Streamsong Golf Resort this week announced the name, routing and new logo for the fourth golf course slated to join the award-winning golf offerings at the world-renowned destination.
The newly released layout by the legendary design team of Bill Coore and Ben Crenshaw (Coore & Crenshaw Design) shows six- and 12-hole loops, with the first tees a short walking distance from the Lodge at Streamsong. The Chain, as the course is being dubbed, gets its name from the remnants of a piece of mining equipment used to hold a dragline bucket in place that was discovered on the site during the routing process. The Mosaic Company, which owns Streamsong, mined the 16,000-acre site for phosphate ore for decades, leading to the incredible sand formations that make the topography at this location unique. Special edition merchandise featuring The Chain logo will be available online and on site at Streamsong beginning in August.
The Chain routing uses every nuance of a site encompassing roughly 100 acres. The 3,000 yard layout will be a walking course with holes ranging from 90 to nearly 300 yards. This new concept, with options of six-, 12- and 18-hole loops, does not require a full set of clubs, and will present guests with a quicker option than its larger and longer siblings.
The first six-hole loop is designed to be playable for any level of golfer, meandering through an impressive grove of native live oak trees with the longest hole at around 145 yards. The 12-hole loop sprawls across decades old mining cuts and along the banks of Little Payne Creek. These holes stretch from around 125 to nearly 300 yards, providing more challenge and opportunities for risk and reward.
Namesake large dragline chain links will mark the beginning and end of each tee box but specified tee markers and a score relative to par will be conspicuously absent from each hole and scorecard. Players will be able to tee off wherever they would like on each hole.
A sprawling two acre putting course called “The Bucket” (roughly twice the size of the existing Gauntlet putting course at Streamsong Black) is a featured part of the new design and also pays tribute to the large dragline buckets used to excavate phosphate from the site. With a location just steps from the Lodge entrance, The Bucket promises to provide another fun experience for guests after a round.
“Ben and I have wonderful memories of working with our talented associates and the Mosaic Company to create Streamsong Red and we appreciate the opportunity to return to one of America’s most sought out golfing destinations,” said Bill Coore of Coore & Crenshaw Design. “Routed on a highly interesting site, The Chain will feature a variety of holes laid upon a landscape of parkland, live oaks, sand and lakes,” Coore continued. “Although diminutive in size, we believe The Chain, when combined with the anything-but-diminutive Bucket putting course, has the potential to complement, perhaps even enhance, Streamsong’s reputation for must-be-experienced golf.”
Coore & Crenshaw, who also designed Streamsong Red, which opened in 2012 with “Best New U.S. Course” honors and is perennially ranked among the top 30 courses in the U.S. by Golf Digest, Golf Magazine and Golfweek, are incorporating existing elevation change while utilizing the natural beauty found along the banks of Little Payne Creek.
“Having the opportunity to spend time with Bill Coore and his team as they walked the site and now seeing that vision come to life in the course routing is really special,” said Ben Pratt, Mosaic senior vice president of government and public affairs. “Finding the old dragline chain on the site gave us a great way to pay homage to the site’s origins while creating unusual golf branding opportunities.”
Streamsong is home to the only warm weather destination with three courses, Streamsong Red, Streamsong Blue and Streamsong Black, in the “Top 40 You Can Play” in the United States, and the only destination in the world with three distinct golf courses designed by legendary architects Coore/Crenshaw, Doak, and Hanse/Wagner.
For more information on Streamsong and for updates on The Chain, visit www.streamsongresort.com
