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Choose the villas at Amelia Island Plantation
for your Florida golf vacation.
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With 72 holes of award-winning golf, tennis, and various accommodations just north of Jacksonville, Amelia Island Plantation is hardly a risky choice for an Amelia Island golf vacation…if you know where to stay.
The choicest accommodations at Amelia Island Plantation are the spacious condominium “villas.” On our last visit, our quiet, comfortable, one-bedroom condo in the Sandcastles building featured a king-size bed, living room, two televisions, oceanfront balcony and fully-equipped kitchen. The beach was only a few steps away and the small pool serving Sandcastles suited our Amelia Island golf vacation just fine.
Room rates at the Amelia Inn, the hub of this decentralized resort, are very nearly equal in price to the resort villas, but the quality of accommodations comes up a bit short. We stayed in room No. 712, which had an oceanfront balcony, but otherwise, it was a generic hotel room with garishly clashing fabrics.
Off property, we recommend the Ritz-Carlton or one of the charming, intimate inns in nearby Fernandina Beach, Amelia Island’s historic district. One of our favorites is the nine-room, Queen Anne-style Bailey House, which has heart pine floors, numerous fireplaces, and authentic, 19th century accents. The only downside to Bailey House (and other independent inns) is that guests do not typically receive playing privileges at the Amelia Island golf resort.
If you're lucky enough to take an extended Amelia Island golf vacation, however, the smartest move might be to take advantage of the resort's monthly golf memberships (available to longer-term renters of Amelia Plantation's villas or private homes) that run about $900 per couple (bag storage and practice balls included; per-round cart fee of $23 and tax not included).
Before you balk at the price, consider that one of our readers, Vashti B., and her husband spent $1,500 for only two rounds of golf and two nights at the Ritz before learning of the villa rentals/memberships. Thanks, Vashti, for this little nugget of wisdom.
Did you know?Golf Vacation Insider and Golf Odyssey are the world's only golf publications that travel anonymously and do not accept advertising, discounts, or "freebies" from the golf courses, resorts or restaurants they review.
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