Although it's a bit of a drive from Jacksonville, we'd like to recommend a golf course named Black Bear. The course--located at 24505 Calusa Blvd. in Eustis, FL--was designed by P.B. Dye and has several tees to vary the difficulty. The practice facility is top-notch, featuring a huge putting green with lots of undulation, a large range, and bunkers. Here are our thoughts on the front nine at Black Bear from the Black tees (one tee up from the tips):
Hole #1 Par 4, 342yd: The drive, like most on the course is wide open and very long drives may result if you hit the down slope. The second shot is oftentimes a blind shot to a green hidden by hills.
Hole #2 Par 5, 489: This hole is highly reachable in two if you hit the down slope with you drive. However, the green is very difficult to hold with a long club. To the right is a drastic slope that operates as a ball collection area and may result in a difficult pitch that requires a high shot.
Hole #3 Par 3, 156: This is a straightforward hole with a mult-tiered green.
Hole #4 Par 5, 520: The second par 5 on the front nine plays significantly harder than the first, mainly due to the added distance and bunkers. Players will have to be very long to hit this green in two. There is a severe bunker on the left side of the green that you should avoid if possible.
Hole #5 Par 3, 177: This hole can be very difficult if you miss the green. The green is elevated and protected by bunkers.
Hole #6 Par 4, 358: Hole #6 is short and oftentimes only requires a wedge into the green. This is a good thing because the green has a false front and requires a precision shot to get the ball close to the hole.
Hole #7 Par 4, 361: This hole has a blind tee shot but only plays slightly longer than #6. The green is difficult so make sure you don't short side yourself.
Hole #8 Par 4, 368: Hole #8 is one of the narrowest holes on the course and one of the few where trees come into play. There is out of bounds on the left and trees on the right. However, the hole plays short because it is downhill.
Hole #9 Par 5, 385: Possibly the hardest hole on the front nine, the 9th hole at Black Bear requires a shot over a tree in the middle of the fairway and then an uphill approach to a multi-tiered green.
As you can see, there are a lot of birdie holes at Black Bear like 6-8. However, there are also a lot of double bogey holes at Black Bear. The course has a lot of hills and awkward lies and difficult pitch shots can often result. Overall, this could is definitely a great one to try if you're looking to get out of the Jacksonville area.
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