Streamsong (Black)

Situated 55 miles south east of Tampa in Polk County, within a huge 16,000-acre site that was formerly mined by the Mosaic Corporation during its agricultural industry operations, Streamsong has been transformed in a short space of time from something of an industrial badlands into one of America’s most progressive, upmarket golf resorts.

Tom Doak’s Blue course and Coore & Crenshaw’s Red course first opened to the public in 2014 and, within a very short period of time, they’d become fixtures in our US Top 100 chart. It’s probably true that less than a handful of architectural firms might be expected to deliver a third course of similar stature and Hanse Golf Course Design is certainly one of them.

The Black sits on a separate part of the Streamsong property, to the south of the Red and the Blue, and it’s also bigger in scale, with a massive eleven acres devoted to its putting surfaces and their tightly mown surrounds. With five par fives on the card, the course plays to a par of 73, with a couple of driveable par fours and a good variety of par threes. Elevation changes are modest and water hazards kept to a minimum.

The 450-yard 9th is a hole to remember, its large two-tiered punchbowl green requiring a blind approach shot, while the par four 13th might be a conundrum for many as it features two possible greensites. Golfers on the 205-yard 17th play to an infinity green before tackling the 586-yard 18th, which wraps itself round a small lake before arriving at the home green.

The Black also has a large putting course called The Gauntlet which lies immediately outside the clubhouse. Players also have the option of playing shorter 6-hole, 9-hole or 12-hole loops if they wish. There’s also a free-flowing practice area called The Roundabout that includes several green complexes and short holes as well as an alternate 9th green, allowing golfers to take a shorter route back to the clubhouse.