Played here for the first time via Spark league. Navigation to the course was accurate and there was a lot of parking available.. I walked toward the golf cart shack and bag drop and found the pro shop. The guy who checked me in was very nice and explained everything to me since it was my first time there. I got a small bucket of balls which is equivalent to a medium elsewhere, for $10. They do not have Tap to checkout but he was able to type in my card info for payment. A cart was dropped off for me just outside the shop and the attendant gave me the key. I headed to the range. The range has two parts- old school and new school. I stayed on the old school part. The last are in good shape. There are lots of flags out there but I didn't know the distance. The golf cart is basic. No GPS. No cooler (outside coolers not permitted). No rake. No club or ball washer. No towel. No tees. Just a card. They have a putting green with various obstacles on it- not sure what that is about. There did not appear to be a cart gal on premises. We were out there two hours and u didn't see anyone making rounds. I think there wa one bathroom on the back nine? I played from the forward tees. The course is very forgiving. For league, we played the back nine. I didn't have the pleasure of getting into any traps but I did spray the ball left a couple times off of the tee and never lost any balls. It was a good time. Decent value for the money. Wish a half bucket of range balls was included. Left my range finder but my group recovered it and will return it to me next time. Overall it was low key and fun. Course was in decent shape. Some greens had brown spots and some fairways were burned out near the paths. Tee boxes were littered with weeds. But it was well marked and challenging with the narrow greens and all the hills/ditches. read more

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Loved this course!!! It had a lot of hills and it was a beautiful day which made it all that better. Next time we will go to the range and hang out. We will be taking another trip here soon! read more

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I have been here twice to use the driving range since it's located close to me and uses TopTracer. I'm a newbie and still learning. The staff at the pro shop I found to be friendly and helpful. I feel bad that I can't remember their names but I had short conversations with them and they gave me pointers which I was grateful for. The driving range is nice, well lit, comfy and they even have fans and tables at each bay which was nice. I had friendly chit chat with neighbors in the other bay here and there while taking my shots. The only reason I can't give more than 3 stars is because both visits I was never waited on or helped by the waitresses. I noticed that and it was disappointing. Before you ask me why I didn't just call someone over, I noticed that during both visits, I was skipped over. The last visit, the friendly lady at the pro shop told me to get set up and someone will be there shortly to get my drink order. I saw a waitress come out and help the family at the end, walk past my bay, assist the two guys next to me and the two young ladies having a lesson at the other end. I was wearing argyle. Sometimes you think something isn't deliberately happening, but the next time you stand and actually watch it happen. So I quietly finished my bucket and left. I will fairly give three stars based on my experiences with the staff in the pro shop and using the range b/c it really is a lovely setup. I'm not sure if I want to return but it doesn't discourage me from the game. read more

Played 18 holes and golf with lunch/19th hole afterwards. The course was in good shape and lunch was reasonably priced

Pretty good hike from Orlando proper but the course was a blast ! Will play at this course again and the price was perfect right where it needed to be for course conditions read more

Haven't golfed here in 30 years. Moved back to Florida recently and decided it would make a great halfway point to golf with a friend who recently moved to the Villages. The staff was pleasant and informative, checking in was easy, cart was available quickly before I walked out of the pro shop. Awesome driving range set up with close proximity to the restaurant and outside seating. Made me wish I lived closer! The range is set up for Trackman. if you want to pay extra, Disappointed there were no distances defined for the flags on the range. Putting green is very large but with just a few holes to share. The Starter was friendly. We were just a twosome and were placed behind a foursome. But no worries, we were having a good time and did not hold up the foursome behind us. I mentioned to another friend about going to Black Bear who had just golfed here. He recommended we declare on the tee that all bunkers were GUR and pull out balls out for a better experience.  While I don't mind hitting out of bunkers, once on the course, it became very clear why he gave that advice. There is an abundance of bunkers and while a few are in okay shape, many need a lot of work. The greens were a bit fuzzy, but rolled true to the break. And there is a lot of undulation on every green. Which you need to pay attention to. There are some dead spots here and there, but nothing any recreational golfer hasn't seen before. Most enjoyable is the elevation changes in most fairways. This course is not the typical flat course you see in Florida. We enjoyed the change! Pace of play was fine. The foursome was a group of ladies who live on the course and very nicely let us know to play through as they were getting refreshments at the turn. One bit of advice is to choose your tees wisely. If you do not have the distance, the gold tees will still challenge the recreational golfer. One of the highlights was the Bears. Den restaurant. Great burgers and wings! Another reason I wish I lived closer. Going there for an evening of food and fun at the driving range with friends or family would make for a great time! read more

