The short course revolution is one of the best things that has happened to golf trips in a long time. Premier properties all over the country have realized that utilizing these smaller footprints of land can be the perfect element to add into an unforgettable golf trip itinerary. One resort that has recently knocked it out of the park with their short course design is The Chain at Streamsong Resort.
Designed by the legendary duo of Bill Coore and Ben Crenshaw, The Chain is a 19-hole layout that can be broken into a 6-hole routing, a 13-hole routing, or you can play the full loop of 19 holes.
The first six holes feature more of a pitch-and-putt feel, but the greens on these holes are well guarded by strategic bunkering, steep run-offs, and multiple pin locations that reside on tricky slopes that make a two-putt “par” far from a guarantee even if you find the green off the tee.
One of the unique parts of The Chain experience is that it was designed for match play amongst your group so you can choose where you want to tee off from on each hole with the length of tee shots on the first six holes ranging anywhere from 50 yards to 153 yards.
On the next 13 holes, the level of difficulty kicks up a notch.
It’s a mixture of shots with a strong variety of par 3-style holes and one hole that tips out at 293 playing more like a short par-4, even though there isn’t a scale of par listed on the scorecard. The remainder of the holes on this portion of the routing contain a few more formidable distances than the first six holes with a few of the holes playing 187 yards, 189 yards, and 218 yards from the back tee. There are a few standout holes in the mix here including the signature 11th hole, a 189-yard tee shot that features a long carry over the water to a hidden punchbowl green with a ton of undulation.
It’s a wonderful combination of holes, and our favorite way to experience The Chain is to play all 19 holes as you’ll see in our exclusive drone footage above.
Recommendation
Why we love this short course so much is because Streamsong has fashioned it to meet any group’s needs to fit it into your day of golf based on your schedule. It’s all about flexibility. Got an 11 a.m. tee time on the Black Course and you’re looking for a unique way to get you ready for your round? Slide out and play the first six holes of The Chain for a fun warm up session with your buddies. Teeing it up at 9 a.m. on the Blue Course and looking to do something after you and your crew have lunch and a few drinks at the clubhouse and need to settle some bets? Slide onto the13-hole routing so you can test your game without the stress on your body of playing 36 holes in one day. Getting into the property about three hours before sunset and want to tee it up? Then play all 19 holes on The Chain is the perfect option as it’s a short walk from the Streamsong Lodge and you can get your trip started off on the right foot on this fun layout.
The possibilities for how you can fit The Chain experience into your trip are endless. As if this great layout wasn’t enough of a welcomed addition to the resort, they’ve also added a 2.5 acre putting course known as “The Bucket” to this section of the property for you to enjoy. It’s a 36-hole layout that features one of the massive buckets that was used on the property when the original owner of the resort, The Mosaic Company, excavated this land to dig for phosphate. The dunes that were created from the years of mining minerals is a major part of the charm of this property, and it’s great to see the new owners of the resort, Kemper Sports, pay homage to the property’s rich heritage.
The Chain also recently opened its own pro shop with logoed gear that you can find onsite, and they’ve added “The Bucket” food truck where you can grab a bite and some cocktails, lounge in one of the Adirondack chairs, and take in the experience of The Chain.
With The Chain up and running and construction on the new fifth course underway by world-renown architect David McLay Kidd, there’s a lot to love about getting a golf trip on the books to Streamsong for you and your crew as soon as possible.