Good course that's easily accessible from downtown. Some areas were dry and looked brown, but the course played well. Greens are pretty fast, but putts are make-able. Only course I've played around the Chicago area with actual elevation change. Cart paths are bad like everyone says, but it won't ruin your day. Last 4 holes are the best, but the whole course presents a good challenge, especially when it's windy because it's so open. More ball washers would be nice. Food at the turn is well priced and has lots of options. Bathrooms are readily available and cart girls came 2-3x over 18 holes, so you won't be left wanting. A little better grass upkeep would boost the rating, but I'd still give it's still good, and I'll be back to try the starboard course. read more

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Stopped in for a work related event (lunch) Really nice employees , the course reminds me of a British course. Food was very good Very nice time read more

Horrible condition. Grass is 30% dead all over the course. Potholes everywhere on the cart path. Garbage is overflowing. They have groups of five out there. Then when we asked the marshal if they can speed up he said "i dont want them to have a bad time so i wont speed anyone up." Its a joke for what they charge. I would highly suggest saving your money. read more

I've been playing here for several years now and it's very disappointing to see what Harborside has become. Yesterday I played 36 on a beautiful late summer day. The good: - The staff in the pro shop is helpful and cheery. I rented clubs - Callaway Mavrick irons and driver/3 wood/etc. Great set. - The layout is championship quality; the fairways, greens and tee boxes are well cared for bent grass. The bad: - The cart paths are so bad, so full of pot holes and cracks it can actually be dangerous to drive on them. Just terrible. Inexcusable. - Many of the bunkers, like the large, sweeping one on the left side of hole 11 (just one example) are overgrown with weeds and completely uncared for. They look terrible, like a 2nd rate muni. - You have to pay for range balls. Seriously? The range is located several hundred yards from where you get your cart, and the ride to get there is over the same lousy cracked, broken asphalt with potholes. Whatever you do, don't have a cup of hot coffee in the cart. I did and by the time I got to the range, it had basically been slipped all over the cart and my pants. - The clubhouse has zero warmth or character. An unimpressive looking structure itself, once inside everything has a bargain basement look and feel. Overall: These course are definitely worth playing. They're good, tough layouts made more challenging by the steady wind that blows off Lake Calumet. But it could be SO much better. Fix the cartpaths, hire some extra groundskeepers, add some comfortable furniture to the restaurant/bar, put some chairs out on the patio, etc. I believe this course is owned and/or managed by Kemper Sports Mgmt. They should be embarrassed by the condition. Terrible management. Do they care? Doesn't seem like it. It's gotten progressively worse over the years. read more

16 friends and I came out to play on a Sunday afternoon. Harborside GC used to be a really nice course. It has gone way down hill and I do not recommend it. The cart paths are horrible, crumbling and full of pot holes. read more

No ranger to keep groups moving. We went when it wasn't busy. 5hr or more round had to skip a hole due to the foursome in front of us with nobody 3 holes ahead of them. Paths are all falling apart have not been redone in 10-15 years. No water in ball washers, over priced for the service. Too bad because it used to be a nice track. read more

Solid golf but left feeling a little ripped off which doesn't happen often at a golf course. I played Port in the morning and replayed starboard in the afternoon. They didn't give a break for replay which seemed odd. They said we needed to replay the same course for that. Seems like there should be some break still, especially after paying for Port. But the courses are nice, so we did it anyways. Then we got rained out on the 7th hole and had to do a rain check. The rain check worked as a credit towards your next round (as if you could pay to start on #7 again, but can't replay the full round) but of course I promptly tossed the receipt mistaking it for trash in my wallet. I asked for a refund but was told that they couldn't do that. Just seems like a bit of a cash grab for a nice place. The friend I was with was in their 'anchor program' too, so I'm even more surprised that the staff was so unhelpful. If you haven't gotten through 9, it would be nice to give people a full round. And give them a free 9 if they are on 10 or later. Or a refund would have solved it, but this didn't feel fair and not sure I'll be visiting again anytime soon. read more

