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62-537: The 1,350 acre community includes a 402-room resort, nine restaurants, 46 holes of championship golf, 7 pickleball courts and 23 Har-Tru clay tennis courts. The development has a total value of $ 1.95 billion when the 1,150 condominiums, 800 homes and unbuilt lots are counted. Development of Amelia Island Resort began in 1971 by the Hilton Head Island 's Sea Pines Company . Under Fraser’s Vice President, landscape architect Arthur Foster, and his design staff,

124-527: A clay court. In Britain, where En-Tout-Cas is based, most red clay courts have a surface dressing of burnt shale (with or without brick) for improving drainage. However, shale courts are now comparatively rare, having been steadily replaced in many clubs by all-weather synthetic surfaces (including artificial clay). The few courts that remain tend to be found in industrial areas such as central Scotland and Lancashire , as shale – known as blaes in Scotland –

186-525: A deal could not be reached. The Amelia Island Company filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy on November 13, 2009 to buy time with its creditors while it completed a reorganization plan. The Plasencia Group served as investment advisor to the debtor. AIC filed a reorganization plan in May, 2010 in which the Noble Investment Group would acquire AIC and invest $ 45.9 million to pay off debts and provide

248-670: A deep taproot that anchors it when young and eventually develops into an extensive and widespread root system. This, along with its low center of gravity and other factors, makes the southern live oak extremely resistant to strong sustained winds, such as those seen in hurricanes. Quercus virginiana is placed in the southern live oaks section of the genus Quercus ( section Virentes ). A large number of common names are used for this tree, including "Virginia live oak", "bay live oak", "scrub live oak", "plateau oak", "plateau live oak", "escarpment live oak", and (in Spanish ) " roble ". It

310-399: A few years live oak needs only occasional supplemental water. Southern live oak is very long lived, and there are many specimens that are more than 400 years old in the deep southern United States. The southern live oak is reliably hardy to USDA Hardiness Zone 8a, which places its northern limit for long-term cultivation inland around Atlanta , Memphis , and Washington, D.C. Live oak wood

372-449: A length of 2–15 centimetres ( 3 ⁄ 4 –6 inches) and a width of 1–5 cm ( 3 ⁄ 8 –2 in), borne alternately. The male flowers are green hanging catkins with lengths of 7.5–10 cm (3–4 in). The acorns are small, 1–2.5 cm ( 3 ⁄ 8 –1 in), oblong in shape (ovoid or oblong-ellipsoid), shiny and tan-brown to nearly black, often black at the tips, and borne singly or in clusters. Depending on

434-454: A narrow band through North Carolina along the coast to the interior South Carolina coast, where its range begins to expand farther inland. The range of live oak continues to expand inland as it moves south, growing across southern Georgia and covering all of Florida south to the northernmost Florida Keys. Live oak grows along the Florida panhandle to Mobile Bay , then westward across

496-488: A number of saplings can be found growing around nearby Towson . Multiple healthy young examples can be found in the Bolton Hill neighborhood of Baltimore . One source states that the southern live oak responds "with vigorous growth to plentiful moisture on well-drained soil." They tend to survive fire, because often a fire will not reach their crowns . Even if a tree is burned, its crowns and roots usually survive

558-535: A player to deliver an unreturnable shot. Points are usually longer as there are fewer winners . Clay courts favor baseliners who are consistent and have a strong defensive game, leading to players such as Rafael Nadal , Björn Borg , Chris Evert , and Justine Henin finding success at the French Open. Players who excel on clay courts but struggle to replicate the same form on fast courts are known as clay-court specialists . Clay-court players generally play in

620-621: A product, and by the 1920s the company was responsible for laying clay courts for the Davis Cup and at the French , British and Canadian Championships. During the following decade the American engineer H. A. Robinson went still further, creating a surface based on classic clay augmented with green piled metabasalt rock, which he hoped would help deliver a more consistent bounce. This became known as Har-Tru, derived from Robinson's initials and

