An absolutely stunning course in incredible condition! Hands down the best public course I have played in the Atlanta area. The staff were all super friendly and accommodating. The facilities and practice areas are top notch and pace of play was perfect. I don't have one negative thing to say and I will absolutely be playing here again very soon. read more

Bear's Best Atlanta - Par four green tucked between trees - Golf Near Me - Suwanee, Georgia

See all

Had a really good day of golf once we got started the course was in good condition and overall a great experience. I would have loved to given this a five star rating, but the assistant pro tall heavy guy was incredibly rude, and I had to check him in front of some people. Not a cool feeling right before the start. You would think golf staff would be more professional but then again this is a public course now so I know they get who they can get. Great course great layout been playing it since it opened over 30 years ago. Disappointment to be treated the way I was. I would have read it a one star, but I appreciate the hard work of the superintendent and his crew so I gotta show some love there read more

Played Bears Best again yesterday.Gotta get the fellas out there more often.The price tag is a bit up there in peak season but it's a top notch operation.Beyond the novelty aspect of the Jack Nicklaus replicated best holes from around the world, it's just plan out a good course .always in great condition very well managed and run. very good pace at four hours and 15 minutes for the round .Never feels greedyly overbooked read more

Wonderful staff, Pro Shop and Club! I had a sandwich at the clubhouse restaurant. It was loaded with meat, fresh vegetables and a cold soft drink. Look forward to coming back! read more

I came there expecting good course conditions and good customers service for what they charge for a public golf course. I am extremely disappointed in the service I received there. The marshals were rude and not helping. The pace of play was also really bad, and no one on the course to tell them to hurry up ! Thats crazy to me. I definitely do not recommend to go play there. Except if you want to throw your money out of the window!! read more

I've been reading some of the lower star ratings on this course but I had a chance to play it today in a charity event. It was a very awesome track, with challenging holes and a lovely aesthetic for a ClubCorp course. The staff was exceptional, the food terrific and the overall vibe was perfect. Highly recommend it as one of the better northern courses! read more

Bear's Best Atlanta - Drone dropped ball for kick-in eagle on Number 5, Bears Best - Golf Near Me - Suwanee, Georgia

This is the best Golf course in all of the Atlanta area. The course is difficult but perfectly manicured and in impeccable shape (even though the greens were recently aerated). The club house staff were awesome, the starter, pro and bar staff were amazing. Hands down my new favorite and I may not ever want to play anywhere else!!! read more

See all

Disappointed to be honest! This establishment is not practicing social distancing and when I asked about it, starter gave attitude like I was bothering him (and he is a older gentleman). Very very disturbing how they are handling this situation! Every other GC I have been to in ATL area, have a clear procedures in place and they stick to it. It is scary to see how people and professional organizations are not taking this pandemic seriously (and we wonder why we are in this situation ... SMH). I do have to say that the golf course was in great shape! I am sorry BB but that was uncomfortable and disappointing ! read more

This is turning into a typical Club Corp location. No management, no communication and general laziness. Had a tee time today and showed up a bit early to hit some balls, paid at the desk then checked in with the starter. Both acknowledged me and I went down to warm up. Came back 45 minutes later for the starter to tell me they are on an hour frost delay.... you think that would have been something mentioned when we checked in but again incompetent. We tried to burn the hour by eating but were not served because the waiter was sitting at the bar eating. Again he acknowledged me in the reflective glass they have to see when someone's waiting..,, Got our money back and didn't give it one star because I have enjoyed playing this location in the past.... just going the way of the manor and other CC courses. read more

