What You Need To Know: Harbor Shores Golf Course By Brian Weis

What You Need To Know: Harbor Shores Golf Course

An Insightful Interview With Joshua Doxtator, PGA General Manager

By Brian Weis

Whether you have played a course 20+ times a year or looking to play the course for the first time, insights from an insider can help enhance your golf experience. Below is an interview with Joshua Doxtator who shares some valuable tidbits about the course, memorable holes and must eats and treats at the 19th.

Give Our Readers An Overview of the Golf Course/Property
Harbor Shores is the only Jack Nicklaus Signature Course on Lake Michigan and the proud host of the KitchenAid Senior PGA Championship in 2020, 2022 and 2024.

Harbor Shores is a powerful example on what golf can do in our communities. Designed to help revitalize the area and provide economic growth and development, Harbor Shores is a not-for-profit facility and a portion of fees collected go to help maintain the Trail Systems and Jean Klock Park.

Completed in 2010, Harbor Shores opened its doors with what some consider to be the best foursome ever assembled. Jack Nicklaus, Arnold Palmer, Tom Watson and Johnny Miller played an exhibition called Champions for Change to assist in opening the facility. Jack Nicklaus holed a 100-foot putt as Miller told him it was impossible and to date, this is one of the most viewed golf highlights on the internet.

Harbor Shores continues its commitment to the community by housing the First Tee onsite, the only onsite First Tee in the Midwest.

Harbor Shores is more than golf, it's an experience.

If Someone Was Looking To Golf In The Area, Why Should They Play Your Course?
Harbor Shores is unique for many reasons but rarely can you find a facility that offers such different layouts within 18 holes. As you meander through the 550 acre development you're faced with strategic bunkering, water hazards and green complexes that challenge the best putters.

Harbor Shores prides itself on providing memorable experiences for all guests and going above and beyond, all the time. Whether you're treating clients to an exceptional golf experience or looking to test your skills on a major championship venue, Harbor Shores offers a difficult, yet fun, layout for all to enjoy.

What Tips or Local Knowledge Would You Provide To Help Them Score Better At Your Course?
You better know how to chip and putt! The greens demand correct shot placement or one could be threatened with a difficult short game position. Your imagination will serve you best if you look at the surrounds and knowing that a direct line to the hole location isn't always the best route.

Playing Harbor Shores multiple times will assist in scoring better as you remember nuances on certain holes. The fairways are generous as are the greens, but placement is everything.

Any recent changes to the golf course? Or any upcoming changes?
Due to the historical amounts of precipitation this year we're undergoing an extensive drainage and irrigation renovation on critical hole sites. This state of the art system will allow the turf to drain more efficiently and ultimately provide a better playing surface. Our commitment to tournament playing conditions on the daily is real!

Recent Awards or What You Are Most Proud About The Course?
Although we've seen our fair share of accolades I'm most proud of what Harbor Shores does within its community and amazed at what was built on what others considered forsaken land.

Employment opportunities as well as our First Tee location represent daily reminders of how golf is a generating force in the future. We're passionate about golf and committed to the community.

What Is The Signature, Most Talked About, or Most Photographed Hole?
One could argue there are multiple signature holes at Harbor Shores but the most photographed hole by far is the par-4 seventh. Intimidating off the tee, hole 7 requires a precise tee shot to a fairway heavily guarded by bunkers. Once safely in the fairway, the second shot is uphill into a prevailing wind to a small green. Picking the right club is important as there's almost no room for error.

However, once you make your way up to the green, you're rewarded with one of the best views on Lake Michigan, just above the beach at Jean Klock Park.

What Is Your Favorite Hole? Any Tips to Play It?
The 12th hole stands out due to its design. Typically, Jack Nicklaus is known for designing holes that favor a left to right shot. Hole 12 is a dogleg left, surrounded by trees and exceptional bunkering. Off the tee it favors a right to left shot shape and if executed properly, rewards you with a short iron or wedge into a massive green complex. There are so many great hole locations available on 12 and if played appropriately, can yield many birdies and usually a skin!

Must Have Dish or Drink after the round at the 19th Hole?
Everything is great at The Grille! Our Executive Chef stresses the importance of fresh ingredients and our menu proves just that. The menu changes seasonally and although we have a few staples, I recommend whatever the specials might be that day. These specials are chosen weekly based on what's available at local farms.

For the traveling golfer, do you have lodging onsite or partner with any area hotels?
Harbor Shores has released its first champions villa located just off the first tee! Featuring 4-bedrooms with separate bath, this luxury villa is great for buddy groups, womens weekend getaways and everything in between. We also offer the Inn at Harbor shores, a full service, 4-diamond hotel. Additional to the lodging, we offer opportunities for kayak rentals, watercraft, spa services and exceptional dining options.

Who Holds Course Record and What Was Their Score?
The course record is 62 shot twice. Kenny Perry carded a 62 at the KitchenAid Senior PGA Championship in 2012 and Rocco Mediate tied the number on his way to winning the Championship in 2016.

Otherwise, the course record remains at a swift pace of 2 hours and 13 minutes, good luck!

Back Tee Stats
Par: 71
Yardage: 6852
Slope: 143
Rating: 74.7

More Information
Harbor Shores
201 Graham Ave
Benton Harbor, MI, 49022
269-927-4653

https://www.harborshoresresort.com/golf

More Information »

Revised: 03/12/2020 - Article Viewed 12,693 Times - View Course Profile

About: Brian Weis

Brian Weis is the mastermind behind GolfTrips.com, a vast network of golf travel and directory sites covering everything from the rolling fairways of Wisconsin to the sunbaked desert layouts of Arizona. If there’s a golf destination worth visiting, chances are, Brian has written about it, played it, or at the very least, found a way to justify a "business trip" there.

As a card-carrying member of the Golf Writers Association of America (GWAA), International Network of Golf (ING), Golf Travel Writers of America (GTWA), International Golf Travel Writers Association (IGTWA), and The Society of Hickory Golfers (SoHG), Brian has the credentials to prove that talking about golf is his full-time job. In 2016, his peers even handed him The Shaheen Cup, a prestigious award in golf travel writing—essentially the Masters green jacket for guys who don’t hit the range but still know where the best 19th holes are.

Brian’s love for golf goes way back. As a kid, he competed in junior and high school golf, only to realize that his dreams of a college golf scholarship had about the same odds as a 30-handicap making a hole-in-one. Instead, he took the more practical route—working on the West Bend Country Club grounds crew to fund his University of Wisconsin education. Little did he know that mowing greens and fixing divots would one day lead to a career writing about the best courses on the planet.

In 2004, Brian turned his golf passion into a business, launching GolfWisconsin.com. Three years later, he expanded his vision, and GolfTrips.com was born—a one-stop shop for golf travel junkies looking for their next tee time. Today, his empire spans all 50 states, and 20+ international destinations.

On the course, Brian is a weekend warrior who oscillates between a 5 and 9 handicap, depending on how much he's been traveling (or how generous he’s feeling with his scorecard). His signature move" A high, soft fade that his playing partners affectionately (or not-so-affectionately) call "The Weis Slice." But when he catches one clean, his 300+ yard drives remind everyone that while he may write about golf for a living, he can still send a ball into the next zip code with the best of them.

Whether he’s hunting down the best public courses, digging up hidden gems, or simply outdriving his buddies, Brian Weis is living proof that golf is more than a game—it’s a way of life.