7 Clubhouse Road, Ocean View, Delaware 19970, US
(302) 537-5600
Location Map

About Bear Trap Dunes

Located only 3 miles west of the beach town of Bethany Beach, Delaware, Bear Trap Dunes is a 700-home community that boasts serene open spaces, 27 holes of championship golf, and a variety of home types to fit any lifestyle, including single family homes, townhomes and golf villa condominiums. With amenities such as indoor/outdoor pools, a fitness facility, tennis courts, outdoor amphitheater, a clubhouse with restaurant and banquet facilities and a complimentary beach shuttle service, Bear Trap Dunes, owned by Carl M. Freeman Golf, a division of Carl M. Freeman Companies, not only offers vacation homes but a complete resort lifestyle. The course, designed by Rick Jacobson, features the Grizzly, Kodiak and Black Bear nines, all lined with native wetland grasses and natural sand dunes.

Facts

Price Range$$$
Property Class★★★★
Year Opened2001
Number of UnitsLess than 100

Amenities & Services

RestaurantsCasual
PoolIndoor
TennisYes
Fitness CenterYes
Practice FacilityYes
Banquet SpaceYes

Rules

Is the resort pet friendly?Yes
Is resort stay required for a tee time?No

Golf courses at Bear Trap Dunes

Reviews

4.7 out of 5 stars
682 Reviews (682)
Review 1
Handicap 10-14
Skill Advanced
Plays Once a week
Recommended
Played

Great overall experience

The staff is courteous and efficientl, we teed off right on time, and the course was in excellent condition, with one glaring exception: the bunkers had been made practically unplayable by a couple of recent storms. Apparently the bunkers lack effective irrigation, suggesting a major winter project is indicated. I have played this course many times and they seem to be improving somewhat on another problem they have had: managing the flow of groups around the three nine hole courses to prevent backups at the turn. Yesterday, we were able to tee off on our tenth hole with no wait. In the past, we have always had to wait, as additional groups had been sent off ahead of us. But overall, this golf course is a pleasure to play. It is both scenic and sporty. Players are tempted to cut watery corners on dog legs and try to reach the par 5s in two. There are plenty of risk/reward options, making the course equally playable for average and better players alike. My wife loves to play it, as it is one of the most female friendly courses in the region.

Verified Purchaser
Previously Played
4.0
4.0 out of 5 stars
Conditions 1.0
Value 3.0
Friendliness 3.0
Pace 4.0
Difficulty 3.0
Reviews 22
Handicap 15-19
Skill Intermediate
Plays A few times a week
Recommended
Played

Nice layout. Pretty forgiving fairways

Course was in pretty good condition. No real issues to speak of. Greens were fast but true

Verified Purchaser
First Time Playing
4.0
4.0 out of 5 stars
Conditions 3.0
Value 3.0
Friendliness 3.0
Pace 3.0
Difficulty 5.0
Reviews 6
Handicap 5-9
Skill Advanced
Plays A few times a week
Recommended
Played

Great course, great employees, excellent greens.

Very enjoyable course with great choice of tee boxes, nice fairways and excellent greens.

Verified Purchaser
Previously Played
5.0
5.0 out of 5 stars
Conditions 5.0
Value 5.0
Friendliness 5.0
Pace 5.0
Difficulty 5.0
Reviews 20
Handicap 10-14
Skill Advanced
Plays A few times a week
Recommended
Played

Super friendly staff and a great course.

Overall a great course! Good mix of easy holes and
Tough holes. Greens were in great shape as well!
The driving range was in horrible shape! Hitting off dirt was
a disappointment.

Verified Purchaser
First Time Playing
5.0
5.0 out of 5 stars
Conditions 5.0
Value 3.0
Friendliness 5.0
Pace 3.0
Difficulty 3.0
Reviews 13
Handicap 20-24
Skill Intermediate
Plays Once a week
Recommended
Played

Nice course

Played 18 at bear trap yesterday. Course is in much better shape than in past years. Fairways well watered and very soft (no Brittish Open here). Greens firmer and it good shape. Played as a twosome in about 3 hours. Tried to play another 9 assuming we could play for a cart fee, especially since it was 4:30 and the place was empty. We were surprisingly dismissed by pro shop where they wanted another $35, almost as much as the $45, we paid for a full 18!