Always enjoyable for its challenge and fascinating layout, recent improvements showcase management commitment to a quality golf course I play all of the Orlando area courses, and the combination of golfing experience with practice facilities, Top Tracer, restaurant, speed of play and fully equipped pro shop simply is not available elsewhere at this price point. read more

Black Bear Golf Club - First hole: temptation to aim down the right side and draw into an easy approach lands many of us in bunkers or OB. - Golf Near Me - Eustis, Florida

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The golf course is in good shape. A few of the greens need a little work but overall good conditions. I also had the opportunity to get a burger it was so really good at a great price point. Worth the drive.. read more

Golf carts don't even last 18 holes and they know this when you pay for them. Mine died on hole 14.

Great folks there an owners Sue and Roger are the best Lots of activities and restaurant is first rate Have been playing this course since it opened and it is a challenging course read more

good food and nice bar...good prices and friendly service...pro shop well stocked, but guy at counter was less than personable. course is an absolute nightmare. greens severely damaged, fairways burned up by lack of irrigation, infestations and chemical imbalances. club house is well decorated, patio furniture needs some attention...not very welcoming outside...cushions missing and in disorder. read more

Black Bear Golf Club - this is one of the better putting surfaces - Golf Near Me - Eustis, Florida

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The staff were nice and cooperative with our requested tee times. Unfortunately the greens on multiple holes are all but lost. Maybe time will help but right now not worth the green fee charged. read more

Lovely course, very fun and challenging. Greens were okay. However, the staff and management team were very aggressive and rude. We played the front 9 in 2h 15m with a two sum behind us but not to the point of waiting on us (pace of play is 2:06). After finishing the front nine we stopped at the restaurant in hopes of enjoying a meal before returning to the round. We were told we aren't allowed to order food on the turn we must choose from three options in their food warmer. After purchasing burgers from the warmer we took the food outside and sat on the patio to eat. Then the owner came outside and very aggressively told us we are not allowed to eat food on the turn and we have to go keep playing because we are already greatly holding up pace of play. There was no need to be aggressive and yelling. Even got in our face at one point. There was nothing stating you can't eat the food you purchased on the turn just that you couldn't order from the restaurant. After all of that we requested a refund. Just for him to say we will only get $15. We will never be returning to this joke of a course again. Highly disappointed in the customer service. read more

Our group (PRISM) has been playing Black Bear Golf Club for about 15 years. The course has been in great shape most of that time. After golf we typically stay and eat lunch. Great food and service. A couple of months ago we had three tee times on a Saturday. Two of our guys had to cancel out that morning so that left 2 open spots. Our friend who made the tee times was charged for the two player who were no-shows. We were not informed of this new rule. Our friend called the course and spoke with the owner. The owner's attitude was basically "tough beans." The owner stated that my friend should hang out with a better class of friends that wouldn't do no-shows. After 15 years our group will not play this course. Let me know when a new owner comes in! read more

The Bears Den Restaurant is an excellent place to go for lunch. Open to public. Excellent food, service, a golf course view and great prices. Really recommend checking it out. read more

course is in good shape. greens rolls true. Fairways in good shape also green #6 is a temp green as they replace the green again. good food selection at the restaurant. read more

I've played here a few times. The course is great. Condition is awesome. If you're not on the green on the approach, good luck because there's some steep punishment for being 10 yds off. This course will bring you challenges but there's barely any water, so that is a huge help. My biggest disappointment was that we had 2 4-somes playing a scramble and we had to settle a tie on the 19th hole. The hole specifically put there for settling bets per their website. But at 6pm a raggedy looking guy and his wife, in a red golf cart kicked us off saying "the hole is closed". There was no sign, this guy just wanted to send the cart kid home and save the $7/hr he's paying him for the 10 mins it would take to clean our carts. We confronted him about his poor attitude and he was unpleasant. I'd be happy to never see that guy again. Maybe I'll play here again if I can figure out when his snarky self isn't working. read more

