I'm always amazed at the transformation accomplished by architect Dick Nugent at the vast Harborside golf facility on Chicago's south side. What was once acres of blighted urban landscape is now 36 holes of some of the finest public golf the Windy City has to offer. Both par 72 courses are similar lengths from the four sets of tees (approximately 7,200, 6,600, 5,900 and 5,100 yards respectively) and feature fescue covered mounds, large sloping greens and enough sand to cover Lake Michigan's Calumet Beach a few miles to the east.
The Starboard course is the younger of the twin layouts, opening in 1996 a year after the Port course. Both are regulars in national rankings of top municipal courses, with the Starboard normally a few spots higher, and I'll leave the design experts to decipher the merits of each course. But there is no denying that Harborside's attempt at the midwest version of a Scottish links is about as close as you'll get in Chicagoland.
The courses are entwined over the first 9
holes, while the back side on the Starboard shifts to the south end of the property and toward Lake Calumet. Countless buckets full of dirt were added and maneuvered to create movement and contrast, and the drop from the 2nd fairway down to the green is an early indicator of the surprising result. #2 is the only hole without a sand trap, and there are over 90 scattered across the course. Some are tiny holes in the ground while others stretch for a hundred yards, but all are penal and contribute to the significant 75.1 rating / 132 slope from the Tournament tees.
Visual deception is used often on the Starboard course, and the uphill par five 5th (appropriately named "Horizon") is a perfect example. The hole appears much longer from the tee than the listed 521 yards as it winds through 10 bunkers to the offset, angled green. The sprawling waste bunker situated in the middle of the back nine between holes 11, 12, 14 and 15 also offers some interesting angles and sightlines, and "the Sand" (#11) and "More Sand" (#14) monikers define the essence of this stretch of holes. The par three 13th ("Half Mast") is the first that features Lake Calumet, as the tee shot crosses a corner of the water which sits below the sloping side hills.
As with the Port course, the finishing stretch utilizes the lake for ultimate dramatic effect. The 16th hole ("High Road") has a split fairway, with the safe shot to the left and the reward right bringing the hazard very much in play. The short par three 17th ("Buccaneers Cove") is all carry to a wide, shallow green, and three bunkers beyond the putting surface make for a nerve-wracking shot back toward the lake. The 18th hole, "Liberty Call", is nearly 600 yards long, slightly uphill and all sand and water down the right side, with the 20,000 square foot prairie style clubhouse filling the scene on the left.
Besides the sand and the native grasses, the other constant at Harborside is the wind, which in the true sense of Scottish links, is rarely quiet and often howls across the treeless landscape. Club selection is an adventure depending on the wind speed and direction, and a 150 yard approach shot might have me pulling anywhere from a 4 wood to an 8 iron out of my bag. After a round at the 2002 Champions tour event held at Harborside, Ben Crenshaw heaped praise on the courses by likening them to Muirfield, the occasional home to the Open Championship.
Though the professional tours have bypassed Harborside since those heady days, the local amateur events commonly feature the Starboard and Port as premium destinations, and the Golf Week Tour had over 150 golfers competing in 2015, a testament to the popularity of the layouts. Add in the 57 acre practice facility and a stable of highly regarded instructors to the mix, along with easy access from downtown Chicago on the Dan Ryan expressway, and Harborside fulfills the destination course label.
To experience golf at Harborside comes at a price, as the $100 green fees rank in the top 10 of the Windy City's most expensive, and there are other, less pricey options available that offer a similar links style. But the bold starkness of the setting and the refinement of the amenities provided are worth a premium, and 3 pm twilight times are commonly under $60, a discount that makes a visit more enticing for golfers on a budget. Stay for a drink and food at The Piers Restaurant and enjoy one of the better 19th hole views in Chicagoland. Whether it's the Starboard or the Port course, a trip to the south side is worth the effort.
Mr Z Rating
Layout (20%) - 8.5
Playability (20%) - 8
Conditioning (15%) - 8.5
Aesthetics (15%) - 8
Amenities (10%) - 9.5
Value (20%) - 8
Total Score - 83.25
Harborside International Golf Center
11001 South Doty Ave East, Chicago
312-782-7837 www.harborsideinternational.com
18 holes, 4 tees - 7,166 / 5,110 yards par 72
74.7/135 - 66.4/116 rating/slope (men)
75.0/130 - 70.5/120 (women)
M-SU $98, $57 after 3
All rates include carts
Driving Range and Practice Center on Site
10 minute tee time intervals
The Starboard course is the younger of the twin layouts, opening in 1996 a year after the Port course. Both are regulars in national rankings of top municipal courses, with the Starboard normally a few spots higher, and I'll leave the design experts to decipher the merits of each course. But there is no denying that Harborside's attempt at the midwest version of a Scottish links is about as close as you'll get in Chicagoland.
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