Travel

MICHIGAN’S HARBOR SHORES

COMMUNITY TRANSFORMATION VALIDATES BOLD VISION AND $900 MILLION STRATEGIC INVESTMENT

When execs from Whirlpool (global manufacturer of home appliances and brands like Maytag and KitchenAid) made the fateful decision to develop Harbor Shores Resort and transform its hometown of Benton Harbor in Southwest Michigan, it was unknown how a development of this magnitude with golf as its anchor could help turn a city around. Now a full decade later, Harbor Shores has far exceeded its vision to transform a once-thriving manufacturing hub into a beautiful and robust residential and recreational development that would serve and promote the local community, and has yielded immense economic impact to the cities of Benton Harbor and St. Joseph.

The Nicklaus course at Harbor Shores sits on a site where 6,000 manufacturing jobs were lost over an 18-month period in the 1980s. Most of these buildings sat empty for years, leaving roughly three million square feet of industrial materials and contaminated soil—enough to fill a football field 80 feet tall. In 2008, that property had a state equalized value of $0. By 2017, the same land had a taxable value of nearly $37 million.

“Before construction of Harbor Shores began, the area was in need of a monumental project that could have the scale to bring about real change, especially in Benton Harbor,” said Jeff Noel, Vice President of Communication & Public Affairs for Whirlpool Corp. “Using golf to bring people together to give back remains an ongoing mission and is the proud center of the Harbor Shores story.”

ICONIC GOLF WITH A VITAL PURPOSE

The 6,852-yard, par-71 Jack Nicklaus Signature design is a key component of the $500 million core Harbor Shores development on the shores of Lake Michigan and the Paw Paw River. Monuments next to teeing areas give visitors an inspirational glimpse of how far this land, and the surrounding community, have come in just one decade.

Harbor Shores has become a mustplay among Midwest destinations, courtesy of a captivating layout that winds through four distinct terrains at the convergence of the Lake

Michigan shoreline and the meandering Paw Paw River. Nicklaus’ engaging routing reveals a commitment to naturalism and letting the flow and contour of the land dictate the aesthetics and playability. The course features roughly-hewn bunkers, exposed native areas and a gentle touch that allows stunning features, like towering coastal sand dunes at holes 7, 8 and 9, to shine.

“Harbor Shores delivers an extremely satisfying 18-hole round through one of the most diverse pieces of property in the region,” says general manager Joshua Doxtator. “The golf course is as intriguing as it is beautiful and it really takes you on a journey through an unforgettable combination of wetlands, forested land, dunes along Lake Michigan and riverfront holes.”

The short par-3 second and neardrivable par-4 third help ease you into the round. Number 2 plays 174 yards over a massive exposed dune formation. The buildup continues with the long risk-reward par-5 fifth and the challenging par-4 sixth, where a drive over wetlands sets up an approach to a green guarded by a ravine on the right.

Harbor Shores’ most-photographed par four, the 436-yard, dogleg-right 7th, is arguably its most demanding. From an island teeing ground, drives must navigate bunkers and a lake in the right portion of the landing area to position an uphill approach into a small green built into the dunes that overlook the beachfront and Lake Michigan. The eighth hole follows with a challenging drive along the sandy ridge, leaving an approach to a green tucked into the dunes.

Driving past Jack’s Place halfway house takes golfers to holes 10 through 13, which play through woodlands and wind through rolling hills, ravines and a hardwood forest. The 10th hole is a reachable par 5 for longer hitters, but don’t be fooled. The massive 10,000 square foot green is reminiscent of a Himalayas Putting Course in Scotland. It’s also the site of Harbor Shores’ most famous hole-out. During the course’s grand opening, Nicklaus was paired with playing legends Arnold Palmer, Tom Watson and Johnny Miller and responded to Miller’s protestation that the 120-foot putt from the green’s lower level was “impossible” by promptly draining it.

The finishing holes, 14 through 18, border the Paw Paw River, Ox Creek and its wetlands, providing scenic and exciting shot values, like the views into the greens at 14 and 15 over the Paw Paw. The 420-yard, par-4 18th finishes along a serene stretch of the river in a well-treed hollow.

The Inn at Harbor Shores is a 92-room luxury hotel on the St. Joseph River with 14 luxury suites, rooftop meeting space and a wide selection of dining options. Next to the Inn, guests and locals may enjoy a 100-slip deep-water marina that can accommodate boats up to 90 feet long.

Harbor Shores Resort sits just 90 minutes east of Chicago, making it a convenient, serene Midwest getaway destination.

Visit www.harborshoresresort.com to learn more.