The course is in rough shape. Greens are painfully slow. Hole #6 on temporary green in the middle of the fairway. Leaves, branches, and other debris in sand bunkers. My one star is for the guy behind the pro shop desk. While on the way to the course, a friend of ours called as his wife had an emergency medical issue, and they were going to the hospital. We are an older bunch, after all. We arrived and checked in and had the unpleasant meeting with the grumpy ass behind the counter who berated and scolded us for not calling prior to arriving to the course on the cancelation of our friend. We explained the situation, only to be told that he lost out on $36. The course wasn't busy, and we still kept our tee time. No empathy. It's just an ass that has no common sense in regards to 'things happen beyond our control.' Will I go back? If the ogre is no longer there, maybe. Management should schedule communication classes and customer service skills courses to the employees. read more

Course is in great shape. Restaurant is a gem. Come on out and see for yourself. You won't be disappointed.

Staff was very helpful and friendly the course is nicely groomed and greens are good but on the other hand it is narrow with moguls on the sides that seem to bounce or roll your ball into the unknown. The sand traps have a mixture of sand and gravel, one I hit out of actually had a rock twice the size of my ball just under the sand that I hit. I lost 1 or 2 balls but my wife lost at least one for each hole. Gladly we only played 9. I don't think we will playing there again, price is reasonable but we can't afford the balls! read more

This golf course is very reasonably priced . It has a great lay-out, with many interesting holes. It's very hilly, unlike most courses in Florida. The fairways were in fine shape. The greens had been punched about 10 days ago, so putting was atypical and unpredictable. Decent practice facilities. Four of us played our round today in under 4 hours. We would definitely play here again. read more

I love the course very challenging, and it makes me work hard at my game, however the owner should make the course easier if he wants more business, a lot of folks don't like challenging, they want to have a good time and enjoy golf. I would suggest better sand in the traps, moving the rough shorter On to the clubhouse, the restaurant is good basic golf course food, burger etc... they have issues with the staff as far as I can tell, they need a few lessons in customer service, a smile goes a long way, not all the staff but the ones that were there when we were needed a lot of training in taking care of customer service, especially on sundays The pro shop was good the staff could use a it more training as well, a smile goes a long way! read more

Super unwelcoming golf spot. Management changes needed. Mission Inn, Arlington Ridge, even Eagle dunes or Redtail better. Don't put up with this. read more

Beautiful course, lovely weather, and fun golf. The issue I have with this establishment is the on-course customer treatment. We came to play as a group of 5, which we have done before at other courses without it being a problem. It was a Wednesday, but the course was still decently populated. We booked as a group of 3 and group of 2 with the intention of playing together. When we started, the young starter told us we were playing as a trio and then the duo would be paired with a single. We played the front 9 as a six-some. In no way did we cause any slowing of play of the people behind us. After the front, our single went off on his own as we stopped for food at the turn. On hole 10, with no one in sight behind us again, a worker came out to tell us we had to break up or else we would be asked to leave the course with a refund (which was very nice to offer). We tried to explain to the gentleman that we were not playing slower than the pace of play directives and that breaking us up would cause us to player slower cause there would be more groups on the course. Reluctantly, we played separately and still had a great time. We were told that we had to separate cause the guy "didn't want other people calling him complaining that they saw other groups of 5, so why couldn't they." Lame excuse and no respect for the fact that we had paid and scheduled our tee times to play together and that we weren't inhibiting any other golfers from playing through if they felt they wanted to and we were not slowing down anyone. Regardless of this, the course was fun, challenging, well maintained, and very pretty. read more

Friendly staff! Course was in great shape. Small greens but generous fairways. Price was reasonable for winter golf.

