The Golf Club at Harbor Shores has added another honor to a long list of recognition during its 12 years of life. The Michigan Golf Course Association has named Harbor Shores its ‘Golf Course of the Year’ for 2024. The group is made up of the top courses around the state and annually honors one of its members for outstanding achievement.
According to the association, The award honors a member course that meets four criteria: Unique characteristics of the course; exceptional quality of ownership and management; outstanding contribution to its community; and significant contribution to the game.
Josh Doxtator is the General Manager of The Golf Course at Harbor Shores:
“I think this is one of the biggest honors a golf facility can receive in the state of Michigan,” said Josh Doxtator, PGA General Manager at the resort. “Harbor Shores has been the catalyst for the community and honors like this continue to prove that point and tell our story.”
Harbor Shores has gained recognition on several fronts over the last decade. As a Jack Nicklaus Signature design, it is automatically in the discussion for ‘Best of’ lists of various criteria among courses across the country.
As a public course (vs. a private country club) it stands apart from many courses that it may otherwise be compared to. If an everyday golfer is willing to reserve a tee time and pay the greens fee, he or she can play Harbor Shores, unlike many of the top-rated courses to which it is compared, because most of the others are private, members-only.
Then, there is Harbor Shores unusual status as a ‘non-profit’. After operating expenses, Harbor Shores reinvests in the course or the overall Harbor Shores project, or invests in the Benton Harbor community through support of organizations like First Tee, Lake Michigan College, or scholarship programs for deserving students.
The course has been recognized nationally as the home, until recently, of the PGA Tour Champions ‘KitchenAid Senior PGA Championship.’ While the tournament will not return for 2026 and beyond, it helped put The Golf Course at Harbor Shores and Michigan’s Great Southwest ‘on the map’ nationally and helped drive the residential development surrounding the golf course.
According to Travel and Tour World, the honors for Harbor Shores have been many and well deserved:
“The course has received numerous accolades, including several “Best New Course” awards in 2010. It was recognized by the Golf Course Superintendents Association of America for its environmental stewardship and, in 2023, earned a spot on Golf Digest’s prestigious biennial list of America’s 100 Greatest Public Courses.”
Fall golf at Harbor Shores in October is available at a basic fee of $125, down from $225 in mid-Summer. For information, contact the Pro Shop at 269-927-4653
Photo credit: Travel & Tour World
