Brian Magee made his living in real estate, and he was set on drawing Black Bear Ridge himself, with a pencil at a drafting board. He started piecing the land together in the late 1980s as a family getaway and hunting lodge, then saw a golf course in the rolling ground. The story goes that he showed his plans to family friend Jack Nicklaus, whose advice was simple: build them.
The Magee Championship Course opened in 2005. It's traditional parkland: long, bold holes lined with trees, natural water and plenty of elevation change. Next door, the Academy Short Course plays nine executive holes on land it shares with the Magee front nine, handy for settling a match.
The property follows the Moira River for 2km, the homes where guests stay sit steps from the first tee, and The Turn Pub & Grill's patio has a view of the 9th green.