For the price, I cannot recommend the course. While the Port course itself was in decent shape, and well designed, the rest of the experience was not on-par with other courses that in the same price range. Some of the lowlights were: The sand traps do not hold up well to light rain and were hard, the cart paths were the worst I have ever seen forcing people to drive around full-size holes and tear up the grass, the GEO-fencing on the carts was overly restricted, not every hole has a trash-can/ball washer, we only saw the beverage cart twice, once just after he start and then again just after the turn, the signage was poorly placed. Other than the cart-paths, these are some easy fixes. I would really like to play here again, but not until they correct some of the above. read more

Very slow play with no course Marshall out to speed up a very slow group in front of us. Course in decent condition, great food at the turn- read more

Nice course! I broke down my thoughts below: Course Review: I can hardly call this a hidden gem of Chicago, but only because it's no longer a secret! This course is a lot of fun, and to get this quality of golf only a short drive from downtown is insane. The course was a lot of fun to play, challenging at times, and rewarding at others. I'd love to go back here again, perhaps when we aren't restricted to the cart path :) Clubhouse/Amenities: Very nice clubhouse. Pretty much what you'd expect from most proper golf clubs. The kitchen was shut down when we went, but the food at the halfway house was plenty to carry us through the round. Also, you get a small bucket of balls to hit hon the range prior to your round, and that whole experience was seamless as well. Staff: Friendly enough. They took our bags and pointed us to where we needed to go, but nothing outstanding in this arena. All in all, I'm definitely looking forward to returning to this course. I'll probably play Starboard next time, but Port is going to be hard to beat! read more

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Seriously the guys at the golf shop made this trip so memorable. They must have been brothers! From the moment I walked in, it was like they knew I had never been there before. I felt like a member at this course and I can't even begin to explain how the course played. Beautiful set up, the boxes, the fairways, everything was clean. The greens were vibrant and healthy and your putts will roll through. It was obviously slower as it had rained that day, but my goodness the Beaty of the design. Double rainbows greeted us to the 18th green and we had the whole club watching us approach. Honestly felt like I was in tournament! Even heard clapping as I parred my putt! Great time, definitely play this if you are visiting Chicago or even as a local. Had a great time after our round even! read more

The day I said goodbye to my Grandmother as she slipped away to brain cancer, I decided to go play some golf late in the day on my way back from Michigan.... since there was recently rain, I called ahead and asked about the status of the course. Guy on the phone tells me it's beautiful out and to come play, so I did. I arrive at the first tee to realize it's far from beautiful, with 40-50 mile gusts of wind constantly roaring. Balls won't stay on tees, are moving at address on the green, completely miserable golf. So I finish 9 and go in and politely ask for a rain check of some sort and explain that they did not do an adequate job of giving me an accurate idea of conditions. Some guy behind the counter doesn't consider my request for a second and basically tells me to take a hike. I finish the back 9, not even putting or really playing, thinking about how I would never ever come back to Harborside, despite being a very loyal and frequent customer. If you wanna golf, go to Preserve at Oak Meadows. Much better course and they have actual nice people working there. read more

Came here with a buddy of mine a couple of weeks ago. Such a beautiful course on the south side of Chicago. The course itself is fairly difficult. Littered with sand traps, I found myself driving off the tee into the sand most of the day. The pro shop is very nice, and there is a small restaurant within. I do question where the photo's on the website came from. Must have been an amazing photographer as most of the sky line I saw was populated with factories. My only complaint is that there isn't anywhere nearby to have a nice dinner. I used my yelp app to try and find a place, but all the reviews for anywhere decent said not to come go due to the high crime in the area. So stick to the food there, or drive back towards home to grab a bite to eat. read more

