Tiger Woods is golfing like a man possessed — hitting ball after ball after ball at the golf course near his home in Isleworth … and TMZ has obtained the first unstaged photos of Woods back in action.

Woods hit the course yesterday with 2 male companions and practiced his ass off from 8:30 AM to 5:00 PM — working on everything from drives to pitches and putts.

We’re told Tiger’s session was uninterrupted — and he seemed completely focused throughout the entire grueling workout.

As we previously reported, sources in Isleworth tell us Tiger is dead set on competing for the Tavistock Cup — which will be held at the same Isleworth golf course where he’s practicing.

And with that news … Phil Mickelson probably needs a fresh pair of undies.

The Bear was the first Nicklaus designed course in Michigan and helped pave the way for modern designed golf courses in northern Michigan.

The Golf Association of Michigan’s most recent review of The Bear measured it at 7,078 yards, and gave it a rating of 76.3 and slope of 148. In spite of its difficulty, it is fair. Landing areas are generous and it rewards good shots. And good golfers can score on it, as the Resort’s Head Golf Professional, Scott Hebert, who won six Michigan Open championships on The Bear, will attest.

“The Bear is the best golf course I’ve ever played and after 25 years it has not lost any of its bite! Every hole is different, which makes it unique, and to play it well, your game should be sharp,” stated Hebert.

Perhaps the best-known golfer to play The Bear was the winner of the 1990 Ameritech Senior Open, Chi Chi Rodriguez, who said, “(The Bear) is one of the great golf courses we play. The thing that makes this course so great is that it can be set up as tough as you want. This course challenges you on every shot. This is the way golf courses should be designed.”

For more information and details visit www.grandtraverseresort.com.

Photo of The Bear courtesy of Grand Traverse Resort & Spa

Read King’s Challenge G.C. near Traverse City: A classic N. Michigan golf course at MichiganGolf.com