682-405: A semicircle about 1.5 to 3 metres (5 to 10 feet) behind the baseline. Clay courts favor the "full western grip " for more topspin . Clay court players use topspins to throw off their opponents. Movement on the loose surface is very different from movement on any other surface, often involving sliding toward the incoming ball while preparing for the return stroke. Clay courts are unique in that

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744-403: A string of successes on other surfaces—including completing a Double Career Grand Slam and a Career Golden Slam —led to a broadening of his reputation. 2016 French Open winner Garbiñe Muguruza reached the 2015 Wimbledon final and won the 2017 Wimbledon title. The professional clay court season comprises many more tournaments than the brief grass court season, but is still shorter than

806-453: A substantial negative cash flow”, forcing the company to cut wages and layoff 25% of their workforce. In January, 2009, Atlanta developer Redquartz Development announced an agreement to become majority owner of Amelia Island Resort for $ 60 million, but by May, the deal was abandoned when Redquartz couldn't raise the cash. The company also contemplated the sale of the hotel and a couple of golf courses to Metropolitan Life Insurance Company , but

868-782: A thin layer of fine clay particles on top. Clay courts are more common in Continental Europe and Latin America than in North America, Asia-Pacific or Britain. The only Grand Slam tournament that uses clay courts is the French Open . Clay courts come in the more common red clay , which is actually crushed brick , and the slightly harder green clay , also known as "rubico", which is actually crushed metabasalt . Although slightly less expensive to construct than other types of tennis courts, clay requires much maintenance:

930-589: A wine festival, golf tournaments and a jazz festival. The facility features 20 swimming pools, a full-service spa, kids' club and stocked fishing lake, situated between 3½ miles of white sand beaches and the Intracoastal Waterway , convenient for those with boats. Although longtime company president Richard Cooper died in 2008, the Cooper family retained ownership. The Late-2000s recession affected real estate and resorts significantly and AIP “suffered

992-503: Is a constituent element of colliery waste and thus can be easily and cheaply sourced in such locations. Shale courts tend to be a lighter shade of red than European clay courts. Aside from crushed brick and shale, other surfaces have also been used as a substitute for natural red clay. In Queensland and New South Wales , courts made from crushed ant hill mounds (known as "ant bed" or "dirt" courts) can occasionally be found; these are similar in appearance to standard red clay courts, as

1054-458: Is a tennis player who excels on clay courts, more than on any other surface. Due in part to advances in racquet technology, current clay-court specialists are known for employing long, winding groundstrokes that generate heavy topspin; such strokes are less effective on faster surfaces on which the balls do not bounce as high. Clay-court specialists tend to slide more effectively on clay than other players. Many of them are also very adept at hitting

1116-470: Is also often just called "live oak" within its native area, but the full name "southern live oak" helps to distinguish it from other live oaks , a general term for any evergreen species of oak. This profusion of common names partly reflects an ongoing controversy about the classification of various live oaks, in particular its near relatives. Some authors recognize as distinct species the forms others consider to be varieties of Quercus virginiana . Notably,

1178-516: Is cultivated in warmer climates as a specimen tree or for shade in the southern United States (zone 8 and south), Nuevo León and Tamaulipas states in Mexico, and in the warmer parts of the United States, Europe, and Australia. Cultivation is relatively simple, as southern live oak seedlings grow fast with ample soil moisture. Planting depth has little effect on the success of the tree. After

1240-663: Is entirely in Europe, and usually takes place in July. Near the end of the swing, it overlaps with the beginning of the US Open Series . Quercus virginiana Quercus virginiana , also known as the southern live oak , is an evergreen oak tree endemic to the Southeastern United States . Though many other species are loosely called live oak , the southern live oak is particularly iconic of

1302-416: Is found on higher topographic sites as well as hammocks in marshes and swamps. In general, southern live oak hugs the coastline and is rarely found more than 90 m (300 ft) above sea level. Live oaks grow across a wide range of sites with many moisture regimes – ranging from dry to moist. Live oak will survive well on both dry sites and in wet areas, effectively handling short duration flooding if water

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1364-440: Is hard, heavy, and difficult to work with, but very strong. In the days of wooden ships, live oaks were the preferred source of the framework timbers of the ship, using the natural trunk and branch angles for their strength. The frame of USS  Constitution was constructed from southern live oak wood harvested from St. Simons Island, Georgia , and the density of the wood grain allowed it to survive cannon fire, thus earning her

