Lakes at Bear Lakes Country Club

A lot of courses from Vero Beach south to Miami have a very similar look: flat or very gently moving terrain, lots of trees (especially palms), lots of water. As its name suggests, Bear Lakes’ Links course is a very intentional departure, and it stands out nicely from the Palm Beach-area crowd.

Nicklaus & Co. took the site as a mostly blank canvas and amped up the shaping, especially on and around the greens, to simulate a bit of the unusual bounces and rolls balls can experience on the ground overseas. No one would confuse it with an actual links golf course, but the intention is what’s interesting here. Gathering slopes around several greens can make for exciting shot-viewing. While it will definitely be exciting to see how Davis Love III and his team will transform the course in 2025, I am a little sad to know that it will be changing significantly.

This beautiful and challenging Nicklaus designed private course is located n the heart of West Palm Beach. It plays like a seaside Scottish links course and is a real test of your short game. Deep bunkers, rolling greens and clusters of native grass greet you at almost every hole. One of my favorites.