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4.0
1023 Reviews (1023)
5 Stars
334
4 Stars
503
3 Stars
131
2 Stars
34
1 Stars
21
Conditions
3.9
Value
4.1
Layout
4.3
Friendliness
4.3
Pace
4.1
Amenities
3.7
87.4%
Recommend this course
892 out of 1023 reviews
Read Reviews
Average Rating
Avg Rating
4.1
97 Reviews (97)
5 Stars
27
4 Stars
53
3 Stars
13
2 Stars
3
1 Stars
1
Conditions
3.8
Value
4.1
Layout
4.3
Pace
4.1
Amenities
3.7
StaffFriendliness
4.2
86.6%
Recommend this course
84 out of 97 reviews
Read Reviews
Average Rating
Avg Rating
4.1
178 Reviews (178)
5 Stars
58
4 Stars
91
3 Stars
19
2 Stars
7
1 Stars
3
Conditions
3.9
Value
4.1
Layout
4.3
Pace
4.1
Amenities
3.7
StaffFriendliness
4.3
87.6%
Recommend this course
156 out of 178 reviews
Read Reviews

About

Holes 18
Type Private
Par 72
Length 6804 yards
Slope 139
Rating 74.2

Bear Creek Golf Club is one of the courses that makes Hilton Head Island one of the country's most popular golf destinations. Rees Jones designed the course, routing the layout through majestic pines and sparkling blue lagoons. Jones kept much of the existing landscape intact, earning the golf course Audubon certification. There are five sets of tees total, with the longest stretching over 6,800 yards. It's a course that players of all skill levels can enjoy regardless of handicap. The tight, bunkered fairways are an infamous feature of the course but Bear Creek is also known for having some of the best greens on Hilton Head Island. The finishing hole is the course's signature. You'll have to navigate your way past a narrow chute of pines to reach the green, which is fronted by a large lagoon.

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Bear Creek Golf Club
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Course Details

Year Built 1980
Fairways 419 Tifway Bermuda Grass
Greens Super Dwarf TifEagle Bermuda Grass
Golf Season Year round
Architect Rees Jones (1980) Bryce Swanson (1980) Rees Jones (2006) Arthur Hills (1986)

Rentals/Services

Carts Yes
Clubs Yes
Pull-carts Yes

Practice/Instruction

Driving Range Yes
Golf School Academy Yes
Teaching Pro Yes
Pitching/Chipping Area Yes
Putting Green Yes

Policies

Metal Spikes Allowed No
Walking Allowed Yes
Dress code Proper golf attire.

Available Facilities

Clubhouse

Reviews

4.0
1023 Reviews (1023)

What Golfers Are Saying

The 19th Hole is Great For:
Drinks 16
Brunch 11
Patio Dining 11
Course Challenges Include:
Bunkers 49
Water Hazards 49
Narrow Fairways 33
This course/club is great for:
Advanced Golfers 40
Locals 25
Wildlife/ Scenic Views 23
This Course's Location is:
Convenient to the City 24
Near Local Attractions 23
At a Resort 17

Numbers based on reviews tagged with attribute.

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Overall Rating
Recommended
Handicap
Age
Type of Golfer
Gender
Played On
Reviews 1
Skill Intermediate
Plays A few times a week
I Recommend This Course
4.0
Verified Purchaser
First Time Playing

Great course

This course is great. 90% of your shot will be irons off the tee. Dog legs on most holes, bunkers are in play from the blue tees at 250. Overall great course.

Conditions Good
Value Good
Layout Average
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Average
Amenities Excellent
Played On
Reviews 1
Skill Intermediate
Plays Once a month
4.0
Verified Purchaser
First Time Playing

Aeration…..

My biggest pet peeve is when you make a reservation at a course and no place on the website does it show that they just aerated their greens. They even have an “Events Calendar” that they could easily add the schedule, but they don’t.

The course was very nice…but my suggestion is for people to call the course before making reservations.