1426-551: Is moving and drainage is good. Good soil drainage is a key resource component for sustained live oak growth. The usual precipitation range is 650–1,650 millimetres (25–65 in) of water per year, preferably in spring and summer. Soil is usually acidic, ranging between pH of 5.5 and 6.5. A live oak on Tyler Avenue in Annapolis, Maryland or one on Cherrywood Lane in Bowie, Maryland is the northernmost known mature specimen, although

1488-460: Is packed to make the court, with the top most layers consisting of finely crushed loose particles. Such courts are most common in Europe and Latin America. The exact color of the surface varies with the composition of the bricks used, and can appear from a light yellow to a deep red. Natural clay courts are rare because this type of surface does not absorb water easily and takes two to three days to dry. A good example of natural red clay can be seen at

1550-548: Is the long spring clay season that starts in the Americas and Morocco before moving to mainland Europe and finishing with the French Open. It is usually played over two months between April and June, after the Miami Open . Unlike the other two clay seasons, this swing does not share the majority of its time with simultaneous hard court tournaments. The third is the brief summer clay season that takes place after Wimbledon. It

1612-519: The Old South . Many very large and old specimens of live oak can be found today in the Deep South region of the United States. Although live oaks retain their leaves nearly year-round, they are not true evergreens . Live oaks drop their leaves immediately before new leaves emerge in the spring. Occasionally, senescing leaves may turn yellow or contain brown spots in the winter, leading to

1674-932: The drop shot , which can be effective because rallies on clay courts often leave players pushed far beyond the baseline. Additionally, the slow, long rallies require a great degree of mental focus and physical stamina. The definition of "clay-court specialist" has varied. Anthony Wilding, Sergi Bruguera , Albert Costa and Gastón Gaudio were French Open champions who won all or nearly all of their career titles on clay. Andrés Gimeno , Adriano Panatta , Manuel Orantes , Yannick Noah , Michael Chang , Thomas Muster, Gustavo Kuerten , Carlos Moyá and Juan Carlos Ferrero won major titles only on clay, but won lower tournaments, including Masters Series events, on other surfaces. Among female players, there have been few whose best results were confined exclusively to clay. Virginia Ruzici , Anastasia Myskina , Iva Majoli , Sue Barker , Ana Ivanovic , Francesca Schiavone and Jeļena Ostapenko are

1736-464: The white-tailed deer . The tree crown is very dense, making it valuable for shade, and the species provides nest sites for many mammal species. Native Americans extracted a cooking oil from the acorns, used all parts of live oak for medicinal purposes, leaves for making rugs, and bark for dyes. The roots of seedlings sometimes form starchy, edible tubers. People in past centuries harvested and fried these tubers for human consumption much as one might use

1798-645: The 'true' nature of the bounce experienced on the court. First used in Hagerstown, Maryland , in 1932, green Har-Tru clay soon became the preferred surface for American clay court tournaments. In later years, the Har-Tru company would go on to develop all-weather clay surfaces at its factory in Charlottesville, Virginia , that could be played on throughout the entire year. Almost all red clay courts are now made not of natural clay but of crushed brick that

1860-534: The 20 yard heated indoor lap pool. There is also a smaller fitness center located in the Omni Amelia Island Resort building. 30°33′22″N 81°26′59″W  /  30.55611°N 81.44972°W  / 30.55611; -81.44972 Har-Tru A clay court is one of the types of tennis court on which the sport of tennis is played. Clay courts are built on a foundation of crushed stone, brick, shale, and other aggregate , with

1922-470: The French Open (1976–78), to participate in World Team Tennis . She also has the highest career win percentage on clay courts (94.55%) during the open era. The most successful currently active female player on clay is Iga Świątek , who won the French Open in 2020 , 2022 , 2023 , and 2024 . In 2022 and 2024, Świątek won three titles and lost only one match on clay. A clay-court specialist

