The Jack Nicklaus Signature design course at Harbor Shores Resort has been recognized as the 2024 Michigan Golf Course of the Year by the Michigan Golf Course Association (MGCA). Since 2012, Harbor Shores has alternated as the host venue for the KitchenAid Senior PGA Championship, with its final event taking place this past May. Additionally, in August 2024, the resort welcomed the Michigan PGA Professional Championship.

“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 embodies all of the characteristics of the award,” Paisley said. “The golf course, through its development on reclaimed land, involvement with the PGA Tour Champions, the onsite First Tee program and more has fostered a vibrant community hub where people can come together for golfing, socializing and events while supporting charitable causes that benefit the broader community.”

This award-winning course is part of a waterfront community that combines beach, golf, and residential living. Its design showcases four distinct terrains: parkland, sand dunes along Lake Michigan, woodlands, and wetlands along the Paw Paw River and Ox Creek.

Doxtator said the resort is more than just a host of championships. “Harbor Shores has been committed to the community since 2010 and before when the vision first started, and it has been served with a great golf course, the revitalized part of the community, been a big part of Whirlpool’s charitable efforts, created a First Tee program that serves so many kids on-site, and more,” he said.

Harbor Shores opened in 2010 and gained national attention for its transformative role in revitalizing an area once dominated by abandoned industrial sites. The development, a nonprofit initiative, reclaimed polluted land, spurring local economic growth. As a not-for-profit facility, a portion of the fees supports the maintenance of nearby trail systems and Jean Klock Park’s beach.

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.

Adding to the course’s charm, each of the 18 tees features a display commemorating Jack Nicklaus’s major championship victories. A memorable moment in Harbor Shores’ history came during the grand opening Champions for Change event when Nicklaus sank a 100-foot putt on the dramatic No. 10 green, responding to a challenge from fellow legend Johnny Miller. The putt, captured on video, remains a popular internet sensation.

Since 2019, Harbor Shores has benefited from the leadership of General Manager Josh Doxtator, who believes the resort offers a top-tier experience thanks to his dedicated team, including PGA Head Golf Professional Jackson Davison and Superintendent Matthew Volrath.

“We have built a staff that is dedicated and welcoming and always trying to make each golfer’s experience memorable,” he said. “The golf course does its part as the only Jack Nicklaus designed course with holes on the shores of Lake Michigan. We are 90 miles from Chicago. The Inn at Harbor Shores, the development of condominiums on site, being involved in the community are all part of it. It’s a place that we can talk about, but it must be experienced and then you realize it is a powerful example of the impact golf can have.”

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