Streamsong Resort, Florida, opened in 2012. Its original two courses were expanded and a lodge was added. The resort’s owner, Mosaic Company, has been a big talking point since its opening.
Mosaic, one of the largest phosphate producers in the world, had been mining the remote Central Florida area where Streamsong was built for many decades. It is located about an hour southeast of Tampa and 90 minutes west of Orlando. The land was shaped by past mining activities, which left huge piles of sand and that had become surreal dunes over time. The three courses at Streamsong are unlike any other course in Florida because of the unique landscape.
Mosaic was a mining company, however. The company hired KemperSports of Illinois, a golf management company, to manage the courses. KemperSports assumed management of the resort and hospitality two years ago. There was speculation for many years that Mosaic might sell the resort.
It is now that Mosaic has sold Streamsong Resort, its long-term management partner, to KemperSports. Mosaic confirmed the sale price of Streamsong Resort to be $160 million in a Friday news release. As part of the deal, three golf courses, two clubhouses and the Streamsong Lodge were acquired. Only a little over 2,000 acres of these acres are currently being used as part of the resort.
The Lodge at Streamsong, Florida (Courtesy Streamsong).
Each of Streamsong’s three courses – Red by Bill Coore, Ben Crenshaw and Blue by Tom Doak, and Black by Gil Hanse & Jim Wagner – ranks among the top 60 on Golfweek’s Best List of Top Modern Courses in America. No. 2 on Golfweek’s Best List of Public-Access Layouts in Florida. The Black No. The Blue No. There are 4 courses on this list. Streamsong is just one resort that has so many highly ranked golf courses.
Steve Skinner, CEO of KemperSports told Golfweek that “we’re very excited”. As you all know, we have been involved in this property almost since Day 1. It has been our home for more than 10 years. We are so excited about this project and the special property it represents. It’s an iconic place in golf.
Skinner, a lawyer by training who worked at KemperSports for many years, described the purchase as being competitive with other potential buyers seeking to capitalize on golf’s rising popularity since the outbreak of the COVID pandemic. He stated that there aren’t many properties comparable to Streamsong and its three courses. Interest was high.
KemperSports manages 140 properties, Skinner stated. These include 15 courses that it owns and a dozen it leases. The company manages both public-access and private clubs. It also has a division that focuses on youth and recreational venues. Steve Lesnick was the founder of KemperSports. He is still its chairman. In 2022, the company enlisted several investors to provide capital for expansion.
KemperSports has been managing Streamsong’s resort for a decade, and it is not difficult to learn from. KemperSports has no plans to make any changes to its staff. Skinner stated that he believes in the employees at the resort to maintain a focus on the customers and to improve. Skinner shared with Golfweek several plans for the resort in both the short- and long-term.
The most significant change is the development of The Chain . This 18-hole, non-traditional course was designed by Crenshaw and Coore. It will be located directly opposite the resort’s 228-room hotel. The plans to build The Chain were announced by Streamsong a year ago.
Is there more golf in the future for Streamsong Golf Club? Skinner has more to say about this and other topics. This discussion has been edited to be longer.
