Black Bear Golf Resort

$36 (cart included), played on Thursday, June 2019 at 3:00 PM

Heard a lot about this course when it first opened but never got up in this area until now. I liked the idea of a "Warn-up" hole (159yds Uphill) but wished it would have been closer to 200yd+ so I could let the driver loosen up before #1 360yd Par 4. I played from the Black/tips at 3,211yd / 3,214yd Par 36/36 mix of hilly, open, heather, swamp and trees to serve you up about everything. With the four (4) tees you can play down to Reds at 4,535yds and enjoy the views. Conditions favored the rough side with spotty bare conditions to great full grass on the fairways and rough. The greens were on the slow side (5-6) but were green and rolled very true considering the speed. Fairway sand bunkers bordered on waste areas but greenside traps were a lot better. No real hole comes to mind as being memorial on the front but #5 538yd Par 5 and #6 130yd greens have big uphill shots to the green so choose wisely. Back 9 has #15 489yd Par 5 with a fairway tree blocking most shots 100yds+ from the elevated/sidehill green. Gotta stay clear of this tree to hit 3rd shot to this green. The view from this green and #17 an 378yd Par 4 tee box offer a photo moment you won't soon forget. (Take the Photo) The #18 371yd Par 4 finishes from a elevated tee box that had me choosing a 3w to stay in the narrow guarded fairway. This was leaving me an downhill 160yd shot to clear the front water hazard that protects the large green to finish this round. Really enjoyed shooting 38/38 w/28putts on this well marked (yardage blocks w/ 150yd C/L stick) ) Links type layout. The interesting thing was my cart number #38, not that I'm superstitious or anything.....Right. :)

$36 (cart included), played on Friday, August 2007 at 6am

Very nice course, reasonable price. Best deal in northern Michigan.