (excellent) Mach 1 Bermuda greens, as well as to see which one I preferred.

In the end, I give the slight edge to the Blue. I think the holes and features themselves exhibit a bit more variety, and there's a bit more quirk or cheekiness on display from Doak's work than from Coore & Crenshaw's. The par-4 11th is a masterpiece of subtlety in an otherwise pretty wild environment, and overall I enjoy the more freewheeling and daring green contours on the Blue. Both courses are excellent but that's merely my justification for preferring the Blue. Anyone who has been to Streamsong by now knows it is a great place to play golf for a few days, and three different golfers can come out with three different favorite courses. That's the sign of a winner to me.

Coore & Crenshaw have the highest batting average of any modern golf course architecture concern, armed a they are with sophisticated perspectives on what makes for compelling golf as well as a talented team that can help execute their vision completely. Their effort at Streamsong brings their genteel touch to an unusual environment: the spend sand mounds of a former mining site.

As always, they worked with the landscape rather than seeking to dominate it with their 18 holes. The result is a course with ample room to play and make strategic decisions. The routing does lead to the stretch of holes 7 through 15 predominately angling and/or pitching from right to left, but such a stretch is not without precedent. Highlights include the very engaging first two holes, good short 4s at the 4th and 9th holes and the sublime Biarritz-inspired par-3 16th.

Finally, the new Mach 1 Bermuda greens, installed over the summer, are very nice. Some uncooperative weather during the project has necessitated a bit of sod patching on some of the Red greens, but even if they look like they've been worked on in places, they putt beautifully.

There’s nothing I can say that hasn’t already been said. Just pay your money and enjoy one of the best golf courses in the country.

Played a company Ryder Cup style outing at the Black Course - the course was in amazing shape, greens were fast and rolled true. No bad lies even though it rained heavily overnight, and our Sunday round had a mid-round rain delay. Our forecaddie, Steve, was extremely knowledgeable and gave us great lines off the tee, and good advice on approach shots. His lines on the greens were spot on. Will definitely be back to Streamsong to play the Red and Blue courses. Highly recommended.