Southwest Michigan

Along Lake Michigan's coastline, in the southwest corner of the state, a succession of small beach towns provide a quick escape from Detroit and Chicago.

Grand Haven, Holland, Saugatuck and South Haven are some of the great little getaways that many Midwesterners covet for their summer vacations. Benton Harbor, headquarters of the Whirlpool Company, recently unveiled a new revitalization project featuring The Golf Club at Harbor Shores, a Jack Nicklaus design.

While golf here isn't as nationally recognized as its neighbors to the north, it's still easy to find a great course. Some high-end private golf courses are reserved for Detroit and Chicago vacationers who come in for a long weekend, but value and convenience are still easy to find.

With a metropolitan area of more than 500,000 residents, Grand Rapids is the state's second-largest city. Known for its furniture business and medical research facilities, it also features a collection of the state's top daily-fee golf courses. Just north of the city, Pilgrim's Run Golf Club is one of the best-kept secrets in the state. Another top play and one closer to the city is Thousand Oaks Golf Club, a Rees Jones design. Locals also frequent their favorite municipal facility, L.E. Kaufman Golf Course, as well as the new Mines Golf Course just minutes from downtown.

Other cities in the southwest away from the coast include Kalamazoo, home to Western Michigan University and Kalamazoo College. In the neighboring small town of Vicksburg, Angels Crossing Golf Club has emerged as one of the state's finer value plays.
 

Recommended: Harbor Shores Golf Club in Benton Harbor

The first of its class in Michigan's Great Southwest, Harbor Shores G.C. is proud to present the Jack Nicklaus Golf Course. Recognized for the high standards of Nicklaus Design, the 18-hole course features three dramatic holes with sweeping views of Lake Michigan; 10 holes bordering the beautiful banks of the Paw Paw River and Ox Creek and its wetlands; and four holes through rolling hills, ravines and a hardwood forest, truly a unique golf experience.