For more than 25 years, I've traveled the highways, byways and waterways of Florida. I've devoured conch fritters in America's southernmost city, Key West, and feasted on fresh smoked grouper in the panhandle, so the Guru knows a thing or two about the good life in the Sunshine State.
One of my favorite places to visit is Amelia Island, a 13-mile long barrier island about 35 minutes from Jacksonville. It has a great mix of controlled development and untouched natural surroundings. What I love is you can enjoy a beautiful, walkable beach, numerous bike and nature paths and lots of great resort and public golf, dining and sightseeing without ever leaving the island.
The Omni Amelia Island Plantation Resort, which sits on 1,350 acres, is perfectly positioned oceanside with easy access to the village of Fernandina Beach (about a 15-minute drive).
GOLF
Two of my favorite course architects, Pete Dye and Tom Fazio, have separately designed the two championship layouts accessible to Omni Amelia Island guests.
Oak Marsh--Appropriately named, the course meanders along saltmarsh creeks through moss-draped oaks. A classic Pete Dye design built in 1972, Oak Marsh has several Dye signature features, including long, contoured fairways and bulkheaded greens. Like all Dye courses, Oak Marsh demands accuracy and shot-making ability from its challengers. If you're a spray hitter off the tee, be prepared for the nature walk of your life as you roam the fairway fringes to locate your ball.
Long Point--A Tom Fazio design, this layout takes you on an amazing trek through a well-preserved wilderness area. Dense forests, fifty-foot high sand dunes and marsh and ocean views dominate the experience. Fazio requires you to hit a wide variety of shots, ranging from those over menacing marshlands to those aimed at narrow, tree-lined fairways and oceanside greens surrounded by dunes.
ACCOMMODATIONS
Taking full advantage of its Atlantic Ocean setting, the resort has 404 oceanfront guest rooms and suites with patios and balconies. With an impressive amenity package, the rooms (as all Omni rooms) are, in the Guru's humble opinion, an exceptional value.
Room Amenities include:
--Ocean views from all 4004 guest rooms
--Furnished balcony or patio
--Serta Pillow Top mattress with 330-thread-count Egyptian cotton sheets
--Plush terry cloth robes
--Exclusive skin care products
--Coffee maker with premium coffee
--Work desk with lots of outlets and ports
RESORT AMENITIES
--3.5 miles private beach
--Infinity edge adult swimming pool
--10,000-square-foot family-friendly pool with a children's splash par and 2 hot tubs
--23 Har-Tru court tennis complex
--Shopping village with 14 boutiques, deli and market
--Nature center
--Hiking and nature trails
--Fishing, kayaking, paddleboarding and surfing
--Guided Segway tours, bicycles and golf carts
--Horseback riding
--Fully equipped fitness center with a 20-yard lap pool, personal trainers and group classes
--80,000 square feet of versatile indoor and outdoor meeting space
10 Little Things I Liked
1. The friendly southern hospitality you receive throughout the resort.
2. The great veranda and fire pit at the golf clubhouse.
3. The packed hard sands on the beach, which are ideal for sunrise and sunset strolls.
4. Blueberry Margaritas at the pool.
5. Plush, comfortable bedding. I always get a good nights sleep at an Omni property.
6. Fire pits and whirlpools in the pool area.
7. Great balcony overlooking the pool and Atlantic Ocean. A phenomenal place to wind down after a good or bad day on the course.
8. Delicious in-room coffee with the Keurig Coffeemaker.
9. Convenient and prompt tram service throughout the resort.
10. Boutique shopping center near the front of the resort.
DINING/LOUNGES
You don't have to leave the resort premises for great dining. Here's the menu:
--Bob's Steak & Chop House--Prime steaks, great whiskeys and an excellent wine list can be found here.
--Verandah--A contemporary design dining room featuring fresh seafood and varied wine list.
--Oceanside--It's swimsuits, flip-flops and margaritas during the day and later it transforms into an upscale ocean-side dining venue at night where you can hear waves crashing and smell salt air.
--Marsh View Bar & Grill--Features casual fare with stunning panoramas of the marsh and 9th hole of the Oak Marsh Golf Course. (Available only to registered guests and members).
Other options on resort grounds include Falcon's Nest (pub-style menu and build-your-own-burgers), Natural Slice (pizza joint with fresh ingredients and hand tossed dough), Marche Burette (French-style market and deli), Sunrise Cafe (features great breakfast buffet) and Seaglass Lounge (handcrafted cocktails and small plates).
THINGS TO DO NEARBY
--Shopping, dining and entertainment in Fernandina Beach, a walkable fishing village with a quaint downtown area with lots of great restaurants and local shops. I highly recommend the Salty Pelican Bar & Grill on North Front Street. Get a table on the second floor open-air porch and enjoy the superb seafood. No exaggeration alert: At the Salty P I had the best fried shrimp platter ever in my many years of travel.
--Amelia Island is a bicyclers paradise with excellent trails. You can rent bikes, baby trailers, jogging strollers, tandem bikes ant Island hoppers at the resort.
--Visit Fort Clinch State Park where you can explore a Civil War era fort.
--Ride a horse on the beach (Kelly Seahorse Ranch 904-491-5166 or Amelia Island Horseback Riding 90753-1701)
--Take a fishing charter from Fernandina Beach.
LOCATION
It's situated about a 45 minute drive from downtown Jacksonville and 29 miles from Jacksonville International Airport. If you're traveling on I-95 north or south, take exit 373 (Route A1A East) and it's about 17 miles to the resort entrance. Address: 39 Beach Lagoon Road, Amelia Island, Florida 32034
GET THE SCOOP
Call 904-261-6161 or 1-888-444-OMNI. Visit their website by clicking HERE
The Guru travels around the world to play golf, but, ironically, I really don't have to venture beyond my hometown, Orlando, to tee up at phenomenal resorts. O-Town has an amazing inventory of resorts with courses designed by a Who's Who list of architects like Jack Nicklaus, Arnold Palmer, Greg Norman, Tom Fazio and Tom Watson.
