Harbor Shores

For the golfer who sometimes misses the fairway, finding your ball in the thick roughs can add considerable time to your round. Surrounding terrain is beautiful. Loved it!

With the exception of #7... just an outstanding variety of holes. While attractive and dramatic... #7 is dangerously close to goofy golf.

You can NOT go wrong with this course it has every aspect you could ever want in 18 holes. We played for the twilight rate which made it easier on the wallet but I would pay full rate to go back again !

The course proved to be fair to both low and mid handicappers in our group. Greens are fun, but some were quite challenging. The course architecture and surrounding natural environment, as well as the friendly and knowledgable staff, made our golf experience one of the best.

Host of the 2012 and 2014 Senior PGA Championship I decided to make the drive over from Chicago and pay Harbor Shores a visit. I had seen Matty G's piece on the Golf Channel which drew my interest. It was about a 1 hour 45 min drive from Chicago (Old Town area). My tee time was at 4:00 with the $75 rate and one thing to note is the time change. I had completely forgotten about it being on EST and my phone did not change luckily I arrived early so it wasn't a major issue but something to remember. Practice area is great with large short game chipping/sand area along with standard driving range and putting green. When it comes to the course I played from the 6200 yard tees which is a little short for my liking, but the only real option available besides 6850 at the back. A lot of the holes are bunker lined that you must avoid. I found some of the tees to sit down some, where it was difficult to visually see the entire hole. The greens like some Nicklaus courses I have played in the past have a lot of extreme undulation in them. The speeds were not very quick which made these slopes playable but when hitting approach shots one must consider the pin position to avoid the dreaded 3 putt. A downside I found to the course was the amount of divots and ball marks that were on the course. Because the course only having the 6200 yardage that a majority of players play all the landing areas are filled with divots and a lot of those divots were not filled in and maintained. Also, pace of play in the afternoon was very slow and we only saw the Marshall once. Teeing off at 4:00 we finished at 8:40 in a threesome! Overall I found it to be a very fair test of golf and one of those courses that you definitely need to play 4-5 times to understand the nuances of it. The greens can be tricky but if you are on the right level/tier of them there are birdies to be made.

Looooooong stretches in-between holes would highly recommend not walking this course

Hole Favorites
#7 first glimpse of the dunes reminds me of Arcadia Bluffs same
#8 Amongst massive dunes along Lake Michigan as well
#2 Blow-out bunkering style

World class layout. Very good staff but halfway house closes way too early. Should allow a few walking times each day.

The course makes use all you clubs in the bag. Some holes on paper may seem short but they have creative way making it long due bunker placement or hazards.

This is a really fun golf course with a very unique layout. The greens are very tricky, but fun at the same time .

If you get a chance to play this you will not be disappointed. It is a very fair price for the quality of golf you receive.

An absolute "Gem" for $75.00. We will be back time and time again!!

I can see why the PGA will be holding their championship here. If you are in southwestern Michigan, it's worth checking on a tee time.
The restaurant is very good and worth a cefinite try.

A great course to play, the course was in pristine condition, fairways were perfect, greens were exceptional, course layout is challenging, would definitely love to play there again.

This course is impeccable! The fairways were as nice as most greens i putt on at most golf courses! The undulations made 1-2 putts difficult but gave an appreciation for how the pros can play sub-par golf.

Harbor Shores is an amazing track at the end of the sad little town of Benton Harbor. Hard to believe someone imaged this course for this place. Having said that, it is one of the best courses I've ever played, and I play around the world. Hi-tech golf cars, tees and range balls included...can't beat it. Undulating grees to say the least. One recommendation...flatten the 10th green a bit. The 15 foot elevation change is unique, but over the top for the serious golfer. I parred it...but only because I was on the lower deck where the flag happened to be!

This course is very challenging. I have played this course a number of times and find it difficult, yet love playing here.

Beautiful views and great layout. would recommend just to enjoy the layout

Drove 2 hours to this place and shelled out 150 bux for slow bumpy greens

Most convoluted layout I have ever played. Cannot be walked as the distances between many tees and greens was beyond those found at even many modern resort courses. Some attractive holes but the very large bunkers slow play and the lack of a ranger was a big oversight as intolerably slow play drained any enjoyment out of the day. Unlikely to return at any price as there are so many playable and reasonably priced courses in southwest lower Michigan

Layout is what would be expected for a Jack Nicklaus course. Undulations on the greens border on ridiculous but well maintained.

The fairways, greens and tees are in perfect playing condition. The bunkering adds to the views, they are deep, large and abundant. The greens are huge and undulating to the extreme. When lucky enough to hold one, good luck from there! Now, about the views...I expected Lake Michigan to be the focal point. I actually saw it once. You cross several busy roads over the 18 holes and traffic noises and construction noises are not what I expect to encounter on a course of this caliper. There are views of delapadated factories, industry, and the surrounding area/neighborhood is getto. I thought HS would compare to Bay Harbor GC near Petosky, but it fell way short. I think it's overpriced, but if using your Golfnow Rewards this may be a good choice, just don't expect pure golf serenity.

Much too difficult for my game. Everywhere I look on this course there is either water, swamps, sand traps, or severely sloped greens. Harbor Shores has certainly earned their 137 slope rating from the Gray tees. That said, it is a beautiful course and, if it gives back decent funds to the city of Benton Harbor, I thank Jack Nicklaus for designing it. If you are playing well, this is a course to be enjoyed.