ROYAL AMELIA GOLF CLUB at Amelia Island Plantation
(904-491-8500)
Florida Golf Course Review 2/24/06
Amelia Island Plantation resort was already my favorite golf resort in Florida - with outstanding accommodations
featuring spectacular ocean views, a great fitness/health club, scenic Oceanside pool area - with beach access,
fine dining, wonderful service and an impeccable resort atmosphere - plus three great championship golf
courses. Now - make that four! With the acquisition of the Royal Amelia Golf Club, AIP now boasts an incredible
blend of golf courses that I would be happy to play over and over - for the rest of my life! The golf facilities now
include the Royal Amelia, with its own temporary clubhouse (with snack bar serving sandwiches & beverages),
Long Point (member facility) which also has its own clubhouse & practice facilities, plus the Ocean Links and
Oak Marsh courses, which share the main clubhouse. This on property facility features a pro shop,
restaurant/lounge serving breakfast, lunch and dinner, plus a comprehensive practice area. The Royal Amelia is
the only of the four courses that is open for public play. To play the other three, one must either be a club member
or be registered on a stay and play package at the resort. AIP has won many awards including: Silver Medal as
one of the best golf resorts in the nation (Golf Magazine), Top 75 Golf Resorts in the U.S. (Golf Digest), Best of
the South by Links Magazine and # 11 in the USA by Golf For Women Magazine. For more info on the resort,
visit our beautiful and comprehensive page for Amelia Island Plantation Resort, with direct link to their website by clicking here.
The Royal Amelia is a gorgeous golf course - and one of the most interesting of the four designs at AIP.
Numerous doglegs shaped by majestic oaks, sabal palms, tall pines, wax myrtles and strategic water hazards
make this a shot-makers delight. The course is long enough that golfers will have ample opportunity to use driver,
but with the many twists and turns accentuated in the design, placement is just as important as distance. Thirteen holes have water in play in some shape or form, and 50 sand bunkers dot the layout.
Designed by Tom Jackson, this course was thoughtfully laid out to provide a great variety in aesthetics, and also
to afford players an opportunity to deploy every club in their bag. The beginning and various other sections of the
course present wide fairways with plentiful landing zones - but with perimeter mounding and sand traps that will
challenge the accuracy of golfers off the tee. More often than not, trees line both sides and the route from tee to
green is seldom straight. It is a good idea to take a look at the diagram booklet provided to each golfer - as it
can help to plan strategy, and will also assist players in locating the ponds that sneakily come into play near the
greens on several holes. There also are some creek crossings that could result in trouble if golfers are not aware of their presence.
From the initial hole to the final dogleg on 18 - which presents a spectacular finish to a wonderful round, we think
golfers of all skill levels will find this a challenging yet enjoyable experience. There are 5 sets of tee areas which
play to distances and slopes measuring 6843 yards/137 slope, 6428 yards/132 slope, 6128 yards/129 slope
(recommended for the average player), 5417 yards/112 slope and 4801 yards with a slope of 117 for women
playing from the forward tees. Yardage markers are present at 100, 150 and 200 yards, and sprinkler heads are
also measured to the center of the green. 150 stakes are visible on all par fours and fives, and the complimentary yardage booklets provide diagrams for the 7 rotating pin placements.
We found the Tif Eagle greens to be very fast and true rolling - and also very firm. There are slight undulations,
but as it turned out for us anyway...putts seemed to break less than we anticipated. This course is set in an idyllic
environment - with no homes or residential areas in sight! Keep in mind that this course is always open for public
play! If you are in the area - this is a must do! For more info on Royal Amelia, including a direct link to their website click here.
|
