Streamsong Resort

This was my second visit to Streamsong after previously playing the Red course. What a golf resort this is... We chose to walk and boy did we get our exercise. The greens were probably the fastest I have played all summer. This course will punish you if you hit on the wrong side of the flag. Unfortunately, our round was cut short due to thunder and lightning. Can't wait to go back and play the new Black course next fall!

One of the best golf courses in the country and easily the best golf course in the state of Florida. It is an American Links style golf course built out of the phosphate mining grounds of Mosaic- a brilliant repurpose of the land.

Beautiful routing, great holes and great fun.

A course unlike any others in Florida.

The day I played the conditions were very windy, so windy you couldn't even wear a hat. The conditions of the course were outstanding, especially for better players who enjoy tighter lies and having to be creative. Only negative on the course condition side is a decent shot that may miss the green by inches may turn into a lost ball. Happened to me on a couple of occasions.

Pro shop staff was great. Asked them many questions regarding the property and future courses and they took the time to inform me.

Outside staff and caddies were sub-par. Outside staff was running around frantically. Caddies were not engaged in the round and seemed to rather be anywhere but there.

I would definitely come back in the future, especially hope to play the Red Course and future course(s). It is a place that every avid golfer would enjoy playing once, but may not feel the need to come back a second time.

I've played Red five times and Blue three. Red is an amazing layout. I prefer it slightly. It's challenging, scenic and always in immaculate condition. Best part of all is the serenity at Streamsong. Feels like a trip to the home of golf in Scotland without having to travel far at all. In addition to the exceptional golf, the resort is a great family destination with fishing, shooting, tennis and walking trails.

The blue starts off with a super tee shot (some 60 feet above) and it continues to present some fun and challenging golf. Make sure you know where the pins are because your misses will determine how you score. Nice greens, tight lies, and very open fairways are features of the blue course.

The red course is more demanding off the tee , but it does give you enough room. Know where the pins are on the green and know if you are facing a false front or a green that runs away. The par fives are difficult if you go for them in 2 but very manageable if you play them as a 3 shot hole. Par 3's are all strong. I have Bandon courses several times and there are a lot of similarities but I think you will like the greens better at Streamsong. Very friendly staff, professional caddies. Played this course 3X while I was there .

Played the Red course here on 10/23/2015 with my sons who played the Black tees while I played the Silver. The Golf and Resort complex is located in the middle of nowhere in central Florida and is pricey for a middle income retiree. Nonetheless, it is worth the trip and the expense if you care for the game of Golf and you can afford a $500 day during the off season. I've got to believe you will go though at least a $1,000 during peak season if you play a round, hire a caddy, tip the staff correctly, buy a shirt, and have something to eat afterwards.
Although my sons are low handicappers and I'm an 8 myself, we decided to ride and hire a Caddy, "Jim O", a young man from Atlanta, Georgia, who was terrific. If you do go to Streamsong I would highly recommend Jim, who is a respectful,hard working and knowledgable fellow. He saved me several shots even though it was not my best day by far.
Besides its isolated location there are some difficulties at Streamsong other than the cost. The practice range is accessible by shuttle only and the routine for dropping off your clubs and finding them and your cart while waiting for your tee time is kinda tricky.

This is not to say that all the employees were less than respectful and friendly.

The course is absolutely beautiful but is not an easy tract if you are playing it for the first (and only?) time. There are yawing bunkers everywhere, the greens are enormous, undulating and very fast. I'll never get used to the tight lies , and, as with most courses I've encountered in Florida, it is very windy. If you are not a low handicapper who hits it longer than most I'd recommend the up tees.

I'd certainly go back to Streamsong more than once if I could afford it and could stay a few days at the resort. That is not going to happen so I'm content expressing that I've played it once and had a rather good experience.

Do yourself (and your buddies) a favor and play this course at some point. This place was so well done from the course/clubhouse to the resort. It really is top-notch all the way around. Walking really does enhance the experience if you feel up to it (lots of elevation changes). We played both courses and I personally enjoyed Blue more, but my buddies liked Red the best out of the two. Both have their own unique feel and I promise it isn't like anything else you'll find in Florida. GO HERE!

Positives-- almost everything!!!! Excellent shape, fantastic layout, caddie-- Adam was a great help to our group!!

Negatives- the greens are quick and undulating and can be extremely challenging. (the greens at St Andrews were slower and less undulating-- well, almost :-) This can also be a positive for some players.

This course is awesome. Doaks vision was incredible.. Now the bad.... 3 hour front nine and 5:45 total...if your going for the money grab....... You better move things along.. We walked, but the exit areas where the carts go were 100/150 yards away from greens... We were told that high handicappers were playing black tees.. That should be addressed at the starters box..

From the time we pulled up to the facility in the middle of no where,it was first class. Staff at the lodge were very friendly. Very similar to Cabot Links on Cape Breton Island.
Very happy that we decided to come down and play.

Hard to believe we were in central Florida! Awesome layouts and some of the best greens I've ever played. Fast and true. We preferred the red course to blue, but both were a challenging delight. What a pleasure to not have to knock the cover off the ball to get a putt to the hole. Spend the extra $$$ for a caddy. They're very knowledgeable and will add to the enjoyment of your round (Thanks Johnny!). We've played a lot of nice courses over the years and these 2 rank in the top 5 easily. Top 3 based on greens alone. Forward tees merely an afterthought, and need to be improved for those who wish to play it forward. A++. Can't wait to play both courses again!