Surprised by this behavior but otherwise a fun afternoon.

Verified Purchaser
Previously Played
4.0
4.0 out of 5 stars
Conditions 3.0
Value 3.0
Friendliness 3.0
Pace 5.0
Difficulty 3.0
Reviews 4
Skill Intermediate
Plays A few times a week
Recommended
Played

Great fit with coastal environment.

Need to play it again. Well designed with a good mix of settings and challenges, the kind that can throw you for a loss if you "overplay your hand."

Staff on hand are grand and the driving range and chipping & putting greens excellent.

Verified Purchaser
First Time Playing
5.0
5.0 out of 5 stars
Conditions 5.0
Value 5.0
Friendliness 5.0
Pace 3.0
Difficulty 5.0
Reviews 3
Handicap 5-9
Skill Advanced
Plays A few times a week
Recommended
Played

Very Wet

Course had received plenty of rain in recent weeks and we were playing "cart paths only." Tees were fine, fairways were wet and undulating, greens receptive but fairly smooth and pretty quick.

Verified Purchaser
First Time Playing
4.0
4.0 out of 5 stars
Conditions 3.0
Value 3.0
Friendliness 3.0
Pace 4.0
Difficulty 3.0
Review 1
Skill Intermediate
Plays Once a week
Recommended
Played

Good experience

Played midday Sunday and in under 3 1/2 hours. Course is in very good condition. Played Black Bear and Grizzly. Moderate difficulty from blue tees; very playable.

Verified Purchaser
First Time Playing
4.0
4.0 out of 5 stars
Conditions 3.0
Value 5.0
Friendliness 5.0
Pace 5.0
Difficulty 3.0
Reviews 5
Handicap 20-24
Skill Intermediate
Plays Once a week
Recommended
Played

Great course for the money

Medium challenge, good course, choice of 3 9 holes

Verified Purchaser
Previously Played
4.0
4.0 out of 5 stars
Conditions 3.0
Value 5.0
Friendliness 3.0
Pace 3.0
Difficulty 3.0
Reviews 3
Skill Advanced
Plays Once a week
Recommended
Played

this course has a good mix of holes

the course was in great shape and the staff was friendly. The greens were very smooth and very fast. The 9 hole replay is a little too expensive.

Verified Purchaser
Previously Played
5.0
5.0 out of 5 stars
Conditions 5.0
Value 5.0
Friendliness 3.0
Pace 2.0
Difficulty 5.0
Review 1
Skill Intermediate
Plays Once a week
Recommended
Played

nice course

We played after some rain on the previous day and some of the bunkers were unplayable. Other than that it was a nice day on the course.

Verified Purchaser
Previously Played
5.0
5.0 out of 5 stars
Conditions 3.0
Value 3.0
Friendliness 3.0
Pace 4.0
Difficulty 3.0
Reviews 3
Handicap 5-9
Skill Advanced
Plays A few times a week
Recommended
Played

Great course. Friendly & professional staff.

Great course. Friendly & professional staff. The pro shop was well stocked with great clothes for both men and women. Everything was new and clean. Excellent golf experience.

Verified Purchaser
First Time Playing
5.0
5.0 out of 5 stars
Conditions 5.0
Value 5.0
Friendliness 5.0
Pace 3.0
Difficulty 3.0
Reviews 2
Handicap 20-24
Skill Intermediate
Plays Once a week
Recommended
Played

Good change of terrain. Interesting layout. Challenging but not too difficult

Decent shape. Could be better but early. Nice challenge for high 80 golfer but not too frustrating.

Previously Played
5.0
5.0 out of 5 stars
Conditions 1.0
Value 3.0
Friendliness 3.0
Pace 3.0
Difficulty 3.0
Reviews 14
Handicap 10-14
Skill Intermediate
Plays Once a week
Recommended
Played

Great course, a must play if you are staying near the Delaware beaches

I have played Bear Trap Dunes twice. The second time was more enjoyable than the first. Practice facilities are first rate. The course has five tee boxes to ensure that golfers of every level can enjoy the course.