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1984-539: The Frick Park Clay Courts in Pittsburgh , a public facility of six red clay courts that has been in continual use since 1930. Sports surface providers such as En-Tout-Cas still offer red clay surfaces with a coarser top layer to improve drainage. These courts are particularly popular in southern Australian states such as Victoria , where the phrase 'En-Tout-Cas' is a common generic shorthand for

2046-513: The Royal Amelia Golf Course and it was renamed Amelia River Golf Club in 2007. The property was owned by the city of Fernandina Beach, and was created by Tom Jackson. When AIC filed for bankruptcy in 2009, the lease was terminated and possession was returned to the owner. Tennis is another big attraction at the resort. Omni Amelia Island Resort is home to 23 Har-Tru clay courts shaded by tall southern live oak trees during

2108-715: The US Open in 1977 while it was held on clay. Thomas Muster is also considered a successful clay court player; although he also only won the French Open once, 40 out of his 44 career singles titles were won on clay. Other notable players who had significant success on clay include Ivan Lendl and Björn Borg - the former winning the French Open in 1984, 1986, and 1987, while the latter won it 6 times. While often overshadowed by Nadal's clay successes due to being contemporaries, Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic also were known for being extremely formidable on clay courts throughout their careers and had significant successes. Federer made

2170-532: The Vallauris terracotta pots, as the factory could not keep up with this eruption in demand. Courts covered in a top layer of brick dust thereafter became the norm in many Mediterranean and South American countries, as they were not only durable in summer but did not need to be tended and mowed, as grass courts did (although they did require regular maintenance involving rolling, "dragging", and occasional watering). Yet further improvements were still imperative, as

2232-539: The above two species, and also with the dwarf live oak ( Q. minima ), swamp white oak ( Q. bicolor ), Durand oak ( Q. durandii ), overcup oak ( Q. lyrata ), bur oak ( Q. macrocarpa ), and post oak ( Q. stellata ). Live oak can be found in the wild growing and reproducing on the lower coastal plain of the Gulf of Mexico and lower East Coast of the United States . Its native range begins in southeast Virginia , and then continues south in

2294-493: The ant hill "loam" or grit is pinky-brown in color. Top Australian competitors such as Mal Anderson , Roy Emerson and Rod Laver , who all grew up in Queensland, practiced on ant bed courts when they were young. Green clay, also known by brand names such as Har-Tru and Rubico, is made of crushed metabasalt rather than brick, making the surface slightly harder and faster than red clay. These courts are located primarily in

2356-428: The ball bounce leaves an impression in the ground, which can help determine whether a shot was in or out. Furthermore, clay courts are still playable in light rain because the courts are meant to be slightly wet when played on and the surface absorbs water better than hard courts and grass courts. This is opposed to hard courts and grass courts where play is usually suspended almost immediately during even light rain. In

2418-484: The biggest attractions at Omni Amelia Island Resort are the golf courses. The resort boasts two championship courses. The Oak Marsh course, was Pete Dye 's design, and winds through salt marshes and heritage oaks draped with spanish moss . The challenging Long Point course, designed by Tom Fazio , includes eight water hazards that must be crossed. Starting in 2005, the Amelia Island Company leased

2480-462: The bounce on these courts was often irregular, the surface dried slowly after rain had fallen, and the courts could not be used in winter months for fear of damage. In 1909, the newly-established Leicestershire firm En-Tout-Cas (translated roughly into English as "in all conditions") came up with a prototype court made from crushed brick and burnt shale that could drain much more quickly than standard clay courts. These proved very popular once offered as

2542-509: The capital needed to emerge from bankruptcy. Under the acquisition agreement, the Cooper family interests would receive up to $ 5 million, and homeowners would be able to buy ownership of one of the resort golf courses and of the clubhouse they currently use exclusively. On August 23, 2010, TRT Holdings , parent company of Omni Hotels , emerged as the successful bidder with a $ 67.1 million bid in an auction conducted in federal bankruptcy court. The transaction closed in early September 2012. One of

