How this renovated Florida golf course has kept its Pete Dye roots

Pete Dye, a seminal figure in golf course design, was also something of a missing link: an innovator whose modern touches drew from centuries-old traditions. For example, the railway sleepers that became one of his hallmarks were inspired by Dye’s tours of Prestwick and other British courses where wooden sleepers were used to support bunker walls. In this way, and in countless other ways, his work acted as a bridge between what was and what was to come.

It’s fitting, then, that one of Dye’s beautiful courses is fresh off an update that gestures to the past while embracing the future.

Think about Oak Marsh, then and now.

Completed in 1972, layout op Omni Amelia Island Resort sets Dye loose in a vast salt marsh on a barrier island just south of the Georgia border, where ancient oak trees dotted the landscape, draped in moody Spanish moss. Opened just three years after Harbor Town Golf Links, the course echoes that groundbreaking design: deceptively intimidating tee shots that provide more generous landing areas than they appear; angles that matter; and strategically placed bunkers and water hazards, many of which are framed by those signature bands.

From the beginning, Oak Marsh has found a balance between challenge and fun. It was a popular outlet for resort play and was also sturdy enough for serious competition. In 1988 it hosted the U.S. Women’s Mid-Amateur Championship. If you have chosen the right tees, you will end up on an equal spot.

Like Dye himself, Oak Marsh endured and stayed in the game long enough for the game to evolve around it. Recent updates have aimed to honor its roots while adapting to today’s advanced technical game.

Beau Welling Design handled the $7.4 million renovation, with a mandate to modernize the layout and refine its aesthetics and conditioning without compromising the Dye DNA. All 18 greens were rebuilt and the tees, Roughs and Green Collars were regrassed with high quality, drought tolerant grass. Each bunker was renovated – some moved to better defend against today’s high-flying attacks – and drainage improvements were made throughout the course. The tee areas have been redesigned in a new ‘ribbon tee’ configuration: continuous areas of grass that allow for virtually endless setup options.

Outside the play corridors, native areas were cleared of vegetation and expanded to enhance the aesthetics. The driving range saw upgrades to the tees and landing area. The cart paths were also cleaned.

When the renovation was completed late last year, a reborn Oak Marsh joined a growing number of golfers at Omni Amelia Island. It now sits next to Little Sandy, a 10-hole par-3 course and an 18-hole putting course – both Welling’s creations – that wind through a lowland swamp environment and provide members and resort guests with an inviting counterpoint to short courses.

All this takes place on 1,350 hectares of coastal land, surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean, lush marshes and the Intracoastal Waterway. It is the setting for 402 oceanfront rooms and an array of resort amenities ranging from an adults-only infinity pool to a family-friendly children’s pool, extensive dining options and three and a half miles of uncrowded beach.

Oak Marsh is also part of a broader Omni-golf portfolio that includes 28 courses and multiple short courses at 12 U.S. resorts. Omni-operated layouts have been touched by some of the game’s most esteemed designers, from Golden Age greats like Donald Ross, AW Tillinghast and William Flynn to contemporary masters like Tom Fazio, Bill Coore and Gil Hanse.

And through that line runs Pete Dye, his imprint at Oak Marsh still very much alive.