Streamsong Blue- hole 5 with Heather & Peter                               Streamsong Blue- hole 7 with Heather & Peter

 

Mosaic is a large fertiliser company that mined phosphate in Florida

The company was looking to repurpose the land after mining and opted to use the sandy wasteland as golf courses.

The Streamsong Resort opened in 2012 with courses by Coore Crenshaw and Tom Doak, adding a third course by Gil Hanse a few years later.

The courses are named Streamsong Red (Coore Crenshaw), Streamsong Blue (Tom Doak), and Streamsong Black (Gil Hanse)

 

Streamsong Blue- now that was something!

Tom Doak and his team have sculpted a classic course in this amazing terrain, formerly a phosphate mine.

 

Streamsong Blue- hole 17 bunkers                               Streamsong Blue- hole 17 bunkers

 

Coore Crenshaw, and Tom Doak's Renaissance Design are generally considered the best in the business.

The Mosaic Company engaged both companies to design a course each at the same time at what is now known as the Streamsong Resort.

Being great friends Tom Doak and Bill Coore routed their respective courses concurrently in such a way as to weave the two courses into one vast landscape.

They have produced two high quality courses, and the Streamsong Resort is now a high end golfing destination with a 216 room hotel.

 

Streamsong Resort is located 84 miles from Orlando- but it is basically in the middle of nowhere!

This part of central Florida is somewhat remote from the civilised world, and whilst the weather was lovely while we were there in January (winter), I really don't think I would want to play there in summer. (hot, humid, with bugs!)

No thanks!

 

Architect Tom Doak with Peter Wood                               Architect Tom Doak with Peter Wood

 

But I loved the course.

I would love for this to be my home course and play it often.

The green complexes were generally larger than normal and provided a number of interesting pin positions.

It would take quite a number of plays to see these different pins in action, but it would be something I would like to do.

Quite often the position of the flag had quite an impact on the strategy of the hole, and the shots I was trying to play.

The green surrounds offered lots of options for the running ball or one thrown in the air.

 

And we take it for granted a bit, but TD usually provides a route to the green by bouncing the ball in - something very important to the lady players.

The bunkering was both strategic and striking to the eye, and we got a guided tour of that aspect of the course when we played with Mike McCartin who shaped the bunkers.

 

The routing was well thought out- taking the course through varied terrain, and providing a very nice selection of holes.

We had some water carries, some wider more open holes, and I particularly liked the treed environment at the turn as a break from all the expanses of sand...

 

It is not often that I play a new course, and say after all 18 holes - "that was a good hole" - but I did at the Blue course at Streamsong.

Some holes - like the picture postcard par 3 7th are instantly recalled, but there were any number of holes that I just loved.

 

I will say that the course is so strong it plays like a members course for a club with educated or seasoned golfers.

I guess that must have been the brief to the architect, but I did think it a toughie for joe public.

Hopefully the caddies will become experienced enough to guide Joe around!

 

Notable holes include:

 

- hole 3, a mid length par 4 with a diagonal water carry off the tee and elevated green

 

Streamsong Blue- hole 3                               Streamsong Blue- hole 3

 

- hole 4, a strong par 4 with an elevated green

 

Streamsong Blue- hole 4                               Streamsong Blue- hole 4

- hole 7, a spectacular par 3 over water

 

Streamsong Blue- hole 7                               Streamsong Blue- hole 7

Streamsong Blue- hole 7.                               Streamsong Blue- hole 7.

 

 

- hole 17, a mammoth par 5 with sand everywhere! (see pic mid page)

- hole 18, a strong, strategic par 5 finishing hole

 

Streamsong Blue- hole 18                               Streamsong Blue- hole 18

 

There are a number of holes where you cannot see the bottom of the flag on you approach shot, and some of these greens have some contouring you need to know about...

And on some holes the ladies tees will need to be adjusted

These minor matters aside I would rate Streamsong Blue as one of the better courses built in the last few decades

 

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