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2604-714: The closely related and much more cold-hardy Escarpment Live Oak ( Quercus fusiformis ), a rare remnant from the last glaciation also found around Norman, Oklahoma . Along the coastal plain of the Gulf of Mexico and south Atlantic United States, live oak is found in both single and mixed species forests, dotting the savannas, and as occasional clumps in the grasslands along the lower coastal plain. Live oak grows in soils ranging from heavy textures (clay loams), to sands with layers of organic materials or fine particles. Live oak can be found dominating some maritime forests, especially where fire periodicity and duration are limited. Live oak

2666-560: The court should be covered with a fine powder that would protect it from the sun's rays. This powder was sourced from discarded terracotta discovered at a small ceramics factory in Vallauris , near Cannes , where the brothers regularly purchased decorative pots for their garden. Success with the new surface came quickly: after only a year or two, it was reported that 104 clay courts had been built in Cannes alone. Brick powder soon replaced

2728-482: The day and fully lit at night. The facility offers the Cliff Drysdale tennis instruction program and has been rated the 16th best tennis resort in the United States by Tennis Resorts Online and a Top 50 Tennis Resort by Tennis Magazine. Omni Amelia Island Resort is also home to a high quality stand alone fitness center, including free and machine weight rooms; yoga and body tone classes, and aqua fit classes in

2790-405: The final of the French Open every year from 2006 to 2009, finally winning the last one in the sequence, while Djokovic has won the title 3 times (2016, 2021, 2023), beating Nadal en route to the title in 2021. Federer is also notable for ending Nadal's 81 match win streak on clay courts in 2007 at the 2007 Hamburg Masters. On the women's side, Monica Seles , Justine Henin and Iga Swiatek hold

2852-685: The fire and sprout vigorously. Furthermore, live oak forests discourage entry of fire from adjacent communities because they provide dense cover that discourages the growth of a flammable understory. They can withstand occasional floods and hurricanes, and are resistant to salt spray and moderate soil salinity . Although they grow best in well-drained sandy soils and loams, they will also grow in clay. The branches frequently support other plant species such as rounded clumps of ball moss ( Tillandsia recurvata ), thick drapings of Spanish moss ( Tillandsia usneoides ), resurrection fern ( Pleopeltis polypodioides ), and parasitic mistletoe . Southern live oak

2914-551: The following two taxa, treated as species in the Flora of North America , are treated as varieties of southern live oak by the United States Forest Service : the escarpment live oak , Quercus fusiformis ( Q. virginiana var. fusiformis ) and the sand live oak , Quercus geminata ( Q. virginiana var. geminata ). Matters are further complicated by southern live oaks hybridizing with both of

2976-465: The growing conditions, live oaks vary from a shrub-size to large and spreading tree-size: typical open-grown trees reach 20 m (66 ft) in height, with a limb spread of nearly 27 m (89 ft). Their lower limbs often sweep down towards the ground before curving up again. They can grow at severe angles; Native Americans used to bend saplings over so that they would grow at extreme angles, to serve as trail markers. The southern live oak has

3038-786: The hard court seasons. There are three distinct clay court seasons during the year. The first is the men's South American clay season. Played primarily in February between the Australian Open and the Indian Wells Masters , the ATP has four tournaments in this swing, although other ATP tournaments played on hardcourt occur the same weeks. The WTA discontinued its participation in Rio de Janeiro after 2016, so there are no clay court women's tournaments during this period. The second

3100-424: The master plan for Amelia Island was prepared. A variety of consultants advised Foster in the master planning of Amelia Island. The emphasis of Foster’s team was To balance the development with the natural environment. The master plan became part of the deed covenants that protected the tidal marshes, dunes, savannas and wildlife that existed there. The original owners filed Chapter 11 bankruptcy in 1976. The resort

3162-669: The mid-Atlantic and southern United States. They are also found in Central and Eastern Canada. There is one WTA tournament played on green Har-Tru clay courts, the Charleston Open in Charleston, South Carolina . From 1975 until 1977, the US Open was played on Har-Tru clay courts. The US Men's Clay Court Championships are played on clay that has a maroon color. Not only is this a darker color than other clay courts used in