The entire course was "path only" after a night of heavy rain, an understandable precaution. The fairways were in very good shape and mostly dry despite the rain. The green were dry and average speed, likely much quicker in dryer weather. There was water in many of the sand traps, but staff was busily pumping the water out of the traps.

Overall, an excellent experience, highly recommended.

Verified Purchaser
Previously Played
5.0
5.0 out of 5 stars
Conditions 5.0
Value 5.0
Friendliness 5.0
Pace 2.0
Difficulty 3.0
Reviews 8
Handicap 10-14
Skill Intermediate
Plays A few times a week
Recommended
Played

The staff was super friendly and very helpful.

This was my first time playing this course. They have separate areas for putting, chipping, and hitting a bucket of balls. The staff was friendly and helpful even providing a free yardage book that was quite handy especially since there are numerous hazards and some blind shots. There is a lot to do around Bethany Beach but it is really nice to know that this gem is located here too. Pack your clubs and take a break from the beach!

Featured
Verified Purchaser
First Time Playing
5.0
5.0 out of 5 stars
Conditions 5.0
Value 5.0
Friendliness 5.0
Pace 5.0
Difficulty 3.0
Reviews 36
Handicap 10-14
Skill Advanced
Plays A few times a week
Recommended
Played

Great fun

Played the Grizzly/Kodiak segments and had tons of fun. It's got a terrific layout, a variety of holes, and a fantastic mixture of sand, dunes, water, fescue, trees, and grass where nothing looks out of place. Long drivers will certainly enjoy playing this course, as I hardly recall a hole where you need to hold back. Greens are fast, fairways are well maintained, and the rough isn't too long to the point of being overly penalizing. Overall, a really fun place to play golf.

First Time Playing
5.0
5.0 out of 5 stars
Conditions 5.0
Value 5.0
Friendliness 5.0
Pace 3.0
Difficulty 3.0
Reviews 26
Handicap 10-14
Skill Intermediate
Plays A few times a week
Recommended
Played

Challenging and Fun Course

One can't argue playing a 4-star course for $30. It was first day of aeration and we got lucky that "Black Bear" hadn't been done yet although "Grizzly" had. The aerated greens were in great shape and still held putts true. Overall great experience and the only flaw I could mention is that we went in circles trying to find the starter. Also, since there are allot of traps along the course, it would be nice to have a chart or something to determine the distance of bunkers/hazards off the tee box.

Verified Purchaser
First Time Playing
4.0
4.0 out of 5 stars
Conditions 3.0
Value 5.0
Friendliness 3.0
Pace 4.0
Difficulty 3.0
Review 1
Skill Intermediate
Plays Once a week
Recommended
Played

Great options with 27 holes.

Only played 9 holes on Black Bear. The course is challenging with water and lots of sand. It can be pricey so it was great to have this option. I know that the times can be limited but it worked for us. Beautiful course, staff was pleasant, golf shop well stocked with great looking items and so nice to have the indoor and outdoor pub and restaurant.

Verified Purchaser
Previously Played
4.0
4.0 out of 5 stars
Conditions 3.0
Value 5.0
Friendliness 3.0
Difficulty 5.0
Review 1
Skill Intermediate
Plays A few times a week
Recommended
Played

Great clubhouse, friendly staff, fast greens, beautiful course

We played Kodiak and Grizzly courses which were definitely up to my standards in every category. I Will definitely come back for more golf. We played a twilight round the day before Memorial Day which is why the pace of golf is so slow.

Verified Purchaser
First Time Playing
5.0
5.0 out of 5 stars
Conditions 5.0
Value 5.0
Friendliness 5.0
Pace 2.0
Difficulty 5.0
Reviews 2
Skill Beginner
Plays Once a month
Recommended
Played

Cart lost electricity

On the 16 th hole, Kodak, cart lost power; approx 7:30 pm and no one available in the pro shop. No player assistance or ranger ( he left at 7pm). Had to be pushed by another cart. There were still players on the course at 8:30 pm. Not happy!

Verified Purchaser
Previously Played
4.0
4.0 out of 5 stars
Conditions 3.0
Value 3.0
Friendliness 3.0
Pace 2.0
Difficulty 3.0
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