Palm Coast

The City of Palm Coast offers two private club membership opportunities in the Hammock Dunes Club and The Club at Hammock Beach. Only one is a true private country club property but both have world class amenities and spectacular oceanfront locations.

The Hammock Dunes Club

• The Hammock Dunes Club is a private, member owned country club community with membership options for both residents and non residents. The starting point for any conversation about this stunning oceanfront club always begins with its golf courses. Hammock Dunes features 36-holes in a tranquil, old Florida setting. Their Links Course a beautiful, oceanfront Tom Fazio championship design with water on 12 of its 18 holes. The Creek Course is an 18-hole championship Rees Jones design with both marsh and creek views. Also on property is a new 5,500 square foot Fitness Center, croquet courts, lawn bowling, and Bocce. The club’s racket sports offerings consist of 5 Har-Tru tennis courts and 4 pickleball courts. A large resort style pool, children’s splash pool, and in-ground spa sit Oceanside of one of the two clubhouses on site. Dining options here are both elegant and informal and the social schedule is filled with dinner functions, live music, holiday celebrations, games, and educational events.

The Club at Hammock Beach

• The Club at Hammock Beach is the name of the private club membership opportunity that the Hammock Beach Golf Resort & Spa property offers. Essentially, this oceanfront golf resort is a mix of community and resort with accommodations that offer residents and non residents different membership categories to gain access to the resorts amenities. Members enjoy two award winning golf courses and a state of the art practice facility. Jack Nicklaus designed the 18-hole Ocean Course which features six holes directly on the Atlantic Ocean. The Conservatory Course is an 18-hole Tom Watson design highlighted by waterfalls, babbling brooks, and field stone work. The club’s tennis facility consists of 8 lit sub-surface irrigated clay tennis courts. There is a water park on site with a lazy river, water slide, multiple pools, large spa tub, beach volleyball court, and more. The resort also features a marina, full social calendar, fitness and spa centers, several dining options and even a nightclub.

Palm Coast is known for its raw bars with fresh seafood and an award winning Barbecue joint.

The City of Palm Coast does not have any indoor or outdoor malls. What the city does have is a menagerie of charming, independently owned gift shops, antique shops, artist studios, and boutiques. Your best shopping is going to be a 30 mile drive south to Daytona Beach, FL. There you will find outlets, plazas, and a decent size indoor shopping mall with anchors like Macy’s, Dillard’s, and JCPenny.

At the Tanger Outlets in Daytona you will find retailers like Michael Kors, Kate Spade New York, Polo Ralf Lauren, and J Crew. One thing to note is there are not any high end designer brand offerings in the area. The closest place to find these luxury goods would be in Orlando, FL.

At the Salt Air Farmers Market you get to chat with the people who grow your food. Here you can shop for local eats and treats such as bread, fruits, produce, pasta, sauces, soaps, and local art.

Linen & Waves is a classic beach boutique with a chic collection of luxury women’s swimwear, fashionable sun protective apparel, and unique coastal gifts.

The Flagler Auditorium is Flagler County’s premier performing arts center. The 1000 seat venue hosts various professional performances and community performances. These include nationally touring Broadway shows, cultural programs, big bands, symphonies, family theatre, and celebrity entertainment.

City Repertory Theatre is an intimate, innovative, theatrical experience. This theatre offers an alternative to the same-old same-old theatre offerings. They offer unique plays and programs to provoke the mind and spirit and provide great opportunity for serious actors to practice their art.

Beaches – The beaches around Palm Coast are comprised of 19 miles of uncrowded, cinnamon colored sand with a laid back vibe. There are both pet friendly and bonfire friendly areas to enjoy with your four legged friends and family. At Washington Oak Gardens State Park the shore is lined with coquina rock formations making for dramatic pictures of waves crashing up against the rocks. The Flagler Beach Municipal Pier stretches out over 800 feet into the Atlantic Ocean and is a great spot to bird watch. The water color in this area of Florida is typically a darker blue/green to turbid brown not uncommon to other shorelines up and down the east coast of the United States.

Boating – The Intracoastal Waterway that runs through Palm Coast is a very thin stretch of waterway (around 300 foot wide). The shorelines switch back and forth between nice waterfront homes and areas of natural shoreline. In this area of Florida natural shorelines are often marsh-like with tall and vast expanses of aquatic grasses or sandy banks. The iconic mangrove trees with their unique root systems don’t survive this far north along the coast. Just to the north and south, the waterway opens up quite significantly. There is ocean access 12 miles to the north through the Matanzas Inlet, however it can be a very tricky and dangerous inlet. There are no jetty walls lining the inlet so the channels and sand bottom shift often. Some boaters who know the area well do use the inlet and for some the risk is just not worth it and they make the approximate 23 mile run up the Intracoastal to the Saint Augustine Inlet.

Fishing – The best inshore fishing is going to be just to the north and south of this area. The tidal marsh areas and creaks produce a number of good catches including Flounder, Redfish, Spotted Seatrout, Tarpon, Sheepshead, and others. Similarly the docks and pilings lining the Matanzas River should be targeted. On the offshore side in the Atlantic Ocean, good catches of Cobia, Grouper, Snapper, Mahi Mahi, Wahoo, and more can be had. Long runs are necessary for targeting certain species and 100 foot depths can be found around 32 miles offshore of Matanzas Inlet. Similarly the ledge is around 60 miles out from the coast as is the Gulf Stream Current.

Palm Coast schools are controlled by Flagler County Public Schools. Niche.com gives the school district a B rating and has it as the 20th best school district in the state. Flagler County Public Schools have 12,931 students in grades PK, K-12 with a student-teacher ratio of 17 to 1. According to state test scores, 62% of students are at least proficient in math and 58% in reading. Several notable private schools include Christ The King Lutheran School (Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod), and St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Catholic School (Roman Catholic).

The City of Palm Coast has a total of 8 golf courses with 1 course being municipal. Within a short 20 mile drive you will find another 9 courses of which 4 are public and 1 municipal.

The municipal course in Palm Coast is located at Palm Harbor Golf Club. After being renovated and redesigned in 2009, the course has been voted 9 time winner for best golf course in Flagler County. This 18-hole par 72 golf course was carved between palm trees and old oak groves dripping with Spanish moss.

The Pine Lakes Golf Club is a championship, 18-hole par 72 signature Arnold Palmer design that stretches 7,000 yards from the back. Membership is available and features an 18,000 square foot clubhouse with full service bar and grillroom.

Recognized by Links Magazine as one of the top 100 golf courses in North America, Grand Haven Golf Club is a private member only property with a Jack Nicklaus signature designed course. The 18-hole championship golf course features single fairways with returning nines. Several holes overlook the beautiful Intracoastal waterway.

Cypress Knoll Golf Course is a family owned and operated USGA Certified Championship Golf Course designed by Gary Player. This 18-hole par 72 course provides players with great views of vibrant marshlands and serene lakes.