In Volume 3 of The Confidential Guide to Golf Courses, Tom Doak published that:

“Developer Paul Nine complained to Jack Nicklaus that he wasn’t making the golf course tough enough to attract attention at his new resort, and Nicklaus kicked it into high gear. Holes like the 4^th and 5^th, with their skinny angled greens defended by water front and right and deep bunkers on the other side, guarantee a six-hour round for the big convention groups that shell out to play here. I played here a few times when I moved to Michigan, and that was enough.”

The Bear at Grand Traverse Resort received a score of 4 out of 10 from Tom Doak.