800 Whitwam Drive, Benton Harbor, Michigan 49085, US
(269) 983-1111
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About Harbor Shores Resort

The AAA Four-Diamond Inn at Harbor Shores, debuting in 2014, is part of the resurgence of the St. Joseph and Benton Harbor communities, bringing a world-class golf resort to Michigan's southwestern shores. The Harbor Shores Golf Club has hosted multiple Senior PGA Championships since its celebrated Champions for Change charity grand opening in 2010 featuring Tom Watson, Arnold Palmer, Johnny Miller and course designer Jack Nicklaus. The course winds along the Paw Paw River and atop the dunes of Lake Michigan. The Inn, home to 92 rooms and 14 suites with individual balconies, features multiple dining options, including the premier waterfront dining in the area. There's alos a deep-water marina, spa, fitness center, indoor and outdoor pools, meeting rooms and banquet facilities that can hold up to 300 people and a public riverwalk connecting to 12 miles of recreational trails.

Facts

Price Range$$$
Property Class★★★★
Year Opened2010
Number of UnitsLess than 100

Amenities

RestaurantsCasual
Room TypesRoom, Suite
PoolIndoor
Short CourseYes
Fitness CenterYes
Practice FacilityYes
MarinaYes
Banquet SpaceYes
SpaYes

Services

Room ServiceYes

Rules

Is the resort pet friendly?No
Is resort stay required for a tee time?No

Golf courses at Harbor Shores Resort

Reviews

4.8
223 Reviews (223)
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Overall Rating
Recommended
Handicap
Age
Type of Golfer
Gender
Played On
Reviews 5
Handicap 15-19
Skill Intermediate
Plays Once a week
I Recommend This Course
5.0
First Time Playing
Windy weather
Used cart

Living the good life

Fun and challenging . Excellent layout. This course has a variety of hole types so never boring. Put this one on your bucket list. Greens were tough but hey you are playing a Nicklaus course that the pros play. How often do you do that ? It is ever bit a 5 star especially for Midwest golfers.. Finally you may think I had a good scoring round. based on this review, but I didn't . Everything else this course had to offer lets me forget about my score . Now what does that say about this course?

Conditions Excellent
Value Good
Layout Excellent
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Average
Amenities Excellent
Difficulty Somewhat Challenging
Played On
Reviews 3
Skill Intermediate
Plays Once a month
I Recommend This Course
5.0
Verified Purchaser
Previously Played
Conditions Good
Value Good
Layout Good
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Excellent
Amenities Good
Played On
Reviews 3
Skill Intermediate
Plays Once a week
I Recommend This Course
5.0
Verified Purchaser
First Time Playing

Great experience!

Really a top notch experience, best course we’ve ever played by far. It is a serious challenge, no doubt, and you definitely need to be thinking at least one shot ahead. We are mid to high handicappers, and found the course completely fair. They are very attentive to keeping the pace of play up- there was a foursome that was struggling a bit in front of us, and someone came by to let us know they had asked them to keep the pace up (not that we minded- we were enjoying the day and weren’t in a rush).

Bring an extra sleeve of balls with you if you have any tendencies to hit off line- there is a lot of trouble to be found out there. But we had an absolute blast, and will surely be back.

Conditions Excellent
Value Good
Layout Excellent
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Excellent
Amenities Excellent
Played On
Reviews 50
Handicap 10-14
Skill Advanced
Plays Once a week
I Recommend This Course
5.0
Verified Purchaser
First Time Playing
Hot weather
Used cart

PURE HEAVEN

From the time you pull up and they take your sticks till when they take your sticks when you are done, it is first class, PURE HEAVEN. Course is in great condition and pace of play was perfect. We will be back.

Conditions Excellent
Value Excellent
Layout Excellent
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Excellent
Amenities Excellent
Difficulty Extremely Challenging
Played On
Reviews 4
Skill Advanced
Plays A few times a week
I Recommend This Course
5.0
Verified Purchaser
First Time Playing

This course has 4 different and challenging categories of holes ( inland, dunes, woodlands and river) and each hole was unusual and challenging.

The Harbor Shores course is one of the most picturesque and difficult courses I have played ( I played the Black/ Gold hybrid tees). My only criticism of the course is the layout is spread over a very large area and crosses a number of different roads with very few signs providing directions. If one of my foursome had not previously played the course I am not sure I could have found may way to each hole.

Conditions Excellent
Value Excellent
Layout Excellent
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Excellent
Amenities Excellent
Played On
Reviews 1
Skill Intermediate
Plays Once a week
I Recommend This Course
4.0
Verified Purchaser
Previously Played
Conditions Excellent
Value Good
Layout Average
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Excellent
Amenities Excellent
Played On
Reviews 1
I Recommend This Course
5.0
Verified Purchaser
Previously Played
Perfect weather
Used cart
Conditions Good
Value Good
Layout Excellent
Friendliness Good
Pace Fair
Amenities Average
Difficulty Somewhat Challenging
Played On
Reviews 9
Skill Intermediate
Plays Once a month
I Recommend This Course
5.0
Previously Played

Great amenities

If you have the money or save up for that once a year expensive course this is the one for you. Show up early with your group and warm up your chipping, putting and driving, you won’t find a place with this caliber of amenities!!

