Black Bear: More Interesting Than Ever
By Coach Rob McIntyre
About two years ago Rob and Olivia Smith bought Black Bear and got to work. Their accomplishments turning the property around in such a short period of time is worthy of awards, press and praise. All three have been produced. All three are well deserved. That’s great, so let’s look at where Black Bear is now at the end of 2025.
From the time you roll down the long driveway approach until the time you drop the bag back into your car, this place is interesting. Very interesting. I am not talking about the recently remodeled and vastly improved club house. Oh no, there are oddities to this course.
Let us start with the warm up par 3. A legitimate, manicured and well-designed extra hole to get you started. Huh, never saw that before. Then you move to the tee on No. 1. Playing the first six holes had me wondering what was going on. Blind shots, links-ish design, undulating greens, and fairways that are different in some mysterious way. Different, entertaining, confusing and interesting. I just couldn’t put my finger on what this course is or how I was going to write about it. That is how the first six holes went.
On the seventh, I was prepared to play it smart. Hybrid was my wise play for sure. That is what I repeated to myself as driver found its way into my hands. It was liberating. No. 7 is a total design platypus. If it had a nickname, “Why Not” would be that nickname. Seven is fantastic. Seven gave me clarity and perspective. I was beginning to understand.
The fairways are rye and were in great shape. Rye has to be kept at a slightly longer length than standard fairways. As a benefit, rye requires less watering, and is better adapted to the soil. It handles the damage from deer and critters. The greens are bent, in great shape and are undulating rollercoasters. They roll at a 9 (stimp meter) on purpose. Roll these to an 11.5 and everyone would 5-putt.
The landing areas are not always obvious due to the terrain and sometimes undefined. This gives you the freedom to think about how you are going to apply your game to the course. How you play some holes greatly depends on the individual. There is no obvious target. You have to decide your target independently. Interesting.
At 10 came the next observation. I don’t know who this Mark Sauger guy is (designer), but I’m guessing he has a gambling issue. Cutting blind shots, putting challenges, taking risks, etc… “wanna bet” rolls off the tongue so easily while playing this course. You don’t have to. You can play it “smart”. Eric in my group did. He used five different clubs off the tee on par 4’s and 5’s. He raved about the course challenging his strategy and using the entire bag. Not me baby, Tin Cup, let’s go!
Overlooking 18 green is the patio that also surveys most of the course. It offers a truly beautiful view. The food from the year-round restaurant is so much better than I expected. This is a place to grab a meal even if you are not playing golf. Nice variety, spotless kitchen, and a comfortable atmosphere left me asking the bartender what I should try. I can only assume what the American College of Cardiology would say about the BBQ Tachos, but they weren’t there to stop me. Fantastic. The night before I had the Buffalo Chicken roll up. Spot on.
We had a bourbon a little later in the Black Bear Bourbon Bar. It was a nice space. I don’t know bourbon, but others in my group were impressed. What impressed me was the Bear Den. This is where I would want to hang out in the off season. When others are on the snowmobile trails, I’ll be there. Playing a round and ready for an order of the BBQ Tachos. The space is comfortable, functional, and welcoming for sure.
The staff at Black Bear are a friendly group. The work atmosphere seems genuinely positive, and it comes out as you interact with them. Some casually discussed how much they enjoyed working there. The person handling the carts shared that working at Black Bear was demanding. Then she talked about teamwork, pride, fun and learning the game of golf. From the head pro to bartender, the employees have a genuine loyalty to Black Bear and you can tell. That’s rare these days.
If you want to go to Black Bear just to witness the incredible rebirth of this place, not a bad call. I’m looking forward to going back for other reasons. I want to play this bizarrely interesting course. I want to hear the comments as my friends tell each other the “right way” to play a hole. I want to relax on the patio afterward and hear the banter of what just happened out there. Cold beer and BBQ Tachos will be involved. More than any of these things, I want to play No. 7 again.