While situated in Sorento (45-60 minutes northwest of downtown), Black Bear was once upon a time a course worth driving the extra distance to play. Though still a unique layout with several challenging holes, long gone are the days of immaculate greens, well kept bunkers, and beautiful scenery. A personal favorite many years ago, I hesitate to recommend this course unless you have obtained a sub $35.00 rate. Course conditions have continued to deteriorate over the years despite an increase in cheap homes being plopped around the course. Bunkers are completed eroded, greens are infected in many areas, and rough... well there is not much. Expect to play from extremely tight fairways and punching from dirt/mud around the greens. I maintain three stars primarily for the layout and friendly staff, certainly the disappointment in course conditions on my visit in January 2016 warranted 2-2.5 at most. read more

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I've been playing this particular course on/off for the past several years. Being a Pete Dye course, I've always enjoyed the unique, and challenging layout. The course does reward you for making great shots. Anything less , and you're left in a precarious situation. The course aside for a moment, this course needs massive improvement in guest relations, and how they welcome and treat the golfers when the arrive in pro shop. Other than the volunteer starters; the pro shop staff would highly benefit from an extensive course(no pun intended) in customer service. I can say with the utmost confidence; that today will be the last day I'll book a time here. The way they treated both me, and my 7 year old daughter(to whom I'm introducing the game) was unforgivable. In fact, we didn't even play today. We left the facility, and headed over to Red Tail, which I must say had come a long way with the issues they experienced a couple years ago with their greens. Course was in good shape, so was the customer service. Black Bear has lost a long time customer, and a future customer given my daughter is showing a keen interest in the game. For those of you taking the time to read this review; if you're simply willing to fork over 80 bucks to play decent course(at best); then this is the course for you. If your money means more to you, and you want an experience; I'd highly recommend looking elsewhere. read more

4 of us stopped in at Black Bear for lunch for the very first time. We were all very pleased with the quality of food and service. Hamburger, Buffalo Chicken Sandwich, Philly Steak Sandwich and a Pulled Pork Sandwich. All plentiful and delicious. Homemade chips and fries equally very good. Highly recommend for a casual lunch experience in a comfortable surrounding. read more

I don not golf but I eat in the restaurant 3 times a week. It is really an excellent restaurant and it consistently serves up great food and awesome service. The specials are always great and the environment is usually bustling with golfers. Highly recommend. read more

Really liked our visit to Black Bear golf course today. Got a great deal on Group Golfer for a $20 round plus 2 for 1 drinks in the clubhouse. Upon arriving at the course you can see the undulating fairways and greens which was also a very fun change of pace since most of Orlando's courses are mainly flat. The clubhouse staff was nice and accommodating and they had some good selections of gear to purchase for low prices. The clubhouse food was good and the prices were average. We stopped for a quick hot dog and beer at the turn and than stopped in for a sliced steak sandwich and beers post-round. The course was in good shape and the greens pretty fast. I was a little mystified about the location of some of the bunkers near the green since some were not even close to being "green side". Some water comes into play on a few holes but mostly you can grip and rip. We will be back! read more

The course is in great shape especially the fairways. Pricey at the weekends, $60 is expensive compared to other similar courses.

Most important: the greens are beautiful and clubhouse is nice - and that's the Only reason I gave the course any stars at all. The rest of the awful experience: 1. Cart GPS failed at hole 12 and our other pair's cart GPS wasn't working from the start (ranger did replace the cart). 2. The group ahead of us were an entire hole behind and the ranger did not come out until hole 9 to tell them; we were 30 min. behind at that point when he finally spoke to them. I believe this may be due to the starter also being the ranger, so maybe he didn't have a chance to drive out and monitor the pace of play. 3. The cart girl did not come by until hole 10, and that was the one and only time we saw her during the round. 4. NO BATHROOMS on the course. There is a single PORT-A-POTTY on 4 and 15; absolutely unacceptable. 5. The service at the clubhouse for lunch afterwards was extremely slow; getting the food (sandwiches) and getting the check (20 min.). These may seem like little details to some that just look at the course itself in evaluating Black Bear, but all those little things add up to make it a wonderful experience as a whole or a frustrating day. With so many courses in the Orlando area to choose from that handle all the details well, I would never choose to play at this course again. read more

Black Bear Golf Club is a fun track. I've played there five or six times through the years and I always seem to have a good time. Hole 15 is the highlight. It's a short par three that can be really tricky with the wind and how the green is shaped. When the pin is up front you can hit a short iron or wedge just past the hole and it will funnel back towards the pin. I came really close to having a hole in one the last time out. It's a great design and makes the course unique. In Eustis, the terrain is full of undulations, which also makes the course stand out. If you haven't been out there, it's worth the drive. I would recommend this course to any golfer that likes to mix it up. read more

