You don't need a golf cart or your own clubs at Little Sandy, the Omni Amelia Island Resort's 10-hole short course, laid out around Red Maple Lake at 96 Amelia Village Circle. Holes run from 30 to 125 yards, and there's an 18-hole putting course next to them. Beau Welling designed it, and he also handled the 2025 renovation of the resort's Pete Dye-designed Oak Marsh course. The resort says Sports Illustrated named Little Sandy the best short course in 2022.
Nearly every hole plays along the lake, between sandy native grass, dunes and oak marsh habitat. The round closes on the 10th, which plays to an island green with a "hole-in-one" pin. It's a walking course with no golf carts. Walk-ins are accepted, and you can also book a tee time online. Rental clubs are included with every paid round, kids 10 and under play free with a paying adult, and a covered deck sells snacks and drinks. Hours are 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. daily, and the resort lists 904-277-5910 for questions.
Who can play is the part to read twice:
- The public, resort guests and members of The Amelia Island Club can all play.
- Property owners and residents in the Club-designated areas can't. The resort defines those as everything south of the Fernandina Beach Airport and Bill Melton Road, including Amelia Island Plantation, Summer Beach, Crane Island and Brady Point Preserve.
Little Sandy has no connection to the city's Fernandina Beach Golf Club, which is a full 27-hole municipal facility on Bill Melton Road. If you're at the Omni for the day, Amelia's Wheels runs Segway tours from the same property.