Chenal Country Club (Bear Den)

Overview: The Bear Den Course at Chenal Country Club is the more wooded of the club's two Robert Trent Jones Jr. layouts in west Little Rock. The current profile lists 7,326 yards and par 72. Tighter, tree-lined fairways, creeks, natural water and the rolling terrain of Chenal Valley give the course a more enclosed character than the open Founders Course. The design is strategic rather than merely severe, with the trees and water shaping decisions from the tee through the approach.

History: Bear Den is the second 18-hole course at Chenal Country Club. Robert Trent Jones II's official portfolio distinguishes the original Chenal course, dating from 1990, from the second Jones course, which dates from 2003. That distinction matters because the current profile had previously assigned the Founders opening year to Bear Den. The later course expanded Chenal's golf offering while giving the club a contrasting routing built around tighter corridors, creeks and more pronounced woodland character.

Did You Know? Chenal's official overview describes Bear Den as the course with tight, tree-lined fairways, while Founders is associated with wider Zoysia corridors. The two layouts were designed by the same architect, but their different use of trees and open space makes the pair read as separate golfing experiences.