THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, February 26, 1995 TAG: 9502280418
SECTION: DAILY BREAK PAGE: E1 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY CARL FINCKE, ASSISTANT SPORTS EDITOR
DATELINE: AMELIA ISLAND, FLA. LENGTH: Long : 159 lines
AS THE AIRPORT shuttle passed through the front gates, I couldn't help but think: So this is how, and maybe even where, the other half lives.
The first car I saw was a Mercedes-Benz. The second car was another Mercedes. The third was a BMW. We might not have been in another world, but we sure were in another tax bracket - at least for the weekend.
No, Amelia Island Plantation is not for the Red Roof Inn crowd. But if the objective is to treat yourself to a pampered winter vacation at a secluded location, with golf and/or tennis a priority, then Amelia Island Plantation deserves a good look.
Although it is a ``no-cash'' resort - you charge meals and activities on an account card - Amelia Island Plantation does take American Express. And VISA. Bring both, if you have them.
Set on an isolated 1,250 acres in the northeast corner of Florida, Amelia Island Plantation has a mouth-watering checklist: 45 holes of golf, 25 tennis courts, 25 swimming pools, 7 miles of bike trails, 2 miles of beach and four restaurants.
But the numbers are not as important as how the resort uses them. Amelia Island Plantation prides itself on being an environmentally conscious development. For the most part, the golf courses, trails, tennis courts and buildings have been situated so as to minimize intrusion on the natural beauty of the island.
In many places, the vegetation gives the island a tropical flavor. Other sections are dominated by massive live oaks, many dripping with Spanish moss. Tranquil marshlands, teeming with wildlife, form the resort's border along the Intracoastal Waterway.
Amelia Island Plantation takes its commitment to nature seriously. Several of the resort's residential homes were built with tree trunks actually going through the house.
All guest accommodations - mostly hotel rooms and villas - are on the beach, which is nearly as wide as a football field is long. A sand replenishment project last summer produced a beach that is 250 feet from dunes to water's edge. That's a pretty good hike, but Robin Leach must like it. ``Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous'' says the resort has ``one of the top 10 beaches in the world.''
The main attraction for the resort is its golf, which has an impressive resume - Golf Magazine gave Amelia Island Plantation a gold medal as one of the top 12 golf resorts in the United States, and Money Magazine calls it one of America's 25 best golf resort values.
There are two courses, both created by well-known designers. The 27-hole Amelia Links layout was designed by Pete Dye, the 18-hole Long Point course by Tom Fazio.
Long Point is by far the more difficult layout - 6,775 yards with a 72.9 rating from the blue tees, 6,086/69.8 from the whites. Amelia Links is broken up into three nine-hole courses - Oakmarsh (3,308/71.7 from the blues, 2,992/68.6 whites), Oysterbay (3,194/69.5 and 2,832/66.6) and Oceanside (2,809/69.7 and 2597/67.0).
The courses are spectacular - challenging without being brutal. They are tight with plenty of water and other trouble. I carry a 15 handicap, and was thrilled to lose just one ball in 36 holes. My playing partner, a 6-handicapper, scored better but must have lost seven or eight balls.
Scoring well - which I did not do - should not be the entire objective on these courses. The scenery is part of what elevates these layouts.
Each course takes you on a meandering trip through the island's varied landscape. Five holes run along the Atlantic Ocean - and I mean run along it. All five have a rather large bunker on the right - the beach. And if you slice one over there, don't bother going after it. You are not allowed on the dunes.
Both courses also send you through the oak groves, and if you're not careful, you will find yourself lagging behind as you take in the scenery. A few holes are bordered by houses, and even those homes are worth gawking at.
Some of the most beautiful, and most difficult, holes are the ones that run out into the marshland. And again, if you plunk one into the marsh, even where the turf is firm, it's gone. Golfers are not allowed to retrieve balls from the marsh.
Golf is not always the most relaxing sport, but amid the serenity of these surroundings, it's almost impossible to get upset. Egrets are everywhere - unfortunately, so were the mosquitoes - and on one oceanside tee box, we were even joined by a rabbit.