For a public golf course, I have to give Bear's Best five out of five stars. This is a first-rate operation and one of the best public courses in metro Atlanta. If you can find a good deal on a tee time online, jump on it. You can get a decent private club experience for a reasonable daily fee at this course. This course is called Bear's Best because it's a collection of some of Jack Nicklaus' best hole designs from around the world. For those who don't know, Nicklaus was nicknamed The Golden Bear. It's a really neat concept. His design company, Nicklaus Design, has designed over 360 courses. There are two Bear's Best golf courses: this one in Suwanee, located roughly 40 miles or about an hour north of Atlanta, and one in Las Vegas. Here are the 18 Nicklaus-designed holes duplicated at Bear's Best Atlanta: Hole No. 1 - No. 10 at St. Mellion in Cornwall, England Hole No. 2 - No. 10 at Sherwood Country Club in Thousand Oaks, California Hole No. 3 - No. 13 at Spring Creek Ranch in Collierville, Tennessee Hole No. 4 - No. 2 at Old Works in Anaconda, Montana Hole No. 5 - No. 5 at The Golf Club of Purchase in Purchase, New York Hole No. 6 - No. 12 at Muirfield Village Golf Club in Dublin Ohio Hole No. 7 - No. 3 at Shoal Creek Country Club in Shoal Creek, Alabama Hole No. 8 - No. 9 at The Club at Nevillewood in Nevillewood, Pennsylvania Hole No. 9 - No. 7 at TPC Michigan in Dearborn, Michigan Hole No. 10 - No. 15 at Mt. Juliet in County Kilkenny, Ireland Hole No. 11 - No. 15 at The Champion Course at PGA National Golf Club in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida Hole No. 12 - No. 18 at Gleneagles in Perthshire, Scotland Hole No. 13 - No. 3 at Muirfield Village Golf Club in Dublin Ohio Hole No. 14 - No. 17 at Governors Club in Chapel Hill, North Carolina Hole No. 15 - No. 1 at Sherwood Country Club in Thousand Oaks, California Hole No. 16 - No. 15 at Elk River Club in Banner Elk, North Carolina Hole No. 17 - No. 3 at Gleneagles in Perthshire, Scotland Hole No. 18 - No. 18 at Castle Pines Golf Club in Castle Rock, Colorado It's pretty cool to be playing a design from England on one hole and then California the next. As you can imagine, the course provides plenty of variety from hole to hole, from undulating and wide open links-style holes to par 3s with tight landing areas guarded by water. There's something for everyone. You'd think a course that takes its best holes from world-renowned and PGA Tour-level courses would be quite difficult, but the overall design is actually well balanced and playable for most skill levels. I wouldn't take a beginner out here, but casual golfers and weekend duffers should be fine. There are five sets of tees with the course measuring 6,824 yards from the tips with a rating/slope of 73.3/143. Some of the more memorable holes or favorites for me include Nos. 4, 6, 12, 14, and 17, but really, all the holes are fun. The bunkers on No. 4 are filled with dark sand in order to copy the black slag found in the bunkers at the Old Works course in Montana (which was built on the former site of a copper smelter). No. 6 is a par 3 that plays entirely over water. Have fun recreating the shots you see on Tour at Muirfield. Nos. 12, 14, and 17 are medium to long holes with elevation changes. I guess I like to imagine I'm playing in Scotland on the 12th and 17th holes. The clubhouse and practice facilities are nice. The clubhouse has a bag drop out front. Employees will put your bag on a cart specific to your tee time. Each cart will have a tee time assigned to it. The tee time card tells you at what time you have to be at certain holes (4, 10, 14, 18) in order to maintain a favorable pace of play. I've seen carts with GPS computers that also help your group maintain pace of play, but not printed cards like these. Bear's Best carts don't have GPS. Their carts do, however, include complimentary towels and tees. The former is a rarity among most public courses. You can buy bags of range balls inside the pro shop. They use Titleist NXT S balls at the range. In addition to a practice putting green, they have a short game area that includes a bunker. Overall, the practice area, course (fairways, greens), and facilities are in very good to great condition. If I had to nitpick, I think the tee boxes could be in better shape. All of the staff I've encountered have been very friendly, professional, and nice. They have cart guys who'll clean your clubs and help you pack up. Remember to tip. The last time I played at this course was on a Thursday morning. The regular rate when I called the golf shop was $99 per player. Instead of booking through the golf shop, I booked using GolfNow and got our group a rate of $68.21 per player after taxes and fees. I recommend using GolfNow, TeeOff.com, or looking online for deals to this course. You can save quite a bit of money off the regular rate. Bear's Best Atlanta is located inside the Edinburgh gated community so don't be confused when you first pull up to the gates. read more

