Showing posts with label Gil Hanse. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Gil Hanse. Show all posts

Tuesday, October 11, 2016

UPDATE on Streamsong Resort's Upcoming Black Course

Streamsong Black No. 7 (Photo by Larry Lambrecht)
When golfers find out the Guru resides in Central Florida, one of the more frequent questions I get is about the much anticipated new Black Course at Streamsong Resort near Lakeland.

After some intrepid research, here are my answers to that question:

* The Black Course is slated to debut in Fall 2017. It's currently in the grow-in mode.

* It's designed by Gil Hanse, whose impressive resume includes the Olympic Golf Course in Rio de Janeiro, which received rave reviews, as well as Castle Stuart in Inverness, Scotland and The Vineyard Club in Edgartown on Martha's Vineyard in Massachusetts.
Streamsong Black No. 15 (Photo by Larry Lambrecht)
* Upon completion of The Black, Streamsong Resort will be the only resort in the world with courses designed by Ben Crenshaw/Bill Coore, Tom Doak and Gil Hanse.

* Hanse was essentially given a blank canvas to design The Black. He got his pick of land spanning more than 800 acres and selected a 250-acre parcel dominated by a long sand ridge and natural elevation changes.

* The Black is set about a mile from the clubhouse that serves the Streamsong Red and Blue Courses and will be somewhat isolated on the southeast portion of the property.

* The Black is set on rolling terrain with abundant sand, native grasses and panoramas similar to those of Sand Belt courses in Australia.
Streamsong Black No. 5 (Photo by Ben Hillard)
* The Black Course will play to par 73.

* Tee time reservations for The Black became available this month (October, 2016) with  packages available.

* Streamsong officials foresee The Black hosting large Amateur events.

* The resort plans to add a second practice facility, clubhouse and restaurant to serve guests playing Streamsong Black.

Streamsong Resort, situated 27 miles south of Lakeland between Orlando and Tampa, is a multi-amenity resort with championship golf, a 216-room lodge with a spa, infinity pool and casual and fine dining restaurants and activities like bass fishing, sporting clays, tennis and nature trails.

Sunday, December 30, 2012

Golf News You Need to Know January 2013

Streamsong Resort in Polk County, Florida
New Courses to Watch in 2013 and Beyond

A Look Back at 2012 and Predictions for 2013

The World's Looniest Golf Course in China...

Seven Courses That Made a Difference in 2012 

Cabot Links in Nova Scotia, Canada


New Photos of Rory's Palatial Florida Mansion

Greg Norman AKA The Great White Shark
Greg Norman Says Adios to Medalist Golf Club

The 2013 World Golf Hall of Fame Class  

Should Colin Montgomerie be in the World Golf Hall of Fame? You decide...

Review of Streamsong Resort in Polk County, Florida

5 Emerging Golf Destinations in 2013
Casa de Campo in Dominican Republic

Faldo Course in Vietnam Now Open

Wine and Golf Make a Good Pairing

Major golf development in London slated to open in 2016 

Top 10 Golf Travel Trends for 2013
Golf at Gleneagles

Front entrance to Gleneagles Resort

Who the heck is Gil Hanse? 

The Antidote to Tricked Up Courses

10 Disturbing Trends in Golf

Graeme McDowell's Nona Blue Tavern Opening This Month in Orlando

Why Tom Watson Got The Ryder Cup 2014 Captaincy... 

Golf's Greatest 19th Holes... 

More Great 19th Holes...

2005 Byron Nelson Classic Champion is a Sales Rep for an Amazing Car Company...

2013 Champions Tour Schedule 
 


Friday, June 22, 2012

Donald Trump is Good For Golf

Donald Trump

Love him or hate him, Donald Trump is good for golf.


With participation numbers down, equipment sales flat and fewer golf courses under construction in the U.S., Trump is a much needed high-profile celebrity that consistently promotes the game in valueable ways.


Aside from Tiger and Phil, few people in the golf industry create as much buzz as Trump.
Trump International Golf Links opening in July


In countless interviews you see Trump touting golf as one of the world's great sporting pastimes. His popular Golf Channel show, Donald J. Trump's Fabulous World of Golf displays his passion for the game, and, most importantly, he's creating more great golf courses to play.


His company Trump Golf has a portfolio of 10 courses throughout North America and Europe. 


While the golf industry struggles with golf course closures and fewer new courses because of the sluggish economy in the U.S., Trump is aggressively purchasing and developing golf courses.


The Trump Organization recently announced it has closed on the purchase of the Doral Golf Resort & Spa in Miami. Trump plans to invest more than $200 million in an enhancement program at the 800-acre resort, which encompasses five championship golf courses, 700 guestrooms, meeting facilities and a spa.


"Every year, my father and mother would take me to Doral for a weekend. It was the ultimate treat for me. It was beautiful," said Trump.


"My ambition is to bring Doral back to its first 20 years and then top it by a wide margin," he continued. "When the renovation is complete, Doral will be the greatest resort anywhere in the country. With almost 800 acres in the middle of Miami--and home to the Blue Monster and soon-to-be-great courses--nothing will be able to compete with it. This amount of land in this prime of a location can never again be assembled."


Gil Hanse, the Malvern, Pennsylvania-based architect who was recently selected to design the 2016 Olympics golf course in Rio de Janeiro, will head the re-design effort on the Blue Monster. 


Hanse's most notable designs are Castle Stuart Golf Links in Inverness, Scotland, Rustic Canyon in Moorpark, California and TPC of Boston.


Doral Golf Resort & Spa will remain fully operational during the renovation, which is expected to conclude in Fall 2013.


On the other side of the pond, the Trump International Golf Links in Aberdeen, Scotland, slated to open next month, will be a phenomenal addition to the world's golf course menu.


Designed by highly respected architect Dr. Martin Hawtree, the course is designed around massive sand dunes on the northeast coast of Scotland. Stretching nearly 7,500 yards from the tips, the course will have more than 100 different tee boxes. 


I predict Trump International Golf Links will quickly climb up many world ranking lists and take its place alongside great modern Scottish courses like Kingsbarns, Machrihanish Dunes and Castle Stuart.


(Check out this amazing video of Trump International Golf Links.) 


Trump's other golf courses are located in West Palm Beach, Washington D.C., Los Angeles, Philadelphia, Charlotte, North Carolina, New York and New Jersey.

Friday, March 16, 2012

The Blue Monster Makeover


Guess who will be re-designing the TPC Blue Monster at Doral Golf Resort in Miami?
Gil Hanse. 

He's the little known architect, who was recently selected over Jack Nicklaus, Greg Norman and Gary player design groups to design the 2016 Olympics golf course in Rio de Janeiro with LPGA Hall of Famer Amy Alcott.
Hanse will take orders at Doral from Donald Trump, who purchased Doral for $150 million. Trump reportedly plans to spend a whopping $200 million to revamp the Blue Monster.
Trump already owns golf courses in New York, Washington and California.
Hanse’s most notable designs are Castle Stuart Golf Links in Inverness, Scotland, Rustic Canyon in Moorpark, California,  and TPC of Boston.
Based in Malvern, Pennsylvania, Hanse states several of his philosophies on his website. One of the most intriguing is: “We create courses that are simple and elegant in appearance, yet sophisticated in strategy and interest.”
It’ll be interesting to see what he and Trump come up with for 200 mill.
Rest assured, it will be fun to watch and eventually to play. 

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