Port at Harborside International Golf Center
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Golfer Photos
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Photo submitted by Abbdn on 05/06/2026
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Photo submitted by Abbdn on 05/06/2026
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Photo submitted by st829 on 10/03/2023
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Photo submitted by st829 on 10/03/2023
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Photo submitted by st829 on 10/03/2023
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Photo submitted by st829 on 10/03/2023
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Photo submitted by grambo23 on 07/10/2023
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Photo submitted by u815171186 on 07/13/2021
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Photo submitted by u815171186 on 07/13/2021
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Photo submitted by u815171186 on 07/13/2021
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Great condition! Photo submitted by pigboy on 05/05/2021
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Photo submitted by u000007651917 on 11/19/2020
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Photo submitted by woodsy34 on 09/02/2019
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Photo submitted by deirdre625 on 09/02/2016
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Photo submitted by deirdre625 on 09/02/2016
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Photo submitted by deirdre625 on 09/02/2016
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Photo submitted by kixland on 07/21/2015
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Photo submitted by kixland on 07/21/2015
Golfer Reviews
Need to fix Carts
I played the Port course, but the GPS on the cart could not be switched over from Starboard. The Sandtrap was very packed to the point of being muddy. Other than GPS and Santraps the course was in excellent prime condtion.
Windy but fair
The course is always windy but it plays fair. Beautiful layout and very scenic. Probably the most beautiful course in Chicago that is open to the public. Bring lots of balls and keep it in the fairway.
A few misses
Overall good deal and good course. A little disappointed in pace of play. 5 hour round! If I paid rack rate I'd be a little more angry about it. I also didn't like that the ball/club washer on the cart was empty and in terrible shape. They also need more rakes for the huge bunkers. Wasted time finding takes.
Must play in Chicago!
I will play this course every year from now on! Totally worth the money. Course was in great condition, Greens were rolling true, and the staff was extremely friendly.
Gem close to Chicago
Challenging, beautiful and fantastic value. Greens are super fast. Takes time to adjust.
Extremely Fun Course
Played Port Side. Excellent maintenance, amazingly unique views, fast greens, learn how to play in the wind quick!
Excellent course
Great time at a great course. Play from the tips if you can, driver-wedge every hole gets boring and this course is fun if you enjoy course management.
Soft greens help the links style but I could see this course in a drought being very difficult.
Course was packed with an outing in front of us and we still finished in 4.5 hours.
Good Course, Pace of Play is Dreadful
Played Harborside courses multiple times. This time we had a 1:30 PM tee of the Port Course on a Saturday. We paid $72 a person which was a special deal. The course has no trees that come into play along it and the wind is always blowing out at Harborside. Greens were rolling pretty quick with the rough grown in from the rain we've had in Chicago this summer. Links type look to it however not many shots are played along the ground with forced carries over bunkers on certain holes.
Pace of play is always an issue out here. The marshals are terrified to ever say anything to someone. We were a threesome stuck behind a foursome who had no in front of them for 5 holes. However nothing was ever said which made for an unpleasant slow round of 5 hours on a good course.
Good course to be city owned on an old landfill property but be prepared to spend a lot of time waiting and watching the group in front of you.
Can't imagine a better public course experience for the money
I had not heard much about the courses, but the online reviews are on target. The course is tough, but fair, and the conditions were perfect. I wouldn't hesitate to return.
President
Excellent course to play on a Sunday evening with great weather. Great view of Chicago and some of the features on the course are impeccable. But be ready to fight some of the bunkers around the greens at most par 3s.
Great Track, but...
I love the Port Course at Harborside. It's an extremely challenging course with wonderful greens that role quick and true. However, I have to criticize this course for the amount of sand in the bunkers. For a place that charges a premium to play, one should expect great conditions, but the amount of sand in the bunkers was literally all over the map. In some bunkers, there was little to no sand and in one I hit hard pan and almost injured myself. In a couple of other bunkers, there was almost a foot of sand, which is ridiculous. Overall, I love this course, but can't give it 5 stars with bunkers that are this inconsistent.
Great Course, Must Play!
