Even though they never really left us, the great golf courses of the golden age are coming back in a hurry. One by one, today’s architects are restoring America’s classic courses to the specifications of their former glory. I had the chance to sit down with one of the men leading that charge, Mr Gil Hanse. If there is anybody hotter right now, I don’t know who it is.
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Streamsong Resort
When it comes to major golf resorts in America there are a few names that stick out as major golf powerhouses. You are not playing golf at these resorts, instead you are enjoying a golf experience. Streamsong is one of those places.
Although most would consider Tom Doak and Bill Coore to be rivals in the architecture world, they actually collaborated on the original 36 hole routing for the Blue and Red courses at Streamsong. They walked the site together envisioning the routing and discussing potential golf holes on the property. Afterwards, Coore gave Crenshaw first choice on which piece of land he wanted for his course. After all, it is a gentleman’s game right?
The good news is that both of the properties are perfectly suited for outstanding golf and two fantastic golf courses emerged from the walk at Streamsong. While most courses in Florida are flat and relatively uninspiring, Streamsong boasts a sandy and dunes-y experience.
“If you parachuted me into Streamsong, and you gave me 75 guesses as to where I’m at in the world, my 73rd guess might be somewhere in Florida.”
The sand is everywhere at Streamsong.
After the Red and Blue courses opened in 2013, Gil Hanse added his black course in 2017. I would get a little action on each one of Streamsong’s three courses during my visit. Since I came into the resort late on a Friday afternoon, I immediately decided that the only course of action was to go out and play golf until I couldn’t see my ball any more. I ended up with a bizarre little mix of the Red and Blue courses.
The 8th hole on Streamsong Red
As I approached the 8th hole on the Red course, a creepy feeling suddenly washed over me. It was a feeling that I was going to make an ace on the short par 3. I immediately began to panic as there were no witnesses in sight. “Stay calm, Koenig. Just let it happen.”
Just as I had expected, my golf ball took off directly at the pin. “Oh god, it’s going in... Man, nobody is gonna believe me and I will probably have to buy the entire resort whiskey sours.” Fortunately, my hefty bar tab quickly disappeared as my Callaway stopped 1 foot away from the hole. “Whatever” I moaned as I tapped in for 2.
Bold green complexes are a trademark of Doak’s Blue course.
As I switched over to the Blue Course to finish up the round, I joined up with another group of eager twilight chasers and we managed to sink our putts on the 18th hole before total darkness enveloped the sandy expanses.
The signature golf hole at Streamsong. The 7th on Blue.
Good exchange between @BellaAngelGolf regarding rain delay strategies at @StreamsongGolf pic.twitter.com/y4C9EeLVbM
— Patrick Koenig (@PatrickjKoenig) October 22, 2019
The next morning I woke up to the sound of rain, not just your normal “It will be sunny in 10 minutes” Florida rain, but the “no golf today” type of Florida rain. Please enjoy this text exchange between Bella Angel and I while I sat in the clubhouse watching the rain fall. As you can clearly see in the tweet thread, this strategy is 100% effective. I wouldn’t even try to argue with science this good. The clouds parted and the sun began to beat down. It was time to golf.
Along with that sun, came some serious winds and my golfing pal Grant Gulick. Grant is an ex RGV Tour player hailing out of Naples FL and he happily made the drive to join the windy action. We fought hard that day, but the sand and the wind prevailed victorious.
Grant pounds his approach into the 4th hole on the Black course.
Did you even play the Black course if you don’t take a picture of the windmill?
We marked the uphill par 3 5th hole at 180 yards. However, it played 230 into the fierce wind.
When it comes to the amenities at Streamsong, you have some serious luxury on your hands. While some disagree with the aesthetics of the actual building, you cannot disagree with the high quality of the accommodations at the resort. Aside from an outstanding room, my favorite part of the lodge was the floating green that you can see in the distance. My only gripe is that they don’t let you go up on the roof and hit golf balls at it.
After careful consideration of the full resort, I would look to see a move up the rankings in the annual “Top 20 Golf Destinations in America” list. The journey towards creating your own Streamsong experience starts here.
