Hammock Beach Resort - Ocean Course

Jack Nicklaus designed the Ocean Course at Hammock Beach in 2000, set on the Atlantic coast in Palm Coast about 30 minutes north of Daytona Beach. Six holes play directly along the Atlantic Ocean, and the four-hole finishing stretch, nicknamed 'The Bear Claw' for the Golden Bear's signature, is among the most punishing closes in Florida resort golf. Golf Digest had the course at #12 in Florida (2011-12), inside the top 15 from 2007-10, and inside the top 20 in 2005; current ranking is 48th in 2025-26. Golf.com put it among the Top 17 Most Awe-Inspiring, Jaw-Dropping and Spectacular Oceanside Holes in America (2019). Other recognition: Top 200 Resort Courses in U.S. (2023-25), #11 Top Public-Access in Every State (2025), Editors' Choice Best Golf Resorts in Florida (2016, 2018, 2022), and 2003 U.S. Women's Amateur Public Links host. Resort-tier pricing in the $$$ band; for Florida East Coast trips this is one of the few oceanfront Nicklaus designs.