Public Play · Chicago
Harborside International Golf Center — Starboard CourseChicago
Dick Nugent's treeless, links-style Starboard Course, the newer of two beside Lake Calumet in Chicago.
Par
72
Yardage
7,104
Rating · Slope
74.5 · 134
Holes
18
Green Fee
Contact for pricing
The Course
About Harborside International Golf Center — Starboard Course
The Starboard is the second of Harborside International's two Dick Nugent courses, a public facility on Chicago's South Side, about 15 miles from the Loop. There are no trees: GolfNow describes long, very large bunkers and tall fescue, while Lake Calumet and the downtown skyline stay in view. The public can book it, walking is allowed alongside GPS carts, and the open ground leaves play exposed to Chicago's wind.
History
Harborside International Golf Center — Starboard Course — History
Harborside added the Starboard Course in 1996 beside the Port, both designed by Dick Nugent to bring links golf to Chicago. On The Tee notes the site is a former landfill on Lake Calumet. During the Champions Tour's 2002 stop at Harborside, Ben Crenshaw compared it to Muirfield, and a bunker renovation across both courses was completed in 2017.
Design
Harborside International Golf Center — Starboard Course — Design
Nugent's brief, as the club puts it, was to bring the treeless, windswept character of British and Irish seaside links to the city. On The Tee credits him with blending mounding, elevation change, expansive bunkering and the shoreline on what was a blank canvas, and with fairways framed by heavy rough and big bunkers that offer risk and reward to bold players. The 2017 bunker project rebuilt the sand across both courses with an eye on playability and conditioning.
What Sets It Apart
Why Play Harborside International Golf Center — Starboard Course
A treeless, links-style public course inside the Chicago city limits, the Starboard sends both of its back-nine par 3s, the 13th and the 17th, across water from Lake Calumet.
The Round
The Journey at Harborside International Golf Center — Starboard Course
I.
The Opening
The round opens on the No. 1 handicap hole, a 554-yard par 5 that GolfNow describes with a series of bunkers leading up to the green, and On The Tee notes the Chicago skyline in view from the start. The 398-yard 2nd and 330-yard 3rd follow, then the 156-yard 4th, the shortest hole on the front. A second par 5, 521 yards, comes at the 5th before the 442-yard 6th.
II.
The Middle
The 387-yard 7th leads to the 209-yard 8th, the longer of the front-nine par 3s. The 466-yard 9th, the No. 3 handicap, closes an outward half of 3,463 yards. The back nine starts with consecutive par 4s of 416 and 411 yards before the 560-yard 12th, a par 5 rated the second-hardest hole on the card.
III.
The Finish
The 225-yard 13th, named Half Mast, plays across Lake Calumet, and On The Tee notes a direct line or a safer bailout to the left. The 474-yard 14th is the longest par 4, and the 425-yard 16th is the No. 4 handicap. The 174-yard 17th, Buccaneers Cove, asks for a middle iron over Lake Calumet to an angled green with three deep bunkers left. The 592-yard 18th, the longest hole, closes.
How to Play It
Harborside International Golf Center — Starboard Course — Playing Strategy
Beginner / High Handicap
A 74.5 rating and 134 slope from the 7,104-yard Tournament tees argue for the 5,914-yard Regular set on a first round. Treat the 554-yard opener as a three-shot hole and keep clear of its bunkers. On the 13th take the bailout left, and on the 17th aim for the middle of the green, since there is no safe miss on either side.
Intermediate / Mid Handicap
Pars come most readily on the par 5s at the 1st, 5th, 12th and 18th, as long as tee shots avoid the long fairway bunkers. On The Tee warns the wind gusts hard here, so take an extra club into it on the 13th and 17th, which both carry Lake Calumet. Accept bogey on the 466-yard 9th and 474-yard 14th.
Advanced / Low Handicap
The par 5s carry the scoring, but the 554-yard 1st is also the No. 1 handicap, so a measured start pays. On the 13th the direct line across Lake Calumet shortens the hole at real risk. The 17th needs a precise middle iron to an angled green with water right and deep bunkers left, and the 592-yard 18th is the longest hole on the card.
Signature Holes
Harborside International Golf Center — Starboard Course — Signature Holes
The Card
Harborside International Golf Center — Starboard 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 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 36 | 4 | 4 | 5 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 5 | 36 | 72 |
| Yards | 554 | 398 | 330 | 156 | 521 | 442 | 387 | 209 | 466 | 3,463 | 416 | 411 | 560 | 225 | 474 | 364 | 425 | 174 | 592 | 3,641 | 7,104 |
| Handicap | 1 | 9 | 13 | 17 | 5 | 7 | 11 | 15 | 3 | — | 10 | 12 | 2 | 16 | 8 | 14 | 4 | 18 | 6 | — | — |
Good to Know
Harborside International Golf Center — Starboard Course — questions answered
- How do I book a tee time at Harborside International Golf Center — Starboard Course?
- Find and book live tee times at Harborside International Golf Center — Starboard Course through GolfNow — Golf in CHI links straight to its tee sheet on this listing.
- Who designed Harborside International Golf Center — Starboard Course?
- Harborside International Golf Center — Starboard Course was designed by Dick Nugent and opened in 1996.
- What is the par and yardage at Harborside International Golf Center — Starboard Course?
- Harborside International Golf Center — Starboard Course plays to a par of 72 over 7,104 yards from the championship tees, with a course rating of 74.5 and a slope of 134.
- Is Harborside International Golf Center — Starboard Course public or private?
- Harborside International Golf Center — Starboard Course is open to public play. Tee times can be reserved in advance.
- Where is Harborside International Golf Center — Starboard Course located?
- Harborside International Golf Center — Starboard Course is located at 11001 S Doty Ave, Chicago, IL 60628, in the Chicago area of Chicagoland.
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How to Play It
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