History and character
Streamsong Blue is Tom Doak and Renaissance Golf's contribution to the original 36 holes that opened the resort in 2012, routed over the same astonishing reclaimed mining terrain as Coore & Crenshaw's Red. Doak's Blue is the more rugged and dramatic of the two, leaning into the biggest sand ridges and water features the property offers, with sweeping elevation changes that are almost unheard of in Florida. The two courses share ground so intimately that holes from each weave past one another, and from high points you can see both routings spread across the dunescape at once. The Blue's wilder, more muscular feel makes it the bolder first impression for many visitors, all native scrub, sand, and big lakeside vistas.
The round and signature holes
The Blue is defined by its dramatic par threes and its use of the property's lakes, none more famous than the par-three 7th, which plays across water to a green set against a backdrop of towering sand. Doak's greens are large, bold, and tilted, demanding distance control and rewarding the player who keeps the ball below the hole. Elevation changes give the Blue a roller-coaster rhythm, with tee shots launched from high ridges down to fairways framed by scrub and sand. It is a course that photographs as well as any in the state, and on a firm, windy day it plays every bit as demanding as it looks — long, exposed, and unforgiving of a careless approach.
When to go and how to get on
Aim for late fall through spring (November through April), Florida's comfortable golf window, when the turf is firm and the dunescape plays at its best; book early, as this is peak season. Summer offers the cheapest rates and emptiest tee sheets at the cost of heat, humidity, and afternoon storms, so tee off in the morning. The Blue is part of a public resort that takes outside play, but lodge guests enjoy preferential tee times and rates and the smoothest route to a multi-day, multi-course stay. Caddies are available and walking is encouraged year-round, which is most pleasant in the cooler months.
Who it is for and pairings
The Blue is for the golfer who wants big, dramatic, photogenic holes and a muscular test, and it pairs hand-in-glove with the adjoining Red and the strategic Hanse-designed Black for a complete 54-hole weekend. It sits among the great modern sand destinations alongside Bandon Dunes and the Wisconsin sandscapes of Sand Valley and Mammoth Dunes. Roughly an hour from Tampa and Orlando, it is easy to bracket with a city stay or a beach leg. Many visitors play the Blue and Red back to back to debate which architect made better use of the same wild ground — a debate the resort happily encourages.