Placed my first round here on my visit from Florida. Great course but could not believe the number of un repaired ball marks on every green. I fixed two on each green, but assuming that this course attracts good golfers they should respect the course and learn good golf etiquette. Overall a fair and fun track with generous fairways and well manicured greens. The back nine fairways are more challenging with club selection is paramount. Hope I have the opportunity to get back. read more

First off, Harborside and Swing King need to disclose that Swing King is a FOR PROFIT enterprise, and only donates a "portion of proceeds" to charity - ie 10% to charity at Chicagoland courses per the website. The Swing King rep at the par 3 challenge led us to believe ALL/100% or at least MOST of the proceeds ($20 buy in) were going to charity. This is MISLEADING; BAD BUSINESS for both Swing King and the course. I would not have gambled $20 on my tee shot if I had known it would profit Swing King and Harborside. Aside from that, the course is in great condition and super fun to play. Challenging but not unfair. The 18th hole is a demon which punishes both a fade (tall grass / wasteland) and a draw (water). I wish the pro shop clerk had told me when I paid that a small bucket of range balls were included in the rate. Y'all need to keep offering that because $109 for 18 holes riding on weekend is very expensive for this caliber. I can play The Preserve at Oak Meadows, which is a much better value for a nicer course - $89 with cart. read more

Harborside is probably the nicest public golf course that is closest to the city of Chicago. The freight of $95 is a little hefty, but the course provides a good challenge on its 36 hole layout ( Port and Starboard). I've played here a few times and its rare that the wind doesn't wear you down by the end of the round. If the wind isn't whipping, it's actually a pretty fair course, but with the wind, some of the holes play twice as long as they should. Of the two courses, the Port is my favorite by far due to its last 4 closing holes. My one complaint came this morning as the course scheduled an outing on a Saturday morning. What golf course does that? So the play today was excruciatingly slow. In addition, is there going to be fall rates? It was 40 degrees today and they were charging summer rates...WTF? Aside from this, the course is well kept and has a nice driving range and chipping area. Will definitely be back next year. read more

Can this really be the first review?! What a find! Harborside is a dazzling gem in an otherwise non-descript area just a few minutes south of downtown Chicago. It boasts country-club amenities and 2 championship quality 18-hole courses (aptly named: Port and Starboard) in the links style that are very well-maintained, challenging, and fun to play. Because it's relatively unknown, I just walk on during the work week and the speed of play is fast - the perfect fix for my golf addiction! But, when I'm a bit short on time (and who isn't these days?), I jump on the practice facilities (i.e. outdoor grass driving range, target greens, short game area to practice putting, chipping, pitching and bunker play.) You wouldn't believe such a place existed south of downtown Chicago, so don't tell too many people about it! read more

My review is solely for the practice facility; I haven't played the course. The practice facility is the best public facility that I've been to in Chicago. I live in River North, so I typically go to the Diversey range. This practice facility puts Diversey to shame and is definitely worth the extra drive if you live in the city. It's beautiful facility and has a great range, putting green, and short-game area. The price are very reasonable, and, what's even better, you don't have to pay for parking. read more

I never knew this southside gem was hiding behind all that cattail foliage along the expressway. This place is simply fabulous and deserves a visit! The food is excellent, but our service was slightly lacking. Our server didn't bring me a beer when asked and failed to bring the ketchup, until we had to holler out to him. However, with the space being so beautiful, the view overlooking Lake Calumet picturesque and the outstanding food we shared, mediocre service can be overlooked. I will return and bring others with me. This is a great find that took me 20 years to discover as I am an original southside native. Fabulous!............. and I don't know the first thing about golfing. read more

First the only downside...Its a bit expensive. $90+ per round. But the upside is it is totally worth it if you can afford it. First thing that strikes you is the openness and beauty of the golf course. Green as green can be w/ panoramic views 360 degrees. It really is a site to see. Second - one you start playing is the quality of the course. Tee boxes are level, fairways are well kept and greens roll true. The layout is great - each hole is different from the other, w/ enough angles to keep all skill players challenged. The only complaint I had was the bunkers. They were soupie or hard packed. We had just had some rain w/in the past few days - and maybe they do not drain well, but we did not play out of them. Service was great and the round played true to time - I was afraid it would be backed up but with 36 holes, they have plenty of space to move people around. I would make the trip 1-2 this summer to play this gem. read more

