Everyone is a Friend at Black Bear Golf Club

October 30, 2013

Black Bear has only two forced carries, on the par 5 second and 18th holes. Most of the water is on the sides of the course’s generous, mounded fairways, so there shouldn’t be a surplus of lost balls.

Combine the mounded fairways, which typically funnel balls back towards the short grass, with generous landing areas and Black Bear is a relatively easy driving course.

“You have to really hit it sideways to get it out of the fairway,” head pro Patrick Wilkinson said.

Black Bear’s Champion bermuda grass greens are also large, offering Wilkinson and his staff multiple pin options each day. The greens don’t have a surplus of undulation, but they are quick, placing a premium on the ability to control speed.

The course’s best stretch comes at the end. Holes 17 and 18 are standouts and both offer significant challenges, particularly the 17th, a 454-yard, par 4 that requires two good shots to hit the green.

While the closing stretch is Black Bear’s most memorable, an early hole is its toughest. The course bears its teeth on 579-yard second, a hole that is unreachable in two. It’s one of the layout’s toughest driving holes (right you are in the trees, left in a pond) and the second shot demands a layup into a fairway with water running up the left side. Squeezed by water, the fairway narrows near the green so shots that come up short are likely wet.

Conversely, the par 5 12th hole plays just 513 yards from the tips (476 from the white tees) and offers the chance to pick-up a stroke. Players that cut the corner on the dogleg left can find a second shot with as little as 160 yards left to the green, opening up the possibility for birdie, maybe even better.

Black Bear presents diverse challenges, requiring players to hit every club in the bag. The par 4s range from 352 to 454 yards, including an assortment of doglegs. As a whole, the par 3s aren’t particularly onerous but the 221-yard sixth hole – it’s 195 from the white tees – is a beast.

The Verdict: Black Bear is a good, fair golf course. Players can expect to find good conditions, a friendly staff and the opportunity to score well. Given the width of the fairways, there shouldn’t be much trouble off the tee, so spend time gauging speed on the practice putting green and get ready for an enjoyable round of golf.