Three of modern golf architecture’s heavyweights ventured into the middle of nowhere to build a spectacular pair of courses at the new Streamsong (863.354.6980, www.streamsongresort.com) resort in central Florida. Working on the site of an old phosphorus mine about halfway between Tampa and Orlando, Tom Doak and the design team of Bill Coore and Ben Crenshaw took advantage of the heaving topography—mammoth dunes and dramatic elevation changes created by years of dredging—to build two contiguous courses that seem to have simply settled into the existing landscape. Doak’s Blue course is slightly more forgiving and polished than Coore and Crenshaw’s Red, which might get a slight nod from golf purists. But both are bumpy, bold, and beautiful, offering fun challenges unlike anything else this side of the moon. The courses, which opened simultaneously this January, will soon be followed at Streamsong by a hotel and spa.
Photo by Laurence Lambrecht
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