JerLynW
We also had the misfortune of playing this course!! First the course is in deplorable condition and one of the worst we have played. To allow the course to be backed up to begin with four groups ahead of us is not good course management. Absolutely ridiculous. DON'T PLAY HERE. We had to quit because it was getting dark.
Irishlass54
I had the misfortune of playing a round on this course today where on a very crowded course on a Saturday afternoon, they allowed a fivesome to play and screw up the entire course. By the time we got to the 13th hole the two threesomes in front of us got disgusted and gave up and left the course. Good thing as by the time we got to the 18th the fivesome had just teed off, a foursome was waiting on the ladies tee, and my group was backed up on the green tee, while another foursome waited on the black tees. There were 20 people trying to play this hole. Meanwhile another foursome gave up and drove past us. The course is very hilly and undulating which is unusual for Florida and it would have been enjoyable if not for the poor course management which allowed a fivesome to delay play for the entire course. There were NO RANGERS to rectify the situation. The 15th green is virtually unputtable due to unrepaired ball marks and a blight on the green.After my experience here today I would NEVER return. Too bad as it was a challenging course which would have been enjoyable if you didn't have to wait 20 minutes between shots.
927glennc
I've played the course twice now and the green and fairways are in great shape. The course has undulating hills and many traps but not much in the way of water. Although it is fairly wide open you often hit to tabletop greens which demands accurate wedge play. The good news is that it is hard to lose a ball. The raised tee boxes may present a physical challenge to some. The clubhouse is excellent and the people are very friendly. I will be back.
grayesun
We drove through and checked out Black Bear before making tee times for the following week and were disappointed at first blush by the general appearance of the course and adjoining poorly maintained neighborhood homes. The clubhouse seemed OK, but just an average setup...nothing fancy or pretentious anywhere. So, we decided to use our vouchers for range balls, a round of golf and a discount on lunch. None of our 4-some was too excited, but we'd give it a shot and bail out if the course was in real bad shape. The nitty gritty details:1) Excellent golf carts with GPS2) Nice range layout3) Course in good condition overall, all greens but 2 in real good shape - one being mowed as we played through was covered with big clumps of new clippings, one had some patching going on that was severely burnt. 4) Course is covered with hills and bunkers - difficult if you haven't played it before, because you can't see what's over those hills out in the middle of most fairways. 5) 18th hole is a swell finisher, requiring a 130 yard water carry to the green, longer hitters can go for green in 2, most will need to lay up before making a 130-150 yard shot to green. 6) Lunch in the clubhouse after golf was quite good. Our group had lasagna and burgers/fries, fine portions, reasonable prices and much tastier than we expected. Quick, friendly service.The only complaint we have is for being scolded for slow play, apparently 2 calls from a 2-some behind us and another 2-some behind them were getting impatient with our 4-some pace. We asked why they were sending out 2-somes and why the 2 sets of 2-somes behind us didn't join up. It appeared this was arranged and we had no further problems with anxious players on our heels. We might have been moving a bit slow, we had 2 ladies in our group with knee injuries, wearing braces, playing on this very hilly unfamiliar course. The ladies were so upset by this, they quit playing after 9 holes. We're "ready golfers" from the Villages and know all about slow play issues.Black Bear is an enjoyable challenging and different golfing experience than we're used to seeing in the Villages...we'll likely return sometime. I would recommend this course for golf and food...2 thumbs up!
JimC663
Black Bear is a quirky course and when I visited, the maintenance of some areas left a bit to be desired. Also, anyone without strong legs will find mounting many of the tee boxes a real challenge as one must often climb steep slopes from the cart path to the tee boxes. However, the staff was super, the food very good, and the restaurant/bar was picturesque.
MarkL667
A lovely golf course, nice club house, great buggies, good range, friendly staff. What more do you need? Lovely to play early in the morning, dew on the course, looks great. If you are in the area it should be top of your list alongside eagle dunes which is 5 mins away.
JudiD497
We had a nice lunch out there. It was quiet and the food was pretty good
samt223
This place has an excellent buffett and drinks a little early on sundays. I went and got toasty with my wife before a long movie.
MarilynKC
Played there today with friends. The course was backed up because of a fog delay which no one told us about until we got to the starter for our tee time. We had to wait on every hole. The course was not in great condition. There were lots of blind shots and bunkers in front of the greens. Many of the greens were domed so that it is impossible to keep a ball on the green. Will not go back there to play.
johnm150
Its a bit crowded, tees too close to greens, but opens up once you get away from the first few hole. The course design is great, lots of sand and many challenging shots. Pro shop personal top notch.
marielucie31
ce golf est bien entretenu. il est très agréable à jouer. les trous sont variés.l'accueil est sympathique et le directeur très arrangeant.