Public Play · Chicago
Harborside International Golf Center — Port CourseChicago
Dick Nugent's links-style public course on a former landfill beside Lake Calumet, inside Chicago city limits.
Par
72
Yardage
7,123
Rating · Slope
74.6 · 137
Holes
18
Green Fee
Contact for pricing
The Course
About Harborside International Golf Center — Port Course
Inside Chicago's city limits, about 15 miles from the Loop, the Port is the older of Harborside International's two Dick Nugent courses, a links-style public 18. Bunkers and fescue mounds frame the holes instead of trees, wind is a factor on most holes, and the downtown skyline stays in view. KemperSports runs it; a GPS cart comes with the round, walking is allowed and spikes must be soft. From the Tournament tees it plays 7,123 yards, rated 74.6 with a 137 slope.
History
Harborside International Golf Center — Port Course — History
Harborside opened in 1995 with the Port, built on a former landfill owned by the Illinois International Port District that once took city waste, incinerator ash and sludge; the Starboard followed a year later. The Port hosted the 2002 SBC Senior Open on the Champions Tour, where Bob Gilder beat Hale Irwin in a playoff and Ben Crenshaw compared the course to Muirfield. A bunker renovation of both courses, using newer bunker technology, was finished in 2017.
Design
Harborside International Golf Center — Port Course — Design
Nugent set out to bring the seaside links tradition of Scotland, Ireland and England to Chicago, according to the club. Landfill soil rules out mass tree planting, so bunkers and fescue mounding do the framing, fairways roll and greens are undulating. Nugent described five tee locations per hole as a way to counter the changing wind and keep holes at their intended length, and flat lies are rare once a ball leaves the short grass.
What Sets It Apart
Why Play Harborside International Golf Center — Port Course
One of the few golf facilities within Chicago's city limits, the Port pairs links-style golf on reclaimed land with skyline views and three closing holes along the harbor waters of Lake Calumet.
The Round
The Journey at Harborside International Golf Center — Port Course
I.
The Opening
The Port opens with a 423-yard par 4 and then hands over its hardest hole right away: the 544-yard par-5 2nd is the No. 1 handicap. After the 402-yard 3rd comes the 232-yard 4th, the longest par 3 on the card, and the 466-yard 5th, the longest par 4. The 180-yard 6th is the second short hole in three, so the first six already call for every long club in the bag.
II.
The Middle
The middle stretch is the Port's longest. Four par 4s from 401 to 455 yards surround two par 5s, and there is no par 3 between the 7th and 12th. The 575-yard 9th, the longest hole on the course, closes a 3,660-yard front nine, and after the 401-yard 10th comes the 560-yard 11th, the No. 2 handicap. The 455-yard 12th finishes the run.
III.
The Finish
The finish starts gently with the 152-yard 13th, the shortest hole and the No. 18 handicap, and the 361-yard 14th. Then comes what the club calls its famed Anchor Hole, the 216-yard par-3 15th, followed by three holes bordering the harbor waters of Lake Calumet: the 389-yard 16th, the No. 4 handicap, the 407-yard 17th and a 522-yard par-5 18th.
How to Play It
Harborside International Golf Center — Port Course — Playing Strategy
Beginner / High Handicap
From the Tournament tees the Port is rated 74.6 with a 137 slope, so most first-timers belong on the 5,977-yard Regular or 5,164-yard Forward tees. Expect wind on the long par 3s at 4 and 15 and take more club when it is in your face. Keep the ball in the fairway; off the short grass, flat lies are rare.
Intermediate / Mid Handicap
The front nine is 197 yards longer than the back, so treat holes 2 through 12 as the grind and the closing six as the place to score. Play the 544-yard 2nd as a three-shot hole, note where the bunkers sit before choosing a club off the tee, and aim for the middle of the undulating greens rather than the flags.
Advanced / Low Handicap
The four par 5s at 2, 9, 11 and 18 are where a low round is built; the 522-yard 18th is the shortest of them and closes along Lake Calumet. Par is a good score on the 466-yard 5th and 455-yard 12th, especially into the wind. When the wind is up, club selection on the 232-yard 4th and 216-yard 15th matters more than the number on the card.
Signature Holes
Harborside International Golf Center — Port Course — Signature Holes
The Card
Harborside International Golf Center — Port Course Scorecard
| Hole | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | Out | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | In | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Par | 4 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 5 | 36 | 4 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 5 | 36 | 72 |
| Yards | 423 | 544 | 402 | 232 | 466 | 180 | 408 | 430 | 575 | 3,660 | 401 | 560 | 455 | 152 | 361 | 216 | 389 | 407 | 522 | 3,463 | 7,123 |
| Handicap | 9 | 1 | 11 | 15 | 5 | 17 | 13 | 7 | 3 | — | 12 | 2 | 8 | 18 | 14 | 16 | 4 | 10 | 6 | — | — |
Good to Know
Harborside International Golf Center — Port Course — questions answered
- How do I book a tee time at Harborside International Golf Center — Port Course?
- Find and book live tee times at Harborside International Golf Center — Port Course through GolfNow — Golf in CHI links straight to its tee sheet on this listing.
- Who designed Harborside International Golf Center — Port Course?
- Harborside International Golf Center — Port Course was designed by Dick Nugent and opened in 1995.
- What is the par and yardage at Harborside International Golf Center — Port Course?
- Harborside International Golf Center — Port Course plays to a par of 72 over 7,123 yards from the championship tees, with a course rating of 74.6 and a slope of 137.
- Is Harborside International Golf Center — Port Course public or private?
- Harborside International Golf Center — Port Course is open to public play. Tee times can be reserved in advance.
- Where is Harborside International Golf Center — Port Course located?
- Harborside International Golf Center — Port Course is located at 11001 S Doty Ave, Chicago, IL 60628, in the Chicago area of Chicagoland.
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