Harbor Shores Golf Club (Benton Harbor, MI)

Harbor Shores is more than just a golf course. It’s a vision that reinvented the towns identity and reformed the environment that had suffered from years of industrial neglect. It reclaimed the green spaces and waterways that surround Benton Harbor. It was a project that needed a big name and there’s no bigger one than Jack Nicklaus.

Harbor Shores is not routed on one big parcel of land but rather on several smaller ones. It intertwines with wetlands, sand dunes, forests, and the Paw Paw River. Holes 4 and 5 used to be a slag pit for a company that made automobile brakes; holes 14 and 15 was a Superfund site occupied by a company that made a component for fighter planes; the river was loaded with garbage and debris from construction sites. It’s amazing that this beautiful course was once this destructive waste land. 

(The 209/171 yard par three fourth plays directly over the wetlands. The mound behind the green makes for a safe aiming point. Hit it here and let your short game secure your three.) 

(The best hole is the 436/396 yard par four seventh that takes the player out of the wetlands and into the dunes...
...the green sits atop the sand dune about 25 feet above the fairway. A view of Lake Michigan awaits as you climb up to the green...
...the view looking back.)

Harbor Shores is best known for hosting the Senior PGA Championship during the even numbered years since 2012. The heavily contoured greens are a sight to behold! Nicklaus did not hold back producing some of toughest putting surfaces I’ve ever seen. There’s so much internal movement that it’s hard to know which way the ball is going to break. 

(The 384/364 yard par four eighth plays from an elevated tee over a sand dune to this green. Three distinct tiers makes a precise short iron shot mandatory.)  

(The 539/493 yard par five tenth features the craziest green I’ve ever seen. There’s a ten foot slope between the bottom tier and the top tier. That’s not counting all the sub tiers. As this picture shows, you better have the correct yardage for your third shot!)

Harbor Shores has a sense of community that makes it a great experience. The cart path is shared with bicyclists, the river is full of kayakers and paddle boarders, and there’s even a general store off the fourteenth hole. When you’re on the seventh green and ninth tee, there’s a great view of the beach with all the locals frolicking in the water. It has a different vibe for sure. 

The 549/510 yard fifteenth is a fun reachable par five. It’s well guarded with water all down the right and the green on the opposite side...
...several signs alert golfers to be aware of kayakers as they begin to hit over the Paw Paw River. The green is an inviting target with multiple pin placements that require precise play.)

(The 422/380 yard sixteenth doglegs left around one of the many marshes found at Harbor Shores. The long hitter can bomb it far enough to take the sting out of the approach, but most mortals will face a daunting shot over the hazard. The ladies tees is 301 and can make this a very driveable par four late in the round.) 

Personally I have never played an easy Nicklaus course, nor an enjoyable one. Coming here, knowing that it hosts a senior major championship, I was expecting this to be just as difficult. And it lived up to that expectation. It’s a really difficult course.

But... that’s the draw. 

(The 420/397 yard eighteenth plays alongside the Paw Paw River. The bunker in the distance on the left signals the safe side from the tee...

...the river comes right up to the fairway. If you can avoid the water, then it’s a reasonable approach to the green. A pin on the right is worthy of a Sunday designation. Par is a good score.) 

Most major championships are held on private courses, but this one is public. It’s a rare opportunity to play where the best play. Inside the clubhouse are posters of the winners complete with all their scorecards. You can browse and compare. It’s pretty cool. Plus every hole has a plague of each of Nicklaus’ majors. (18 majors for 18 holes)  Harbor Shores is great experience for the serious golfer. I give it a 7 (great)(worth driving 3-4 hours). 

(The 144/122 eleventh is a short iron over water. The upper half of the green is in front while the lower half is the back. A pin in the rear is the hole in one position as balls bite and fall off to that section.) 

Briardale Greens Golf Course (Euclid, OH)

Located in the center of Euclid, Briardale has all the amenities that introduces new players to the game while providing older ones the opportunity to perfect it. There’s a driving range, chipping green, putting green, and a sporty clubhouse to cool off. In a way it reminds me of Ridgewood, not from an architectural standpoint, but rather as a community asset. Quite simply, the game grows here. 

(The 313 yard par four third doglegs around a water hazard and entices the long hitter to drive it. Most of the putting surface slopes hard towards the water except for a small area in the back left. It does not give up three easily.) 

Pat Laconte designed the course in 1977 and while it plays just over 6000 yards, it’s par of 70 will be hard to match. It has several stout par threes sprinkled with a few long par fours. What I found interesting was how well it plays on such a small acreage of land. The par threes do a job connecting the longer holes and controlling the tempo of the round. They’re well positioned and allowed Laconte to get the most yardage for his par fours. For a course of this length, it says a lot to have only three par fours play under 350 yards. 

(The 310 yard par four thirteenth defends  itself with a large oak tree demanding a precise tee shot.)

