Black Bear GC
A view from Black Bear Golf Club.
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Rating Index Rating
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4.2
529 Reviews (529)
5 Stars
186
4 Stars
191
3 Stars
72
2 Stars
38
1 Stars
42
Conditions
4.0
Value
3.9
Layout
4.4
Friendliness
4.4
Pace
3.8
Amenities
4.1
88.6%
Recommend this course
433 out of 529 reviews
Read Reviews
Average Rating
Avg Rating
4.7
6 Reviews (6)
5 Stars
4
4 Stars
2
3 Stars
0
2 Stars
0
1 Stars
0
Conditions
4.3
Value
4.2
Layout
4.7
Pace
3.2
Amenities
4.0
StaffFriendliness
4.5
100.0%
Recommend this course
6 out of 6 reviews
Read Reviews
Average Rating
Avg Rating
4.2
45 Reviews (45)
5 Stars
24
4 Stars
14
3 Stars
3
2 Stars
2
1 Stars
2
Conditions
4.2
Value
3.9
Layout
4.3
Pace
3.7
Amenities
4.0
StaffFriendliness
4.4
91.1%
Recommend this course
41 out of 45 reviews
Read Reviews

About

Holes 18
Type Public/Resort
Par 72
Length 6673 yards
Slope 129
Rating 72.4

Black Bear Golf Club is part of the Crystal Springs Resort, which offers six other courses, though, it's hard to remember they're connected since they each offer a distinct character and look. Unlike Ballyowen and Crystal springs, two of the resort's most well known courses, Black Bear has more of a parkland layout. The course tumbles across rolling hills covered with trees, which come into play along the undulating fairways and greens. Water only comes into play on three holes but there are a whopping 65 bunkers coming into play. It's challenging but not frustrating. Both low and high handicappers will enjoy not only the golf course but also the beautiful scenery. Black Bear is one of the best values in the area and has garnered a strong local following.

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Course Details

Year Built 1996
Fairways Ryegrass
Greens Bentgrass
Golf Season Open: 3/15 Closed: 12/31
Architect Jack Kurlander (1996) David Glenz (1996)

Rentals/Services

Carts Yes - included in green fees
Clubs Yes

Practice/Instruction

Driving Range Yes
Golf School/Academy Yes - "David Leadbetter Golf Academy"
Golf Simulator Yes
Teaching Pro Yes
Pitching/Chipping Area Yes
Indoor Practice Yes
Putting Green Yes

Policies

Credit Cards Accepted VISA, MasterCard, Amex Welcomed
Metal Spikes Allowed No

Food & Beverage

Bar, Snacks, Restaurant, Beverage Carts

Available Facilities

Showers, Lockers

Accolades

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Reviews

4.2
529 Reviews (529)

What Golfers Are Saying

The 19th Hole is Great For:
Drinks 24
Dinner 11
Patio Dining 11
Course Challenges Include:
Elevation Changes 35
Bunkers 30
Narrow Fairways 22
This course/club is great for:
Wildlife/ Scenic Views 33
Advanced Golfers 21
Locals 20
This Course's Location is:
Worth the Drive 26
In the 'Burbs 21
At a Resort 10

Numbers based on reviews tagged with attribute.

Advanced Filters
Overall Rating
Recommended
Handicap
Age
Type of Golfer
Gender
Played On
Reviews 4
Skill Advanced
Plays A few times a week
I Recommend This Course
4.0
Verified Purchaser
Previously Played

Good

Good lay out golf course
Nice view
I love the course

Conditions Average
Value Excellent
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Excellent
Amenities Excellent
Played On
Reviews 7
Handicap 5-9
Skill Advanced
Plays A few times a week
I Recommend This Course
4.0
Verified Purchaser
First Time Playing
Good weather
Used cart

Very challengeable course for low hand-capped player

This course is surrounded by mountains and you can enjoy nice view while you are playing. Green is supposed to be fast in season. This is a very good course for good player not for beginner.

Conditions Good
Value Good
Friendliness Average
Pace Average
Amenities Good
Difficulty Somewhat Challenging
Played On
Reviews 1
I Recommend This Course
4.0
Verified Purchaser
Previously Played
Average weather
Used cart

A bit disappointed

I played this course on numerous times over the years. It was the culmination of 3 things that had me disappointed. First, the greens were aerated not too long ago and the greens were SLOW but this was not mentioned. Second, there was a frost delay (but this is certainly not an issue with the course). Third, we were paired with a father and his 11 year old daughter and we could not keep pace with the group ahead of us. Due to the frost delay and slow pace of play, we had to stop after 9 holes. Generally, the course is a great place to play, but it was one of those days.

