Bear Mountain Golf Club

Bear Mountain is a residential development east of Seattle on Lake Chelan. You don't just drive out here from Seattle, you've got to be in the Lake Chelan area on vacation, or a long weekend. This is absolutely the best course in the entire region. It's part of a residential development of some size where the homes will be tucked into neighborhoods instead of lining the golf course. Due to the name a lot of people think it was designed by Nicklaus, but it was Robert L.Yount a landscape architect from Bellevue who designed it in 2002, opening in 2004. Fantastic views throughout the course and significant elevation change. It's set on a large tract of land, so the holes are roomy, seperate and isolated, and it has 700 feet of elevation gain, and loss. They routed the course with the land along and above Lake Chelan and the foothills of the North Cascades National Forest area. The lake is 50 miles long, and provides a for great views on out to the mountains. There's a couple of holes which are a bit forced, but otherwise and enjoyable, challenging course. From the back tees it's, 7231 yards, 135 slope, 75 course rating. Rates are reasonable for the quality of the course, and conditions are immaculate.