Laconte gave Briardale plenty of bite by bunkering every hole and making a tough set of greens. The greens in particular are worth describing. On each hole, one specific bunker is the catalyst for the slope, and the green revolves around the shoulder of that bunker. 

(Look at bunker on left. The shoulder has a slope that goes to the right bunker forming a front pin location. But the pin in pic is beyond that slope, so the shot now needs to carry the shoulder. If the pin was even further left, then the shot would need hit to other side of that shoulder...

...the shoulder from left bunker initiates a front pin position and back pin position. Note how high the slope is left of the pin. To putt over that is difficult...
...the bunker on this hole is front center. It’s not visible in this pic but you can see the arc of shoulder just left of the golfer. Note how shoulder divides the left half from the right half.) 

If you find yourself at Briardale, you will not be disappointed. The city has the course in very good condition. It’s a very easy walk and the pace of play is quick. All these ingredients make for a delightful round of golf. I give Briardale a 3 (average)(worth driving 30 minutes to play).  The locals have a nice place to start their day or cap it off before the sun goes down. 

(The 148 yard par three sixteenth) 

Club Walden (Aurora, OH)

One of my favorite courses from last year was Bedford Valley in Battle Creek. It’s a William Mitchell design that has all the classic features one loves in golf. William Mitchell has two courses here in northeast Ohio, and I was curious to see if Walden was going to be more like Bedford Valley or more like Tanglewood in Chagrin Falls. 

(I’m a big fan of Mitchell’s green complexes. Look how the bunkers eat into the bottom of the pad. Note the rough above the sand traps. It gives a deep texture to the approach shot.) 

Walden has similarities to both courses but the biggest difference is the elevated greens. The pads are significantly raised above the fairways, and the bunkers are cut into the base of them. The greens are very large. The shoulders from the bunkers radiate into the putting surfaces and you can use the slopes to corral the ball towards the center. However that same slope defends specific pinning locations and pushes the ball further away.  

(The par three second hole is a lovely one shotter across the wetlands. Look how the slope arches from the water to the apex atop the bunker to the low side on the right.) 

 

(The twelfth hole is a great example of the elevated concave green pads Mitchell designed. One can’t help but feel a bit jittery hitting to it. Anything hit along the edge will kick away down into the rough or sand.) 

(The thirteenth is a beautiful short par three that has the same concave design. Note how the left and right sides are lower than the center. It’s amazing how you can see the bow in the pic.) 

Walden is part of a housing community.The homes border the course on a few holes where OB is in play. The terrain is flatter than both Tanglewood and Bedford, but it sports championship length that can stretch to nearly 7200 yards. If the Cleveland Open was being held today, Walden would be an appropriate host. 

(The reachable par five fourteenth has a naturally elevated green that sits atop the ridge. The bunker protects against players bailing too far out to the right.) 

Walden is one of several courses in the southeastern suburbs. It’s a very successful club and there’s no denying the strength of the golf course. It’s on the ICPGA schedule, and probably rates the same as Lake Forest. I give Club Walden a 5 (good)(worth driving an hour to play). As I said in the Tanglewood blog, this is a single digit handicappers course. Average players are going to struggle with it. 

(Eighteen is possibly the best hole at Walden. Water plays all down the left with an inlet cutting across. The large green allows a low runner but has some tough pin positions that can be pushed against the bunkers. It’s a beautiful ending hole for a tough course.) 

Williams Golf and Country Club (Weirton, WV)

It’s a humbling experience looking out across the Ohio River from the patio of Williams Country Club. The river below stretches across the landscape weaving it’s way through the hills. Skyward, eagles glide effortlessly in the air. It’s a moment to reflect and thankfully the course matches with an intensity of its own. 

Williams has an interesting backstory. It was named after JC Williams, the president of Weirton Steel at the time. It was his idea to build a golf course on this property. Being so close to Pittsburgh, it’s no surprise that Emil Loeffler, head greenskeeper of Oakmont, would be the one to design it. 

(The 393 yard par four opening hole plays downhill to a green that slopes away. Bunkers guard both sides waiting to catch an errant approach that wavers from hitting short and bouncing on.) 

(The 336 yard par four second hole drops down into a valley before climbing up to the green. The fairway is well bunkered and a decision needs to be made to either challenge them or lay back.) 

Williams occupies a fantastic piece of land. It heaves and rolls, plummets and rises, and twists all throughout. The ability to hit from multiple lies is a huge advantage. Locals know where the flat spots are located and how to find them while the unfamiliar will have to scour over unfolding terrain and decide where to play. Either way, the options are numerous and the player must adapt to fit the conditions of the day. 

(The 558 yard par five third plays uphill over this rise. Note how the terrain falls to the right. A long ball that crests this will roll all the way to bottom...

...the large green is out of view as it sits atop the hill. Note the severity of the slope in the  fairway. It’ll take three good shots to reach this in regulation.) 