I've wanted to play this course for a long time but the price was always way too high. I finally lucked up and got a decent deal so me and a buddy went and played it. It's not even close to being worth the amount they charge for a round. I was expecting a 10 out of 10 seeing as though these are 18 of Jack's best, signature holes but I'd give it a 5.5. It's not a bad golf course but it's SEVERELY overpriced. read more

See all

Me and my brother-in-law went here on Father's Day 2018. The first impression that I came here was wow the main building is pretty grand and big however when I entered the facility it was just very high ceilings. So is this a pretty standard they had a bar and they had a clothing store and a little lounge area. Me and my brother-in-law pick up some balls and headed out to the driving range. Here at the driving range is just a big field. There is no shade so it would be smart to bring sun screen or a umbrellas (you're going to burn in the Georgia sun) overall you get a good experience with such a big area field because it's not a close eye other regular golf range is it really feels like you're outside and shooting at a golf field. 20 minutes into our swings a worker came by and told me that I needed to have a collared shirt. I was wearing a tank top with a bunch of tattoos. Lol you can't take me anywhere lol. So I complied and agreed to go buy collard shirts I went into the store and I was looking around and they had 50% off shirts .... however their shirts were expensive retail price so I e fed up buying a shirt for $50. I'm never taking a shirt off lol Other than that I had a very good experience with this driving range and I will be back because it is very close to where we live and it's nice to get out of the house and do a different activity out of our normal routine. They take cough really serious around here and it's pretty nice that they have closed gates or a community that you have to enter and they check your ID when you enter to get to this building. I would recommend this to my friends and family because it's just a nice place to go and chill. And see how the other upper-class people live their lives lol read more

Easily one of the nicest affordable courses in Atlanta the everyday golfer can play a great round on. Even with a security gate and the private course feel, everyone was extremely nice and cordial. Holes recreated from all over the world, beautifully crafted with their own unique details. Long pathways between holes flanked by gorgeous properties of north Atlanta, and oh yah, deer. Yes, deer, you can scare away with a little whistle, before teeing off. And an occasional fox. How about a blue heron flying low over the water after walking back from finishing? Majestic is the word that comes to mind. Also - Two Guys played up on us, but actually WAITED, and then went around and said hey, and chatted a tiny bit. WOW! Polite golfers!? Everyone take note. We'll definitely be back when that $50 special comes back! read more

See all

I don't play a lot of better golf courses, so my perspective is limited. But I do know when I've been treated to a great experience and Bear's Best did just that. Eighteen wonderfully creative holes with a top notch facility and staff. - The course, being essentially designed by Jack Nicklaus, is awesome. Each hole offers a different experience and most can be quite challenging if you're shooting for par. But the course is also very playable for those of us not quite ready for the PGA tour. There are few places where you're faced with no shot because of limited golf ability. - I love the bunkers here, especially the black sand bunkers on #4. My ball seemed to find a lot of the bunkers. - Greens are close to immaculate and are fast. Several of them feature quite a bit of contour, challenging your green-reading skills. - Tee boxes are good. At each, you'll find an engraved stone marker letting you know what Jack Nicklaus-designed course & hole that particular hole replicates. - Carts are the best I've seen. You'll find them lined up outside the pro shop, labeled with tee times. Just walk out, find the one with your tee time and load up. Towels and plastic tees are included. I really like how the back of the tee time card has timing information for your round - it tells you when you should be at four of the holes, allowing you to judge proper pace of play. - Great driving range where you hit off grass. There are a couple of practice bunkers to your left, as well. The driving range is conveniently located right where the golf carts are lined up so it's easy to grab whichever clubs you want to warm up with and start hitting. The Titleist range balls may well be better than the ones you normally play. - Nice facility. Complementary, decent coffee is available in the clubhouse. Restrooms/locker rooms are immaculate. Pro shop has everything you need. Water is available at the tee boxes and they have a snack/sandwich cart prowling the course. - The golf course is located inside a gated community - you'll be asked to show your drivers license to gain entry. - Parking is plentiful. - Pricing is not bad but we found that booking through an online website beat the price you'll get directly from the golf course by quite a bit. read more

