Independence Golf Club - The Bear Course

Overall, it’s one of the best part three courses around, but you do share it with disc golf and foot golfers.

Short course good for working on irons. Good distance for each hole. Will definitely play this short course again.

Bear course is challenging and great for practicing your short game.

The course was fun to play . A long walk from the club house to the first hole and a long walk back to the clubhouse. Not from the area so we weren’t aware of the walking. Good thing we’re in good shape for seniors . lol would recommend to play just be aware of the walking . Oh and the bag carts for walking are available at no cost . Thank God !!!

I have been playing this course for many years. After ownership changes price has continuously gone up to where value isn't there. Local courses during the week are around $50-70 for 18 holes. This short course is well kept but my last visit 2 holes didn't have cups so flag was on ground next to green, never any water! Used to be $15 during week and $25 on Sat-Sun. $40 is just not worth it.

Greens needed some work on the par 3 course but Free range balls with your round so it made for a good value. Pro-shop Staff was very friendly. Drinks/Amenities by the range seemed pretty dope.

Very enjoyable par 3 experience. Pretty significant forced carries for a par 3. Back tees will challenge the average player on certain holes. Experimental greens can be a little distracting depending on pin placement - lots of marking paint on some greens for the testing of grasses. A very good walk and good test of short game. Staff was A+.

Played the short course second week of March and the course was great for this time of year. Can't wait to see what the course will look like in the summer!

Great par 3 Course option with the amenities of a large club! Course and greens are as well maintained as the main course, and perfect for beginners, the greens even offer a slightly larger hole for bringing the kids along.

GolfNow is a horrible website and has absolutely no customer service. No phone support. No chat. Golf channel and NBC should be ashamed to be associated with GolfNow.

Every club but the 4 iron can used here. Variations and elevations really help and waste land between the tee and green on 1,2 and 9 which all have false fronts really present the mental challenge.

Fun course, well worth the money and you can go around a few times if your up for it. I did 4 trips and was glad I did.

Might check out the main course someday.

Independence GC has struggled with the damage from the winter and this has affected the short course the most since the lingering damage maily impacts the greens and the condition of the green is a primary consideration for playing short courses.

The driving range and practice green were both closed the day I played and rumors have started that the club my have to take drastic measures to repair the greens. On the short course, large sections of nearly every green is still dead making for inconsistent roll and speed. The firmness of the 9th hole remains noticeably softer than other holes.

For $15 walking it's still not a bad value to practice your approach and short game, but it's not as good as it was.

*This is an updated review. For more of my thoughts on this course, see my full review from 3/9/18*

Since I last reviewed this course a month ago, the conditions have deteriorated some so I wanted to provide an update.

While the still-dormant Bermuda grass and greens can’t be helped due to the time of year and recent weather, there are some issues with several of the greens. The first two holes have greens with large sections that are under repair which makes putting an unintended challenge.

My biggest issue (and I overlooked this in my first review) is the 9th green, which is extremely spongy and soft. That’s great for getting balls to land and stop, but trying to gauge chipping and putting on it is a nightmare.

Lastly, it should be noted that there are alternative pins located on several of the greens so try not to let the big cup get in between you and the one designed for golf.

Overall this is still a good short course to get some practice on, but there are some inconveniences I wish I didn’t have to deal with.

Par-3 courses are perhaps the best-kept secret in recreational golf. They bring sharp focus to your strengths and weaknesses as a golfer while providing more feedback than a driving range, are never crowded, are priced for any budget, and are perfect for today’s fast-paced world where you may only have an hour to spare.

At least that’s my impression after playing Independence’s short course. Granted, it’s still the offseason, so the parking lot for both course’s was pretty empty. But given the wintery conditions, the course was still a rewarding introduction to par-3 golf.

Part of what makes this par-3 course work so well is that Independence prides itself on their greens. After the renovation of the championship course several years ago, the greens became the main defense of the course. Though large and minimally undulating, they are fast with plenty of subtle breaks. So the short course gives your short game the work out it needs while still testing your ability to hit wedges and irons onto greens. In fact, if you ignore tee markers, you can just about tee off with nine different clubs on the 9-hole course.

The conditions for early March were very good. The most impressive been the smoothness of the greens, which in general lack any ball marks, and though a bit sandy, still roll quickly and true. The Bermuda rough is still weeks away from springing to life but is still pretty even which helps with chips and pitches.

The winning attribute of this short course is its value. While the championship course demands a hefty (but reasonable) $70 for a round, the short course will cost you just $15 to walk, $25 to ride during the week (+$5 on the weekends). Considering you still get the best attributes of the fancier course, that’s a steal. Plus you still get access to the driving range, putting green, and practice bunker/green. For improving your game, there’s no better option in the area than Independence.

Love this par three to work on short game . How many par three public courses do you see them on tractors with leaf blowers keeping the tees and greens clean?How many regulation courses do you see this? Greens little slower than their championship course, but still above par and very consistent. Good lengths as well. 175-90 par threes to practice mid irons and wedges, and never crowded. Prefer this at times to driving range to practice approaches.