The Atlantic Beach Classic is a new event on the Road to the LPGA's schedule in 2024, but hosting championship tournaments is far from new for the club located just outside of Jacksonville, Fla. The property was hosting championships well before Atlantic Beach Country Club was established in 2014. The predecessor, Selva Marina Country Club, hosted the PGA TOUR's Greater Jacksonville Open in 1966 and 1967. A bit of history was built into the club when Jack Nicklaus recorded one of his two double-eagles in tournament play in his career on hole 18, finishing in 11th place.
After a slight decline in the club with membership and the property, world-renowned golf course architect, Erik Larsen, was called upon to resurrect the struggling club. Larsen, who grew up in the area, poured his heart and years of experience into the project, starting in 2013 and eventually opening Atlantic Beach Country Club in 2015.
"Selva Marina Country Club was a club only. There was no housing at all. And it was in terrible condition because they irrigated from Sherman's Creek right here, which runs right by the clubhouse, which is brackish water, meaning sort of in-between fresh water and pure saltwater. And so over time, salts had built in the soil and built in the grass. And this to the point that grass was not able to be maintained at a high quality because it was too salty," explained Larsen. "And so, the club failed. Over time, it kept getting worse and worse condition. We lost members and at the time they had shareholders, and they all were leaving. So, it was in terrible financial condition."
The course was built to host championship events, and shortly after opening in 2015, Atlantic Beach Country Club became the official site for the Korn Ferry Tour Championship in 2016, 2017, and 2018, making its full transition back to a championship golf course. Players who made appearances at Atlantic Beach Country Club include Max Homa, Denny McCarthy, Sepp Straka, Adam Svensson and Joel Dahman.
Not only did the course catch the attention of professional tours, but it also started to catch the attention of the surrounding community. The club grew yearly, reaching 900 total members and over 400 golf members in 2024. The reason for the growth is due to housing opening up surrounding the club and the design of the golf course. The course was designed in part for tournament golf but also for the fun of the game.
"It's very easy to design a hard golf course. It's very easy to design an easy golf course. What we're trying to do is create the best golf courses," said Larsen. "It is challenging for these pros, and yet the members go up and say this is so much fun. And I think we checked that box. I've gotten a lot of very nice feedback from all calibers of play that the golf course is fun for them. It's challenging. It's beautiful."
When the Epson Tour rolls into town, championship golf will follow. Seven 2023 Epson Tour champions and 19 former Epson Tour champions are in the field, making it one of the deepest fields of the year. Both 2024 champions, Valery Plata and Jessica Peng are also set to tee it up on the historic course.
Of the seven Florida natives competing this week, only two are truly local. Jacksonville natives Amelia Lewis and Sara Mckevitt are joined by Stephanie Connelly Eiswerth (Fleming Island), Daniel Iacobelli (Melbourne), Rina Jung (Orlando), Erika Smith (Orlando), and Samantha Wagner (Windermere).
"We are excited to bring the Epson Tour to Atlantic Beach Country Club," said Epson Tour Chief Business and Operations Officer, Jody Brothers. "I expect the golf course to be in wonderful shape and for it to be a true test for our athletes. We look forward to being part of an already historic club and adding to its legacy of championship golf."
The Epson Tour's arrival at Atlantic Beach Country Club marks the third of the three events in the opening Florida swing and the last event before about a month-long break. The athletes will be looking to set themself up in a good position before they return for the meat of the 2024 season in late April. This week to go along with the championship course, the athletes will play for a championship-size purse of $300,000, which ties for the third-largest purse of the season.
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