THE GOLDEN BEAR HIMSELF JACK NICKLAUS, has returned to the state of Michigan in the
form of golf course architect.

But the impact this great Ohio State Buckeye will leave on the land of Wolverines and Spartans
will be nothing but positive. Nicklaus is the architect of the new Golf Club at Harbor Shores in
the Benton Harbor-St. Joseph area.

While ten of the 18 holes opened for limited play last fall, the remainder of the layout will open
in full this summer in 2010. The course will have a special grand opening with the Golden
Bear himself present.

"Harbor Shores is Lake Michigans first beach and signature golf resort community," says Ron
Eng the Director of Marketing and Sales for Harbor Shores. "The community is only 90 minutes
east of Chicago. The Jack Nicklaus signature golf course is at the heart of our 530 acre development
that will have about 800 homes in total."

CLICK HERE TO PLAY RORY'S INTERVIEW WITH RON ENG.  

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If your are tired of the four, five or even eight hour drive to Michigans finest courses, worry no
more Chicago area golfer. Harbor Shores is just around the bend.

"We feel like we are almost a suburb of Chicago being just 25 minutes north of New Buffalo (MI),"
Eng said. "It's only 90 minutes to downtown Chicago and it sure beats the drive into Michigans
upper peninsula, where most of Michigans traditional golf resorts are. We feel very fortunate
about our location."

Eng is quick to add that Nicklaus has taken a very special interest in the golf course at Harbor Shores.

"Jack is a huge fan of this course in part because of the fact, our development is part of a transformational
project and we hope to spur the economy here, "Eng said. "Jack has really embraced trying to help
western Michigan in the area's of tourism and hospitality. Jack has alreay been here seven times
and might be back again before the grand opening in July.


                                                  THE 7TH GREEN AT HARBOR SHORES

Many of the courses Nicklaus has built over the years have been described as big courses, with
bigger homes on each side of them. That is not the case at Harbor Shores. Homes will pop up
around the course in a few places, but not around a majority of the holes.

In a statement released by Nicklaus and Harbor Shores the Golden Bear says that," Harbor Shores
presents the unique opportunity to design a golf course through a variety of settings along rivers,
 through a hardwood forest, and the sand dunes by Lake Michigan. Hopefully the beauty of the
course will be rivaled only by the golf experience."

The golf course has different looks to it. There are holes that mix in the area wetlands, there are
 three holes that run through a city park that end, run alongside, or begin right on Lake Michigan
with the dunes staring down the golfer. Holes 10-13 give a northern Michigan look, with hardwood 
forests, ravines and hills.

Harbor Shores shows off the evolving talent of Nicklaus the architect. Original reviews of Nicklaus
courses were that they were so hard only Jack himself could play them. That they were set up for
players who played the game like Jack did, with a high power fade to the right.

While Jack's most widely known masterpiece Muirfield Village Golf Club, the home of Jack's
Memorial Tournament is extremely challenging. Especially holes 11-13 where Jack has designed
his tribute to "Amen Corner" at Augusta National, Harbor Shores will test the golfer while not wearing
him or her out.

Nicklaus uses the pot bunker at Harbor Shores, which is something you didn't see in his early designs.
Maybe better than any architect, Nicklaus at Harbor Shores, like at Muirfield, Sycamore Hills (Fort Wayne IN) 
and his classic gem the under-rated Club at Porto-Cima in Lake of the Ozarks (MO), uses the angled
creek or stream to challenge players off the tee, in the fairway, and on approach shots. Like Porto-Cima,
Harbor Shores will test that right-to-left shot as much or more than the power fade.

Come this July Chicago golfers should say YES-MICHIGAN, and test themselfs against the newest
Nicklaus golf design just 90 minutes from downtown Chicago.

FOR MORE INFORMATION ON HARBOR SHORES you can call 1-269-927-GOLF (4653) or on the web
at www.harborshoresresort.com tee times can be scheduled by phone or on line.