A wise man once said, “Sand is an architect’s best friend.”
That wise man is David McLay Kidd at the PGA Merchandise Show in Orlando this morning. We’ll talk about Kidd shortly, but there is some BIG news coming out of Florida – the state known for sand castles and beautiful beaches – as its top-rated golf resort is growing again. That sandy slice of Heaven is Streamsong.
On Monday night, the WiscoGolfAddict team found ourselves in the Leaf Lounge of the main lobby at Streamsong Resort, talking with friends from KemperSports following a day spent on their Blue and Red courses.
As the lobby bar hit last call, we all made our way up to the 360 Lounge.
It had been hinted at throughout the week that a fifth course at Streamsong would be announced, and cryptic emails from the KemperSports team hinted at a major announcement coming at the PGA Show later in the week.
I had my thoughts as to who will be designing the new course, and all five of my guesses were wrong. I’ll find out later in the week, I was told, and will be excited about the name I hear.
Looking around the beautiful rooftop bar, there were a few faces outside our group who I recognized but couldn’t put a name to. Then, in the corner with several golf media leaders (Derek Duncan and Jason Lusk) was a massive personality I recognized instantly: David McLay Kidd.
The affable Scot commands any room he’s in with a huge smile and a voice that permeates the crowd. He’s a great storyteller and happy to talk about golf course architecture, recreational aviation and the golf industry, in general.
Talking with him reminded me of conversations with the late, great Bob Uecker – he’s seen and done so much, and knows everybody. He’s the most interesting man in the room.
He’s also one of the game’s preeminent architects having designed beautiful layouts at Bandon Dunes, Sand Valley, Gamble Sands, Moonlight Basin and others with multiple new projects across the country – all of which he visits regularly with use of his personal aircraft.
Early Plans for the New Course at Streamsong
Situated between the Coore/Crenshaw designed Red Course and Gil Hanse’s Black Course at Streamsong, the new course is yet to be named but will occupy a dramatic tract of land with topography that’s on par with any of the other three courses.
The new course will share a clubhouse with the Black and will at times run alongside it, especially near the fourth and fifth holes.
Like his design at Mammoth Dunes, the course is sure to be bold with expressive, fun features – an apt representation of the designer and sure to be a shoe-in for national top 100 rankings alongside the property’s other three championship layouts.
We spent close to an hour talking with Kidd that night. He was gracious with his time and generous with stories including memorable ones about his time working at Sand Valley here in Wisconsin.
If it’s anything like his work at Bandon and Sand Valley, the fifth course at Streamsong will be a fantastic addition.
It will be exciting and, more than anything, fun. Similar to Hanse’s design on the Black, I’m expecting there to be huge features and greens – expansive wastelands and architectural flexes that are sure to include spectacular par threes.
There are few courses with better sets of par three holes than Mammoth or Bandon Dunes.
The terrain for the new course is dramatic – much like the land the Red Course sits on – with ponds, huge mounding and rolling land.
Poles in the ground near the fourth and fifth holes of the Black Course lay out its own third and fourth holes, and all the ground between and beyond is provocative with remarkable changes in elevation.
Expected to begin construction this season, the new course at Streamsong should soft-open in late 2026.
If you have not yet been to Streamsong, the new course is sure to provide another great reason to.
Along with high-end lodging, exceptional dining experiences and amenities galore, the property boasts three top 30 Golf Digest public layouts, led by Coore and Crenshaw’s Red Course at number 21, and an exhilarating 19-hole short track, The Chain, that is now open for preview play.
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Great article & news on the new DMK course at Streamsong! What a treat to have time with him to talk about it and his other work!
Thanks, and it was such a treat, Gregg – all the personality I’d heard about and fun stories, super cool!