Just a few miles from my house is one of my favorites, Omni Orlando Resort at Championsgate. I absolutely love the resort plan with all of the golf elements situated directly behind the hotel. Everything from the two championship golf courses, the world headquarters of the David Leadbetter Golf Academy and par 3 chip and putt course are just a few steps from the hotel back door. Oh yeah, if you've got kids in tow, they've even got a highly entertaining miniature golf course.
Better still, it's a great time to visit because the resort just completed a multi-year, extensive $40 million enhancement and expansion project.
GOLF
You can almost feel Greg Norman's presence on the Championsgate fairways. Norman, aka The Great White Shark, designed both of the resort's 18-hole championship layouts. Both courses have undergone recent refurbishments and enhancements.
--International Course-If you've never been to Australia to play golf, this layout will give you a good idea of what a "down under" coastal links course looks and plays like. Ranked in most "Top 10" rankings of courses in Florida, this rustic design features firm, fast fairways, wind-swept dunes and sprawling greens. Opened in 2000, it's a thoroughly enjoyable, albeit very challenging at times, links-style golf experience. If you've got serious game, try the Black tees at 7,363 yards and a 143 slope. Most golfers play the blues at 6,792 yards (137 slope) or Whites at 6,239 yards (132 slope).
--National Course-It's a traditional, parklike course carved from 200 acres of citrus groves, wetlands and natural Florida forest. There are 80 sculpted bunkers and a variety of engaging holes with interesting doglegs and water coming into play on several holes. The greens are fairly small so shotmaking and distance control are important if you want to score well. The Black tees play 7,128 yards. For higher handicappers, the blues at 6,427 yards and whites at 5,937 yards are the best choices.
--David Leadbetter Academy--If you need instruction, help is not far away at Championsgate. The world headquarters of the David Leadbetter Academy is at the opposite end of the resort's expansive practice range. Amenities at the complex include spacious classrooms, student relaxation areas, video and computer analysis area, short game practice area, 65,000 square-foot lesson tee and more.
ACCOMMODATIONS
Overview: There are 862 guestrooms and suites as well as two-and-three bedroom villas and a new lodge.
--The standard guestrooms are superbly designed with an executive desk, leather chair, triple sheeting on beds, foam and feather pillows, mini-refrigerator and plush robes to name some of the amenities. The design scheme is soft, muted beige, brown and yellow colors.
--Some of the amenities at the villas include 24-hour room service, open kitchen, dining and living room floor plans, built-in wet bar in the dining rooms area, queen-size sleeper sofa bed in each living room, 42 inch plasma television or 35 inch LCD television with DVD play in living room, washer/dryer stackable units and daily housekeeping.
--Recently opened is the new Sunset Lodge and Suites, a 3-story building with 93 units, including 23 four-bedroom unites and 50 studio suites with double Queen beds and kitchenettes.
MAJOR RESORT AMENITIES
--European-style spa
--Kids pool, slides and private cabanas
--Quiet pool with private cabanas
--Family pool
--850-foot Lazy River
--Wave pool and private cabanas
--Lighted 9-hole par 3 course and miniature golf
--Complimentary scheduled shuttle transportation to Walt Disney World theme parks
--Guided bass fishing excursions and seminars
--Eco-adventure excursions
10 Little Things I Liked
1. The amazing French Toast coated with crumbled corn flakes and coconut I had for breakfast at Trevi's.
2. The mini-fridge in my guest room, which was perfect for chilling white wine and water.
3. The free valet parking at the golf clubhouse and the convenient self-parking at the hotel.
4. The scrumptious club sandwich I had after my round at Piper's Grille at the golf clubhouse.
5. The fun-to-play (and oh so convenient) Champions Lighted Golf 9-hole, par 3 course right behind the hotel.
6. The Lazy River and Wave Pool. The Guru never, I mean never, misses a chance to float down a Lazy River with a cool libation in hand.
7. The phenomenal Orange Sesame Beef with Steamed Broccoli I had at the on-site restaurant Zen.
8. My meeting with golf director Patrick Dill, who directs a staff that makes every golfer guest feel welcome.
9. The multiple, rapid elevators in the hotel that allow you quick access to the lobby and pool area.
10. The scenic walking, jogging path that weaves through the resort grounds.
DINING/LOUNGES
Zen Restaurant--An upscale Chinese setting with a sushi and sake bar.
David's Club--A high-end sports bar ambiance with everything from nachos and burgers to steaks. For your sports viewing pleasure, there is video wall and 90" flat screen TV.
Trevi's Restaurant--Available for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Italian fare dominates the menu in the evenings.
Croc's Pool Bar & Grille--Lots of burgers, salads and cocktails you can enjoy while in your bathing suit.
Piper's Bar and Grille at Championsgate Clubhouse--Really delicious pub style food. Better than most clubhouse grills.
THINGS TO DO NEARBY
--Walt Disney World Theme Parks--Located less than a 15 minute drive from the resort.
--Warbird Adventures--Kissimmee-based company featuring flying in vintage military aircraft.
--Boggy Creek Air Boat Rides
--Orlando Tree Trek Adventure Park
LOCATION
Situated 25 minutes from Orlando International Airport 3 miles past the Walt Disney World exits on Interstate 4. Take exit 58 off I-4 and bear right. Address; 1500 Masters Boulevard, Championsgate, Florida 33896
GET THE SCOOP
For more information, click to Omni Orlando Resort at Championsgate or call 1-888-444-OMNI
