[Bryan Izatt]

Played Streamsong Blue this afternoon - $150 + $15 (pull cart) + Tax

World Woods Pine Barrens tomorrow - $35 + Tax (power cart included)


Just saying ................


Streamsong is still a fun play, this time into a NNE wind - the 7th and 8th were daunting.

The green contours didn't seem as wild as I remembered - but still difficult.

Started 3-5-3 and thought it was going to be a good day.  The finishing stretch was a challenge - especially after I cracked the head on my 3 wood on the 11th.  The finishing holes killed a good card.

The green surrounds certainly seemed sticky.  Saw several bump and runs that didn't work at all.


The interesting news as of four days ago - power carts are now cart path only - permanently.  Supposedly to protect the turf.  They've made chip paths through the waste areas to the sides of the holes.  Given the width of most of the holes there will be a lot of walking involved.

Starting in a few days they will also be prohibiting carts between 7:30 and 9:30 a.m.  Presumably they'll give this up in the summer.  Or, maybe not.

The caddies are happy.  

This afternoon I only saw three carts and they told me most people out there were on their second rounds.

[Joe Bausch]

Would love to fly down and join you at WW PB today!  Just thinking about the 4th hole there makes me smile.

[Rob Curtiss]

Love Streamsong..Pretty darn good for Florida.

I am playing World Woods PB on Sunday..have a great time. should be in great shape and we are having great weather right now.

[Patrick_Mucci]

Bryan,

Cart restrictions this early in the season would seem to indicate that they had a good deal of cart traffic in the off season.

Can you verify that

Also ask the starter, Chip, if hen joyed Mountain Ridge and that I'm looking forward to returning after the first of the year.

Also, were there any changes or fine tuning since your last visit ?

And lastly, have you run into any other morons hanging out by the first tee ?

[Bryan Izatt]

Joe,

There's room for 1 at 10:12.  Better rev up the Lear.    Price is good until the end of December.


R,

It was 8*F when I left Toronto a couple of days ago.  Should be around 75*F today.   like today better.

[Jerry Kluger]

It is my understanding that Streamsong fairways and tees are Bermuda as are the greens but a different strain so why should there be a concern with the turf?

[BCowan]

Played Pine Barrons today at 8:13am, it was 36 degs when we started and 72 degs when we left today.  You can't beat that track for $35.  Greens have been fertilized recently.  Greens need more sunlight.  4 hour round and let you walk there!  Course has a lot of good holes.  Florida is great value prior to Jan!

[Bryan Izatt]

Jerry,

The explanation (probably not quite correct) I got from the caddie was that there is only a couple of inches of soil on top of a lot of sand and that the compaction caused by carts would adversely affect the turf.  The grass is dormant now (and not overseeded, although still quite green) and you can see some wear patterns where there is cart traffic.

There are different strains of Bermuda.  You can see some creepage of the fairway Bermuda onto the edges of greens.


Patrick,

The caddie said he was busy during the summer.  Not sure what that means.  There were maybe 40 cars (meaning maybe 80 golfers) in the lot yesterday.

I didn't see any real significant changes other than that the sod wall around the putting green is gone.

No morons on the first tee, but then you weren't there.    They did move the water bucket closer to the starters pedestal so that it's more accesible on the way to either course.


Ben,

I was off two hours after you.  The greens on PB were smooth but very slow, unlike any other time I've been there.  The greens on RO were somewhat faster.  The replay rate was $20.  Hard to pass up.

It was quite comfortable starting at 10 a.m. and even a bit toasty in the afternoon - a brilliant sunny and almost windless day.

Foe whatever it's worth there were probably 2 to 3 times more cars at WW than at Streamsong.

[BCowan]

Bryan

    As i left WW, i noticed 240 acres for sale across the street from the course (don't know the cost).  Beautiful land.  Do you think it would serve them well to build a 3rd track??? 

[Greg Tallman]

WW has plenty of land. Original plan was 6+ courses. If another is built it better be something very special and have some lodging component.

[Ben Kodadek]

When they can't fill two courses with $35 green fees, I don't think a third course makes a ton of sense.

[Cliff Hamm]

I assume the mandatory forecaddie remains.  If I recall correctly the original logic was that it was difficult to navigate and therefore the mandatory caddie.  I guesss they'll need another reason.

I would be concerned that length of a round will increase dramatically with cart path only.  Will those with disabilities, as confirmed by a car placard, be allowed carts in the fairway?

[Josh Tarble]

I really, really like WW Pine Barrens, but in my opinion it doesn't hold a candle to either course at Streamsong.  

At $35 though, that's a great deal and would probably split 10 rounds 5 and 5, give that price.  

To me, WW is an excellent course to add on to a trip or play if you live in the area.  But Streamsong is one to plan a trip around.

[BCowan]

Ben

    The WW rates jump to $99-$119 in January and they do 100-150 people on each course.  Dec is a slower month in FL, which is a great time to play!   I think they are doing okay and one could argue that a 3rd course by a great arch could attract more people.  

[Bryan Izatt]

Ben,

I think they'd need a hotel on site before another course if they want to try to make it a destination.  That would be a great leap of faith in today's economy.  At both Streamsong and WW I was paired with locals.  I expect most of their business is local at this time of year.


Cliff,

The mandatory forecaddie remains - probably at least partly to police the cart path only.  Didn't ask about a handicap exception although I would expect that there would be one.  I did notice that the group behind me was all over the course with their cart, and the caddie, so who knows, maybe they'll need to police the caddies too.


Josh,

On the Doak scale, if Streamsong was a 10, where does that place WW PB if it doesn't hold a candle to Streamsong?  They are much closer than not holding a candle to, I think.

Re planning a trip, where else in Florida would you plan a trip to that you would add WW on to?  It's not exactly right around the corner from anywhere.  You have to go there on purpose.

[Matt Bielawa]

Re planning a trip, where else in Florida would you plan a trip to that you would add WW on to?  It's not exactly right around the corner from anywhere.  You have to go there on purpose.

I added it on to a trip to Innisbrook.  Wasn't THAT far.

[Josh Tarble]

You're probably right.  On the Doak scale I would rate Streamsong an 8 and World Woods a 7.  

But I'd call both at Streamsong a strong 8, like 8.8 and World Woods PB a weak 7, like 7.1.  They are "fairly" close, but I know which one I will make another specific trip to Florida to play.  

The other part of the formula is that SS has two 8s, while WW has a 7 and a 5.

I do really like World Woods PB.  I think it's an excellent course with some really cool holes.  It also has a few average ones and I don't think the maintenance meld is quite as ideal as SS.  PB is a great option for Florida, while SS is extraordinary.

Edit:  That's just my opinion.  On my trip I had a buddy that liked PB better than Streamsong.  I definitely didn't agree with him, but I also respected that and can see why someone would have that view point.

[Bryan Izatt]

Josh,

Fair enough.  I just thought the holding a candle to it was a bit over the top.  WW PB must be in the top 10 on most lists of FL golf, so I figured you must think that Streamsong was exceptional.

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