Crews are now hard at work on Amelia National Golf & Country Club’s renovation of its storied Tom Fazio-designed golf course.
It’s an exciting next step for the crown jewel amenity at Fernandina Beach’s best address. The multi-million-dollar renovation project began in mid-March, after the golf course closed following another active winter season. And although it won’t be an instantaneous process, the renovation — overseen by the course’s original architectural firm, FAZIO Designs — also won’t be a complete overhaul.
“I would say this is more of a re-grassing and a refreshing of the current golf course and the current golf conditions,” said FAZIO Designs’ Gavin Fazio during a November presentation.
Amelia National is one of ICI Homes’ signature properties in northeast Florida, nestled 10 minutes west of downtown Fernandina Beach and Amelia Island’s glorious Atlantic beaches.
The Fazio-designed golf course is the centerpiece here, winding throughout this gated community. It provides beautiful natural backdrops to residents’ homes and Amelia National’s French Provincial clubhouse, which also serves as the amenity hub.
If you’re a golfing enthusiast seeking a new custom luxury home in northeast Florida, Amelia National should be on your radar. Because soon, you’ll have a better-than-ever course to play!
Here’s more information.
Diving into details
Amelia National and its golf course opened in 2006. After two decades of enthusiastic use, some tweaking and updating is necessary.
A critical factor is the course’s original iteration. Tom Fazio designed Amelia National using the existing coastal-forested terrain, placing holes, greens and fairways into an already lovely place.
The current renovation builds off those good bones rather than uprooting everything from scratch. It prioritizes these five goals, as presented by Gavin Fazio and project manager Ron Smith in November:
- Improve course conditions with new turf and decrease shade issues.
- Renovate course to modern standards for more efficient maintenance.
- At some holes, re-position bunkers and add tees for improved strategy and playability.
- Improve current practice facilities by re-positioning cart tracks and shifting vegetation, etc., to make a great entrance to the course even better.
- Restore greens back to original sizes to maximize hole locations.
A few more deets
Amelia National’s course will be outfitted with one of the golfing industry’s cutting-edge turf choices.
FAZIO Design crews will use a technology called Bunker Solution to update bunkers and minimize washout problems. Per Gavin Fazio and Smith, this ensures Amelia National’s bunkers will contain less square footage and provide better visibility.
Trees will be trimmed and/or removed in select areas to improve vistas and turf growth, and drainage issues will be tackled and solved.
Half of the project’s multi-million-dollar budget will fund a new golf maintenance facility.
As with any natural site work and terrain processes, a golf course renovation takes time. Amelia National’s golf professionals are helping residents find golfing resources during the renovation. And don’t hesitate to enjoy local mini-golf courses.
Stay tuned for updates!
Ready for your Amelia National lifestyle? Talk to ICI Homes here.