The public course was founded by Earl and Betty Hawkins of Wooster. The first nine holes opened in July 1993 and the second nine in May 1994. A mere two years later, Golf Digest ranked Hawks Nest among the top 5 public-access courses in Ohio. Golf Digest's "Best Places to Play 2006-2007" awarded Hawk's Nest a rating of 4.5 out of 5 stars, placing it among North America's 201 best public-access courses. Only 16 courses, including legendary courses such as Pebble Beach and Pinehurst #2, achieved all 5 stars. Ohio Magazine has rated the course among the 10 best public courses in the state.