Williams has an unusual routing, something Loeffler had no qualms doing in his designs. It has three par threes, three par fives including back to back on the front, and twelve par fours. The par fours play across the terrain every way possible. And each green is well guarded by sand.

(This is the view from the fifth tee. This is what I envisioned when I started blogging.

Magnificent!) 

(The 238 yard par three sixth plays downhill to a green that is over fifty yards deep. With six bunkers guarding the left and right sides, only an accurate long iron will suffice. A par will gain a stroke most times.) 

(The 133 yard par three eighth is over one hundred yards shorter than the sixth. It’s a downhill drop shot hole where the player must guard against going both long and short. A central slope divides the green into left and right, placing even more pressure on this finesse shot.) 

(The only water hazard is found at the 210 yard par three twelth. The slope is very apparent as you prepare to hit, and short grass right and behind makes them the smart miss. Avoid short and left, and three is a good possibility.) 

The elevation change gives the course an added dimension when selecting the proper club. Most often it’s readily visible, but there’s times when it’s not so clear. Steep traps and false fronts are obstacles that give erroneous perception issues too. It takes multiple plays to ultimately figure out several pin positions. 

(The uphill 410 yard par four ninth is hazardous on the right for its entire length. Take advantage of the left to right slope in the fairway and blast it at one of the big trees in the distance.) 

(The tenth is my favorite hole for many reasons. I love how the tee box abuts the parking lot and members stare as you drive it downhill. I love how the entrance road lies twenty feet below the fairway yet a push or too much faded ball can drop down the embankment and a set of steps allows you to go down there and whack it back up. And I love how green is bracketed by bunkers yet looks inviting.) 

Williams has a “member for a day” program that allows outsiders to experience their golf course. It’s been a huge success for the club and they’ve seen their membership rise because of it. It’s a very reasonable fee  ($85/$70) with a cheaper rate in the afternoon. 

(The 404 yard par four sixteenth plays slightly uphill with a large roll in the fairway being the catalyst. The long hitter who can clear it will get the benefit of its speed slot. However, for most of us, positioning our drive on top of it gives a clear view of the green and pin. Those unfortunate folks who miss the mark will watch their ball roll down into the right rough. It plays as the toughest hole on the back nine so par is a terrific score.) 

(The 378 yard par four eighteenth plays straightaway and slightly uphill to an angled green beautifully guarded by bunkers. Today’s pin is easy enough to assess but as it pushes further to the rear, the player will need to fade it in or take advantage of the left to right slope and let the ground contour guide it back.)

Williams should be on everyone’s must play list. There’s only a handful of courses within a three hours radius I’ve given a seven rating and I would choose to play Williams over all of them. When I started my blog seven years ago, the tag line was “enjoy the experience”. Williams is an experience. I highly recommend driving down and taking advantage of the opportunity to play here. I give Williams G CC an 8 (excellent)(worth a weekend visit).

Williams hosts the Tri State Open every year.

[Trivia tidbit:  The West Virginia panhandle is only 4 miles wide.]

Pine Brook Golf Links (Grafton, OH)

Pine Brook is one of the courses in the Mallard Creek pass rotation. This business model has been very successful the past several years and has helped Pine Brook gather rounds they otherwise would not have seen. 

(The 502 yard par five ninth is the best hole on the course. Most players layup short of the creek in the background while the more aggressive play takes on the pond and squeezes it up close for an easy pitch.)

While the layout is perfunctory at best, the small greens give enough flavor and variety to keep it relevant among the pass offerings. If the fairways and drainage were held to the same standard, the course would be a decent little track. Hopefully with the increased revenue, such improvements can be made. 

(A field of wildflowers sets the scene on the southern boundary.) 

Pine Brook has an unusual routing. It has something you don’t see too often; six par threes. It’s hard to find that many quality one shotters, and here, they’re mainly connector holes to move players around safely. It’s really not a big enough piece of property to put a quality eighteen holes. 

(The 130 yard par three seventeenth is a nice hole across the valley. The tiny green is a challenge to hit, but a fine birdie opportunity if you do.) 

The land close to the clubhouse is where the best holes are located. (9,10,17,18 all use the valley to good effect.) The rest of the property is redundantly flat and offers no true strategy in playing on it. If it wasn’t for the six par threes, mid or long irons would rarely be used. Also, too many nondescript short par fours characterize the course. 

(The 345 yard eighteenth is potentially an exciting hole because the carry over the water shortens it by a hundred yards. Many players layup with an iron and the word amateurish comes to mind when describing the architecture. Flukey is another descriptive yet accurate assessment.) 

Pine Brook gets a good amount of play, and much of that is attributed to how different it is compared to the other courses on the Mallard Creek pass. Personally, if I had ten plays with my pass, half would be at Briarwood, and the other five would be divided up between Mallard and here. I give Pine Brook a 2 (below average)(worth driving 15 minutes to play). 

(The clubhouse is an inviting structure that is perfect for after round beverages. It creates a warm atmosphere when you pull in.)