Harbor Shores Golf Club
Sitting directly on Lake Michigan, roughly halfway between Chicago and Detroit, Harbor Shores Golf Club, the “even-numbered-years” host of The Senior PGA Championship, will welcome the Tour back in 2022.
When the course first opened in 2010, Harbor Shores was ranked No. 3 in GOLF Magazine’s Best New Courses You Can Play list.
“One of the year’s feel-good stories is this short but stern Jack Nicklaus Signature design that weaves through hardwoods, marshland and the massive white sand dunes that edge Lake Michigan on holes 7, 8 and 9.”
Course designer, Jack Nicklaus said, “This wasn’t just about a golf course. With Harbor Shores, we set out really to change a community. When we started, we had a factory where the first tee is. We had to remove toxic waste and buildings. This was a non-profit project. But in the end, the whole course looks beautiful and we hope is enjoyable to play.”
Best options for a stay over include The Inn at Harbor Shores, which feature well-designed, comfortable condos overlooking Lake Michigan, the St. Joseph River and Harbor Shores Golf Club.
Willow Crest Golf Course
Are you a golfer who enjoys cycling or is just looking for another way to get around the course? Guests of the Hilton Chicago/Oak Brook Hills Resort just outside of Chicago offer a unique opportunity to experience a healthy alternative to traditional motorized carts – the Golf Bike.
The Golf Bike is a custom-made bicycle with saddle bags attached to carry your clubs. The rubber tires are wider than a standard bike to decrease impact on the course. Guests can sign out these golf bikes out from the pro shop at no extra charge. Along with providing an additional workout, riding a bicycle on a golf course is a real conversation starter.
Walk from your room onto the first tee of Willow Crest Golf Course at The Hilton Oak Brook Hills Resort. Designed by Dick Nugent, Willow Crest is a classic parkland style golf course with water hazards on 13 holes.
The Inn at Aberdeen
Just down the road from Indiana Dunes State Park, take advantage of the Dream Golf Getaway package offered by The Inn at Aberdeen in Valparaiso, Indiana – about an hour from Chicago. This golf getaway package includes lodging at a historic inn, part of The Underground Railway dating from Civil War days and decorated with golf memorabilia, a full home-cooked breakfast, a voucher for the nearby Course at Aberdeen and a dinner voucher good for several excellent restaurants in Valparaiso.
Should you arrive on a Sunday and encounter the state law prohibition of alcohol sales in grocery stores, the 19th hole of the golf course restaurant can provide you with beer to take away or to enjoy overlooking the scenic signature 10th hole of this beautiful and challenging course.
Michael Hurdzan designed The Course at Aberdeen, an eighteen hole, championship golf course.
