“Dude, this was the best media-related golf trip I’ve experienced, hands down.”

Those were my parting comments to Paul Seifert as we wrapped up a week of golf, photography, attending the PGA Show and other shenanigans in Florida this January.

Yet, the weather was miserable (by Florida standards, at least), my golf game was mediocre at best and the lighting for photography left a lot to be desired.

So how in the heck could this trip have made such an indelible impression on me? After all, the other WiscoGolfAddict trips I’ve been a part of (Pinehurst in 2023, Florida/PGA Show last year and Boyne last summer) have all been bangers, producing great memories and content opportunities across the board.

There are plenty of reasons this trip knocked it out of the park, but as in all golf trips, the people were what mattered most.

The Crew

Paul, Troy Giljohann and I have been on a few trips together, becoming close friends over the years and establishing a tight working relationship through great golf experiences.

With the three of us teamed up again on this trip, we came in with a history of shared experiences and deep familiarity with each other. Sure, Paul and I may be tired of seeing Troy sweep Red Jacket contests, but nonetheless I love hitting the links with these guys and never tire of the friendly banter that ensues.

Of course, we had to find a fourth, and you never know what you’ll get with a new face in the crew. WiscoGolfAddict has a deep lineup of contributors, though, a team of like-minded, passionate golf addicts and content creators, from which we’ve been able to recruit several great people to round out trips in the past.

This time around, we enlisted an all-around great guy that fit in with our group perfectly: “Dialed In” Dario Melendez.

Dario is a well-known TV personality who you’ve probably seen as an Anchor on ESPN Sports Center or Brewers and Bucks Live in the past, or more recently as the Sports Director for WISN 12 News. I met Dario during a round at Pine Hills last spring, but it was great getting to know him better over the course of the week.

Dario’s wealth of media experience has certainly been valuable to our content creation efforts, but more importantly we all bonded with him and welcomed his carefree, bouyant personality to our group.

With our all-star crew ready to roll, we landed in Orlando on Sunday afternoon, anxiously awaiting the spoils of the week ahead.

The Weather

Before we get into the meat of the trip highlights, I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention the weather.

It was brutal.

With temps hovering between the 30’s and 50’s, heavy cloud cover, steady wind and on-and-off rain throughout the week, this wasn’t how we pictured an escape to Florida in the dead of winter. Even though it was still better than floundering in a Polar Vortex back home, the cold spell added considerable adversity to our adventure.

But, as Dario the Wise aptly pointed out, “You think Washington wasn’t cold crossing the Delaware to surprise the Brits?” and “Was it over when the Germans bombed Pearl Harbor?“

HELL no, poor weather was not going to stop us from an epic week, and we soldiered on through (nearly) every round and photography session.

Streamsong

From the Orlando airport, we took a beeline to one of America’s best-known public golf destinations: Streamsong Resort.

Of course, I had heard plenty about Streamsong coming into our visit, but I still had doubts in the back of my mind if all the hype was for real. How on earth could a dramatic sand-based property exist in the middle of nowhere, in an otherwise flat and uninspiring region?

I had wondered the same thing on my way to Sand Valley for the first time in 2021, and much like that experience, I knew the instant I set foot on property that Streamsong is a special place.

Sculpted out of the sand by two centuries of phosphate mining, Streamsong occupies a one-of-a-kind golf site that’s given the foremost architects of the time freedom to implant their ideas and design principles as they see fit, with minimal constraints presented by the land.

You’ll see golf design in its purest form here, with each architect molding a course aligned with their vision to create an immersive, genuine links-style experience. Add world-class lodging, dining and amenities to the fold, and Streamsong absolutely punches in the same weight class as the likes of Bandon and Sand Valley.

Upon arrival at Streamsong’s iconic upscale lodge, we quickly checked in, dropped off our bags and headed straight to the newest sensation on site: The Chain, Coore/Crenshaw’s short course that’s garnered noteworthy acclaim upon its grand opening.

With only an hour and a half of daylight left, we hurried our way through about 10 of the 19 holes on property, enjoying some warm weather and sunshine that would turn out to be a rarity for the week.

We were floored at the drama presented before us, with georgeous holes rolling across sand dunes, over gorges and through live oak groves.

This is literally a choose-your-own-adventure experience – with no stated par on the scorecard, the winner of a hole gets to decide the teeing location on the next hole along a chain that stretches across considerable distance. We actually took turns selecting tee locations, enjoying the variety and unique angles that resulted.

This was the perfect warm-up round, as we shook off months of rust to prepare ourselves for the big courses the next day.

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In our first full day, we tackled the original two courses on site, Blue and Red. The Blue/Red clubhouse area may be the most dramatic spot at the entire resort, nestled against a pond surrounded by the property’s tallest dunes.

A bye hole sits just across the pond inviting golfers to fire at a pin wedge distance away. We didn’t find the time to actually play it, but it sure was invigorating to photograph in the early morning.

The Blue and Red layouts were famously built at the same time in 2012, with Coore/Crenshaw’s and Doak’s teams often working within earshot of each other as they installed intertwining routings across a shared landscape.

