Last, but by no means least, is the oldest public course on the island, Fernandina Beach Golf Club, a longtime local favorite. Awarded 3 1/2 stars by Golf Digest, Fernandina Beach Golf Club offers players a classic layout, great conditions, and, with three nines to choose from, plenty of variety.
Fernandina Beach Golf Club is a municipal course, but Director of Golf John Vickers is quick to point out that the golf club receives no money at all from the city. It’s a self-sustaining enterprise fund that, on the contrary, actually pays money to the city from the surplus it generates.
A well-maintained municipal course that’s paying money back to the city? That’s one measure of how popular the golf course is. Annual memberships at the club are common among residents who play a lot, but the reasonable fees and challenging golf draw plenty of visitors - whether daytrippers from Jacksonville or vacationers enjoying a week on the island. With rates at around $35 during the week and under $40 on the weekend, you can get a lot of golf for your money at Fernandina Beach Golf Club.
Unlike most golf courses, the golf club offers players three nines to choose from instead of the two. That means that on a busy summer weekend, Fernandina Beach Golf Club can accommodate the heavy play it gets and keep the players moving. It also means golfers can enjoy a little variety in the golf they play. Like the other courses, Fernandina Beach Golf Club is a very well-maintained course. Vickers says that its excellent condition and the quality of play are what brings people back to play again and again. The greens have Bermuda grass throughout the summer months and, like the other courses in the winter months, they "overseed" the greens with a bent grass that can sometimes make the greens even better in the winter than they are in the summer.
The first nine at Fernandina Beach, built in 1957, is the North nine. A traditional design without a lot of hidden hazards, it is considered by many to be the most playable nine, with its wide fairways and shorter distances. The North nine, however, won’t just roll over and play dead. With its small greens, it places a premium on accurate approach shots.
The West nine, built a few years later, is similar in design and style to the North, but it has a lot more length. In 1972, the city sold some real estate around the perimeter of the golf course to pay for construction of the South nine. Unlike the North and West nines, the South nine does have some homes along the course. The South nine is more narrow from tee to green than the other nines, with beautiful tree-lined fairways that require good shot-making by golfers of every skill level. Because the golf course is less than one mile from the beach, cool ocean breezes can temper the summer heat on all three nines.
Vickers favorite hole on the North nine is No. 5, a short par 4 with a little lake on the side and a wide but shallow green. The hole requires only a long iron or fairway wood off the tee, but a very accurate approach. On the West nine, Vickers said the most memorable hole is No. 2, a monster par 5 that measures 600 yards. A tree-lined fairway, an undulating green, and a big bunker to the right of the green make this hole one you won’t soon forget. On the South nine, Vickers likes No. 3 and No. 7, two well-protected par 3’s with undulating greens, that are challenging and very enjoyable holes.
The large and active Men’s Association plays Wednesdays and Fridays at noon, and anyone who’s looking for a game can just come on out and join a foursome. In addition to the club championship, the Men’s Association sponsors an October 4-ball tournament and a variety of weekend events. The club also has an annual 54-hole June Invitational Tournament, as well as active Ladies’ 9- and 18-hole groups.
One couple that I spoke with told me that the Men’s and Ladies’ Associations were exactly what they loved most about Fernandina Beach Golf Club. They said that they had each made great friends playing golf there, and that the active men’s and women’s groups made the place feel like a country club.
Whatever your golfing taste, you’re sure to find something you like at Fernandina Beach Golf Club.
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