Harbor Shores

I had the extreme pleasure of playing Harbor Shores on 10/14/20. I have played one other Jack Nicklaus course in the past, so I knew it would not be a walk in the park. Everything was top notch. From the time we dropped off our clubs in the morning to the time we left, the entire staff was professional, courteous and kind. The routing of the course is interesting because it is broken down into four areas (Inland, Dunes, Woodlands and River) depending on where you are, on the course. The Dunes and Woodlands are my favorites. My favorite hole would have to be the hardest one out there, #7. Make sure to snap some pictures of Lake Michigan off of either #7 green or #9 tee. There are five par threes on the course and each are unique in their own way. The routing between some of the holes takes a few minutes to get from green to tee, via cart. The greens are interesting to say the least with multiple tiers and undulation. Even thought we played on an aerated course (greens and fairways), this by no means distracted us from enjoying the day and the beauty of the golf course. While the price is not cheap, you owe it to yourself to play Harbor Shores. On a side note if you are looking for breakfast and do not want to eat at a chain restaurant. Go to the Mason Jar Café, located right outside Harbor Shores entranceway, and try the jalapeno scramble.

What a beutiful course! It's obvious that Jack designed this course, I have golfed several of his early designs, but this was D

definitelymore playable. A couple of the holes have Lake Michigan views and the rest have more of a cottage or woods feel. The greens ran 13 this day and the fairways were mowed extra short but wide in the right places. There are lots and lots of bunkers but the sand in them is white, deep and workable. This is one of the few courses this year to have a in course grill and snack bar that was open with dogs and wraps. There was also lots of beverage carts traveling around. Its amazing that this course is open to the public, this kind of quality is tough to maintain with public traffic. I'll be back for sure!

Course in great shape. Play a little slow - waited on several tees. Awesome deal!

Once again Harbor Shores delivers a relaxed and relaxing challenge of a round. A threesome of women were welcome. We never waited. In fact while it was a busy day, we never saw anyone else. We didn’t even mind losing a few golf balls! The course is in great shape. The trigger ball removal tools take some practice but we got the hang of it.

Elle in the Grille provided excellent and careful service for our 19th hole drinks and meal.

Always nice to play a Jack Nicholas Signature course. big greens and lots of sand but hit it straight and play the tee box for your abilities and you will have a good day of golf.

The Good: I was pleasantly surprised that I had a better experience during my second playing of Harbor Shores in southwest Michigan. Beautiful, visually stunning Jack Nicklaus design is spread throughout a huge development complex near downtown Benton Harbor. Host of several Senior PGA's even though in its infancy. Has the now typical Nicklaus rugged feel with awesome variety in Par 4's and Par 5's, with devilish, deep sand traps engulfing the course at every turn. Massive, treacherous green complexes putt true and make for a significant challenge. Pro tour caliber conditions. Extremely nice clubhouse and full restaurant. Superb on-course amenities include GPS, multiple restroom facilities, and halfway house. Practice facility is strong with nice driving range, separate short game area, and putting green.

The Bad: Course layout is very awkward and winds through a retirement community and the slums of Benton Harbor all in one. Some of the greens (especially #10) are so outrageous that its laughable. $150 price tag would be justified if service & routing matched the beauty of the course. The Par-3's are good, but not great.

The Verdict: One of the most challenging, yet gorgeous tracks in all of Michigan. Could (and should) be a top 5 public destination in the state but is slightly brought down by lack of staff friendliness & routing.

Best Hole: There are many great holes, but without a doubt it is the short, uphill Par 4 7th. A precise drive is required to drive water and sand, with a short iron approach to a green not visible from below. One of my favorite Par-4's in the state.

Everything is amazing, my suggestion is to play auto 2-putt and save yourself and group from unnecessary frustration from circus like undulations on a large amount of the putting greens.

Course layout is great and there are challenging holes. A few of the greens seemed a bit extreme with the elevation change and speed, but overall great experience. Have wanted to play the course since it opened, so now have had the opportunity. Great golf course, not great value.

The course is holding up well despite the unusually high water levels.

I truly appreciate the efforts that went into developing the site and the different golf experience in the deign utilizing 4 different areas (inland, dunes, woodland and river)

Beautiful coarse, especially the signature hole with a view of Lake Michigan. Take the time to use practice green, because these greens are extremely difficult! Free driving range was excellent! A little bit of a Geese problem, but awesome coarse.

enjoyed it. I like Nicklaus courses and this one didn't disappoint. The tenth green is as crazy as advertised; but, thankfully they're not all that way. A little pricey, but would do again for the right price. Conditions were excellent and the course was challenging, but fair.

Nice golf course but very tough. All the staff was extremely friendly and accommodating throughout our round. The scenery was fantastic and the course design used all the natural landscaping! We didn’t play very well, but enjoyed the day!

Always enjoy Nicklaus courses, especially since my ball flight is left to fight off the tee. It's a little pricey and far from home, but would return for the right price.

I don't understand the mixed reviews here. Is the layout funky? Yes! And understandbly so, given the course was put here only recently to revitalize a struggling town, and they secured whatever land they could cobble together. I actually enjoy the stark contrast between holes and think it weaves an interesting story. Course is always in great shape, and the staff and facilities are top knotch. #7 is a masterpiece, and it helps that I'm a career two under par on that one! Look forward to playing here a few times a year.

We booked our outing over 9 months ago. A week before the outing, we are informed that they now have to close the course all day Friday for an outing/event, costing us two of our rounds. We saw the set-up for this event multiple tents, a stage, etc., so there is no way they found out about this event a week before. They gave us zero compensation for our inconvenience, not even a free round. The twelve of us spent thousands at the course and the Inn over the weekend.

For the cost, the course is not well maintained. Fairways and greens are a little beat up. Sand traps weren't raked. The course is fun, but we were treated poorly, and none of us would ever go back.

In the room of the hotel by the course (which I do not recommend) there was a coffee table book, and in it it quoted Nicklaus asking "where do you want me to build a course at?" Turning a former industrial wasteland in an economically depressed town can't be easy. But you play a few holes here, then drive 2 minutes, play a few holes, drive a few minutes, play a couple, drive even longer minutes, play a few, drive across busy roads at surface level, play a few more, then end like 1/2 mile from the club house. Pretty sure the holes by the lake are close to 2 miles by the club house.

As you meander along you play holes that are along several rivers/ponds, near the lake, with tons of traps, in the woods, with circus greens, and every other hitch or design feature you can imagine someone putting into a golf course. It's bizarre, honestly. An earlier review compared it to Tobacco Road, and several holes did remind me of that (especially 7-9 by the lake). But the back 9 that plays in the river bed is pretty straightforward.

Not sure if or how the pros or anyone walk this course. Would be a slow adventure if they did.The staff is very nice/professional. It's worth a go, but as others said be prepared to scratch your head a bit along the way. Enjoy the views near the lake, and try the Nicklaus/Miller putt on 10 if it doesn't hold up play.

This host of Senior Open promises a top shelf golfing experience, and it delivers. The course was pristine. Recreational players, with unrealistic expectations, will have some tough moments. Having a solid grip on reality, and an extra sleeve, or two of balls, made this an exceptional outing, that I hope to repeat.

Your Half Way House needs more staff or experienced staff; stopping the first time to purchase 4 beers took a while then coming back we stopped again & purchased 4 more beers & sausages. According to our GPS we lost about 10 minutes each time we stopped