The Bears Club
Jack Nicklaus built The Bears Club in Jupiter as his own home course, and it has become one of the most exclusive addresses in the game. A Nicklaus design that opened on the final day of 1999, it plays as a par 72 of about 7,164 yards through woods, lakes and natural preserve, and counts many of the world's best tour professionals among the golfers who call the area home.
Photo via Google, contributed by Mark C.
The verdict
The Bears Club is Jack Nicklaus's personal statement in golf design, the course he built as his home club in Jupiter and named for himself. Opened at the end of 1999, it threads through a private community of woods, lakes and protected preserve, with the bold shaping and clear strategy that mark the best Nicklaus work. It is quiet, exacting and kept far from public view.
Our verdict: The Bears Club is among the most exclusive clubs in the country, a small and intensely private membership in a corner of Florida that has become home to a remarkable concentration of tour professionals. For the traveling golfer it is an access challenge rather than a tee time, so we treat it as a dream round inside a Palm Beach itinerary built around courses you can book. For the wider region, see our guide to golf in Florida.
The Bears Club at a glance
- Opened
- 1999
- Designer
- Jack Nicklaus
- Par
- 72
- Yardage
- About 7,164 yds
- Type
- Parkland, preserve
- Access
- Private
Designer, opening year, par and yardage verified June 2026 from course and club records: a Jack Nicklaus design that opened in 1999, playing as a par 72 of about 7,164 yards. The Bears Club is an intensely private members club with no public access and no published green fee; any play is as the guest of a member, so confirm access arrangements directly before traveling.
The holes worth the trip
The Bears Club shows Nicklaus designing for himself, which means clear lines, fair but firm demands and greens that reward the right miss. The routing moves through dense preserve and around water, with several holes framed entirely by trees and wetland so that the player feels alone with the course. A memorable short hole to an island style green is among its most talked about moments.
What sets it apart is the privacy and the polish. The membership is small, the conditioning is immaculate, and the setting is a sanctuary rather than a showpiece, so a round here is intimate in a way the game's famous resort courses can never be. At about 7,164 yards it is a complete championship test without leaning on length alone.
On a Palm Beach and Jupiter trip The Bears Club sits in the same rarefied company as the Donald Ross masterpiece at Seminole a short drive south, a pairing of two of the most private and revered names in Florida golf for a group chasing the unattainable.
How to get on
| What to know | Detail |
|---|---|
| Access | An intensely private members club; play is as the guest of a member, with no public tee times |
| Green fee | No published green fee; this is a private club, not a resort or daily fee course |
| Booking window | Arrange any visit ahead through a member; there is no public booking channel |
| Handicap and dress | Members club etiquette and a collared dress code apply; confirm with your host |
| Getting there | In Jupiter, about 25 minutes north of Palm Beach International Airport |
| Best months | Late fall through spring are ideal on the Florida coast; summers are hot and humid |
Access details verified June 2026. The Bears Club is an intensely private members club with no public access or published fee, so there is no price to confirm; the point to settle in advance is the invitation. Always confirm access arrangements directly with your host before traveling.
Where to stay nearby
The Bears Club has no lodging of its own, so a trip is based in the Palm Beaches. Jupiter, Juno Beach and Palm Beach offer a deep range of oceanfront resorts and boutique hotels within a short drive of the club, with the Atlantic and fine dining close at hand.
Because a round here depends on a member's invitation, we build the bookable golf around it. The Palm Beach area is an easy reach for the rest of South Florida, so a longer itinerary can add the Gulf coast and Orlando courses to fill the week.
Looking for a base? See our recommended hotels and resorts around Jupiter.
Build a Florida golf trip
The Bears Club is the unattainable round we plan a Palm Beach trip around, with the bookable courses, the right oceanfront base and the logistics handled. Tell us roughly when and who is traveling and one concierge costs it to the head, with no obligation.
The Bears Club questions
Who designed The Bears Club?
The Bears Club is a Jack Nicklaus design that opened in 1999 in Jupiter, Florida, built by Nicklaus as his own home course.
What is the par and length of The Bears Club?
The Bears Club plays as a par 72 of about 7,164 yards through woods, lakes and natural preserve.
Why is The Bears Club famous?
It is Jack Nicklaus's personal home club and one of the most exclusive private courses in golf, in a Jupiter area now home to many of the world's leading tour professionals.
Can the public play The Bears Club?
No. The Bears Club is an intensely private members club with no public tee times; play is only as the guest of a member.
Related
The Tee Sheet
Tee time windows, course access changes and the trips worth taking. Every other week.
Researched and written by the GolfForKings editorial desk. Designer, opening year, par and yardage verified June 2026; The Bears Club is an intensely private members club with no public access or published fee, so confirm any access arrangement directly with your host before traveling. Last reviewed June 2026.