I have played many courses from Bethpage Black, Torrey Pines South, to Whistling Straights and I have to say Both Streamsong courses were better. I loved everything about the course.

I found it to be a 1st class facility. The bag boys and club house staff were overly friendly. Everyone that worked there seemed very polite and friendly.

To be honest I don't really care how the staff is at the courses I play, I don't choose courses based on anything other then they actual course.

The range was fantastic, great set up with pristine grass to hit off of. The course it self was in great shape. I love this new type of design. The entire course was one cut which was tight fairway. This is the furthest thing from a Florida course. The condition was amazing, the track was great. every hole was different and photo worthy.

If you're into playing the best courses you should not pass these up. The Red and the Blue course were both the best I have ever played. Based on these new types of courses I cant wait to play Pinehurst and Pine Needles this may. This is MUST play.

My experience at Streamsong - Red was a good one, but not the fantastic time that I had hoped. The course layout is excellent and very scenic winding it's way through the sandy marshes. Walking the course gave a feel reminiscent to playing links golf in Scotland.

While we did play with a caddie, the course presented two challenges that I believe should be examined to make the course more playable to 10 handicappers and higher. The first challenge I encountered were bunkers in the middle of the fairway that caught my well struck tee ball several times. No doubt playing the course a second time would eliminate this as a concern, but the caddie was not particularly helpful in steering us away from them.

The second issue is the greens. For tournament players, I am sure these greens can be navigated adequately, but for the weekend golfer, they are overly severe and fast. They reminded me of the greens at the Castle Course in St Andrews in that they gave a tricked up feel to an otherwise beautiful course.

I had a nice day at Streamsong, but for the money paid and the remoteness of the location I think there are better choices in the area.

As first impressions go it doesn't get much better than the Bill Coore-Ben Crenshaw designed Red Course at Streamsong. The first hole, a long par 4 over water, is stunning, and there are plenty more to follow on this very atypical Florida course. Wrapped around the Blue Course, there's plenty to like, and if you asked me which course Iiked better, I'd be hard-pressed to pick one. Unlike some of my collegues, however, I don't feel like the two courses are that much alike, except that they both can play fairly fast and you can run the ball up from well off the green. The Red looks a little more traditional and the greens are certainly more subtle, but can be difficult too.

Playing both courses for the first time, I came in with great expectations although I heard some criticism from some of my colleagues. With that being said, I was't disappointed and unlike many, I probably liked Tom Doak's Blue Course a little more than the Red. The Blue feels a little more like links golf (a trademark of Doak's), though you can run the ball up on both courses. The Blue has larger, more severe greens, which while they are tricky, can also be a lot of fun and very interesting.

I actually played this course twice on consecutive days. The highest compliment I can give is this: after finishing my round, I immediately went to the pro-shop and changed my tee time for the next day from the Blue to the Red. The Blue is great, but the Red is better. The other great compliment I can give is that I played with a female and a male golfer the first day. I played with a Dad and his two sons the next day. Our handicaps ranged from scratch to 20 and between us, all tees were used: Everyone enjoyed the course. That is a rarity.

The course itself has a linksy feel to it. The greens are contoured so that you don't always go at the flag. The fairways are firm with plenty of roll. From off the green, you can chip, flop or putt.

The Red is also a tale of two nines. The front nine is easier thank the second nine and ends with a drivable par four. The back nine is longer and from 10-14 is a very challenging stretch.

Overall the course, has a great variety of holes from the opening par 4 and a half to the drivable 9th. The par 3s vary two as far as club selection and they also vary as far as direction. If it is a windy day, they will all be quite different.

As for the rest, The staff was very accommodating and the caddie with one of the groups I was with never had a misread. The staff at the lodge was very helpful and the food in "Sotto Terra" was great. It is also not as far from the beaten path as other places; about 1.5 hours from Tampa Airport. Furthermore, the place has activities for the family and the significant other if he/she doesn't golf.

You won't believe that you are in Florida. (This is the antithesis of Florida Golf and a welcome one to me). If you are escaping the cold, this is the place to go for golf.

Played this course after playing the Red on the same day. The Blue is Longer and more Difficult than the Red. It is also a longer walk. The greens have more contours than the Red and hitting the proper section of them is vital. All that being said, it is still a great golf course.

I might have to say that the par 3s at this course are better than the Red. They vary in direction and distance so club selection can be interesting. I used everything from 8 iron the fairway wood. The 7th hole is the postcard hole and is next to the 16th at the Red. Both play differently because of the downhill vs uphill, green size and shape.

The par 5s are definitely more difficult than the Red. There is one (the 14th) that has a stretch of bunker 100 yards out to present a heroic second shot. Even for the long hitter, I think that two of them are 3 shotters.

Par fours have variety with short and long mixed. There are two that play downhill at the end, but you will probably remember the uphill greens more.

Overall, a great golfing experience. My guess is that low handicaps would eventually like this course more. It is more difficult and once the greens are known, then it might become a favorite for the scratch player. Regardless, it is my 2nd favorite course in Florida behind only the Red and I have played the public tracks across that state so that is no small compliment.