When I think about Chicago golf, links courses never come to mind. Most have well groomed tree-lined fairways with little water. Harborside couldn't be further from the norm. Created from an old landfill, it's amazing how a giant pile of trash can be transformed into one of the best courses in the Chicagoland area. This links course is one hell of a way to spend a morning. Two courses, the port and starboard, provide fescue lined fairways (think British Open courses) that provides a fun challenge not normally found. Bring plenty of balls to play here; both your own...and umm plenty of golf balls too. You'll be glad you did. I should add that the Port course is superior to Starboard but that's just an opinion. read more

Harborside is all-around the best public course I've played in the Chicagoland area. As you'll see from the pics, it is a links-style course with 36 holes, one more beautiful than the next. Add in the wind whipping up off Lake Michigan and you've got yourself an experience fairly close to golf's Scottish roots. Despite the lack of trees, the design is enough to keep even the experienced golfer challenged. And 7200 yards from the tips is no joke. The Port course has an awesome 4-hole closing set, including their signature "Anchor" hole 15 with the green set into a sand-trap island shaped like, you guessed it, an anchor. Like any good links course, it is wide open but you'll be punished if you can't keep it in the short stuff. The service is also pretty outstanding, especially for a public course. Bag drop, nice practice facilities, friendly clubhouse staff, a well equipped locker room and a restaurant with a great view to wrap up the day--Harborside is golf done right. $95 a round is a bit pricey, but worth it for the great experience it affords. read more

Went out here the day before my wedding with 16 guys. It was wet and windy but the outing was still a blast. The carts are great with course information and an electronic scorecard. They also set up some fun games for our group like longest ball, closest to the pin, and longest putt. Overall great experience and tough course. read more

I really enjoyed my round at harborside in april 2017. The were redoing the bunkers on each front 9 so i played the back of each course. I found the layout supurb and the condition of the course very good. I would love to play here again anytime I'm near Chicago. Well worth the drive out of town for this gem. read more

Solid course. Good condition and nice clean facilities. Price Is a little high if not playing twilight but one of the better kept courses around Chicago read more

I def. was stressed out yesterday that I made my way to play 9 holes for 57.00 at 5:30pm. I was little hesitant because I read a review stating the staff was a little rude or inattentive. My experience was great.... Joel, the pro shop associate working that night got me out on the course and told me to have a good time and the course itself is just gorgeous. The price is steep, but location def. plays a huge factor when choosing twilight rates btwn Harborside and Ruffled Feathers. I def. Recommend this course if you have a guest from out of town who is an avid golfer and you don't mind spending some money to show them what chicago has to offer! read more

I play here almost weekly with a 4-some of scumbags and we all really enjoy this course. It's a links style course with no shelter whatsoever. You won't be hitting out of the woods ever but will dunk a few in the water so be careful. Also you may be digging through more tall-grass than you'll ever want to in your life. My advice: Just stick to the fairway, get on the green in regulation and 1 or 2 putt and you'll shoot a decent round. Smart assery aside, they have a great practice facility that uses grass and not mats, as well as a chipping and putting surface that are both in great shape. They have a little food stand at the turn and drink carts going around as usual and the rangers aren't that bad, they won't harass you unless you fall behind. You're not Tiger, nobody needs three practice swings and extreme concentration, just hit the ball. Because of the fact that it's so open, the wind is a huge factor. This course would be a breeze (see what i did there?) if there was no wind on this course, but it adds 2 or subtracts 2 clubs on a lot of shots which will not only make you think about a lot of shots, but make you completely aware of your distances with each club. You see a lot of ego-maniacs out here thinking they don't have to pull out the 5-iron from 150 just because there's "a little wind" and they get a rude awakening when they leave it 40 yards short with their 7-iron. It's modestly priced, you can see it online but I think it's around $80 a round. The reason we come here more than any other course is that each of us lives in the downtown area and this is the closest nice course. There are a TON other better courses if you drive deeper in to the suburbs but that would mean waking up around 5:15am for a 7am tee time and that ain't happenin. If you live in the city, this is the place to go. Period. read more

