Matt,
The wind WAS indeed mild the day I played, although it kicked up a bit on the finishing holes along the ocean. No question conditions would dictate a more difficult situation. I played the Gold boxes. I had to recheck the yardage guide I brought back. 6723 yards. Course rating 74.8/142. I'll admit I had a fine day on the scorecard and probably did not appreciate the swales as much as I should have. You are correct, there were certainly some areas to avoid. I agree on the 3's. My comments still stand regarding the abundant generosity of the fairways. I personally did not experience much trouble and therefore thought the ratings to be inflated, but of course, my most recent comparison was Victoria National, whose course ratings/slope were less than that of Ocean Hammock. Playing that course on a frequent basis does skew one's opinions of course difficulty.
Concerning Florida golf, I will preface by saying I live in Indiana and any chance I get to visit the Sunshine State generally involves having a good time and usually golf. What's strikes me most of the Florida courses is generally the elements more so than the design. Wind, water, scorching sunshine, frequent sunburn, sand, insects and unusual reptilian creatures, and Bermuda greens. I generally have trouble adjusting to Florida courses. Nevertheless, I enjoy them. Rating Florida golf?? In general I don't think the usual "good" Florida course rates with the usual "good" course in the Heartland (Ohio, Indiana), nor the East coast, upper Midwest or points inbetween. Perhaps that is simply my preference for terrain, different grasses, and a cooler temperature. Nevertheless if given the chance, send me to FLA to tee it up anytime.
Although several of the courses I have played in Florida took place years ago, I do have a fairly good Florida experience. I have played multiple times in Orlando (all the Disney courses, Falcon's Fire, Grand Cypress, a couple of small country clubs and more rural courses) and Pensacola (Tiger Point, Pensacola CC, Perdido Bay, The Moors). Also have visited West Palm(multiple tracks but 15 years ago), Stuart (Reserve), Sandestin (resort), Miami (Doral courses), Ponte Verde (Sawgrass, Queens Harbor), and Amelia (Oak Marsh, Ocean Links, Long Point). I may be missing a few more stops. I have not played Seminole, World Woods, or Black Diamond but would like to.
From my personal experience, TPC Sawgrass was my favorite. I won't be held accountable for my real top ten list, but will say I prefer the Northern and Panhandle courses over the South and Central courses (that I have played). Your queries have made me think about where Ocean Hammock fits in. I might concur with you that it is around #3 on the list of the several I have played. Congratulations. That either speaks more highly of the course, or says I'm not overly impressed with the Florida courses. (I'd say it's somewhere inbetween.)
Speaking of Ocean Hammock, there was an interesting writeup in Links magazine in March (last year I believe). It was a nice pictorial under their Modern Classic section. It was written by "Brad King". Some of the quotes: "... a perfect resort layout: dramatic, yet player-friendly; visually explicit, yet posessing plenty of options for low-handicappers....Golfers can spray their tee shots a bit, but there is a clearly defined, optimal spot from which to approach each green complex...the greens at Ocean Hammock are far more soothing and playable than the notoriously difficult putting surfaces drawn by Nicklaus in the mid-80's...The Nicklaus team moved more than a million yards of dirt...a third in shaping, the rest in raising the course...and it's the jacking up the course that allows such dramatic views of the ocean...aestheticaly pleasing, yet ...there appears nothing forced or contrived....the interior holes are where you make good, sound, strategic golf holes, then the ocean holes are all raised with a lower fairway playing into a higher green site, which is characteristic of older-style golf courses....Nicklaus insisted on small changes meant to ease the burden for the resort golfer: site lines on water hazards were improved, green contours were softened, tree and shrub vegetation was thinned, and bunkers were made easier to escape...It goes on to describe the majority of the holes. I think a decent writeup overall....
Glad you got a chance to visit the Shark House. I'll have to try the other spots, as I would anticipate a future visit.