I've known about Harbor Shores for nearly ten years but it took the 2019 Senior U.S. Open in South Bend to finally get me there.
You see, a group of fellow members from Coyote Creek Golf Club were going to attend the Men's Senior U.S. Open at Notre Dame's Warren Course and they selected Harbor Shores as a course to play during their two day trip. Although I would not be attending the U.S. Open with them, this was my opportunity to play Harbor Shores with friends.
Harbor Shores is located in Benton Harbor in Southwest Michigan and is the only Jack Nicklaus Signature Course on Lake Michigan. The golf course opened for play in 2010 and has hosted the Senior PGA Championship every even year beginning in 2012 and will continue this schedule at least through 2024.
The course encompasses four diverse terrains on the shores of Lake Michigan. Holes 1 to 6 are known as the Inland holes; 7 to 9, known as the Dunes holes, are built on Lake Michigan dunes and provide views of Lake Michigan; holes 10 to 13, the Woodlands holes, run through rolling hills and ravines bordered by a hardwood forest; and holes 14 to 18, the River holes, are along the Paw Paw River, Ox Creek and its associated wetlands.
You see, a group of fellow members from Coyote Creek Golf Club were going to attend the Men's Senior U.S. Open at Notre Dame's Warren Course and they selected Harbor Shores as a course to play during their two day trip. Although I would not be attending the U.S. Open with them, this was my opportunity to play Harbor Shores with friends.
Harbor Shores is located in Benton Harbor in Southwest Michigan and is the only Jack Nicklaus Signature Course on Lake Michigan. The golf course opened for play in 2010 and has hosted the Senior PGA Championship every even year beginning in 2012 and will continue this schedule at least through 2024.
The course encompasses four diverse terrains on the shores of Lake Michigan. Holes 1 to 6 are known as the Inland holes; 7 to 9, known as the Dunes holes, are built on Lake Michigan dunes and provide views of Lake Michigan; holes 10 to 13, the Woodlands holes, run through rolling hills and ravines bordered by a hardwood forest; and holes 14 to 18, the River holes, are along the Paw Paw River, Ox Creek and its associated wetlands.
First Tee Sculpture Harbor Shores transformed the city of Benton Harbor. The first tee is located on the site of a former factory and the Nicklaus team removed over three million square feet of old, dilapidated buildings and over 14,000 tons of toxic waste during construction.
There is an extensive practice facility including a short game area. The practice green adjacent to the first tee is large and undulating.
The course plays to a par of 71 with three par threes on the back side.
A metal sculpture on each tee with hand-blown glass holds a plaque that commemorates one of Jack's eighteen major championships.
We had two foursomes for this round of golf at Harbor Shores. I was in the first group with Jerry Belcher, Jerry Yoder and John Clark.
Let me start by saying the course condition was generally excellent, despite a great deal of rain in the weeks leading up to our round. As a matter of fact, the Paw Paw River was above flood stage as was its tributary, Ox Creek. As a result, we were unable to use the cart paths alongside the creek to travel from the sixteenth green to the seventeenth tee and from the seventeenth green to the eighteenth tee and were required to take a poorly marked detour.
One more note. John Clark and I were the victims of a golf cart that was losing its ability to travel forward and by the seventh tee, had no forward gear. We made a call and traveled to our tee shots in the fairway in reverse before being given a cart that had a working transmission.
There is an extensive practice facility including a short game area. The practice green adjacent to the first tee is large and undulating.
The course plays to a par of 71 with three par threes on the back side.
A metal sculpture on each tee with hand-blown glass holds a plaque that commemorates one of Jack's eighteen major championships.
We had two foursomes for this round of golf at Harbor Shores. I was in the first group with Jerry Belcher, Jerry Yoder and John Clark.
Let me start by saying the course condition was generally excellent, despite a great deal of rain in the weeks leading up to our round. As a matter of fact, the Paw Paw River was above flood stage as was its tributary, Ox Creek. As a result, we were unable to use the cart paths alongside the creek to travel from the sixteenth green to the seventeenth tee and from the seventeenth green to the eighteenth tee and were required to take a poorly marked detour.
One more note. John Clark and I were the victims of a golf cart that was losing its ability to travel forward and by the seventh tee, had no forward gear. We made a call and traveled to our tee shots in the fairway in reverse before being given a cart that had a working transmission.
I particularly enjoyed the three "dunes" holes, numbers seven through nine. Hole seven is the number one handicap hole. Standing on the tee for the first time, you wonder whether you want to take on the pond to the right of the fairway on this dogleg right. The safe play is left of the water which leaves a longer shot into the two-tiered uphill blind green. Just below to the left of this green is a huge yawning bunker. And of course, you need to be on the correct tier to assure no more than two putts. It's a marvelous hole with Lake Michigan behind.
The eight hole is another par four within the dunes. The tee shot is somewhat blind to a fairway below with an uphill second shot to a green guarded by five bunkers around the front three sides of the green. The green slopes severely from back to front.
The tee for the par five ninth green is some sixty feet above the fairway. There are bunkers on both sides and wetlands in play for the big hitters. The second shot needs to be short of the cross bunkers on the right side to set up an approach to a long, skinny undulating green.
One other item of note is the green on the tenth hole. It is on this hole that Jack Nicklaus holed a putt of 100 feet on this four tier green to a back pin in front of Arnold Palmer, Johnny Miller, and Tom Watson and 100's of golf patrons at the Opening Day ceremony. You can watch it here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u9KrMQDU94g.
Like most championship courses, the more you play it, the easier it becomes. I found it to be quite challenging and still wonder how Kenny Perry and Rocco Mediate were able to shoot the course record of 62. This goes to show you the difference between amateur golfers and the bet players in the world.
We completed our round and waited for the second group before enjoying beverages alongside the practice green on the patio outside the Pro Shop. A nice way to end a very warm day.
The eight hole is another par four within the dunes. The tee shot is somewhat blind to a fairway below with an uphill second shot to a green guarded by five bunkers around the front three sides of the green. The green slopes severely from back to front.
The tee for the par five ninth green is some sixty feet above the fairway. There are bunkers on both sides and wetlands in play for the big hitters. The second shot needs to be short of the cross bunkers on the right side to set up an approach to a long, skinny undulating green.
One other item of note is the green on the tenth hole. It is on this hole that Jack Nicklaus holed a putt of 100 feet on this four tier green to a back pin in front of Arnold Palmer, Johnny Miller, and Tom Watson and 100's of golf patrons at the Opening Day ceremony. You can watch it here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u9KrMQDU94g.
Like most championship courses, the more you play it, the easier it becomes. I found it to be quite challenging and still wonder how Kenny Perry and Rocco Mediate were able to shoot the course record of 62. This goes to show you the difference between amateur golfers and the bet players in the world.
We completed our round and waited for the second group before enjoying beverages alongside the practice green on the patio outside the Pro Shop. A nice way to end a very warm day.
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