Most golfers in the Midwest know about Harbor Shores and these days it may not be much of a stretch to say that a good percentage of visitors to the Benton Harbor area are there because of Harbor Shores.

Harbor Shores is the only Jack Nicklaus Signature Course on Lake Michigan and the first beach, golf, and residential community in Southwest Michigan. It offers golfers the opportunity to play a championship golf course in championship condition. In essence, you can play where the pros play, under the same course conditions that the pros play in. When it opened in 2010, Golf Magazine ranked Harbor Shores No. 3 on their “Best New Courses You Can Play” list. A couple of months ago, Harbor Shores earned a spot on Golf Digest’s prestigious list of “America’s 100 Greatest Public Courses,” coming in at No. 90 on the list. The club also moved up six spots to No. 19 on Michigan’s Best in State list.

If you’re out to have a good time and be challenged, pick the set of tees that best suit your game. That’s important because if you try to bite off more than you can chew, this course can eat your lunch. Harbor Shores is a fantastic golf course that plays 6,734 yards from the Black Tees. It has a course rating of 73.6 and a slope of 146. Move up to the Gold Tees (6,159/70.2/139) and you’ll still be challenged yet able to leave with a certain amount of dignity.

Harbor Shores’ scorecard categorizes the holes into 4 groups: Inland, Dunes, Woodland, and River. The Dunes holes offer fantastic views of Lake Michigan and the dunes that surround it, while the Woodland holes wind through rolling hills, ravines, and a hardwood forest. When I think back upon my round at Harbor Shores, three holes stand out in my mind, Numbers 6, 7, and 10. Every hole out here is memorable in its own right, but there is one that rises above the rest.

The 10th hole was made famous by the Golden Bear himself and the green is recognized as one of his most famous. It’s a 475-yard par 5 with woods on the right, so favoring the left side off the tee helps to avoid all kinds of hazards. A layup shot played down the left side will leave the best angle into the notorious 4-tiered green. The green measures over 10,000 sq. ft. and being on the correct tier is everything if you want to avoid a potential 3-putt – or worse. The 10th green is best remembered for its grand opening round when Jack Nicklaus showed Johnny Miller how to make a 102-foot putt from the bottom level to the upper level. If you haven’t seen it, check it out on YouTube!

Harbor Shores offers some exceptional practice facilities including a full-length driving range, 2 short game areas, and a lighted putting green. The Learning Center uses Trackman technology for game improvement and club fitting,

If you’re hungry after your round, you don’t have to leave the clubhouse to get a great meal. The Grille has a very diverse menu for a golf course. Not only do they take the staples such as wings, burgers, and fries to a new level, but they also serve non-traditional plates like homemade hummus, loaded baked potato fritters, Michigan berry salad, and grilled shrimp tacos. The Big Dog Pork Tenderloin sandwich is almost big enough to be shared!

Harbor Shores Resort can be easily reached from three major markets; Chicago is about 90 minutes away while Detroit and Indianapolis are within three hours. The Resort has become a popular weekend getaway destination for couples, buddy golf trips, weddings, team-building events, and just about any other reason you can think of that might involve a golf course. The restaurant is a popular waterside spot for boaters from all over the area.

If you’re a serious golfer in any of these three markets, test your skills at Harbor Shores. You’ll use every club in the bag…at least once!