Bear Brook Golf Club

Other reviews of this course are on point, some additions and suggestions- if this is your first time playing here, either bring someone who has played it, try and get paired with someone who has played it, and/or bring a good GPS. BB is the most target oriented golf course I have played in some time- point A to Point B, with little room for error if you stray. Many holes are forced lay-ups with blind or semi-blind tee shots that must be hit a certain distance- too short and the second shot is either blocked or blind, too far and you''re either beyond the fairway or cursing as you haul out another ball. Depending on the tees you select, the layups will be between 180-240 yards in most cases. Stray more than a few yards wide of the fairways and you''ll be hauling out another ball. We were paired with a gentleman who actually ran out of balls after about 12 holes (and at least 15 balls) and had to borrow from his playing partner.

Fortunately for most, the course is not long, even from the tips, and many holes play much shorter due to the elevation changes and firmness of the fairways.

The course is wonderfully maintained, with reasonably fast and true greens and nice tight fairways that allow you to spin the ball, necessary since many of the greens are on the smallish side and well-guarded. A couple of the tee boxes were sparse as many of them are in heavily-shaded areas, but most are excellent. The course drains well too, I would not hesitate to play it even after a week of heavy rains. The scenery on a number of holes is spectacular, particularly the view from the 13th tee where on a clear day you can easily see all the way to Pennsylvania and New York. Houses in the development are only in play on a couple of holes, for the most part you will feel like you''re on a hiking expedition through the mountains.

One negative is the lack of a range- both starting holes (we were directed to #10 as a start) are not for the faint of heart, particularly if you haven''t had the chance to loosen up. Value is excellent for the money ($50 or less on prime weekends, about half the $ of the Crystal Springs courses).

We will definitely be back and recommend to our friends- who are a little wild off the tee, and so will also be advised to leave their drivers at home or bring extra balls!

I played this course on a Saturday afternoon following two consecutive days of heavy rain. The course was in immaculate condition. No drainage problems, greens were a little sluggish but expected after a rain. As far as public golf in NJ goes, it''s not going to get much better than this course. Don''t ignore these other reviews though, if you don''t have an accurate shot and a good short game, bear brook will eat you up. The fairways can get tight and play short in some spots and being in the rough is almost equivelent to take a penalty stroke or two! A few holes are very hard and almost unfair but still very fun. The scenery is spectacular, each hole has something completely different to offer. My one word of advice to anyone playing bear brook would be to really understand the layout and pin placement for each hole. This is not a course where you can just grip it and rip it and play from wherever. Each shot takes considerable strategy if you are planning on beating your buddies. The only complaint I have has more to do with the community that surrounds the golf course than the golf course itself. The homeowners are very strict about retrieving balls off their property. You will see signs like "trespassers will be prosecuted" and "your balls are mine" on fences and OB markers. I actually got into an argument with one person after stepping no more than 5 yards onto his property to pick up my ball. He asked me if I "could read, a**hole." Regardless of this, Bear Brook is a challenging golf course that I would reccomend to anyone looking for a challenge or just an enjoyable time in western NJ.

Nice course that's hard to ignore if you live in the area. Ultimately, it's just very, very challenging and if you're a beginner or don't know the layout cold, watch out, you could lose 2 dozen balls here.

In the good months the course is in such fantastic shape that it borders on absurd. It's very reasonably priced as well. It's short though, so having a big drive doesn't necessarily help you here.

UPDATE: Just went back this week and the course is pretty beat up -- not like it was last year. Kind of bummed out by it, used to be immaculate -- I guess they have more people playing there with the new management.