Royal Amelia has Intracoastal Waterway views from the 18th green. (GolfPublisher.com)

Royal Amelia: A nice play except for the nasty price

By Tim McDonald,
Contributor

FERNANDINA BEACH, Fla. - Guests of the swank Amelia Island Plantation are getting access to another good golf course, but many of the regular folks of Fernandina Beach are losing one, for all intents and purposes.

In September the resort, which had three courses, bought the Royal Amelia Golf Club, which sits on city-owned property. The sale opens up a number of exciting possibilities: course improvements such as a new irrigation system; a new clubhouse with dining facilities overlooking the Intracoastal Waterway.

But one unwelcome change has already come. While the Royal Amelia is still open to the public, green fees have been raised from the $55-$65 range to a whopping $130, what Plantation guests pay at the two resort courses open to them (the third is members-only) - and that will go up again, to $160, in March.

Royal Amelia Head Professional Barry Richardson acknowledged the club has lost some local trade due to the increase. No wonder - why pay that kind of money here when the superior Golf Club of North Hampton and its $60 green fees are just up the road in Yulee?

It isn't that Royal Amelia is a bad course - not at all. It just isn't worth the doubled green fees, especially with the upgrades still in the planning stages.

It's an open, links-like layout, with several holes running parallel to the runways of the Fernandina Beach airport. It's a Tom Jackson design, and most of the fairways are wide and forgiving, but when the wind whips across its open expanse, those long par 5s into the wind can be nightmarish. There's a good mix of holes, with par 4s winding through live oaks, sabal palms and wax myrtles.

Alligator Creek runs through the mostly flat terrain, popping up here and there as a running obstacle. Royal Amelia may not have the fancy trimmings of other resort courses, but neither does it have any homes or high-rise condos looming over fairways, a rarity on a Florida golf course.

It's 6,843 yards from the back tees and, with a slope rating of 137, very playable from back there. The par 3s are excellent, especially No. 17, a brochure-like one-shotter to a peninsula green.

"What makes it challenging is the par 3s," Richardson said. "The par 3s and par 5s are very challenging."

Take No. 5, a 556-yard par 5 parallel to a runway that requires a long fade to reach in two; No. 13, another long par 5 adjacent to a landing strip with a hidden lake to the left of the green; or the closing hole, a 550-yarder with Alligator Creek guarding the green and a terrific view of the Intracoastal Waterway from the green.

The Verdict

Royal Amelia is a good course, made more so by the aesthetics of not having any homes along the course, but I would not recommend it at its current price. At its previous rate, it would have been a good play, but Fernandina Beach residents, and less deep-pocketed visitors, have plenty of better-priced options.

Stay and Play

Fernandina Beach, with its downtown historic district, has been a favorite day trip for Jacksonville and southern-Georgia residents for years. The area has a number of quaint shops and excellent restaurants, all within walking distance of nice, rambling old homes, and the beach is easily accessible on the other side of the island.

The Ash Street Inn is a well-located B&B in the historic district, an easy walk from the waterfront and all the downtown attractions. The inn is owned and operated by Sam and Jill Chi, former sportswriters who used to write about the Oakland Raiders. Their oatmeal-raisin cookies are a must-eat.

If you want to stay further south in spread-out Jacksonville, location is the key in lodging; it can be difficult getting around to the courses on the First Coast. There are a couple of good places to stay near Interstate 95, which will take you north or south, and Butler Boulevard, which heads east to the beaches. The Best Western is at the intersection of I-95 and Butler, eight miles from downtown and about 15 miles from the beaches. The six-story motel has in-room, high-speed Internet access, free continental breakfast, pool, fitness center and sauna. It also has meeting space that can handle 150 of you business types. The Hilton Garden Inn is another good, centrally located place. It offers free in-room Internet, a business center, whirlpool and a fitness center. The rooms have microwaves and small refrigerators. There is any number of other accommodations in the area.

Dining Out

The Hilton has the Great American Grill restaurant, which serves breakfast, and there are a bunch of restaurants within walking distance. One of them, the Seven Bridges Brewery, provides room service to the hotel (try the flame-grilled meat loaf). Also nearby: Don Pablo's, Tony Roma's, Jacksonville Ale House, Jason's Deli, Copeland's and the Gallery Bistro. The Beach Club and Snack Bar at the course is a good place for lunch.

Harbourside is an excellent golf course, especially May through Dec. 14 when green fees are $78 and $58 after 12:30 p.m.

Fast Fact

Although the club is open to the public, resort guests get preferred tee times.

If You Go

Royal Amelia Golf Club
Tee times: 866-521-2331
Web site: www.floridagolftravel.com

March 11, 2006

Any opinions expressed above are those of the writer and do not necessarily represent the views of the management.