I love golf, and this is one of my favorite places to play. Its always, always in amazing condition. It can be slow and they dont police the pace of play enough is my only complaint. Yes, i am dreaming about golf as I write this review in February while its 6 degrees out. read more

This is for the "Starboard" course. Good track, very challenging. Not a tree to be found on the course but it's made up for in the terrain, sand bunkers, wind and greens. The downside for me is that after a while, the holes started to all look alike. However, good finishing holes in 16, 17 & 18, definitely unique. A little pricey for mid-week and the location sucks but all in all a good place. read more

I found the Yelp reviews to be spot on and very helpful for knowing what to expect at Harborside. Practice Facility: Real grass, very large. Definitely worth the drive if you want to get off the mats in Chicago. Port Course: well-maintained, especially the women's tees. The men's tees were a little chewed up from a busy Labor Day, but that's not a surprise. Saw 1 other woman besides our group out there. Upside for the ladies! Unforgiving rough - can be very dense. Loads of sand traps. You'll find yourself cussing up a storm if you don't hit straight. Great carts. Bartender who makes awesome bloody mary's. What more can you ask for? read more

Review is bordering 3 stars...could be 2.5 - not because of course quality but because of management: Good course, with an exception - they do not have a 9 hole rate for weekday evenings. The majority of people who live in the city, and golf regularly, are craving 9 holes after work in the middle of summer. it can't be done here, they are being ignorant to a market and sacrificing business - especially since this place looks like it is HURTING for people to get out there. I wish they could make the connection. Cantigny even has a 4-hole rate after 6pm for 10 bucks. This would be PERFECT! Further, the range attendants can be a bit snippy at times. It's gotten better now that the days are longer. Practice facilities are nice, too. read more

This is the creme de la creme of public golf courses in Chicagoland besides Dubsdread at Coghill. I'm giving it 5 stars but 3 stars for value compared to other deals I can find online. The pros: very scenic and gorgeous, especially the skyline; meticulously maintained; very fast, undulated, and true greens; tough, long, and challenging holes from tips; nice driving range; close to the city. The cons: PRICE! They don't have specials or promotions so expect to pay over $100 during peak seasons. I'd much rather play Ruffled Feathers, Makray, or Thunderhawlk for almost half the price. It was built on top of a landfill so you can smell a slight stench if it's windy. MOSQUITOES! Because of the landfill, this place attracts more mosquitoes, than any course I know--especially near sunset. If you want to play somewhere very challenging or treat yourself to a pricey but very well manicured course, this is the place read more

5 stars for the golf courses and 7 stars for the driving range. You have two choices for the golf courses, both of which are very challenging (but good news ... you won't hit a tree!) and fun. Love the GPS in the carts, too. I love the driving range. It's half an hour from downtown and the best within that distance. $11 for a large bucket and you hit off grass as opposed to a mat. Perfection. 199/365 read more

I am not a golfer, but I was involved in assisting the planning of an outing, which was supposed to be held somewhere else up north, but that course was flooded; so at the last minute, this course was selected, and they more than rose for the occasion in just a few days notice. The staff was wonderful, happy, accomadating and helpful! The foid was very good. As a non-golfer I can tell you that the course felt like another place in time...you truly had no idea you were in Chicago! Breathtaking views and lots if charm is the best way to describe it. I highly recommend having an event here! Incidentally, everyone loved the course; apparently it is quite challenging and a true golfer's dream. read more

