While visiting the Methow Valley in July 2024 to attend a blues festival, we decided to add a round of golf to one of our down days. Growing up in the valley I had played the Bear Creek Golf Course only a handful of times and have always found it to be a fairly fun track, however, you had better have your game in order as there is plenty of trouble lurking just around the corner. It is a nine-hole golf course; however, you play the front nine (blue/white) and then the back nine (yellow/red) to complete the 18 holes. Each have its own set of tee boxes and sets up different angles to the fairway, creating a sense of playing different holes. Below are my caddie notes.
Starting just outside the club house, the first tee box is on the hill looking down toward the fairway. This is a short par 4 and with a good drive can set up an easy birdie putt. There is out of bounds on the left and the fairway for hole 3 on the right. Overall, a good starting hole. This leads you to a short par 3 that is almost 100% carry over trouble to an elevated green. If you miss the green short, you will need to re-tee. If you just miss the green either right or left short, your ball will roll off of the green down towards rough, which is actually a pond with high grass around it. The best play here is to hit the ball just past the flag and let the hill take you back on the green, or if you are like me, hit it to the far right, even off of the green a little, to set up a straight chip back to the green at tee level. Take a par and move on. Hole 3 is a par four that is a dogleg to the left. If you draw the ball, you are in luck, as a good drive will set you up in the middle of the fairway for your second shot. If you fade the ball, you will face a narrow shot as you will have to miss the trees on the left and hope to stay in the fairway right. This sets up a longer second shot, but it is doable. The green is elevated slightly, but allows for you to play it a little long to have a down hill putt. Moving on to hole 4, a par 5 that is pretty wide open, you will tee up from just above the 4th green. This is a deceiving hole, in that you can reach the green in regulation, but the green is a two-tier green with a sever ridge running through the middle. If the flag is on the upper back, make sure to take enough club to get there on your second or third shot as anything short will roll all the way off of the green. If the flag is in the front, play your approach shot to land short and tumble on. If you go long, and end up on the back of the green, the downhill putt will more that likely set you up for a chip shot back to the green. Take a par and move forward. The next hole, hole 5, is an uphill par 4. Your drive needs to clear a hill in the middle of the fairway or it will leave you with an uphill blind shot for your second shot to the green. If you drive the ball left, you will have to play out to the right of the green, which is hidden. The green is usually fairly hard and any ball landing on the green may go all the way to the back of the green. Play your second shot to tumble onto the green setting up a good chance for a birdie putt. Hole 6 is a fun short par 4 that is downhill to a small green. The green is protected on the left by trees and on the right by a couple of hills. Go for the green if you like, or play it safe with a shorter club that lands in the middle of the fairway short, providing you with a pretty simple chip to reach the green setting up a birdie putt. Hole 7 is a copy of hole 5 in that it is uphill the entire way to the top, with a blind shot to the green a very good possibility. Just remember to play your second shot short of the elevated green as is runs somewhat front to back and will tumble on. However, if you play it too short, or too long, you will be chipping uphill to the green. A par is a good score on this hole. Hole 8 is a downhill short par 4 that allows you to make up any shots you may have lost on the last three holes. If is short and the green is flat. Safe play is to hit your drive with a shorter club to the middle of the fairway and play a short iron to the green. Don’t go long or right and you will have a great opportunity to birdie this hole. Hole 9’s tee box is just to the right of hole 8 green. It is a par 5 that heads you back to the clubhouse. It is wide open and with a good tee shot and second shot, you are set up for an eagle or birdie putt to finish off the front.
Turning to the back nine, you will be playing the same holes from different tee boxes. Hole 10 tee box is just to the right of hole 9 green. If you play a fade, you are in luck as you will be able to fly the ball to the middle of the fairway. If you play a draw, you can still hit the fairway, but will have to miss the trees that run down the right side and separate hole 10 (1) from hole 12 (3). Once in the fairway, it will play pretty much as outlined for hole 1. Hole 11 tee box is back in the trees making the hole longer than when you played it as hole 2. This increases the carry, but once over the junk, again it will play the same as it did when playing it as hole 2. Hole 12 plays a little easier for those hitting a fade as the tee box is down the hill from when you played it at hole 3. Hole 13 tee box is now to the right of hole 12. If is pretty much a straight-away par 5 with the exception of the two-tiered green. Hole 14 allows for the shorter hitters to clear the hill in the middle of the uphill par 4 which allows you to see the green for your second shot. Remember to play your second shot short of the green to allow the ball to tumble onto the green setting up a birdie putt. Hole 15 is now played as a par 3 and is fairly long. A good tee shot will allow you to putt for birdie. Remember this hole, played as a par 4 when it was hole 6, that the green is guarded on the left by trees and on the right by hills. Hole 16, is pretty much a carbon copy of hole 7, which is uphill with the potential for a blind second shot into the green. Don’t go long or short left as you will have a hard chip shot up to the green. Best play is to keep it right if not on the green and chip on for a par putt. Hole 17, or hole 8, is now played as a dogleg left from back in the trees. It still allows for a straight or drawer of the ball to hit the fairway, but a fader of the ball will have to either play the hole from the far right off of the tee box and fairway, or hit it over trees on the left off of the tee to play it from the middle of the fairway. Not an easy task but doable. Once there, it will play fairly easy. The final hole, hole 18, is similar to 17 in that the tee box is now way back in the woods. It still allows for a good driver of the ball to reach the green in regulation but creates some stress due to it being a dogleg to the left. Again, you should be able to hit the fairway and set yourself up for a birdie putt to end your round.
Overall, it is a fun course to play and a must do if you are in the Methow Valley.
Course Price – 
Course Condition – Par
Course Amenities – Par
Course Personnel – Par
Overall Course Rating – Par
