Harbor Shores
Jack Nicklaus routed Harbor Shores through dunes, river bottom and woodland on the Lake Michigan shore, and since it opened in 2010 it has become the biennial home of the Senior PGA Championship. A par 71 of about 6,852 yards that the best players over fifty cannot overpower, it is a public, daily fee course anyone can book.
Photo: Harbor Shores Golf Club via Google.
The verdict
Harbor Shores is Jack Nicklaus's championship statement on the Lake Michigan shore. Opened in 2010 as the centerpiece of a wider community renewal in Benton Harbor, it stitches together three distinct landscapes, lakeside dunes, the corridor of the Paw Paw River, and rolling inland woodland, into one varied and demanding round.
Its reputation rests on the Senior PGA Championship, which it has hosted every other year since 2012, where the best players over fifty have found that 6,852 yards to a par 71 is far more than the card suggests. The defense is in the angles, the elevation and a set of bold, sloping greens rather than in length. For the visitor it offers a rare chance to play a serious major venue at a public rate, with the Lake Michigan dune holes the photographs do not do justice.
Harbor Shores Golf Club at a glance
- Opened
- 2010
- Designer
- Jack Nicklaus
- Type
- Links and parkland
- Par
- 71
- Yardage
- About 6,852 yds
- Green fee
- From about $90
Designer, opening year, par and yardage verified June 2026 from Harbor Shores Golf Club and Nicklaus Design. The course is a Jack Nicklaus Signature design that opened in 2010, a par 71 of about 6,852 yards, and has hosted the KitchenAid Senior PGA Championship since 2012. Indicative 2026 green fees run roughly $90 to $200 depending on season and time of day, with twilight rates available. Fees move with season and demand, so always confirm current rates and availability directly before booking.
The holes worth the trip
The dune holes by the lake are the signature. Here the course climbs into wind blown sand and grass with the great expanse of Lake Michigan beyond, and a short, sharply uphill par 3 plays from a championship tee to a green perched in the dunes, one of the most dramatic one shotters in Midwest golf. Wind and elevation make club selection a guess as much as a calculation.
Through the middle the river corridor takes over. Holes thread along and across the Paw Paw River, where water and wetland tighten the lines and a careful, positional game pays off. The greens throughout are large and full of Nicklaus movement, and putting from the wrong tier leaves the kind of fast, breaking putt that decides the Senior PGA most years.
The closing run brings the test to a head. A reachable but heavily defended par 5 invites the bold play that has produced famous finishes, including the moment Jack himself holed a long putt at the opening, and the finishing holes demand committed golf to firm targets. Played from a sensible tee it is enjoyable and fair; from the back it is a genuine championship examination on ground that anyone can book.
How to get on
| What to know | Detail |
|---|---|
| Access | Public, daily fee; open to visitors who book ahead, with caddies and stay and play options available |
| Green fee | Indicative 2026 range about $90 to $200 depending on season and time of day, twilight rates available; confirm at booking |
| Booking | Reserve tee times online or by phone in advance; peak summer weekends and the season around the Senior PGA fill early |
| On the day | Walking with a caddie is the recommended way to play the dune holes; carts available; pack layers for the exposed lakeside stretch |
| Getting there | Benton Harbor in southwest Michigan, about a two hour drive around the lake from Chicago and close to Interstate 94 |
| Best months | Late May to early October, with high summer the most reliable and the shoulder season the best value |
Access and fee details verified June 2026. Pricing moves with season and demand, so always confirm directly before booking. See our Michigan green fees guide for the wider picture.
Where to stay nearby
Harbor Shores has its own lodging and stay and play options around the property, and the twin towns of Benton Harbor and St. Joseph offer comfortable inns, a walkable harbor and good dining within minutes of the first tee. The Lake Michigan beaches make it an easy sell for a couples or family trip built around golf.
Its position around the lake from Chicago makes Harbor Shores a natural addition to a wider Michigan or northern Indiana swing. Many visitors fold it in alongside the great public golf farther north for a multi day tour.
Looking for a base? See our recommended hotels and resorts near Harbor Shores Golf Club.
Build a Michigan golf trip
We book the Harbor Shores tee times, pair this Senior PGA venue with the best of the Lake Michigan coast and arrange the lodging around them. Tell us roughly when and who is traveling and one concierge costs it to the head, with no obligation.
Harbor Shores Golf Club questions
Who designed Harbor Shores and when did it open?
Harbor Shores is a Jack Nicklaus Signature golf course that opened in 2010 in Benton Harbor, Michigan, on the Lake Michigan shore.
What championship does Harbor Shores host?
Harbor Shores has hosted the KitchenAid Senior PGA Championship every other year since 2012, making it one of the regular major venues for players over fifty.
What is the par and length of Harbor Shores?
It plays as a par 71 of about 6,852 yards from the championship tees, a varied layout across lakeside dunes, the Paw Paw River corridor and inland woodland, defended by angles, elevation and bold greens rather than length.
Can visitors play Harbor Shores?
Yes. Harbor Shores is a public, daily fee course open to anyone who books ahead. Indicative 2026 green fees run roughly $90 to $200 depending on season and time of day, with twilight rates and caddies available. Always confirm directly before booking.
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Researched and written by the GolfForKings editorial desk. Designer, opening year, par and yardage verified June 2026; indicative green fees verified June 2026. Last reviewed June 2026.