Played here on a company tournament on a picture perfect early spring day. Sunny skies and 70 degrees all day! They call it Bears Best because it features the best holes designed by golf legend Jack Nicklaus. Course conditions are great. Well marked holes, tee boxes are clean and level, fairways are green and kept, greens are smooth putting, traps with fluffy sand, cart path is smooth, grounds are pretty. Service is awesome from check in to starter to marshalls.. they will keep you moving thru the course in good pace. Its gonna cost a pretty penny to play 18 here but very worth it. I would play more often if not for the long drive to this place. If you already live up north on 85, this is a great place to play. read more

I visited Bears Best for a wedding. The best part of the wedding were the pictures of the bridal party taken in front of the golf course. The part of the course I saw is beautiful and even though I don't play golf, it looks like a great course to play on. The wedding itself was lovely, as weddings are. As for the facilities, it was a bit like having your wedding in a conference room. It was nice enough but there is only so much white bunting can do. The food was okay - chicken with a weird outer later (soft but not in a skin-on way), beef with an au jus, flavored rice (not a pilaf or something else identifiable), and roasted vegetables. I would have rather had mashed potatoes and Swedish meatballs. :- l The cash bar was basic and expensive. Twelve dollars for a Grey Goose cocktail. I dunno about that, son. It wasn't made by a Midtown mixologist either. The best thing about the wedding facilities was the staff. What a great group of young people. Super friendly and helpful when I asked about the bathroom, the Wi-fi code and the possibility of turning down the air-conditioning. Overall, I would say that Bears Best is better suited for a business conference than a wedding, but they did a decent job all the same. Yelp 100 #41 read more

You know I was pretty pumped up to go play Bear's Best as I had heard all kinds of great things about this course. Overall I was kind of disappointed and doubt I will ever return. It's a cool concept but I just feel that the owners are just kind of going thru the motions. The place needs to be updated and shown some love. They can start by replacing the faded flags out by the entrance and pressure washing all of the plaques that explain each hole. There are some really nice golf holes for sure and I'm glad I had the experience but something just seems "off" around the course. I would be interested to see what Jack Nicklaus would think about the state of this course. read more

Best value golf in the area. Don't confuse being a pass holder with being a member. Great par 3s are the heart of the course without any bad holes. Course does get over used in high season due to a parade of outings. This can leave greens to be beaten up. Fun course but grill/bar area needs remodeling read more

Have had the chance to play this course a few times, and have enjoyed it more and more each time. While the course isn't very long from the tees, & the greens are typically rolling fairly quick. Your approach shot is key to scoring on this course. The course has been in great shape each time I've played it, and the pace of play has never been an issue. Only reason I didn't give this place 5 Stars is due to the price - $100 plus on the weekends during peak season. read more

Bear's Best Atlanta - Fairways - Golf Near Me - Suwanee, Georgia

The course was great but will never go here again. The golf was great and the ranger did his best. But the course allowed 10 golf carts with a belligerent drunk group to play in front of us for 18 holes. Only 4 people in the group were golfing. Loud, drunk obnoxious behavior. Carts everywhere, sometimes leaving them because they were so drunk. I paid $100 and drove 1 hour to this course so I did not have to put up with this crap. Any management that does not kick these people off of their course is management I do not want to support. Cool course but bad management. read more

Not a Golfer. Attended a wedding there in June...felt sorry for the people who had to pay for it....the food was just ok. Drink prices were ridiculous....our table was never cleared of our dinner plates as many others also were not cleared. Saw guests putting their plates on the buffet tables so they could have their coffee and cupcakes.... The DJ showed up even tho he had been in an accident right before the wedding and he did the very best he could but some of the guests hollered at him so much he broke down in tears.... There was no announcement that the cake was being cut so missed that.... It was just not well done. Staff members standing around , some in the back room on their phones when they should have been bussing tables.... Hope they improve. read more

Very friendly staff to get your golf game out to a good start. The course is well maintained and in a beautiful setting. The burgers at the club house are an excellent way to end your round. read more

