Harborside International Golf Center Port Course

The Port Course at Harbourside International Golf Center is one half of a 36-hole championship facility that boasts two courses that rate among the very best the golf-rich city of Chicago has to offer. Located just 15 miles from the Loop, both the Port Course and its sister Starboard Course have appeared multiple times on Golf Advisor s and GolfWeek s lists of the top public courses in all of Illinois. Laid out by course architect Dick Nugent in 1995, the Port Course at Harbourside International Golf Center is a links-style playing field that rambles over a treeless landscape of manmade dunes built on a reclaimed landfill site. Former Masters champion turned course architect Ben Crenshaw has compared the Port Course at Harbourside International Golf Center favorably to Scotland s Muirfield, one of the jewels on the Open Championship rota, and it has the added benefit of stunning views of the Chicago skyline. With four sets of tee markers (plus a combo option) ranging from 5,110 yards to 7,104 yards, this course, which hosted a PGA Tour Champions event in 2002, offers a manageable distance for everyone. Fun holes abound, from the excellent collection of par 3s, to a number of strong par 4s and the shorter par 5s where you can do your scoring. The challenge of the game at the Port Course at Harbourside International Golf Center comes from the tall fescue grasses beyond the fairways, the abundant bunkers and waste bunkers, and even the mounded fairways that make level lies and stances a rarity. And, of course, you must also contend with the often mighty Windy City breezes on this fully exposed layout. Water hazards enter the fray only on the final three holes of the Port Course at Harbourside International Golf Center.?The unforgettable finishing stretch actually begins on no. 15, famously dubbed the  Anchor Hole for its anchor-shaped grass island in the waste bunker and further notable for its narrow but hugely long, boomerang-shaped green. Then come the three holes bordering Lake Calumet s harbor waters, with penalty areas looming ubiquitously. The greens are large and speedy with rollicking, wavy undulations and big breaks that make putting an adventure. Wind can also impact putting. Harbourside International Golf Center boasts expansive practice facilities that include a driving range, chipping area, sand bunker, and putting greens. The beautiful Frank Lloyd Wright-inspired prairie-style clubhouse features a well-stocked pro shop, locker rooms with showers, banquet areas, and The Pier at Harbourside Restaurant, which is open for breakfast, lunch and dinner. For a links-style game on a playing field that gives you a true flavor of Chicago, a tee time at the Port Course at Harbourside International Golf Center is a must.?