This golf club is really wonderful. We loved playing the lush golf course--it has many challenging courses. The layout often has upper level fairways surrounded by gullies and sand traps or gully fairways surrounded by sand traps either headed up hill or down hill. Your golf game gets a terrific workout here. Some water comes into play, but not as much as other courses. The restaurant serves really good food--I had the best steak sandwich I've ever had, my husband tried their grill ham and cheese and was pleased. The restaurant has excellent service. Also good golf cart service on the course. We played on a Friday and the course moved well and wasn't overcrowded. Golf cart, greens fees were $40pp. Staff was friendly. The pro shop had a special on golf shirts and when we played the par three challenge for youth golf we got a free 10% for our donation (we missed the green, well, I hit it then it rolled off sadly). The golf course would be four stars with better bathrooms mid course, but outhouses are better than nothing even if kinda yucky. The clubhouse bathrooms are really nice. read more

4 1/2 hour round. Whoever owns this does a great job with staff because service is good. Inexpensive course of about $35 and it does not include range balls. Condition is a little rough but acceptable. Extremely undulating course with significantly elevated greens. 2-3 are over the top elevated. Enormous bunkers are everywhere and many are pot bunkers. Front 9 greens today were thin and sparse. They spread green sand on greens so from fairway they look fine. Course is thru a neighborhood. Very little water hazards. OB is frequent but it is generally wide open course. read more

Unbelievable experience today. I've played out here probably 50 times or so this year. This afternoon, I got accused of playing a second round without paying. This was literally 2 hours after teeing off. I explained that I skipped around but the kid kept telling me that the head of golf operations told me to pay for another round or leave. I left on hole 12. I left... and get this Black Bear - there is a REASON that your course has so few people on it. I've played out so much spending hundreds of dollars and this. Okay. Just read other reviews online and you will see that there is a problem with their head pro and others. While I've enjoyed the Bear, you guys have a serious customer service issue. Don't ignore the issue. The good thing is that my decision as to what course to join was made very easy today. I'm absolutely joining Red Tail. Much better conditions and more friendly staff. Plus, I have absolutely no desire to join a course where some kid is told to run me down on hole 12 (with his credit card machine) to pay for a second round even though I told him that I skipped around. Reading just a few of the reviews here, I see that I'm definitely not alone in my sentiments. The head pro and a couple of others should go. After playing there, probably 50 times this year, I will not be back. Done. read more

Played today with a friend who drove from Lakeland. Frost kept us from our 7:36am tee time, but they got us off shortly after 8:00. We had an engaging conversation with Paul while we waited. There was a threesome in front of us and a foursome behind, with never a wait. The course is in better condition than the majority of the public courses in Central Florida. Traps were raked, greens in nice condition and to a moderate speed. We especially liked the undulating greens and fairway terrain, not every shot is from a cookie cutter lie. Plan on shaking some sand off your shoes...there are plenty of bunkers! The staff was cordial, not stuffy nor gushingly gratuitous. They had participated in a golf promotion that saved me a couple of $$, the everyday charge is reasonable and if they offer this promotion again it would be foolish to pass on. read more

Played there today and course was in great shape. Loved it. I will be back. The greens are small and require you to have great approach shots. The distances can also be tricky but it is a fair course. I would like to play here weekly just to work on my accuracy to get on the greens. Once on the greens, they can be tricky to putt. Seemed a little slow and downhill putts were tough to hit hard enough. Liked the pro shop and the resteaurant also. Great happy hour with 2 for 1.drinks. If you cannot hit your drives straight and at least 200 yds, you will have a difficult time reaching greens in regulation. If your short game is not very good, you will not score very well. But the course is in great shape and very enjoyable. read more

This course was fabulous, having played a lot of courses in central Florida, having one that has all the undulated fairways and greens makes this a very challenging course. Some hole are downright rude in their set up and should be enjoyed by both experienced and non-experienced golfers. If there was a negative regarding this course would be that there was no "Golf Cart Girl" with the drinks coming around. In our entire day, so if the course is going to restrict personal coolers they should provide on the course refreshments to purchase. At the end of the day, we all headed to their restaurant and the food is pretty good as well. So for the price, Black Bear is one of the great golf deals in the area. read more

Challenging course, different then most other courses in Orlando area. Owner is always around. Tyler does a great job on the kitchen. The food is always out on time and taste great! Ken makes sure the greens and fairways are always top notch read more