Florida Golf Monthly - Amelia Island Plantation

Amelia Island Plantation- One of those rare places on the planet that leads to a sudden, yet calming drop in blood pressure the moment you step on the property.

What do you look for when you choose a resort for a vacation?

Do you want a place where an invisible dam at the gate stops the rush of time? Do you want a resort that offers a myriad of activities without forcing them on you? Do you want natural beauty to confront you every time you turn a corner? Do you want all of this packaged in gentle elegance and presented in a casual, but not aloof, fashion?

If you answered "yes" to any or all of the above, you may want to pay a visit to the Amelia Island Plantation. This is one of those rare places on the planet that leads to a sudden yet calming drop in blood pressure the moment you step on the property. It's a place where golf, elsewhere considered the most potentially frustrating game of all, is regarded as stress therapy.

For all the flak famed golf course architect Pete Dye has received for his excruciatingly devious designs, Amelia Island Plantation can be considered "Dye on Darvon." Instead of wooden bulkheads that look like prison walls and more railroad ties than the Amtrak system, the 27 holes he designed at Amelia Island Plantation offer golfers of all abilities a fighting chance of playing to their level. And they won't need to take a stress test when they finish the 18th green. The course fits the ambience of the inviting resort, and in this day and age, that's is a precious commodity.

That doesn't mean this is 27 holes of golf without demands. If it were, let's face it, it wouldn't be golf. It's golf that offers you a chance. The length of Amelia Island Plantation's nines offers the first clue that golfers have a shot here. The Oakmarsh nine is the longest, stretching to 3,308 yards with white tees set at 2,992 yards, senior tees at 2,798 yards and forward tees at 2,485 yards. The Oysterbay nine can play at 3,194 yards, 2,832, 2,723 or 2,481 yards, while the Oceanside nine is the shortest, playing at a maximum of 2,991 yards with markers set at 2,709, 2,487 and 2,202 yards.

In the near future, the developers will add a fourth nine to the collection. Additionally, the Amelia Island Plantation group will combine the Oakmarsh and Oysterbay nines as one course and couple the new nine with the Oceanside layout for the another complete 18-hole layout. Ponte Vedra-based architect Bobby Weed, who was a top gun for Dye in completing the original designs will handle the fourth nine as a solo effort, thus keeping the philosophy of the challenge in tact and providing a flow from one hole to the next.

If you don't want to entirely abandon reality while on vacation, the folks at Amelia Island understand, particularly when it comes to the realities of good golfing. Golf has to provide a viable challenge. If the shot-making demands of the three Dye-designed nines doesn't satisfy your primal urges, head for the greens of the Long Point Club, designed by architect Tom Fazio, who had the sense to incorporate the beauty of the land he was given in his layout, rather than interrupt it.

"Long Point was actually a very easy course to build," says Fazio. "There was so much variety there. Ocean, marsh, woods, water and natural dune bridges each make for a good golf course. Having all of those things was a real bonus. The location was so great that when the course opened, it looked as though it had been there for several years."

The Long Point course makes several demands on the golfer. The first is striking the ball. The course can stretch to 6,775 yards with five par-fours extended to over 400 yards. The shortest par-five is only 493 yards long, but before you decide this is an easy birdie hole, you might want to think again. Taking a driver out on the tee may not be the play. The fairway looks like little more than a sliver of green captured by trees and sand. There's no water on the hole waiting to drown your chances, but at the end of the slight left dogleg fairway lies a small, treacherous green that makes a bunker-guarded right hole placement downright scurrilous. The good news about the Long Point track is that it doesn't have an overabundance of marsh, water, trees or sand to ruin your day. Rather, it offers a mild combination of hazards that will test not only your skill, but your sense of daring, too.

For those not wishing to attack the full length of the Long Point Club, Fazio generously placed sets of tees that present challenges of 6,086, 5,539 and 4,927 yards as well. With 45 holes of golf already in place and another nine in the works for the 54-hole, three-course total, the golfer is well looked after during his getaway to northern Florida (not to be confused with southern Georgia, as some Floridians would have you believe).

What can the non-golfing member of the family do at Amelia Island? Or for that matter, what can the golfer do once the clubs are stowed away for the day? The question of extra-golf entertainment may rank as the biggest challenge a resort faces, yet it doesn't appear to be a problem at Amelia Island Plantation. Although Amelia Island Plantation is just minutes north of Jacksonville, it feels as though it's totally isolated from the urban jungle.

While the streets of downtown may not call to you after a round of golf, you'll definitely find a stroll along the seven miles of nature trails winding through the resort a perfect way to relax after a day on the greens. If a scenic walk doesn't suit your fancy, perhaps an afternoon of sport fishing sounds like a fitting and challenging alternative. If tennis is your game, the Plantation offers 23 courts serviced by an all-encompassing pro shop to meet your needs. You can refine your game on the same surfaces used by such legends as Chris Evert, Martina Navratilova, Martina Hingis and the other female tennis greats at the annual tournament held on the property. If you have a romantic adventure in mind, you can fulfill a fantasy by horseback riding in Amelia Island Plantation's smashing surf.

While it may be difficult to force yourself away from the luxurious accommodations, ranging from one, two or three-bedroom villas to luxurious hotel rooms and penthouses on the ocean, be sure to tear yourself away to experience the fabulous dining that awaits you nearby. If you're ready to trade in your golf clothes for a cocktail dress or a jacket, you'll love the tropical chic atmosphere of the new Amelia Island Inn, the most upscale restaurant on the property serving the best of both seafood and beef. If you're in the mood for more casual dining that still fulfills your yearning for great food, the Verandah at Racquet Park may be the place for you. If golf didn't satisfy your sports needs for the day, head over to the Beach Club Sports Bar where the televised sporting events always top the menu, and your grubbiest duds will always do. Fast-food freaks will find that a stop at The Coop will satisfy their appetites, and serious golfers with no time to spare can pick up breakfast or lunch before or after their round at the Golf Shop Restaurant.

While Amelia Island offers guests just about everything they could want in a vacation, keep in mind that it may not be the perfect spot for you. Only those who want to relax and enjoy a complete getaway from the pressures of day to day life should consider this resort experience. If you're in search of such a getaway, you'll definitely find it here. Amelia Island Plantation presents only one problem: if people drive into Florida from the northeast and stop at the first resort that they come to, this one, they'll think every golf resort in Florida is as wonderful as Amelia Island Plantation. Unfortunately, they'd be in for a major disappointment. Amelia Island Plantation is one of a kind.