We enjoyed Harborside. The day we were there cart path only due to a lot of rain. The grounds crew were hard at removing water from bunkers and low lying areas. The starter, Gene-O, was quite the character. Great place to play except the intermittent views of industrial facilities. read more

Harborside International - Port Course - Golf Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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Played the Starboard course yesterday for a charity event, wow! The whole experience at Harborside is incredible: the driving range is huge and you actually hit off grass, not stupid turf:) The Phil Stefani restaurant is good and the two courses are spectacular. They are both very long and challenging. The fairways are always impeccable and the greens very fair. This isn't a cheap course but definitely worth the money! One of my favorite hidden gems in the city. read more

I liked this course. Played the starboard. Price was a little high at almost $100 after tax but the course was in great shape and the carts were some of the best I've ever seen. I wouldn't play it all the time for that price but I was on vacation. The GPS system was great. Had views of the hole so you never had a blind shot. Never left you guessing how far the hole was from you. Even let you touch the screen to know your yardage for a layup. Yardage was right on with the gps I have a range finder and it was right on every time I checked. The course was a links style course with no trees anywhere but had plenty of sand to make up for it. Course will play really tough if you can't hit the ball straight. The fairways and greens were in perfect condition. Sand was also perfect. Teed off at 750 and dealt with a little wind but wasn't to bad. Didn't smell anything like some people say. The day I played was very very muggy but I think that's pretty much how it is in Chicago in June. Course played a little different. Pretty much had to club down on irons and wedges to get my normal distances. I was coming up about 10 yards short on everything. Not sure if it had to do with humidity or just the air. It takes about a half hour to get there from downtown Chicago by wacker and state st on a Wednesday morning at 640. It took over an hour to get back after the round at noon. It is about 18 miles from there. read more

Excellent course. Very welcoming. But, bud lights were surprisingly disappointing. Slightly tangy. Not nearly as crisp, smooth, or refreshing as the BL's at JPGC. read more

What happened to this place??? I used to come here regularly, up until I had back surgery 4 years ago, so I was very excited to get back out and play what WAS my favorite course. It is very obvious that they have not put a single dollar back into this place since I last played 4 years ago. I was shocked to see the clubhouse and facility in the condition it was in. The carpet was filthy!!! Windows and bathrooms filthy!!! and that was just the first impression as I walked into the place. It was worse when I got to the pro shop and they had dirty, worn tape on the floors to direct traffic. They then set me up with a dirty and busted looking cart. You would think that with Covid, they would put extra emphasis on cleaning, but it is obvious they don't clean this place at all!!! If all of that wasn't bad enough, this place has the worst golf car paths I have ever seen. They would be better to just dump gravel all over them and at least make it a somewhat smooth ride which would have been nice for our painfully slow 5.5 hour round of golf. Yeah, the golf course was fine for mid March and from what I've heard it is still typically in great condition during the season, but that doesn't matter when the rest of the facility is embarrassingly run down. I'm not sure if it's still the Port Authority in charge of running the place, but it is obvious that management is solely focused on getting as much money out of what once was one of the finer courses in the area and into their pockets. I definitely won't be back until I hear of a complete renovation or change in management. Disappointed would be an understatement read more

It's pretty obvious this course was designed by Chicagoland's most prolific course architect, Dick Nugent because it's a layout that builds as you move through the round and finishes with 4 visually exceptional holes and the hazards are fairly placed and the green complex is legit with no stupid pin placements. It was in pretty good shape when we played it despite the daily rain we've experienced this June. Maybe all the rain made the greens inconsistent as they varied from medium speed to quick. My only other complaint was when we checked in and told the guy in the clubhouse that it was our first time playing Harborside and asked if he had tips which is just a way of saying "Tell us about your course." His dry look and response was, "Enjoy the round." Really? That's it? Sorry to bother you, Mr. Don't Care. Our foursome got around in about 5 1/2 hours which seems unfortunately typical these days. The range is top-notch and priced right. A very pleasant surprise. read more