It might come as a surprise, then, that these two tracks are nothing like each other, each brimming with its own character.

The Blue Course resides mostly in the interior section of the property, featuring vintage Tom Doak architecture with gaping fairways inviting players to bomb away off the tee. However, poor angles of approach are harshly penalized, with well-bunkered, heavily undulating greens demanding strategic play and short game wizardry alike.

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We finished our morning round at Blue just in time to rush to the first tee on Red. Thankfully, we had exceptional caddies on our bags to usher us along efficiently while providing excellent advice along the way.

Charlie Delsman, a name you might recognize from a legendary Wisconsin golf career, looped for Paul and myself, and he’s definitely on the short list for best caddie I’ve ever had. Nate rounded out our group, bringing a lighthearted personality paired with spot-on service and advice.

The Red Course circles around the permieter of the property, touring some of the most scenic land Streamsong has to offer. This layout felt more secluded than Blue and was considerably more difficult in my experience.

With several forced carries over ponds, stout length on many holes and challenging, raised green sites, you’ll need to be particularly sharp in all areas of your game to score well here.

While we missed the final three holes due to darkness, I saw enough of the Red Course to conclude that it’s exceptional and is the most visually stunning layout at Streamsong.

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In the evenings we toured the exquisite lineup of food and beverage venues peppered across the resort. Streamsong’s dining options rival those of any other golf resort I’ve seen, boasting a range of culinary styles sure to please even the pickiest of eaters.

At the end of both nights on site, we headed to the Leaf Lounge for nightcaps, an upscale rooftop bar hopping with happy golf enthusiasts and many familiar faces.

This happened to be a particularly special week at Streamsong, as the resort was poised to announce the construction of its fifth golf course, to be built under the purview of David McLay-Kidd.

Sure enough, as we scanned the bar in our second night, we saw the boisterous Scot holding court in the corner, so we had to stop over to say hello.

David was a joy to meet over the 20 minutes I chatted with him, filled with great stories from his illustrative career and overflowing with keen wit. He’s exactly the type of personality I pictured after extensive reading about his work.

On our final morning at Streamsong, we nervously eyed a rather questionable weather forecast as we got set to play the Black Course. With varying degrees of rain, wind and cold anticipated, we decided to give it a go, embarking into a frigid drizzle in a desparate bid to experience Gil Hanse’s fabulous layout.

Ironically, in Florida of all places this was a great opportunity to test out my first-ever piece of heated apparel, a Venustas vest that I’ll be reviewing in the coming weeks. This toasty top sure saved the day.

The front nine at the Black Course left me in awe, set on a flatter piece of land than Red/Blue but no less interesting thanks to some wild and ingenious Hanse architecture. The front nine jumps between dunes to raucously sloping, massive greens. The visual drama created by the design alone was up there with anything else I’ve seen.

Then, on hole six, a monsoon hit.

We slogged our way down the mid-length par four as torrential sideways rain pummeled our golfing spirits, to the point where pools started forming on the greens. Yes, Dario had warned us this would happen, and I have to tip my cap to him this time that he was right all along.

To make matters worse, I was finally starting to feel decent about my golf game after hitting four of the first six greens in regulation.

Alas, we had to hang it up that day despite a healthy enthusiasm for more great golf, and headed to our next destination a little earlier than anticipated.

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Orlando

With the PGA Show awaiting, we were able to secure accommodations in Orlando at a plush, upscale new resort – Evermore.

My wife and I have had our eyes on Evermore for future family vacations, so she was a bit jealous that I got to experience it first. 🙂

Featuring a massive manmade lake surrounded by beaches and cabanas, the resort is a sight to behold, looking more like a Carribean destination than Florida.

Our spacious four-bedroom flat opened up to a sweeping view of the lake, the perfect pad to stretch out in world-class comfort.

With restaurants, pools, an incredible waterslide, two highly-regarded golf courses and countless other ameneties and activities on site, our only regret was that we didn’t get to spend more time at Evermore during the week.

My “scouting trip” to Evermore was a resounding success and I will definitely be returning for future family vacations.

On Wednesday we headed to the Orange County Convention Center to take part in the largest PGA Show of the past 15 years, an extravaganza of over 33,000 golf industry professionals spanning every aspect of the game.

Last year, my maiden trip to the PGA Merchandise Show opened my eyes to the breadth and sheer popularity of the game while connecting with seemingly countless brands and industry figures. Needless to say, I was excited to return.

This year we were showing the ropes to PGA Show rookie Dario, and you can read all about his experience (and the top product picks by the whole team) in his recently-posted article:

This year I was a little more targeted in my approach at the vast Exhibition Hall, coming in with a clear list of products I’d like to test and review. Specifically, I honed in on rangefinders, summer apparel, gifts/decorations and other accessories as I aim to branch out further in my exploration of golf products this season.

I had no trouble finding a handful of brands in each category that looked promising, and with a few product reviews already in the works I’m confident I can hit the ground running this season.

By early afternoon, though, my energy level fell off a cliff and I needed a breather.

Right on cue, Dario suggested we take a brief trip over to Epcot.

As a Disney enthusiast, I couldn’t think of a better way to recharge than to take a walk around Epcot’s World Showcase, so I immediately took him up on the offer.

