Black Bear Golf Club
About
| Tee | Par | Length | Rating | Slope |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Black | 72 | 6425 yards | 71.8 | 144 |
| White | 72 | 5814 yards | 69.2 | 130 |
| Gold (W) | 72 | 5280 yards | 71.7 | 134 |
| Red (W) | 72 | 4535 yards | 68.0 | 118 |
| Hole | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | Out | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | In | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Black M: 71.8/144 | 360 | 207 | 419 | 361 | 538 | 130 | 512 | 338 | 346 | 3211 | 381 | 537 | 198 | 362 | 354 | 489 | 144 | 378 | 371 | 3214 | 6425 |
| White M: 69.2/130 | 331 | 175 | 362 | 322 | 501 | 114 | 458 | 304 | 315 | 2882 | 357 | 509 | 176 | 324 | 330 | 437 | 114 | 351 | 334 | 2932 | 5814 |
| Gold W: 71.7/134 | 295 | 159 | 339 | 297 | 463 | 103 | 404 | 269 | 288 | 2617 | 344 | 472 | 154 | 300 | 292 | 407 | 95 | 310 | 289 | 2663 | 5280 |
| Red W: 68.0/118 | 202 | 159 | 314 | 270 | 409 | 79 | 374 | 245 | 238 | 2290 | 263 | 359 | 154 | 246 | 292 | 359 | 95 | 246 | 231 | 2245 | 4535 |
| Handicap | 11 | 9 | 7 | 3 | 1 | 17 | 5 | 13 | 15 | 6 | 2 | 12 | 10 | 14 | 4 | 18 | 16 | 8 | |||
| Par | 4 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 5 | 3 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 36 | 4 | 5 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 5 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 36 | 72 |
| Handicap (W) | 15 | 7 | 9 | 5 | 1 | 17 | 3 | 13 | 11 | 6 | 4 | 16 | 12 | 10 | 2 | 18 | 14 | 8 |
Course Details
Rentals/Services
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RestaurantAccolades
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Golf Advisor: Top 25 Most Improved U.S. Golf Courses (2024 #1)
Reviews
Reviewer Photos
Don’t play
Worst course I’ve played. Fairways, greens, and tee boxes were in terrible condition.
Don’t waste your time/money
Fairways were awful. Patchy grass. Tee boxes grass was over grown. Greens were not maintained. One of the worst courses I’ve played.
Just not good
Slow greens. Tall rough with excess clippings from previous mowing that a ball could hide under everywhere. No yardage markings. Red, white and blue ground discs were very small and hard to find.
The place to be
Great course and a great price to play in northern MI
Last group out 2021
The course layout is great. But it was the last day of golf there and the greens were furry - no problem though….will play in the summer next year.
Why so bad
I played this many years ago. The staff was at the Fort Wayne golf show. It was I believe shortly after it opened. The track is amazing. Great variety and views. However what has happened. Are the owners struggling? I have never played a course where the tee boxes were not mowed. I had to find the spot where everyone was using to be short enough to use a tee. Why was that? The sand bunkers were full of grass. They are not being maintained. The fairways were awful. You can tell something is going on. The clubhouse and signs are really showing the age. There were no yard markers on the sprinklers or distance markers in the fairway. Unless you have a range finder you will be approaching blind. This is sad but did have a 83 and was happy.
Course in poor shape
Tee boxes were beaten up pretty bad on more than half of the holes. Several greens were so bad that the ball changed direction on short gimme puts due to unrepaired potholes. Looks like oil or gear lube from mowers dripped all over every green. Cart paths were in very poor condition with pothole. crumbling asphalt and heaving due to tree roots. Fairways seemed to be all that was well maintained.
Probably won’t be back
The course layout is great, not great signage for first time players, and the course is in really rough shape! Many of the old sand bunkers/traps are still there with grass and weeds growing in them. Even for the cheap round of golf, we probably won’t be back.
So sad that Black Bear has Deteriorated
Nice staff, great pace of play, but conditions are abysmal ! The course has deteriorated so so much since I played a few years ago that fairways look like rough (hard to find your drive right down the middle!? Play somewhere else! Until they put some money into this once-great golf course.
Do Not Pay Their Bills
Stiffed local garage door company for new door and maintenance work. No integrity!
Conditions are a little rough but still ok for the value
Course was a little rough, greens were spotty, not sure if because covid or what but still playable and good value for the money.
Mixed emotions
Great value, beautiful views, challenging holes. Disappointed in the menu, lack of beverage cart, very few clothing options overall, none for women. Would have been helpful to have ranger to speed up play. Nineteenth hole great idea for warming up. unfortunately, Rick had to do everything on his own, the bar and the pro shop. He was very pleasant about it and wish he could’ve had some help.
Overall, we enjoyed our time playing and would do it again.
Course is in terrible shape
This course is definitely not worth the money. The greens are half dead, most holes don't have a fairway cut and there are weeds all over the place. The range also wasn't open as they didn't have anyone there to collect balls. The only thing going for it was the lack of people/pace of play. This course has so much potential as the layout is pretty good, but for now save your money and play somewhere else.
Course is going downhill
I think the course has an interesting and fun layout. But they seemed to always struggle keeping it green. This year was by far the worst I’ve seen it! Greens were terrible! Most greens were more dead than alive.
The staff has always been very friendly and were the same this time.
But the course isn’t worth the money.