Black Forest at Wilderness Valley

The wife and I played both courses on the weekend of 8-19, Black forest course was fun and not in bad shape....some of the tee boxes and greens show signs of Snow Mold but over all the course was fun and I would rate the conditions a 7-8. The Wilderness Course is very poor condition Rate as 4. Things the management might want to consider is ... better directional signage from green to next tee and better yardage markers (sparse and hard to find)

Everything everyone is saying is true, this place is the worst condition golf course I have ever played. You can see how it was once nice, the layout is nice, but it is long gone of any quality. Greens don't roll, they bounce, sand traps are dirt and rock, there were no holes cut in their putting green, and the grass on the greens was longer than most fairways. The driving range was a grass rough area, wide enough for three to four people, and into some rough and sand. I don't even know how they pick up the balls.They were literally mowing the fairways with your standard Jon Deere riding lawn…

I have played golf at Black Forest and Wilderness Valley for many years. The staff are always helpful and friendly to everyone. For the last few years, the course has been in pretty rough condition. This year, it's not back to it's pristine condition, but they are making great progress. The greens last year had a tremendous amount of snow mold, and this year that is almost completely cleared up. The greens still roll a little slow, but I attribute that to letting them heal from the previous years damage.They still have a way to go, but are greatly improved. They are working on it, and it get…

We were there on 7/30/18 the course is in very bad shape. 4 holes had grub and skunk damage. Even the sand traps had grass growing in them Never will we go there again. We golfed The Wilderness 2 days later and It was a little better need alot more care the greens were mostly sandy and spotty. Awful. These courses used to be one of the best but are totally rundown.Don't waste your money.

My wife and I plus another couple just recently played Black Forest and had a blast. The course was in great shape and very well-manicured. You can tell the grounds team spent lots of time working on the greens, bunkers, and even the trails leading through the gorgeous woods of Northern MI. We all agreed the course was one of our favorites! Unlike your typical golf course that has a basic layout, Black Forest is stretched through the Northern MI landscape filled with beautiful hills, valleys, and amazing trees! Very few times can you ever see the hole next to you. Part of the amazing experien…

Where do I even start? We got to the course and noticed basically no cars in the parking lot, seemed strange for a Saturday but we thought we got lucky. Went to the range, which was overgrown in spots and hit a few practice putts on a green that would double as a fairway at most other courses. We overlooked all these issues, until we drove our carts out to the Black Forest Course. I've played a lot of golf, but I have no issue saying that I have never seen a golf course in worse condition. It had clearly not been mowed in several weeks. The fairways were overgrown in spots, dead and diseased i…

One star only because zero stars isn't an option. Simply the worst golf experience I have had in 20+ years of golfing. Black Forest used to be an annual pilgrimage for me and my golf friends. One of the finest layouts in Michigan, and a true test of golf. We would drive 2.5 hours each way for a day of 36 holes on Black Forest. We did this nearly every year from 1996-2014. We missed a couple of years, and then came back in 2017. What has happened to the course in the past 3 years is borderline criminal. It is clear that the owners are either out of money or they don't know how to maintain a go…

Horrible shape, paid $20 for 9 holes. Thought it was a deal until I got there. They should have paid me. Played wilderness valley but I'm sure black forest is not in any better shape. I was shocked at how bad it was also my cart died on #5 so I walked 2 holes before they got a new cart out to me. Young man in the club house was very good but once I stepped out of the club house to play it was probably the most disappointing golf experience I've ever had.

Black Forest/Wilderness Valley is an absolute dump. The greens are terrible, some parts of fairways are overgrown while other parts are dead, sand traps edges are falling in and full of rocks. There isn't enough staff there and what's there is incompetent. Clubhouse is falling apart. Everything about this place screams "neglect." We paid about $35/person with a Groupon and still feel like we got ripped off. Do not go to this course. It's very obvious the owner doesn't care at all about this place. You can tell it used to be nice, but those days are gone.

Played Wilderness Valley last year and it was in terrible not the current ratescondition, so this weekend thought we would try Black Forest as it is supposed to be the better of the two courses, bad decision as it was in as bad or worse condition. Sand traps don't look like they have been raked in years, more gravel than sand. More weeds than grass almost on the greens. I will say the layout is very nice but I would not spend the money here. Great potential but needs a lot of work for the money they charge. $25 maybe, paid $40 each with GolfNow and that was way too much, feel sorry if anyone p…

I have played both courses at Wilderness Valley for several years. Due to the last two bad winters with snow mold and other issues, the Forest and Valley courses are back on track to becoming marvelous courses to play again! I would say the courses are about 75% healed and getting better daily! The staff is well aware of the conditions and are working diligently to get the courses back to their former GLORY! As we all know northern Michigan (Gaylord) Has severe winters and less of a growing season, so it will take time to heal the courses. Both courses can be played at a reduced rate at this…

Heartbreaking. This used to be such a great course, but is clearly in a death spiral of mismanagement and lack of care and maintenance. We played Wilderness valley, and it was flat out unplayable. Greens are dying from disease and lack of watering. It is a total guess which way your ball will bounce, skip, and kick over the surface. Fairways are nothing but clover, and hadn’t been mowed in a while. Traps were full of rocks and weeds. Aside from the course conditions, the clubhouse was also a wreck, and lacking even basic snacks, beverages, and food other than nasty microwaved hot dogs. I felt…