Conditions Fair
Value Fair
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Fair
Amenities Good
Difficulty Moderate
Played On
Reviews 2
Handicap 0-4
Skill Advanced
Plays A few times a week
I Recommend This Course
4.0
Previously Played
Excellent weather
Used cart

Fun Weekend

Course is almost fully healed from aeration. Staff is great and it's good to see the greens turning around after this very long winter. I love the work they did on the 7th hole, really opened up that par 3. I love their buffalo wings!!

Conditions Good
Value Good
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Good
Amenities Good
Difficulty Fairly Easy
Played On
Reviews 3
Handicap 15-19
Skill Intermediate
Plays Once a month
2.0
Verified Purchaser
Previously Played
Excellent weather
Used cart

Black Bear on a perfect day for golf...

The weather was perfect, the course was not. Some standing water and mud in spots but the biggest issue were the greens. Aerated and sanded they were impossible to navigate!
Pace of play was slow...we had 4 groups on the 3rd hole and it took at least to hole 9 for things to move at an acceptable pace.
Our cart was about to die on us at hole 3 but the staff did bring another as I hit my second from the fairway.
Staff was cool but I've played there many times before and this was some of the roughest shape I've seen there.

Conditions Poor
Value Fair
Friendliness Good
Pace Fair
Amenities Average
Difficulty Moderate
Played On
Reviews 1
Handicap 15-19
Skill Intermediate
Plays Once a week
I Recommend This Course
4.0
Verified Purchaser
Previously Played
Excellent weather
Used cart

overall good round

For an early spring round after a horrific winter, course was in surprisingly good shape. Only issue was the greens, which had been aerated the week prior and made putting adventurous. Group in front thought they were putting in the Masters and slowed down play but the rangers got on them and the back 9 played much faster.

Difficulty Moderate
Played On
Reviews 3
Handicap 15-19
Skill Intermediate
Plays Once a month
I Recommend This Course
4.0
Verified Purchaser
Previously Played
Fair weather
Used cart

Good Value

Course conditions were OK for April. Ground wet and 90 degree rule in effect. Greens fast and a few hole placements were tough. Once they get a few grass cuts done the conditions will improve. Grass was very short throughout the course. Some trees removed around a few holes, I guess to improve speed of play and perhaps sunshine on the greens. A couple of the greens have been partially repaired and hopefully will all green up nicely as weather improves. Staff friendly and cordial as you can expect from all the Crystal Springs managed courses.

Conditions Average
Value Good
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Good
Amenities Good
Difficulty Moderate
Played On
Reviews 2
Skill Beginner
Plays Once a week
I Recommend This Course
4.0
Verified Purchaser
First Time Playing

good course

My friend and enjoyed our day of golf here very much.

Conditions Good
Value Good
Friendliness Good
Pace Good
Amenities Good
Played On
Reviews 3
Skill Beginner
Plays Once a week
I Recommend This Course
5.0
Verified Purchaser
First Time Playing

First timer

my second year playing golf my friend took me to black bear the first time and it was a great experience. the course layout was very good.the narrow fairway maybe play a little better to keep it in play the hole locations are very good I would love to go back there again.

Conditions Good
Value Excellent
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Average
Amenities Excellent
Played On
Reviews 2
Handicap 15-19
Skill Intermediate
Plays Once a week
I Recommend This Course
3.0
First Time Playing
Good weather
Used cart

Good course for your bucks

Not the best course ever, but overall good value and quality

Conditions Average
Value Good
Friendliness Good
Pace Good
Amenities Average
Difficulty Moderate
Played On
Reviews 4
Handicap 10-14
Skill Intermediate
Plays Once a week
I Recommend This Course
5.0
Verified Purchaser
Previously Played
Excellent weather
Used cart

nice day on course

The course was in fantastic shape for November. Actually you would think it was mid summer.

Conditions Excellent
Value Excellent
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Excellent
Amenities Good
Difficulty Moderate
Played On
Reviews 46
Handicap 10-14
Skill Intermediate
Plays Once a week
I Recommend This Course
4.0
Verified Purchaser
Previously Played
Good weather
Used cart

As Always - Solid

As Winter approaches the days are short so when the weather is good, this course remains a solidly mature course to play. Greens are in great shape as well as the fairways.

