If you’re driving through the cornfields of Hamilton County, Indiana, you aren't exactly expecting to stumble across a Scottish links-style masterpiece. It feels out of place. It’s tucked away in Cicero, a town mostly known for Morse Reservoir and quiet living. But then you see it. Bear Slide Golf Club isn't just another public track; it's a weird, beautiful, and sometimes frustrating hybrid that has stayed relevant for over thirty years.
Honestly, most people who play here for the first time are caught off guard by the duality.
The front nine and the back nine are like two different people. The front is wide open. It’s a links-style layout with rolling hills and tall fescue that’ll swallow your ball if you’re even a little bit offline. Then you hit the back nine. Suddenly, you’re in the woods. Everything tightens up. The elevation changes get aggressive. It’s basically a test of whether you can handle a schizophrenic golf course without losing your mind.
The Dean Knott Legacy
You can’t talk about this place without mentioning Dean Knott. He’s the guy who designed it back in the early 90s.
Knott wasn't some big-name corporate architect from a massive firm. He was a local guy who really understood the Indiana topography. He took a piece of land that probably should have just stayed a farm and turned it into something that looks like it belongs in the Highlands.
It opened in 1990. Back then, "high-end public golf" wasn't really a thing in Central Indiana. You either played at a muni that was basically a flat field with mowed grass, or you paid a fortune for a private club. Bear Slide Golf Club changed that dynamic. It offered a "private feel" for people who didn't want to pay five-figure initiation fees.
People still argue about whether the front or back is better. The front nine lets you rip the driver, but the wind can be brutal. Because it’s so open, there’s nothing to stop a 20-mph gust from pushing your ball into a different zip code. The back nine protects you from the wind, but it replaces that challenge with narrow corridors and creek crossings.
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Why the "Bear Slide" Name?
It sounds like a playground feature. It’s not.
The name comes from Bear Slide Creek, which meanders through the property. If you’re playing the back nine, you’re going to get very familiar with that water. It comes into play on several holes, most notably on the signature 14th.
That 14th hole is a beast. It’s a par 4 that requires a precise tee shot over a valley to a landing area that feels way smaller than it looks on the scorecard. If you go long, you’re dead. If you’re short, you’re in the creek. It’s the kind of hole that ruins a good scorecard but keeps you coming back because you know you can beat it next time. You probably won't, but you think you can.
The Maintenance Factor
Let’s be real: public courses in the Midwest usually take a beating by August.
Between the humidity and the sheer volume of rounds, greens usually end up looking like a pincushion. Bear Slide Golf Club has managed to avoid that reputation. Their grounds crew is notoriously obsessive. The bentgrass fairways are usually kept tight, and the greens are fast. Not "pro tournament" fast, but fast enough to make a three-putt a very real possibility if you’re above the hole.
I’ve seen courses in the Indy area charge way more and offer way less in terms of conditioning.
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What You Need to Know Before You Load the Car
- The Range: It’s a full-service practice facility. Use it. You’ll need to be warm before you hit that first tee shot on the open links.
- The Grille: It’s called the Bear Slide Grille. It’s not fancy. It’s exactly what you want after 18 holes: cold beer and a decent burger.
- Tee Times: Since it’s a Top 10 rated course in Indiana (according to various Golf Digest and Golfweek rankings over the years), it fills up. Especially on weekends. Don't show up expecting to walk on at 9:00 AM on a Saturday.
The Strategic Nightmare of Hole 8
Everyone talks about the back nine, but hole 8 on the front is a sleeper for the hardest hole on the course.
It’s a long par 5. On paper, it looks manageable. In reality, the bunkers are positioned exactly where your "good" drive wants to land. If you try to go for it in two, you’re flirting with disaster. Most locals will tell you to play it as a three-shot hole. Lay up. Take your par. Move on.
Trying to be a hero at Bear Slide Golf Club is usually how you end up in the pro shop buying another sleeve of balls at the turn.
Pricing and Value Realities
Is it cheap? No.
Is it fair? Yeah, probably.
In the 2020s, golf prices have spiked everywhere. Bear Slide sits in that mid-to-high tier for public golf in the region. You’re going to pay more here than you would at a standard city course in Noblesville or Westfield, but you’re getting a layout that is vastly more interesting. It’s the "destination" course for people who live in Indianapolis but want to feel like they’ve escaped the suburbs for a few hours.
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The club also does a lot of outings. If you’re planning a corporate event, this is usually on the shortlist because the clubhouse can actually handle a crowd and the staff knows how to run a shotgun start without it becoming a six-hour nightmare.
Common Misconceptions
One thing people get wrong is thinking this is a "mountain" course because of the elevation on the back. It’s not. It’s a "ravine" course. You aren't climbing thousands of feet, but the drops are significant enough that club selection becomes a guessing game.
Another mistake? Underestimating the fescue.
In the summer, when the grass is tall and brown, it looks beautiful. It’s also a black hole. If your ball goes in, don't spend ten minutes looking for it. You aren't finding it. Just take the penalty and keep the pace of play moving. Nobody behind you cares about your ProV1 as much as they care about finishing their round before sunset.
Actionable Steps for Your Next Round
If you're actually going to head out to Cicero to play, do these three things to make sure you don't hate your life by the 18th green:
- Check the wind report. If it's over 15 mph, the front nine is going to play two clubs longer than the yardage says. Adjust your expectations.
- Download a GPS app. The yardage markers are there, but with the elevation changes on the back nine, having a precise number to the front edge of the green is a lifesaver.
- Play from the correct tees. This is the biggest ego trap at Bear Slide. The "Bear" tees play over 7,000 yards. Unless you’re carrying your driver 280+ consistently, stay on the "Slide" or "Club" tees. The course is hard enough without adding unnecessary yardage.
The real beauty of this place is that it hasn't tried to become something it isn't. It doesn't have a massive hotel attached to it. It isn't part of some giant resort conglomerate. It’s just a top-tier golf course in the middle of Indiana that demands you hit every club in your bag. If you can walk off the 18th with the same ball you started with, you've had a legendary day.
Booking a week in advance is the move here. Use their online portal; it’s usually more accurate than calling the shop during a morning rush. Grab a yardage book if they have them in stock. Even in the age of satellites, having a paper map of those back-nine ravines helps you visualize the landing zones better.