Black Bear Lodge

After reading all the reviews from multiple websites I was expecting to play a great track as it was rated one of the top public courses in Louisiana, unfortunately, that was not the case.
The fairways were not mowed, you couldn't tell the difference between the fairway & rough. The greens were in excellent condition however they were very slow.
I'm sure this could be a nice course however, they will not be seeing me anytime soon.

This course could be really special if they maintained it. Fairways and fairway bunkers were in poor condition. If these were restored this would be a terrific course. Layout, green design and conditions were perfect.

Played here on a late afternoon special, and it was excellent. Layout was challenging, conditions were great, and staff was very friendly. If you like fishing, this is also the place to be.

I don't usually write reviews, but I wanted to warn others before they drove out to this course far away from any major cities. The course appears to have been abandoned by previous operators. Only the greens and tee boxes are being watered. The weeds in the bunkers are waste high. Someone has started to redo the bunkers, one at a time. It will be awhile before this course is back.

I wish golfnow.com would tell customers when courses are aerated. The greens were a disaster. The worst I've ever played. Complete waste of time and money

The only knock on the course right now is maintenance (although the greens are in very good shape, particularly for being the height of August). Bunkers have been washed out, and it always annoys me when mowers leave those stripes of grass clippings all over the fairway. Still, it's a remarkable course. It presents a tremendous variety of lengths, fairway widths, approaches, etc. In terms of design, it's absolutely up there with the best that the RTJ Trail in Alabama has to offer. The only thing holding it back is a little touching up.

Fantastic golf & scenery! Wonderful routing & use of terrain...did not realize Louisiana was that hilly. Extremely fast & true greens. Huge bunkers...needed to be maintained after two weekends of heavy rain. I can see why Black Bear is one of the top courses in the Louisiana.

I’ve played here several times in the past for stopped for awhile, they seemed to be focused on having a tournament every weekend day and forgetting about the average golfer. But I’ve tried them again and I’m very pleased with the attitude of the staff and the course. The Bear can be a bear at times, but it’s fun and challenging. No holes really too far or unfair. Considering the semi-drought we’ve had this summer the greens are outstanding. They’re soft and feel spongy when walking on them but are fast as any you’ll find. Fairways in very good shape, many areas have had the vegetation cut back improving the view of the greens. The only drawback will be the bunkers. In my opinion they weren’t properly designed without proper drainage. They’re big and deep with a heavy sand that doesn’t drain. That’s turned them into more of a deep, semi-mud pits. If you go in best just to toss it out (no closer to the hole of course) and continue on.

The course is off the beaten path but it’s not hard to get to and well worth the visit. The staff is friendly and there is a very good restaurant for afterwards.

A great challenge. You will use every club in the bag. Each hole is totally isolated from the rest of the course. The course looks a bit scary from the tee offs but if your driver works well, you can score.