Oak Marsh Golf Course at Omni Amelia Island Resort & Spa in Florida officially reopened this week, following a renovation by golf course architect Beau Welling, who took a ceremonial first tee shot at the oceanfront course.

The goal of the $7.4 million renovation project was to protect features from Pete Dye’s original 1972 design – characterised with greens that meander along salt marsh creeks and through Oak canopies – while also modernising the layout to meet the requirements of today’s game.

Greens and bunkers have been rebuilt and surfaces have been regrassed with TifEagle bermudafor greens and Bimini bermuda elsewhere. Tee areas are now a ‘ribbon’ design for increased tee placement options and the course’s irrigation system has also been updated.

“Our celebrated Oak Marsh is now even better and provides one of the great golf course experiences in both Florida and the US,” said Theo Schofield, managing director at Omni Amelia Island Resort & Spa. “Beau Welling and his team are fantastic to work with as well as ideal to maintain Pete Dye’s original concept while modernising the layout to be enjoyed by our resort guests and club members for decades to come.”

Oak Marsh is Welling’s second project at Omni Amelia Island, having designed the resort’s 10-hole par-three course Little Sandy and an 18-hole putting course in 2022.

“Our team is incredibly excited about this renovation of Oak Marsh,” he said. “We were very mindful to preserve Pete Dye’s strategy and design intent as well as elevating the playing experience for today’s golfer. We have such a great relationship with the Omni team at Amelia Island, and we hope the overall aesthetic improvements, coupled with Amelia Island’s natural beauty, will truly showcase how special Oak Marsh is.”