Conditions Poor
Value Fair
Layout Excellent
Friendliness Good
Pace Excellent
Amenities Good
Played On
Reviews 2
Skill Beginner
Plays Once every three months
I Recommend This Course
4.0
Verified Purchaser
Previously Played
Conditions Average
Value Good
Layout Good
Friendliness Average
Pace Average
Amenities Average
Played On
Reviews 1
Skill Intermediate
Plays Once a month
I Recommend This Course
5.0
Verified Purchaser
First Time Playing
Conditions Excellent
Value Excellent
Layout Excellent
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Excellent
Amenities Excellent
Played On
Reviews 4
Skill Intermediate
Plays Once a month
3.0
Verified Purchaser
First Time Playing
Conditions Average
Value Average
Layout Average
Friendliness Good
Pace Good
Amenities Average
Played On
Reviews 1
Skill Intermediate
Plays Once a week
I Recommend This Course
4.0
First Time Playing

Value Course with better conditions than some of the resorts

Course is in great condition. Greens have come back in nicely after being punched. Fairways & tee boxes are solid. Minor things like cart paths are about the only thing I can criticize. Guarantee you can’t find a better course on the island for less than $100. Will definitely be back!

Conditions Good
Value Excellent
Layout Average
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Good
Played On
Reviews 1
Skill Beginner
Plays Once a month
I Recommend This Course
5.0
Verified Purchaser
First Time Playing
Conditions Excellent
Value Excellent
Layout Excellent
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Good
Amenities Good
Played On
Reviews 1
Skill Intermediate
Plays A few times a week
I Recommend This Course
5.0
Verified Purchaser
First Time Playing
Conditions Excellent
Value Excellent
Layout Excellent
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Excellent
Played On
Reviews 3
Skill Intermediate
Plays Once a week
I Recommend This Course
4.0
Verified Purchaser
Previously Played

Late Summer golf

A very enjoyable round with my son. He is a beginning golfer so the late afternoon tee time was ideal. There were few groups out late in the day so we weren’t pressured to play faster. The course was in great condition except a few places where the cart paths had tree roots growing through them. The greens and fairways were in great condition. There are a number of challenging tee shots so I think it is important to choose your appropriate set of tee boxes. Overall an outstanding experience.

Conditions Excellent
Value Excellent
Layout Excellent
Friendliness Good
Pace Excellent
Amenities Good
Played On
Reviews 1
Skill Intermediate
Plays Once a week
1.0
Verified Purchaser
Previously Played

Stay away

This course was in bad condition. Staff was no wear to be found. There was ZERO sand in the bunkers. There was sand everywhere else except where it need to be. The only way I would play this course again is if they paid me to play or it was free.

Conditions Poor
Value Poor
Layout Average
Friendliness Average
Pace Fair
Amenities Poor
Played On
Reviews 12
Skill Intermediate
Plays Once a week
I Recommend This Course
5.0
Verified Purchaser
First Time Playing

Lots of target golf

1st time playing course. Played from the whites which took driver out of play on lots of holes. Perfect fairways and greens on every hole. Friendly and helpful staff. Resort course so slow play occurs and no Marshall to move play along.

Conditions Excellent
Value Excellent
Layout Good
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Average
Amenities Excellent
Played On
Reviews 1
I Recommend This Course
4.0
Verified Purchaser
First Time Playing
Conditions Good
Value Excellent
Layout Good
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Excellent
Played On
Reviews 1
Skill Beginner
Plays Once a month
I Recommend This Course
5.0
Verified Purchaser
First Time Playing

First time

Three of us were paired with a single local who was a delight to play with. While we are beginners and he was a retired touring pro, he couldn’t have been more gracious. He didn’t rush us and even offered numerous very helpful tips. Anyone one would be lucky to be paired up with Rich. We didn’t get his last name.

Conditions Excellent
Value Excellent
Layout Excellent
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Excellent
Amenities Excellent
Played On
Reviews 1
I Recommend This Course
4.0
Verified Purchaser
First Time Playing
Conditions Good
Value Excellent
Layout Excellent
Friendliness Good
Pace Average
Amenities Fair
Played On
Reviews 1
Skill Intermediate
Plays Once a month
I Recommend This Course
4.0
Verified Purchaser
First Time Playing
Conditions Good
Value Good
Layout Excellent
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Good
Amenities Fair
Played On
Reviews 8
Skill Intermediate
Plays Once a week
I Recommend This Course
4.0
Verified Purchaser
First Time Playing

Great Course with no frills

Basic open course layout with pretty scenery. Staff was very friendly. No apparent bar or 19 hole hangout area. Only drawbacks are carts are old and was expecting GPS with the price paid. Also confusing as thought this was a Jack Nicklaus course with the name and turns out it is not.