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3224-429: The mistaken belief that the tree has oak wilt , whose symptoms typically occur in the summer. A live oak's defoliation may occur sooner in marginal climates or in dry or cold winters. The bark is dark, thick, and furrowed longitudinally. The leaves are stiff and leathery, with the tops shiny dark green and the bottoms pale gray and very tightly tomentose , simple and typically flattish with bony-opaque margins, with

3286-444: The nickname "Old Ironsides". Even today, the U.S. Navy continues to own extensive live oak tracts. The primary uses for southern live oaks today are providing food and shelter for wildlife. Among the animals for which live oak acorns are an important food source are the bobwhite quail , the threatened Florida scrub jay , the wood duck , yellow-bellied sapsucker , wild turkey , black bear , various species of squirrel , and

3348-399: The only female players to have won major titles at only the French Open since the beginning of the open era. Increasingly, clay courters have attempted to play better on other surfaces, with some success. Ferrero reached the final of the US Open in 2003 , the same year he won the French Open , and also won several hardcourt tournaments. Nadal was considered a clay court specialist until

3410-520: The open era record for the number of consecutive French Open titles won at three (1990–1992 for Seles, 2005–2007 for Henin and 2022–2024 for Swiatek). In the pre-open era this feat was first achieved by Helen Wills Moody (1928–1930) and followed by Hilde Krahwinkel Sperling (1935–1937). Chris Evert holds the record for longest winning streak on clay for either gender in the open era: from August 1973 to May 1979, she won 125 consecutive clay court matches. During this time, Evert skipped three editions of

3472-637: The pre-open era Anthony Wilding is particularly notable for his achievements on clay courts. Starting in May 1910 at the Championship of South Africa and ending in June 1914 at the World Hard Court Championships he registered 120 consecutive clay court match victories. Rafael Nadal, winner of a record 14 French Open men's singles titles , is noted for his success on clay; since his debut in 2005, he has only lost four times at

3534-407: The professional game, but it is also a type of Har-Tru court, meaning it is actually composed of the same substance (basalt) as green clay courts, and not a type of red clay. Har-Tru market this kind of court as "American red clay". Clay courts are considered "slow" because the balls bounce relatively high and lose much of their initial speed when contacting the surface, making it more difficult for

3596-460: The real estate in 2010. It is a four-diamond AAA resort, which offers 80,000 sq ft (7,400 m) of flexible space to accommodate meetings and conventions of up to 1,600 participants. AIP was host of a woman's professional tennis tournament beginning in 1980 which became the Bausch & Lomb Championships from 1987 to 2008. Many other events are hosted by the resort each year including

3658-621: The southernmost two tiers of counties in Mississippi . Live oak grows across the southern third of Louisiana , except for some barrier islands and scattered parts of the most southern parishes. Live oak's range continues into Texas and narrows to hug the coast until just past Port Lavaca, Texas . There is a misconception that the southern live oak reaches its northwestern limit in the granite massifs and canyons in Southwestern Oklahoma . However, this actually belongs to

3720-659: The surface must be watered and rolled regularly to preserve texture and flatness, and brushed carefully before each game. Clay courts, although now commonly associated with continental Europe, were the invention of the English tennis player William Renshaw (a seven times Wimbledon champion) and his twin brother Ernest . The Renshaws had built a grass court at their summer home on the French Riviera , but found it unable to withstand prolonged exposure to heat and sunlight. To remedy this, in 1890 William Renshaw decided that

3782-547: The tournament – in 2009 , 2015 , 2021 and 2024 . Nadal holds the record for the longest winning streak by any male player on a single surface since the Open Era began in 1968: 81 clay court wins between April 2005 and May 2007. He also holds the record for most clay court titles in the Open Era, with 63. Guillermo Vilas won 49 of his 62 singles titles on clay. He only won a single French Open title, although he also won

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3844-461: Was purchased in 1978 by a group of investors headed by Richard Cooper. The new owners took the name, Amelia Island Company (AIC), but the resort and company are synonymous. Over the next 30 years, the property was further developed and enhanced as a prestigious location. The hotel's name was changed from Amelia Island Plantation Hotel to Amelia Inn & Beach Club and then to its current Omni Amelia Island Resort once Omni Hotels & Resorts purchased

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