This East Coast Haven Between St. Augustine And Daytona Beach Is A Golfer's Paradise With Underrated Beaches

The Sunshine State is one of the country's most visited destinations, drawing over 140 million visitors in 2025. But travelers seeking an escape from the crowds should discover Palm Coast, a scenic city tucked along Florida's eastern coast. Located nearly halfway between St. Augustine and Daytona Beach, Palm Coast measures nearly 100 square miles and is largely shaped by water: the Matanzas River cuts through the city, a winding network of canals carve out the inland landscape, and the Atlantic Ocean sweeps along the eastern coast. The oceanfront shore is dotted with underrated public beach parks that offer prime settings for sunbathing, long beach walks, and swimming in the refreshing Atlantic waters. The Palm Coast is also renowned for its ancient coquina rock formations, which fringe the shore and create tide pools that brim with marine life.

Golfers are drawn to Palm Coast because of its famed golf courses, many of which have been designed by the sport's top players, such as Jack Nicklaus and Gary Player. While Palm Coast's Hammock Beach Golf Resort has a duo of golf courses, including the waterfront Ocean Course, there are also a number of public courses that are open to all golfers.

Palm Coast might be an under-the-radar destination, but it's also easy to access. It is about a 45-minute drive south of St. Augustine and north of Daytona Beach. If you're flying in, the nearest international airport is Daytona Beach International Airport (DAB). The best time to plan a trip to Palm Coast is the spring and fall months for golfing and beach adventures when temperatures hover between 73 and 86 degrees Fahrenheit.

Palm Coast is a golfer's paradise with many scenic courses to choose from. A great base for golfers in Palm Coast is the Hammock Beach Golf Resort and Spa, a sprawling beachfront resort that boasts two 18-hole courses. The resort's Ocean Course was designed by golfing legend Jack Nicklaus and is the only course in Florida with six oceanfront holes. "One of the most underrated golf courses in the United States," raved a reviewer on Google, where the course has a 4.9-star rating. "Staff is friendly, conditions are great, and layout is truly a beach course." The resort's second course, the Conservatory Course, was designed by British championship golfer Tom Watson. Though the course's topography is Floridian, set amidst tropical greenery and lakes, the Conservatory Course resembles a British links course and has nearly 150 bunkers and long fairways.

If you're not staying at Hammock Beach Golf Resort, there are still plenty of top-rated public golf courses nearby. Palm Harbor Golf Club, which opened in 1971, was one of Palm Coast's first golf courses and is a tree-lined beauty with 18 holes, a driving range, and a putting green. Another public course is Cypress Knoll Golf and Country Club, which was designed by golf champion Gary Player. Serious golfers should also pair their trip with a round at TPC Sawgrass' Stadium course, which has been voted the second best course in Florida by Golf Digest. TPC Sawgrass, which has one of the most holes-in-one across America, is located in Ponte Vedra Beach, about 60 miles north of Palm Coast. 

Palm Coast is flanked by nearly 20 miles of shoreline buffeted by the Atlantic Ocean and boasts underrated secret beaches. One of Palm Coast's best beaches is Varn Park, which has a 4.5-star rating on Tripadvisor. While the park is small, measuring just 8 acres, it has plenty of amenities, such as a free beachfront parking lot, bathrooms, and shower facilities. The wide sandy shore often has a reddish-brown hue due to the presence of the local coquina rock, which is formed by shells crushed and packed over centuries. According to a Tripadvisor reviewer, the waters here are clear and free of large rocks, so it is an ideal place for swimming. However, there is no lifeguard supervision, so everyone should take proper precautions when entering the ocean. For those who prefer to visit a lifeguard-supervised beach, head about 5 miles south to Flagler Beach, a breathtaking beach for a crowd-free getaway, which has seasonal lifeguards on duty.

Along the northern reaches of Palm Coast is Washington Oaks Gardens State Park, where historic gardens and dramatic shorelines dance among ancient oaks. This state park, which sprawls for 425 acres between the ocean and the Matanzas River, is one of the best places to see Palm Coast's iconic coquina rock formations that rise along the park's nearly mile-long beach. Here, you can stroll along the shoreline and spot marine life amidst the ancient rocky layers. The park also features hiking and biking trails, dedicated fishing areas, and beautiful formal gardens, which bloom with Southern species such as azaleas and camellias.