The Bear reviews
10
0
More Than Bear-able 2+ years
Reviewed:
Played on:Oct 1, 2017
Played the course:once
Pros:
This is the best overall ball/disc golf hybrid course I've played in my limited experience so far. I say limited experience b/c the only other DG on BG course I've played is The Rock @ Stonewall, which is overall technically a better course and more unique experience but it's so unique that it almost feels like a different game. The Bear feels a lot more naturally like a round of disc golf, especially the option of walking which is not allowed at The Rock (cart is kind of a necessity, it's that hilly). But the holes are generally not at super gonzo distances, every other hole doesn't feel like a top of the world tee, and the wooded holes are very NC woods snug. The Rock is an adventure, The Bear is like comfort food.
The Bear itself is high quality golf. I'd say that roughly 3/4 of the course is more or less open, especially the front 9 which shares space with foot golf holes (these look like how golf holes would look if you ate one of those shrinking mushrooms from Super Mario Bros.) Well-groomed fairways of neat grass roll along before you like a rumpled green blanket. There aren't any terribly unique terrain features of these holes but they're solid and not repetitive. You've got your steep uphill hole, your hole with the basket on a knoll (former elevated ball golf tee), your uber long, uphill slog par 5, your split fairway, various downhill bombers, etc. There's OB in effect on a few of these open holes but they don't suffocate you like Winthrop Gold or anything, just keep you honest so you don't spray rollers across fairways or something. The elevation isn't super extreme for the most part but it changes more often than not and creates a lot of shape to the fairways.
After the first 6 quite open holes, you transition into some open holes with some wooded elements and some wooded holes. Hole 7 for example starts you in a tight tunnel of pines and curves left to right along a slope in the wide open, then sharply uphill to a tree guarded green in the woods. Angles, elevation, wind, and trees present a rare smorgasbord of challenges not often enjoyed (or endured if you rather).
The completely wooded holes are classic NC golf holes, <300' and abundantly treed. There's not a lot to write home about these but they're solid and charming (the nice rock wall on hole 8, the tricky valley shot through trees on hole 9, etc). The back 9 opens it up again until hole 14 and finishes with a trio of consecutive, all woods holes. These have tight fairways that could stand to be thinned up a bit but they're possibly deuced if not plausibly and require different lines.
Hole 18 is a fantastic finishing hole, a big downhill bomb outta the woods and over a shrubby, weedy meadow to a well-defined green of mulch and stones. It looks great, it's exhilarating to play and puts you right at the clubhouse to end the round, which is a nicer clubhouse than most of the golf courses I've seen in my neck of the sticks.
I played my round without a scorecard b/c I got there before the clubhouse was open and after I got a hold of one, the pars were basically exactly what I thought they were (the tee signs aren't there yet). It's incredibly rare for me to play a course that seems appropriately parred so that's a huge "job well-done" from me. I played the Gold tees and I could see how some of them might be set a bit high for proper Gold players (like touring pros) but par seems right to my naked eye, awesome.
Amenities galore! The clubhouse has bathrooms, drinks, great disc selection (yes, they sell some MVP/Axiom, AS ANY REPUTABLE RETAILER SHOULD, lol) and similar merch, carts, etc. It legitimately would be a nice place to hang out, chill between/after rounds and enjoy a beautiful day, it's that nice of a property. DG is played from the orange tees and whilst natural, they are flat and functional. Also super easy to get to off the highway.
The Bear itself is high quality golf. I'd say that roughly 3/4 of the course is more or less open, especially the front 9 which shares space with foot golf holes (these look like how golf holes would look if you ate one of those shrinking mushrooms from Super Mario Bros.) Well-groomed fairways of neat grass roll along before you like a rumpled green blanket. There aren't any terribly unique terrain features of these holes but they're solid and not repetitive. You've got your steep uphill hole, your hole with the basket on a knoll (former elevated ball golf tee), your uber long, uphill slog par 5, your split fairway, various downhill bombers, etc. There's OB in effect on a few of these open holes but they don't suffocate you like Winthrop Gold or anything, just keep you honest so you don't spray rollers across fairways or something. The elevation isn't super extreme for the most part but it changes more often than not and creates a lot of shape to the fairways.
After the first 6 quite open holes, you transition into some open holes with some wooded elements and some wooded holes. Hole 7 for example starts you in a tight tunnel of pines and curves left to right along a slope in the wide open, then sharply uphill to a tree guarded green in the woods. Angles, elevation, wind, and trees present a rare smorgasbord of challenges not often enjoyed (or endured if you rather).
The completely wooded holes are classic NC golf holes, <300' and abundantly treed. There's not a lot to write home about these but they're solid and charming (the nice rock wall on hole 8, the tricky valley shot through trees on hole 9, etc). The back 9 opens it up again until hole 14 and finishes with a trio of consecutive, all woods holes. These have tight fairways that could stand to be thinned up a bit but they're possibly deuced if not plausibly and require different lines.
Hole 18 is a fantastic finishing hole, a big downhill bomb outta the woods and over a shrubby, weedy meadow to a well-defined green of mulch and stones. It looks great, it's exhilarating to play and puts you right at the clubhouse to end the round, which is a nicer clubhouse than most of the golf courses I've seen in my neck of the sticks.
I played my round without a scorecard b/c I got there before the clubhouse was open and after I got a hold of one, the pars were basically exactly what I thought they were (the tee signs aren't there yet). It's incredibly rare for me to play a course that seems appropriately parred so that's a huge "job well-done" from me. I played the Gold tees and I could see how some of them might be set a bit high for proper Gold players (like touring pros) but par seems right to my naked eye, awesome.
Amenities galore! The clubhouse has bathrooms, drinks, great disc selection (yes, they sell some MVP/Axiom, AS ANY REPUTABLE RETAILER SHOULD, lol) and similar merch, carts, etc. It legitimately would be a nice place to hang out, chill between/after rounds and enjoy a beautiful day, it's that nice of a property. DG is played from the orange tees and whilst natural, they are flat and functional. Also super easy to get to off the highway.
Cons:
There aren't many and most are temporary. Proper tees and tee signage sound like they're coming, I'd be shocked if they weren't. You can get a little confused figuring out the 6-8 section of holes but the map is accurate and you'll figure it out quickly. The course flows really well other than those and you shouldn't need a map once the tee signs are in.
My only other critique is that the course lacks some long, wooded beasts of tunnel holes that are so characteristic of the 4 star+ rated courses. If you could trade some open holes here with some wooded par 4s from Angry Beaver it would boost each greatly.
My only other critique is that the course lacks some long, wooded beasts of tunnel holes that are so characteristic of the 4 star+ rated courses. If you could trade some open holes here with some wooded par 4s from Angry Beaver it would boost each greatly.
Other Thoughts:
I'm really looking forward to coming back. $5 to play all day is something this frugal frolfer has zero problems paying. I fully expect to bump up my rating to a 4 once the tees and signs are installed. I don't see it going much higher than that but regardless this is a splendid course. Combined with the very potentially promising Jacob's Fork going in around the corner, Sawmills and the classic Glenn C. Hilton, this will be a corner of the NC DG world that begs to be reckoned with.