Conditions Good
Value Average
Layout Average
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Average
Amenities Poor
Played On
Reviews 4
I Recommend This Course
5.0
Verified Purchaser
Previously Played

favorite HHI course

Love this course, great layout, pace of play usually around 4 hrs.

Conditions Excellent
Value Excellent
Layout Excellent
Friendliness Good
Pace Excellent
Amenities Excellent
Played On
Reviews 7
Skill Advanced
Plays Once a week
1.0
Verified Purchaser
First Time Playing

Shocked and disgusted

So what was going to be a great day playing golf turned into a complete nightmare when we went to go to the snack bar after nine only to find out that everything was closed and nobody left at the course. The time was 4:30 in the afternoon with 4 hours still left of daylight. What made it worse was there was no drink cart driving around, and only one water cooler on the front nine. It was a very hot and humid day and we didn’t have anything to drink or eat. If the whole staff was going to be gone then we should of been told that before we teed off. Nothing was said therefore we were not prepared to play 18 with no drinks or food!! What a joke, don’t worry Bear Creek staff, we will never come back to your course and I would recommend nobody else play there either!!

Conditions Fair
Value Poor
Layout Average
Friendliness Poor
Pace Average
Amenities Poor
Played On
Reviews 1
Handicap Don't know
Skill Intermediate
Plays Once a week
2.0
Previously Played
Wet weather
Used cart

rude members

The course itself was fine besides bumpy aerated greens. However, as we and a younger couple ahead of us were waiting to tee off on the first hole, a foursome of senior men, presumably members, were very rude. They arrived early for their tee time and were not pleasant about waiting, with very audible and rude moaning and groaning when a few tee shots both from the couple ahead and our group were errant. They made both of our groups feel hurried and pressured. We are all experienced but higher handicapped golfers. I was on limited vacation time with my 2 adult sons and had chosen a tee time near the end of the day to feel more relaxed. It will make me think twice about coming back here. Perhaps your members should do a better job of being better ambassadors for your course or at least start by not being rude!

Conditions Good
Value Average
Layout Good
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Excellent
Amenities Average
Difficulty Moderate
Played On
Reviews 2
Skill Intermediate
Plays A few times a week
I Recommend This Course
5.0
Verified Purchaser
First Time Playing
Conditions Good
Value Average
Layout Excellent
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Excellent
Amenities Good
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Golf Packages

Palmetto Dunes Oceanfront Resort Stay & Play Package

FROM $137 (USD)
HILTON HEAD ISLAND, SC | Enjoy up to 7 nights’ accommodations at Palmetto Dunes Oceanfront Resort and up to 5 rounds of golf at your choice of Palmetto Dunes – Robert Trent Jones Course, Palmetto Dunes – Arthur Hills Course, Palmetto Dunes – George Fazio Course, and Hilton Head National Golf Club.

The Westin Hilton Head Island Resort & Spa Stay & Play Package

FROM $207 (USD)
HILTON HEAD ISLAND, SC | Enjoy up to 5 nights’ accommodations at the Westin Hilton Head Island Resort & Spa and up to 4 rounds of golf at your choice of Oyster Reef Golf Course, Robber’s Row Course, Barony Course, and The Shipyard Golf Course.

Sea Pines Resort Stay & Play Package

FROM $217 (USD)
HILTON HEAD ISLAND, SC | Enjoy up to 7 nights’ accommodations at the Sea Pines Resort and up to 5 rounds of golf at your choice of Harbour Town Golf Links, Atlantic Dunes Golf Course, and Heron Point Course.

The Villas at Kiawah Island Stay & Play Package

FROM $177 (USD)
KIAWAH ISLAND, SC | Enjoy up to 7 nights’ accommodations in a 1 to 4-bedroom unit at The Villas of Kiawah Island and up to 5 rounds of golf on your choice of Kiawah Island - Cougar Point, Kiawah Island - Osprey Point, Kiawah Island - Oak Point, Kiawah Island - Turtle Point, and Kiawah Island - The Ocean Course.

The Sanctuary at Kiawah Island Stay & Play Package

FROM $337 (USD)
KIAWAH ISLAND, SC | Enjoy up to 5 nights’ accommodations at The Sanctuary Hotel and up to 4 rounds of golf on your choice of Kiawah Island - Cougar Point, Kiawah Island - Osprey Point, Kiawah Island - Oak Point, Kiawah Island - Turtle Point, and Kiawah Island - The Ocean Course.
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