Erica Lansky and her team was amazing. They catered to our needs and guided me every step of they way. We had a party of 35 and it ran very smoothly. They Christmas décor and music was on point. No complaints nothing but comments from our employees. Thank you Bears Best for the perfect location and thank you again Erica for all your help on short notice. read more

See all

Bears best is hands down the best public course I've played in metro Atlanta. We went after an extremely rainy day, while it was still drizzling and the course was still relatively dry. The drainage is incredible and it prevented the fairways from being a nuisance a hit. The course is really well maintained. Tee boxes, greens, fairways, bunkers, and every other aspect were in good shape, especially during a rainy day. The carts they offer you come equipped with coolers filled with ice and are of the newer club car variety-- the ones with GPS screens, Bluetooth speakers, and interactive features about the course. The range balls they offer you are nice titliest ones, and although we didn't get to try it, the grill looks good. The only weird thing about this course is that there is no road that leads back to the clubhouse after the front 9. You have to play out the full 18 without any break really. This course is really unique and has a lot to offer. Will definitely be back again! read more

Bear's Best Atlanta - Par 3 - Golf Near Me - Suwanee, Georgia

An easy course that is usually well maintained but a bit overpriced for the area. The pro shop staff are friendly and helpful. Playing later in the day shows the signs of those who went before as the bunkers are not raked, ball marks on the green not fixed. They also offer a Player Development Program for $700 per year that includes unlimited practice range use, a couple of group lessons per month and one round of golf (Mon. - Thur.) per month. I showed up for two of the scheduled group lessons and they were both cancelled because not enough people were there. Probably best to skip this program and just pay per round and buy individual lessons if you want. read more

I have organized an outing at Bear's Best now for over 5 years and they deliver each time. From the organization of our tournament to the top notch food, they are the best place to host a tournament by far. The golf course was on top condition even with the unreal heat this year. The course was set up for fun but was still challenging. A++ read more

Our church choir had a Christmas event there. Staff was not very friendly. Food was JUST AWEFUL!! Steamed veges were overcooked. Chicken breast in creme sauce was dry and the sauce was too salty. Oven roasted potatoes were too overcooked and seasoning was again too salty. No salt and pepper on the tables so we had to ask staff. Just an overall horrible dining experience. Would not recommend to anyone! read more

Jack's serves the best burger in town. The staff is always friendly. I always call the order in. The burgers are ready by the time I get to the club. The sweet potato tots are the perfect compliment. The chefs will cook to your desired temperature. Highly recommended! read more

Consistently okay course. Worst Bear course I've played in quality overall. Pro shop staff is rude- to the point of having to make formal complaints. If you book online for a deal less than $60 I'd say it's worth it. Otherwise, I'd play any other course in the area. read more

Unfortunately, my brother and I tried playing Bear's Best on the Saturday during the Masters; unBearably long playing times. We quit after playing 4 holes in 2 hours. General Manager Craig Riddle was gracious in fully refunding our greens fees but one of two things must happen for the future - either don't pack in (a bus load of beginners was on the course reportedly sent out 5 minutes apart) as many beginner golfers visiting during the Masters, or just avoid this course that week. The course was very nice and the greens were reasonably fast and in fine shape. The driving range is good but the hitting areas were bare when we were there. There is lots of courteous help and I would try and play here again, maybe not during the Masters. read more

My experience at Bears Best Atlanta was very satisfying. I made couple of appointments before my event was scheduled. I was accommodated every time. TJ was very professional and courteous. The food delicious and appealed to the eye. The night of my event a gentlemen by the name of Mitch handled everything and his staff was helpful and they never neglected to assist. I would recommend this location for any type of event- mine was a wedding and I give it read more

I had the opportunity to play Bears Best again today and the new manager, Ian, has made wonderful progress toward bringing the course back to its premier status. Playing time has improved, there was plenty of drinking water on the course, there were towels in the carts, and the staff was professional and attentive. The greens and fairways were in excellent condition. read more

Don't book this place when there's a little bit of rain. They'll cancer your tee time after a few drops

I played here on a golf trip w some friends. The course was in pretty good condition but the greens were not in excellent shape. The staff greeted us at our car and cleaned our clubs after the round. I'd play there again if I'm in ATL. read more