If you want to golf here, get a package. They are pricey, even in the offseason, but without a package, winter greens fees for Amelia Links are $65, cart included, and $80 for Long Point.
The golf packages also carry a weather guarantee: If the temperature does not reach 60 degrees during any day of your stay, the room that night is free. For the record, the average Amelia Island temperature from December through February is 67 degrees.
Tennis is another popular theme at the resort, which each April hosts a stop on the women's pro tennis tour. But as with the golf, if you want to play tennis, get a package. Otherwise, court time will run you $22 an hour.
If Amelia Island Plantation sounds a little like another beach-golf-tennis resort a little farther north - Hilton Head, S.C. - there is a reason. The original developer for the Amelia Island operation two decades ago was the Sea Pines Co., which also developed Hilton Head. Amelia Island Plantation has since broken away from Sea Pines, and claims to have a less-crowded, more-natural setting than its South Carolina cousin.
While it is not possible to do Amelia Island Plantation on the cheap, there are packages available, especially in December or January.
A word of warning: If you do Amelia Island Plantation on a budget, you're probably not doing it justice. Once there, you will feel the urge to splurge. Nothing is cheap, but you get what you pay for here - quality.
Off-season rates for three-day, two-night packages start at $320 a couple. Tennis packages are four-day, three-night deals, starting at $444 for two people. Golf packages, also for four days and three nights, are $725 and up for two.
But remember, that just gets you in the gate, and maybe onto the golf course or a tennis court. Most likely, you will be using your account card for meals and other activities.
The food is spectacular, but expensive. Two of the restaurants, the Amelia Island Inn and the Veranda, rate gourmet status. The Inn's Sunday brunch is out of this world, the best I've ever had, and is a relative bargain at $21.
If you want to do nothing - just sit back and relax - Amelia Island Plantation isn't a bad place to do it. But if you're up for other activities, get out that account card. Bicycles are $15 a day, the workout room is $11 a day, racquetball courts are $7 an hour, an hour-and-15-minute horseback ride is $30, and a paddleboat is $10 an hour.
One thing that is free is shuttle transportation. Pick up the phone at almost any location in the resort, and a van is dispatched to take you to your new destination.
Other than that, be prepared to pay to play. ILLUSTRATION: Color photos
AMELIA ISLAND PLANTATION
Golfers at Amelia Island Plantation in Florida play beside the
Atlantic Ocean, left, and stroll past beautiful homes. The resort
isn't cheap, however, so bring your credit cards.
Graphic
TRAVELER'S ADVISORY
Amelia Island Plantation is a 1,250-acre, upscale resort that
specializes in golf and tennis vacations, although a variety of
packages are available. The resort has private residences, but most
guest accommodations are in the 900-plus villas, or condominiums.
Where it is: On a barrier island in the northeast corner of
Florida, approximately 30 miles from Jacksonville. Amelia Island is
13 1/2 miles long and is the southernmost member of the ``Golden
Isles.'' Amelia Island Plantation takes up the southern end of the
island.
Getting there: Amelia Island is roughly 600 miles from South
Hampton Roads, or about a 12-hour drive. Flying, obviously, is
easier. Continental (800-525-0280) has two direct flights from
Norfolk to Jacksonville daily, USAir (800-428-4322) has one. In a
recent price check, USAir's cheapest available fare was $238,
Continental's was $278. Delta (627-2145) also has service from
Norfolk to Jacksonville, but not direct. Its lowest price quote was
$238.
Getting around: Once at Amelia Island Plantation, you won't need
a car. Free shuttle service is proved, including excursions outside
the plantation to other parts of the island.
Other things to do: At the north end of the island is Fort
Clinch, built in 1847. The Civil War-era fortification specializes
in interpretive history. Also toward the north end is Fernandina
Beach, a quaint little town on the Intracoastal Waterway with a
50-block historic district and no shortage of shops.
For more information: Amelia Island Plantation, (800) 874-6878;
Amelia Island/Fernandina Beach Chamber of Commerce, (904) 261-3248.
by CNB