Since Central Florida’s Streamsong Resort opened its Black course in September 2017, almost 50,000 players, according to Matt Jordan, PGA head golf professional for Streamsong Black, have journeyed from around the world to see it. They wanted to know if Gil Hanse, the recently hyped Rio Olympic golf course designer and a rising star in his field, deserves his world-class accolades. Palm Beach resident and PGA Tour pro Dustin Johnson played Hanse’s masterpiece the month it opened and declared “the greens were awesome,” says Jordan. The course is known for wide fairways and huge greens with undulating perimeters and relatively flat centers. Black requires low drives, away from the wind, Jordan says, and challenges the short game, too. “Use lower lofted clubs to bump and run,” Jordan advises. Rough lessons to learn? According to Jordan, the average player figures it out by the fourth hole.

Though Each hole presents a challenge, Jordan offers five standouts:

hole 5

The hardest hole for me, visually, is this par 3. I draw the ball left, and that’s the worst play to make. If I go right, there’s a huge bunker. Best to keep your ball down the middle.

hole 9

This is the fun  punchbowl green, with a flag in the middle that you can’t always see. There’s a windmill behind it. So, the caddies say aim left or right of it.

hole 13

For this unpredictable double green, with two holes and two flagsticks, players are told from the tee box which pin they are aiming for that round. 

hole 17

Considered one for the camera, this beautiful par 3 is very “linksy,” according to Jordan, and adorned by pine trees and a sparkling lake.

hole 18

A treat awaits after taking a second or third shot on this par 5. At the lake, behind the green, is a huge dune overlook, a perfect perch for watching golfers finish up.

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Read about the history of Bone Valley and how it became Streamsong: A Land Reimagined

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Photography courtesy of Streamsong Resort