Streamsong The Chain — fun and excitement with challenging greens

Just a glance at the scorecard reveals: The Chain by Streamsong, written by renowned golf course designer Coore-Crenshaw, is different. There is no par and the course, with a total of 19 holes, is divided into the first six lanes and the remaining 13 holes. Even when it comes to tees, the clocks tick differently here: Although there is a front and back mark (the total length of these adds up to 1,531 and 3,026 yards in total), in the end, every golfer can freely choose their tee position in between. The Chain should primarily have a match play character, hence the omission of a par. The first six lanes run counterclockwise from the sea container-style clubhouse, then it goes out into the vast expanses of the former phosphate mine.

History, flexibility and The Bucket

The name of the square goes back to the chains found in the ground here from ancient mining times. Another reminder of history is the wonderful The Bucket putt course around a huge old excavator bucket. With the space that has been in use since 2023, the renowned Streamsong resort in Florida is primarily aimed at fun and adventure. You can also make the rounds very flexible here: You can only play the first six lanes, you can only play lanes 7 to 19, you can abbreviate again on the back lanes at nightfall, and of course you can explore the entire course. All of this is significantly faster than on one of the resort's championship courses, meaning that many golfers use the course for a second round when daylight is not enough for a classic second 18-hole round — or as a kick-off or Farewell round on arrival or departure. If you like, you can also play this course together with more than four golfers, even groups of up to eight golfers travel regularly — and thanks to the match play mode, you are often surprised at the fast pace of the game.

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The course: Sophisticated Coore Crenshaw greens

The first six lanes run for a maximum of 844 yards. You can already tell here that although the tracks are shorter than on a classic course, the greens are typical Coore-Crenshaw: large, undulating and often protected by sophisticated bunkers. You shouldn't underestimate that on the round! In our opinion, track 4 (with lots of lateral and partly frontal water) and the sixth track, which ends just before the Chain clubhouse, were particularly successful. From the seventh track, the character changes, now the terrain becomes more open and the water typical of Florida comes into play more often. At up to 293 yards, lane 8 is the longest track of the entire round. Nevertheless: Straight track 7 with the laterally offset green and track 8 with the fairway bunkers are just as beautiful as they are challenging. Length control is mandatory on lane 9, a maximum of 155 yards long, so that you don't end up in the depression in front of the green or in the water behind the green. Lane 11 is generally considered a signature hole: with up to 209 yards, it requires a daring tea shot Carry across water to a slightly elevated punching bowl green — if the terrain is dry, balls also roll from the green edge towards the flag. The following track across a densely vegetated depression, which is no more than 117 yards short, is also challenging. On the following tracks, the trick is often the greens, which are sometimes clearly visible, sometimes best felt undulated via Aimpoint Express — and, of course, the bunkers remain a central design element.

Fun for all levels

The stream song The Chain is a perfect example of how shorter courses can still challenge golfers of all skill levels — and are fun to boot. The offer is complemented by a food truck in front of the clubhouse, and there is also seating between sixth green and seventh tee in front of the clubhouse. The best way to enjoy the space is as part of a stay at the resort, but The Chain is also open to guests outside the resort.