Reaching Bear Lake Reserve is an adventure of its own. The road to the course snakes up the mountain in a series of tight, winding switchbacks that seem designed to test your nerve before your swing. The views throughout the drive are incredible and set the tone for a special round to come. By the time you reach the course you’ve traveled roughly 30-45 minutes up the mountain while climbing a few thousand feet in elevation. The view when you arrive is well-worth the white-knuckle journey to get there.

The course is a Nicklaus designed nine-hole par 3/4 mix tipping out at just under 2,000 yards. Whilst compact in distance, the loop surely doesn’t lack in views. The layout itself is fun, playable and unique, but the scenic mountain vistas really steal the show. Each hole reveals a new view, elevation change and personality—greens perched like clifftop islands, tee shots that seem to fall forever, and fairways rolling with the mountain’s natural contours. There’s not a bad hole on the course, but the seventh might be my favorite, offering a 40-mile view of the beautiful Blue Ridge horizon. It’s truly an unbelievable place to play golf and I’m still scratching my head on how they built this course so far up the mountain.

The ‘clubhouse’, just like the course, is small but mighty. It’s essentially a cabin-style Pro Shop, not much bigger than a bedroom. It’s filled with some cool custom accessories and a check-out counter—about as simplistic and laidback as it gets. Outside there’s some tables, a firepit and a food truck serving up mean breakfast sandwiches. Everything you need and nothing you don’t.

The golf course is part of a larger Bear Lake Reserve community sitting on roughly 2,000 acres and filled with luxury cabins, a massive lake and miles of hiking trails. Golf
is just a small part of what makes Bear Lake Reserve special. It’s the perfect place to escape, slow down and enjoy a long weekend away.