Going
An abundance of award-winning, ocean
view golf awaits in Northeast Florida
G
olfers don’t have to pack up
and head to the west coast to
experience challenging sea-
side golf. Extraordinary golf
within sea-spray distance of the Atlantic
Ocean is readily available in Northeast
Florida’s First Coast of Golf region.
And for those looking to leave winter
behind, that trip down the Eastern Sea-
board is faster than spring—with des-
tinations such as Omni Amelia Island
Plantation Resort and Hammock Beach
Resort waiting to offer memorable golf
for excellent value.
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“The coastal courses, as well as land-
locked courses in our area are regularly
top-ranked in surveys for quality com-
pared to other Florida golf destinations,”
said David Reese, president of Florida’s
First Coast of Golf. “We’re also easily
accessible with numerous connections
into Jacksonville and it’s not that far to
north Florida if you want to drive.”
The Omni Amelia Island Plantation
Resort (904-261-6161) is located north
of Jacksonville and south of the Georgia
state line with two 18-hole championship
courses. The resort’s more upland Long
V I R G I N I A G O L F E R | N O V E M B E R / D E C E M B E R 2 0 18
Point course is a Tom Fazio creation, while
the Pete Dye-designed Oak Marsh course
is the one that requires a tighter hat and
steely nerves against the ocean breeze.
“Make sure you bring lots of ammu-
nition to play this course,” joked Mike
Block, Omni Amelia Island’s Director of
Golf. “There’s lots of water.”
In fact, the Oak Marsh course winds
through six miles of sand dunes, giant
Spanish-moss-draped live oaks and a
coastal maritime hammock. With five
holes in view of the Atlantic Intracoast-
al Waterway (ICW) and 14 of 18 holes
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by LISA D. MICKEY