Bear's Best

[vietnameeh]

Local Help

I will be playing Bear's Best in August in a big club tournament

I was hoping to get some hole by hole tips from the locals (Where to miss, what to avoid, how the greens break, the greens break towards downtown, etc)

I thought I would post now to get alot of input

Thanks in advance!

also i will be arriving a day a early and would like to know of a local range that has a good short game area that I can mess around for an hour or two.

Ill be staying at Imperial Palace I will have a rental but I would feel more comfortable if the range was close by

thanks!

[Golfinnova]

I'm playing there Tuesday for summer solstice. Green fees only $35

First time for me so I'll post Tuesday night with complete report. As far as ranges go, I would say Angel Park because they have the best short game range but Badlands is a good option as well.

[vietnameeh]

thanks man really appreciate it

have fun

[Golfinnova]

As promised here is the report, I had a great time there today. They state they will be doing this 2 more times this summer for charity (today all fees went to MDA ) and I will be there for both times.

They have a great range and short game area. Thing to watch out for on the putting green is that unlike the greens on the course, the practice green is much harder and faster.

Hole #1-Slight dogleg left that goes around water, best to stay on right fairway to attack pin. Green rolled left to right on putt.

Hole #2-Tight par 5 that is deceptive on the left because of how narrow the landing area is, had to take an unplayable lie, green is guarded by 8 bunkers so best to stay right.

Hole #3-Another tight par 4, need to carry bunker on the right without going to far right. I hit the fairway then tried to attack the pin with the second but wound up in the bunker that runs along the left side.

Hole #4-Par 3 that has the black sand. From the white tees, it plays 172 so I hit a 4H to the front where it plugged due to watering (otherwise would have been the first GIR of the day). 2 putted for the first par of the day.

Hole #5-Straight par 4 but struggled with driver so I wound up in the bunker on left. Hit PW out clean enough to use it again, just missed putt that runs hard left to right.

Hole #6-Par 4 with 2 landing areas, best to use landing area on right then hit a 7-iron to green. Putted left to right.

Hole #7-Easy par 3, just need a 5-iron and a slight left to right putt.

Hole #8-Pretty easy par 5 lined with pine trees on left, there is a natural swale about 75 yards from the pin to avoid, green goes right to left. Second par of day here.

Hole #9-Tricky par 4 with 2 landing areas, need to hit tee shot to right then carry a waste area to green. Do not get into bunker on right that surrounds green, sand is heavy and bunker is deep (took 4 strokes to get out).

Hole #10-Hole of the day. Straight par 4, hit a great drive and wound up 96 from pin. Hit a PW that took one bounce, hit the top of the flagstick and dropped 1 inch from pin. Would have been great to get my first eagle but wound up with tap in birdie.

Hole #11-Another easy par 4 with slight dogleg right, has black sand bunkers on right side. Key is to keep on left fairway and attack pin from that direction, putts go right to left.

Hole #12-Straight par 5, best again to stay out of deep bunkers. Putts went left to right.

Hole #13-Easy par 3. 9-iron to left of pin, breaks left to right. 3rd par of day.

Hole #14-Straight par 4, avoid group of bunkers on right.

Hole #15-Tough par 3, 176 from white tees to carry over desert brush. Putt goes from right to left if below hole.

Hole #16-Tough par 4 as landing area is guarded by bunkers in middle of fairway. Putt goes from left to right.

Hole #17-Last par 5 is pretty straight, best to stay on right side of fairway as bunker guards left. Putt goes from left to right.

Hole #18-Par 4 that doglegs right around water, if short hitter aim for left bunker to land ball on elbow for easy pitch. Putt broke right to left.

Course is challenging enough, I would say only negatives are lack of rough due to burnout as they are cutting too low and bunkers are inconsistent, some are heavy sand where you can get club under easily and some are very shallow and dry.

Staff is very friendly, I would play this again in a heartbeat.

[vietnameeh]

thanks so much!