It ended up being a bit more than a quick stop, of course. We were delighted to see particularly sparse crowds that evening given the popularity of the park, and leisurely strolled from country to country, stopping for a beverage or two along the way.

After texting some photos of the theme park to Paul and Troy, they promptly reported back that they were on their way to join us, making this a full team excursion. From England to Mexico to Japan to Germany, we completed a full loop around the world.

Cabot Citrus Farms

For our final full day of the trip, we hopped over to Cabot Citrus Farms, the sensational destination just north of Tampa.

A year removed from our first visit to the property, we were keenly interested to see how things had progressed and grown in since that time. Additionally, a round at The Roost, the second full-length layout on site that just opened for preview play, was on the itinerary in the morning.

Last year, I instantly fell in love with the Karoo Course, a wild ride over open sandhills with some of the craziest greens and bunkering I’ve ever seen. I thought for sure this would be the crown jewel of the resort, but after seeing the Roost Course firsthand I’m beginning to question that notion.

The Roost, a collaborative design effort between Kyle Franz, Ran Morrissett, Rod Whitman and Mike Nuzzo, might be a neighbor to Karoo but offers a genuinely distinct experience, meandering over a lightly wooded, rolling land. Bold bunkering and outsized, heaving greens are constants throughout the round, and with fewer sandy waste areas impeding sight lines compared to Karoo, a creative ground game carries a higher premium here.

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The property might be less gifted than Karoo overall, but an impressive routing maximizes its potential to add enough pizzazz to the experience to stand toe-to-toe with its brother, giving Cabot Citrus Farms an incredible 36 hole one-two punch in its war chest.

Enhancing our experience in a big way was Dan McGuire, the forecaddie we also enlisted at media day last year. Dan is hands down the best forecaddie I’ve had, going well above and beyond the typical ball-finding duties you’d expect in his role. He stalked the fairways with us, hustling from player to player to give club advice, all while providing exceptional reads on the greens.

Dan’s deep knowledge of the property was priceless on a course where subtle contours can change strategy significantly. Perhaps most importantly, Dan is a great guy with a cheerful personality, and it was a joy to spend four and a half hours with him as our guide.

A loop at The Squeeze followed, rekindling some memories from my first round there last year. This ten-hole Mike Nuzzo-designed adventure features insane mounding, wild greens and shorter yardage to yield a jubilant experience. The impressive scale of the topography had faded in my memory from last year’s round, and with the course having grown in wonderfully since then, this was an excellent follow-up to the morning’s 18 holes.

After darkness descended, we made our way over to The Wedge for a rip-roaring nightcap of pitch-and-putt golf. Night golf is an enchanting experience, particularly under the lights at an A-list destination. I came out hot, draining two short birdie putts out of the gate to add to an embarrassingly low birdie total for the week to that point.

The Final Round at the Four Seasons

After our magnificent day at Cabot, the crew began to split up. Troy first broke away to rendezvous with family, while the rest of us drove back to Orlando for one final night at Evermore.

The next day, Paul bid his farewell in the morning, but Dario and I had a late flight and ample time for one more round.

Orlando is loaded with golf courses, so heading into the trip we carefully debated where to spend our last day. In the end, Dario’s suggestion to play Tranquilo Golf Club at Four Seasons Orlando couldn’t have been better.

Originally a 1990’s Tom Fazio design under the umbrella of Disney Golf known as Osprey Ridge, Four Seasons acquired the course years later, rebranding it as Tranquilo Golf Club and reopening after a significant Fazio renovation.

This was a more prototypical Florida golf experience compared to the vast, sandy landscapes we visited earlier in the week, with holes cut through sub-tropical forest and winding around ponds on relatively flat terrain.

But this was also the best golf experience I’ve had in the immediate Orlando area.

With immaculate conditions, a gorgeous, challenging Fazio layout and a standout back nine loaded with variety and risk/reward propositions, our round here was delectable icing on the cake to an amazing week, and I left with a big smile on my face. It was a laid-back experience, the only round played in a cart all week, and Dario and I leisurely traversed a property which was delightfully less crowded (in Orlando, this is a huge bonus).

Closing Thoughts

If any of the one experiences from the week were taken in isolation, they might’ve been just a footnote on a hopefully great season ahead. With suboptimal weather and lighting conditions, we had our work cut out for us to make the most of this mid-winter getaway.

Taken together, though, the golf rounds, photography, hospitality, connecting with industry figures and other highlights of the trip multiplied to produce an unforgettable week.

Adversity brings people together, and our crew in Florida certainly rallied together to maximize the trip and bring home great memories. Sure, I’d always love to have sunshine and 70’s, but it’s most important to enjoy the time you have with people you genuinely care about.

This trip has given me a renewed boost of energy, splitting the winter in half and providing a well-timed influx of new content to share. I’m already counting down to the spring season and next golf trips on the horizon.

Have you had an epic winter golf getaway this year? We’d love to hear your tales from the course in the Comments section!

Photography by Brian Murphy, Paul Seifert, Troy Giljohann and Dario Melendez for WiscoGolfAddict