Conditions Excellent
Value Good
Layout Excellent
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Average
Amenities Excellent
Played On
Reviews 35
Skill Intermediate
Plays A few times a week
I Recommend This Course
5.0
Verified Purchaser
First Time Playing

Did not disappoint!!

Always wanted to play this course & finally got the chance. Everything was top notch as I expected it to be! Rolling greens & nice fairways.

Only suggestion is better signage to the tee boxes as we got lost a couple times.

Conditions Excellent
Value Excellent
Layout Excellent
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Excellent
Amenities Excellent
Played On
Reviews 1
Skill Intermediate
Plays Once a week
I Recommend This Course
5.0
Verified Purchaser
First Time Playing
Conditions Excellent
Value Excellent
Layout Excellent
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Excellent
Amenities Excellent
Played On
Reviews 1
Skill Intermediate
Plays Once a month
I Recommend This Course
5.0
Verified Purchaser
Previously Played
Conditions Excellent
Value Excellent
Layout Excellent
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Excellent
Amenities Excellent
Played On
Reviews 25
Skill Intermediate
Plays A few times a week
I Recommend This Course
4.0
First Time Playing
Conditions Good
Value Good
Layout Excellent
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Excellent
Amenities Excellent
Played On
Reviews 8
Handicap Don't know
Skill Intermediate
Plays Once a month
I Recommend This Course
5.0
Previously Played
Conditions Excellent
Value Excellent
Layout Excellent
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Good
Amenities Excellent
Played On
Reviews 9
Skill Intermediate
Plays Once a week
I Recommend This Course
5.0
Previously Played

Aeration

The greens are slow to recover from October’s aeration. The sand and plug marks detracts from the enjoyable round. This place is memorable because of the challenging greens. Make a return visit to truly appreciate them. Any other reviews that say the aeration is not noticeable is not being truthful.

Conditions Good
Value Excellent
Layout Excellent
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Excellent
Amenities Good
Played On
Reviews 9
Skill Intermediate
Plays Once a week
I Recommend This Course
4.0
Previously Played

Aeration

The people who reviewed since mid October about aeration being a non-issue are not truthful. This year seems to be a slow to recover period for the greens. More sand and holes than ever seen 3-4 weeks later. Don’t get me wrong; this course is an awesome place to play-anytime! Just know the putting game is over for the year. Every pre-winter prep makes this place so much better in the spring.

Conditions Good
Value Excellent
Layout Excellent
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Good
Amenities Excellent
Played On
Reviews 98
Handicap 5-9
Skill Advanced
Plays A few times a week
I Recommend This Course
5.0
Verified Purchaser
Top 500 Contributor
Previously Played

Tough but very playable!

They punched the course this month but they called to tell me that before I came out, a little bumpy and slow but most of the courses in Michigan punch at this time. To is a Jack Nicholas Course so course management is key, don't over play the course, slow down and think it through. If its your first visit, I highly recommend running ahead and looking where your ball wants to land. If you can't hit reasonably straight you will want to take extra balls, simple as that. Today was my second trip here, I shot an 81 from the whites which is good for me at a 10 handicap. It's the end of the season now but please play it!!

Conditions Good
Value Excellent
Layout Excellent
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Excellent
Amenities Excellent
Played On
Reviews 65
Handicap 5-9
Skill Intermediate
Plays Once a week
I Recommend This Course
5.0
Top 1000 Contributor
First Time Playing
Windy weather
Used cart

A Michigan Must Play

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.

Conditions Excellent
Value Excellent
Layout Excellent
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Excellent
Amenities Excellent
Difficulty Extremely Challenging
Played On
Reviews 98
Handicap 5-9
Skill Advanced
Plays A few times a week
I Recommend This Course
5.0
Top 500 Contributor
First Time Playing

Spendy but worth it!

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!

Conditions Excellent
Value Good
Layout Excellent
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Good
Amenities Excellent
Played On
Reviews 2
Skill Advanced
Plays A few times a week
I Recommend This Course
5.0

Great rate, beautiful course!

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

Conditions Good
Value Excellent
Layout Excellent
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Average
Amenities Excellent
Played On
Reviews 6
Handicap 25+
Skill Intermediate
Plays A few times a week
I Recommend This Course
5.0
Verified Purchaser
Previously Played

Like having your own private course

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.

Conditions Excellent
Value Average
Layout Excellent
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Excellent
Amenities Excellent
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