Streamsong Resort
Central Florida has long been one of those special destinations that golfers love to visit.Â
As the home of Walt Disney World and Universal Resort, it’s long been a destination that families love to visit but it’s the areas’ weather that allows golfers to play here year-round that makes it a favorite for golfers to visit on an annual basis.
Changes here have always been constant in this market, but recently there has been a Central Florida golf boom and we could not be more excited about it. We’ve highlighted a few Central Florida favorites that you should check out as these properties have been investing heavily into improving their product offerings for you.
Streamsong Resort
You can’t talk about how the face of golf travel has changed in Central Florida over the last few decades without discussing Streamsong Resort. This iconic property flipped the typical Florida golf resort model on its head as the original ownership team at Mosaic originally purchased this land to mine it for phosphate. Mosaic was looking to reclaim the land after it was commercially developed in an environmentally responsible way, and luckily for us a member of their team noticed that the mining process created beautiful mounding which would create a dramatic backdrop for a golf course, especially in Central Florida which is notorious for flatter, parkland style designs.
The result of this process was two incredible golf courses known as Streamsong Red and Streamsong Blue that officially opened in January 2013. Streamsong Red, a Bill Coore and Ben Crenshaw masterpiece that utilized the natural dunes and incorporated the natural lakes and natural bunkers to create a truly unique experience in Central Florida.
While the team of Coore-Crenshaw were busy creating their work of art at Streamsong Red, Tom Doak and his team were shaping Streamsong Blue to create a stunning complement to experience on the Red Course at Streamsong Resort. Streamsong Blue does a wonderful job of integrating the native wild grass and natural water features alongside dramatic contouring and strategically placed bunkers creating an equally difficult and beautiful experience for golfers to enjoy. Each of these courses flew up the national golf media brands golf course rankings lists, and it was quickly evident that Streamsong Resort was a must-visit destination in the United States.
In 2017, Streamsong Resort added the Gil Hanse-designed Black Course to the mix and the course opened to tremendous praise from golfers and the media alike. Streamsong Black had a very different feel from the Red and Blue Courses as this course is massive. The scale and scope of this property is noticeably larger than the first two courses, and Hanse and his team took a more minimalistic approach to the design here and some incredibly unique greens including the punchbowl green on the 9th hole, a massive double-green complex on the 13th hole, and a dramatic infinity green on the 17th hole.
In 2023, Streamsong Resort was sold to Kemper Sports Management LLC and we could not be more excited about this news. KemperSports has managed the golf operation at the resort since its inception, but now that their team has complete ownership of this property and the long-term vision for the resort, we know that this is nothing but good news for golf travelers. Right away, Kemper is making their mark here as they brought back Bill Coore and Ben Crenshaw to design and build The Chain, a 19-hole short course that features a 6-hole, a 13-hole, and a full 19-hole routing for golfers to enjoy. Conveniently located a short walk away from the main Streamsong Lodge, The Chain also features The Bucket, a 2-acre putting course for guests to enjoy. The Chain is currently open for preview play on 13 holes, and much like the first 3 courses here, the initial feedback is astoundingly positive.
Streamsong Blue
Cabot Citrus Farms
For those familiar with the Cabot brand, you will quickly understand why golf in Central Florida is going to be getting a major addition with Cabot’s first foray into golf course ownership in the United States in the form of Cabot Citrus Farms. Cabot took the golfing market by storm when their owner Ben Cowan-Dewar teamed up with Mike Keiser, owner of Bandon Dunes and other fine golf resorts, to open Cabot Cape Breton in Nova Scotia to rave reviews. Since then, Cowan-Dewar and his team have been growing like gangbusters including the acquisition of the World Woods complex in Brooksville, Florida that they are completely redoing to become the home of Cabot Citrus Farms.
The grand opening of the property is currently scheduled for October 1, 2024, but starting January 27, 2024, preview play will begin on the 18-hole Kyle Franz-designed Karoo course.  Preview play will also include the 10-hole course known as The Squeeze that features holes that range from 550 yards to 100 yards, and the 11-hole short course known as The Wedge that will feature lights throughout the course so you can play after the sun goes down. The second 18-hole course known as The Roost is currently scheduled to open for preview play in June 2024.
Stay and plays will eventually be available at the property, and in the meantime the resort has partnered with the Fairfield Inn and Suites by Marriott Brooksvile Suncoast Parkway to offer golf packages for golfers looking to visit and play these courses.
Cabot Citrus Farms
Waldorf Astoria Golf Club
If you’re looking for a luxurious getaway for you and your crew on a golf vacation to Central Florida, then the Waldorf Astoria Orlando is a must for you to look at before you book. The golf course has always been an enjoyable Rees Jones layout, and it is now back to being fully open with all 18 holes available for play again as they had to shift some things around over the last couple of years to accommodate for some of the expansions going on in the hotel. These changes include the addition of the massive event space called the Central Park Ballroom, renovated guest rooms, a new lobby and redesign of the lobby bar and restaurant called Peacock Alley, and a renovation of the iconic Bull & Bear steakhouse. The resort is conveniently located on Disney property, so it serves as the perfect hub for a golf getaway with your friends or a getaway with the family.
Waldorf Astoria
Evermore Resort
Evermore Resort may be a new name to golfers in the world of golf travel, but the golf experience will have a familiar name to golfers under the banner of Grand Cypress Golf at Evermore Resort. Grand Cypress has been completely reimagined as the once 48-hole facility has now been redesigned into a 36-hole experience while opening up a massive amount of land to be developed for the resort. This includes the new Conrad Orlando that features 433 rooms, 4-bedroom flats, 2 to 4 bedroom villas, and 5- to 11-bedroom vacation houses giving you a wonderful variety to cater to any type of group. In addition to all the wonderful lodging options, the resort also features Evermore Bay that completely redefines the pool experience at a resort. Evermore Bay offers guests 8 acres of crystal blue lagoon waters alongside over 20 acres of beach to create the perfect oasis for your off-course activities.
From the golf side, the always enjoyable Links Course (formerly known as The New Course) is a wonderful links-style design where Jack Nicklaus and his team paid homage to Scottish-style designs and the impact can be felt especially on the 1st and 18th holes that are extremely similar to the 1st and 18th holes at The Old Course at St. Andrews. We’re happy to report that the course here did not change as it really didn’t need to be touched.
It’s not often that you get addition by subtraction, but that is the case with the new Cypress Course at Grand Cypress Golf. Originally, Grand Cypress had 3 different 9-hole courses known as the North Course, South Course, and the East Course as well as a 3-hole routing at the teaching academy. The new Cypress Course includes a mixture of some of the best holes from these original designs while also creating some new holes and it all blends into an enjoyable parkland style design that gives golfers a great dichotomy of experience all under one roof. We applaud the changes, and we think you and your crew will love what you see when you visit here.
The Links Course
Recommendation
It’s never been a better time to visit Central Florida when it comes to a golf vacation. In addition to the exciting properties we’ve highlighted here for you, the area also is home to some incredible golf travel staples such as Reunion Resort, Arnold Palmer’s Bay Hill Club & Lodge, Rosen Shingle Creek, Innisbrook Resort, and Orange County National to name a few. Peak season here tends to run from September through April where the courses tend to be pure, and summer offers some fantastic discounts as long as you and your crew don’t mind a bit of heat.
Overall, it’s a great place to visit and it truly is a destination that can cater to any type of golf trip experience.