Streamsong (Black) – Played April 2019
- Rankings: None of my four lists
- Location: 1000 Streamsong Drive, Streamsong, Florida
- Year: 2017
- Architect: Gil Hanse
- Course Access: Resort
- Walking Rules: Carts & Caddies Available (Walking Only at Certain Times)
Score Card Information:
- Green: 7,331 yards, Par 73, 74.7 Rating/135 Slope
- Green/Black: 6,981 yards, Par 73, 73.2 Rating/132 Slope
- Black: 6,759 yards, Par 73, 72.0 Rating/130 Slope
- Black/Silver: 6,462 yards, Par 73, 70.8 Rating/127 Slope
- Silver: 6,240 yards, Par 73, 69.5 Rating/125 Slope (Men’s), 74.8 Rating/130 Slope (Women’s)
- Silver/Gold: 5,681 yards, Par 73, 67.1 Rating/120 Slope (Men’s), 72.0 Rating/124 Slope (Women’s)
- Gold: 5,293 yards, Par 73, 65.1 Rating/116 Slope (Men’s), 69.5 Rating/119 Slope (Women’s)
Our second round on the Florida trip was at the highly-acclaimed Streamsong (Black). The course was being built the last time I was at a resort a few years ago. You could see the construction from the other courses.
The Black actually sits on a separate section of the property away from the Blue and Red courses. The clubhouse (below) has the same modern feel as the original. The long drive in gets you excited for your round.
As with the other courses, a golf architect rockstar was brought in to do the work. This time it was Gil Hanse. His goal for Streamsong (Black) seemed to make it as big and bold as possible. This shines through the most in the greens. They are outrageously fun which you’ll see in the photo tour. They are so large that sprinkler heads rest inside the collars.
Streamsong is in a remote location but it is still only halfway between Orlando and Tampa. The presence of three awesome courses continues to bring the people to rural Florida. On to the photo tour! We played the Black/Silver tees.
Hole 1 – 508 yards – Par 5
You get a feel for the scale of the property standing on the driving range that is only amplified over the first few holes.
On this day, the wind was blowing hard! Massive fairways still require thoughtful aiming due to the wind.
The second shot plays to a green that is open middle and left but guarded by bunkers right.
The light is bad on this one but you can see the sharp drop off of the green. Get ready to be surprised by the green contours.
Hole 2 – 326 yards – Par 4
This tee shot played directly into the fan. The bunkers in the distance were not in play allowing for a free swing of the driver.
The windmill serves as your aiming point and you must clear the super deep bunker in front. However, be careful not to go too far left as there is a hazard.
The amount of slope on this green is much more than the picture shows.
Hole 3 – 394 yards – Par 4
This hole plays up and over a rise with the green hidden from the tee. Once over the hill, the large green is revealed. It provides a pretty easy target and is one of the tamer holes.
Hole 4 – 550 yards – Par 5
I loved this risk/reward hole. Playing into the breeze made it tough to risk anything with my length but players have the option of going to the left or right fairways. Going right is safer but requires a second shot to the left fairway or an all-carry hero shot to the green.
The green is massive with huge slopes on the backside.
Hole 5 – 158 yards – Par 3
Sand galore awaits you on the right, so no excuse to miss there. The green has a lot of slope in the front that requires you to carry the ball deeper onto the surface.
Hole 6 – 321 yards – Par 4
This hole really depends on the wind. Downwind it is reachable but into the wind, the center bunkers are a concern. After a good tee shot, the second shot should be a piece of cake.
Hole 7 – 135 yards – Par 3
I am on record as loving short par three holes. The Streamsong (Black) edition’s difficulty really depends on the pin position. The route to the left side of the green gives the safer player a way out.
The view from the right side of the green shows the dangers of a mishit.
Hole 8 – 408 yards – Par 4
I’ll be honest and say that I don’t remember much about this hole. It’s wide open like most of the holes but the green has some bunkering around it. Overall, just not a very memorable hole.
Below is a closer look at the green.
Hole 9 – 360 yards – Par 4
The ninth is the Black’s version of a punchbowl template. The tee shot is benign, calling for anything at least 215 yards.
The view below is what you’ll see on the approach shot. A good line is the guys standing on the right. Anything short will likely come back to your feet!
Everything over the hill funnels to the green. The putting surface is massive with huge slopes on the outer edges.
Hole 10 – 524 yards – Par 5
Bombs away up the right side on this tee.
The green resides on the other side of the bunker complex, just about in the middle. Going for it requires a precise shot.
Here is a view from just off the putting surface.
Hole 11 – 378 yards – Par 4
This hole plays more stout than the yardage as it is uphill all the way. There is a large bunker up the left side that must be avoided.
The approach has to carry two deep bunkers on the left. The contours will funnel shots on the right towards the green, making that the preferred side.
Hole 12 – 531 yards – Par 5
You can see all the sand but focusing on a drive up the left side of the fairway serves you well.
The hole bends ever so slightly right and rises up to the green. A large complex of bunkers guards the right side all the way to the putting surface.
For reference, you can see the flag on the right side of the photo below.
From the photos below, you can see the scale and contour of the green. I’ll reiterate that these greens are some of the craziest I’ve ever played.
Hole 13 – 368 yards – Par 4
Your decision here depends on the wind. The bunkers on the left are in play. A tee shot up the right side avoids them and provides the best angle to the green.
Below is a look at the approach with the massive front bunker guarding the green.
Below you can see the downslope on the left side of the green. Long is absolutely dead on this hole unless the small bunkers stop your ball.
Hole 14 – 286 yards – Par 4
I love this hole. It should be easy at this length but the bunkers on the left are a legitimate hazard and the real difficulty begins at the green. Hit whatever distance gives you the confidence to be precise on your second, you’ll see why in a minute.
The approach looks simple enough with a false front. But once you walk up to the green you realize that the effective size of the green is much smaller than it appears.
Just past the flag, your ball will not stay on the green. Center of the green is a smart play on a hole where you want to be super aggressive.
Hole 15 – 131 yards – Par 3
Precision is the operative word on this tee shot. Bunkers guard the entire green, especially the one in front that cuts into the putting surface. Distance control is a must.
Below is the view as you walk up to the green.
Hole 16 – 400 yards – Par 4
We were lucky to play this hole with the wind. The ball was going a long way. A good line is at the sand path just in front.
You want to be on the left side of the fairway to fire at the flag. This angle is fine with a wedge but you really have to take on the sand.
Hole 17 – 189 yards – Par 3
I like the rugged look from this tee box. What I didn’t like was the wind directly into our faces. It was at least a three-club breeze that had me swinging three wood. Due to the slope, you can miss left and have the ball trundle down toward the green.
Hole 18 – 495 yards – Par 5
The final hole is one of the best. The landing area is somewhat blind with the clubhouse serving as a target. Even though there is sand, you have all kinds of room left with the hazard on the right.
Hanse provides plenty of grass all along the left side for players to lay up. If you go at the green the water ends well short of the green with the sand making up the rest of the distance.
The green is pretty shallow, so keep that in mind on the approach. The green slope can guide certain shots into the bunker on the left.
In going back through these photos, I didn’t do the best job capturing the course. Unfortunately, we couldn’t play early or late to catch the best light. That being said, the course was a blast to play!
As I mentioned, the greens are crazy, but in a good way. Putts can get away from you but good shots will be rewarded. The putting surfaces were a nice change of pace and an interesting challenge. I’ve heard people say that Streamsong is like playing golf on the moon. Nowhere is that truer than the Black course. It is a perfect complement to the two original courses.