Harbor Shores

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

Played as part of a golf trip across Southern Michigan. Originally scheduled at 4:00, arrived about an hour early from having played in Lansing in the AM. Clubhouse was great about getting us out as early as we desired.

Course conditions were amazing. Heavy rain had moved through the area earlier in the day and as it started to warm up we were dealing with some fog.

Very odd layout. It was fine for playing with a cart, but really not sure how they manage to host the Senior PGA there. As you have long drives between sets of 3-5 holes.

Some hole designs that just leave you somewhat clueless the first time you play them. Played Tobacco Road a few years ago and left feeling the same way. Impressed with what had been created, but not sure I wanted to go back! All-in-all, it was worth the visit while we playing that area of the country---especially for the price we paid.

From the time we arrived through our round of golf the staff and course was excellent. The course was in great shape and offered a fair challenge to each player in our foursome. Two things stood out regarding the course, the number of sand traps and the undulation of the greens. Our group will definitely be back for another round in the future.

I played here with my fiance (not a golfer) the weekend we got engaged. She had a great time sipping vodka soda's and appreciating all of the landscape. That says a lot about the natural beauty around this course! A few holes, in particular, are elevated and/or overlooking the big lake. Captivating. The fairways and greens are in top shape. Every time I drive by this course I want to stop and play!

Played on I believe 8/11/17.This course is prestine. Always said I would not pay over $70.00 to play ANY 18 holes, but would consider this course. Your first time, you dont go there to score. You just play the magnificent fairways from the right yardage for your game, and enjoy the course. The starter was very helpful in that regard. The greens are so ridiculously undulating, they were a blast to play. Two putt, and your on a role. Three putt and be happy! lol I see alot of criticism in some of the reviews, but I can speak for my foursome, that it was one of the best times we ever had, and I was low at 91 with a hdc of 8....From the grey tees. ( Except for # 9, which you'll want to play from the top, just because of the view). .but did not care what my score was because it's just a fun course to play. Hope to get back this year if I can find a good rate.