Great time at Harborside. In town for business and played 2x. Staff was unbelievable and most accommodating.
Course was in great condition, greens rolling fast.
Definitely a must play if you are staying downtown.
The best in south Chicagoland
18 mins of commute and no traffic for my rounding times.
I do have to pay more than other close by courses surrounded but do go back here for few reasons.
Rounding includes small bucket of balls for you to practice and the quality of the facility is on the A game.
Battery powered carts are equipped with touchscreen GPS, ball and club cleaners, towels plus few wooden tees to start off. The view of the Chicago's downtown skyline view are superb.
International Harborside is highly recommended and its one of my favorite in Chicagoland.
Beautiful course
Absolutely beautiful course. The course is in great condition. The fairways are like new carpet and the greens are very fast. I really enjoyed the scenery, you can see the chicago skyline from the course and there is water around alot of the holes. Holes 15, 16 and 17 on the port course are three of the most beautiful holes you'll ever see in Chicago.
Windy City
course was in good shape. Wind is ALWAYS a factor at Harborside. Great experience.
Great Golf Oasis, Greens needs to grow in
Finally played the Port Course at Harborside and was impressed of the elevation changes. The Port Course is playing in great shape other than the greens, still trying to recover from aeration in Late April (4 weeks to heal up!) The course will challenge one to hit to the correct side of the fairway in order to open the green to your point of view. Also, this is one course where you do not want to be above the hole unless you have a deft touch with the putter. The finishing holes are quite difficult and accuracy in rewarded over long drives. I love this course as it rewards those who stay in the fairways and yet allows the wayward player to think they have a chance to hit the green from the 2nd cut of rough. The view from the clubhouse bar balcony is also quite serene over the No. 18 hole of the Starboard course and adjacent lake. Have a beer and relax.
Top 5 Chicago Area Public Track
Living downtown Chicago for the past three years I have had the chance to explore a lot of great courses in the surrounding suburbs but I always find myself booking a tee time at Harborside more times than not. What I love about Harborside:
1) Challenging course setup with a good variety of holes. Good variety of risk reward par 5's, difficult par 4's and a variety of yardages on the four par 3's.
2) Excellent course conditions. Fairways and greens are always in great shape (even the aerated greens at the beginning of this season weren't bad). Bunkers are always full with good consistency. Rough is intermediate length. Not too punishing which helps with the playability on some of the longer par 4's but watch out for the fescue when it is grown out during the summer months.
3) Favorite finishing holes in Chicago! Absolutely love the finish on the port course. Fantastic elevated tee shot on the signature par 3 15th anchor hole. An inverted U shape green provides lots of interesting hole locations. The par 4 16th is another great view from the tee hitting back towards the lake and a peninsula-like green. This hole can yield lots of birdies or big numbers with water down the entire left side. 17 is another great tee shot that dares you to cut as much off the corner over the water as you can. 18 is one of my favorite holes on the course. Tough tee shot and a fantastic risk reward par 5 that is reachable most days.
4) Good food and beverage services with reasonable prices.
What I don't like about Harborside:
1) The wind. Prepare for windy conditions. I've only played in calm conditions a couple times in the past 3 seasons. I don't mind playing in the wind but this factor can make the course less enjoyable for higher handicap players.
2) You get what you pay for. Prepare to pay over $100 if you're looking to play a weekend round. Good twilight rates though.
Overall a great golf experience from start to finish. Great course conditions, fun and challenging layout, Chicago skyline views from just about any hole on the course. Highly recommend!
Harborside Starboard
I play both of the Harborside courses at least a dozen times each per season. It is convenient to my office in the loop. The greens are pre season right now. They are healing from recent aeration. The staff and range area are great there. It can get quite windy and it helps to keep the ball in the fairway. Once the heather grows up taller finding errant tee shots is not possible.
It is pricey for a public course but the experience is worth it to me.
Tough course close to the city
I've played this course multiple times now and understand why it is so pricey with its proximity to the city, however, with aerated greens on my last visit - it wasn't worth it to me.
The course was in overall good shape after the winter and was pretty full. With tee times every 10mins, it did backup and we were waiting on the tee box almost every hole.