The Order at Streamsong
Streamsong has three courses and two and a half days of tee times to fill. The order in which you play them is not arbitrary: each course produces a different physical and psychological state that affects how the next round goes.
Day One, Afternoon: Streamsong Red. The Tom Doak layout is the most strategically demanding of the three courses, with the smallest greens and the most severe contouring around the putting surfaces. Play it first, when the group is fresh and has the attention to manage the subtlety. Red rewards patience and thoughtful course management. A group that tries to play it with a bomb-and-gouge approach will be frustrated within four holes.
Day Two, Morning: Streamsong Blue. The Coore-Crenshaw layout is the most visually dramatic of the three, with large sandy waste areas and green complexes that seem borrowed from Augusta National by way of the Sandhills. Blue plays harder than it looks until you stop trying to control the ball and start releasing it toward the slopes. It is the most enjoyable round on the property when the group is playing well, and the most demoralizing when it isn't. Play it when everyone is sharp.
Day Two, Afternoon: Streamsong Black. The Gil Hanse layout opened in 2017 and is the most modern-feeling of the three courses. The design is more conventional in its routing, the green complexes are slightly more forgiving, and the course functions as a release valve after two days of Doak and Coore-Crenshaw. Play it last. End the trip on a high rather than on the most demanding round.
Day Three, Morning Departure Round. If the group has a strong preference after two full days, replay the favorite before the drive back to Tampa. Streamsong Black is the most common choice because it produces the most birdies. Streamsong Red is the correct choice for groups that want to finish with something they didn't fully solve the first time.
Why the Order Matters
The three courses are different enough that the sequence creates a complete experience rather than three repetitions of the same architectural language. Doak, Coore-Crenshaw, and Hanse in that order is a survey of three of the most important design minds of the past 30 years. If you scramble the order, the trip still works. The recommended sequence works slightly better.