Conditions Excellent
Value Good
Friendliness Good
Pace Average
Amenities Excellent
Difficulty Somewhat Challenging
Played On
Reviews 2
Handicap 20-24
Skill Intermediate
Plays Once a week
I Recommend This Course
3.0
Verified Purchaser
First Time Playing
Good weather
Used cart

Nice course, bad traps & carts

The course is nice. It's got a cool layout and is fun.

My cart was a train-wreck: cracked winshield, bad motor, golfball holder was cracked and ate my balls, the cupholder kept falling off.

The traps were amongst the worst I've ever seen (tiretracks, etc).

The sand boxes on the tee boxes were empty.

Conditions Average
Value Good
Friendliness Average
Pace Excellent
Amenities Average
Difficulty Moderate
Played On
Reviews 2
Skill Intermediate
Plays Once a month
I Recommend This Course
5.0
First Time Playing

Brilliant!

1st and loved it. Had 1st tee of the day and was paired with 2 fine gents. However, due to their differing standards they encouraged me to play on in front of them, and completed 18 holes in 3hrs. Loved the different challenges, esp elevated tee on 13. After 2+" of rain in preceding 36hrs, course was in great nick. Fall views spectacular. Greens kept well. Would have preferred to see tee box grass length shorter.

Conditions Good
Value Good
Friendliness Average
Pace Excellent
Amenities Good
Played On
Reviews 8
Handicap 5-9
Skill Advanced
Plays Once a week
I Recommend This Course
3.0
Verified Purchaser
Previously Played
Fair weather
Used cart

Firm Greens

Third time playing this course......I feel that the course continues to improve with each time I play it. Great scenery with a nice mixture of tight and open holes. My biggest issue with the course is that the greens are quite firm and not very receptive ... even playing on a day where there was a significant amount of rain the night before ..... several approach shots did not hold when they should have. Other than that the greens are nice, challenging and DO roll true. Starter and Ranger were polite and helpful.... course also has a very nice practice facility and restaurant.

Difficulty Somewhat Challenging
Played On
Reviews 37
Handicap 20-24
Skill Intermediate
Plays Once a week
I Recommend This Course
4.0
Verified Purchaser
Previously Played
Average weather

Nice views and rolling turain!

Great course and value!
Must remove stones from bunkers though!

Conditions Good
Value Good
Friendliness Good
Pace Good
Amenities Good
Difficulty Somewhat Challenging
Played On
Reviews 1
Handicap 5-9
Skill Advanced
Plays A few times a week
1.0
Verified Purchaser
Previously Played
Good weather
Used cart

Double Booking

Our group was pushed almost 20 minutes from the scheduled start time. Our scheduled tee time was 12:24. We made the turn at 3:00!!! I complained to a ranger at the 10th hole and was told sometimes tee times are double booked . If true that is unacceptable and I told him that. Had the nerve to tell me we were right on schedule. Pace of play was horrible, cost of food at halfway house was ridiculous, $9.50 for a burger ?? Overall a bad experience.

Conditions Average
Value Poor
Friendliness Fair
Pace Fair
Amenities Average
Difficulty Moderate
Played On
Reviews 6
Handicap 25+
Skill Intermediate
Plays Once a month
I Recommend This Course
4.0
Previously Played
Fair weather
Used cart

Beautiful layout

This is a very nice course but the first cut is a bit too deep and makes things more difficult than necessary. Cleaning that and all the leaves up could have saved time & golf balls

Conditions Good
Value Good
Friendliness Good
Pace Excellent
Amenities Good
Difficulty Somewhat Challenging
Played On
Reviews 2
Skill Advanced
Plays Once a month
I Recommend This Course
4.0
Verified Purchaser
First Time Playing

1st time at Black Bear

We had first tee time, and after quick and useful review from the starter we were off. Asked to keep time to 15 mins per hole and lots of Marshalls throughout the course. Some fun holes, and pretty penal for anything too wayward on front nine. Good conditions. Greens ran true all over the course. A good number of bunkers had v little sand in, so was tough if you went in there. Lots of elevation change and distance between holes, so carts are a must. A fun day out and we were around in 4.25 hours. A good test of golf with a nice variety of hole types.

Conditions Good
Value Good
Friendliness Good
Pace Average
Amenities Good
Played On
Reviews 11
Handicap 15-19
Skill Intermediate
Plays Once a week
I Recommend This Course
5.0
First Time Playing
Excellent weather
Used cart

Great, beautiful course!

This course is only 1 hour from Manhattan and well worth the trip. Beautiful layout, pace of play was good, friendly staff, great food. Can't wait to go back.

Conditions Excellent
Value Good
Friendliness Good
Pace Good
Amenities Good
Difficulty Moderate
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