Harborside International Golf Center (Starboard)

There is generally only so much shoreline to work with, even at a nautically-themed golf complex, so the Starboard Course at Harborside International features “only” four holes directly on the water. Dick Nugent understood that many people come to the shore for the sand just as much as the water and so he uses that element to challenge the golfer while making Starboard aesthetically pleasing.

It shows up first at the potentially drivable par four No. 3, with one enormous bunker playing along the left side of the entire hole, and wrapping around the green. Later, holes 11, 12, 14 and 15 (notably, these are most of the holes on the back nine without lakeside property) all play around a massive waste hazard.

Granted, people are here for the lake holes and Nugent makes their wait worth it. No. 16 features a centerline bunker that forces players to either attack the lake or take the conservative route away from the ideal approach. No. 17 lives up to its title, “Buccaneer’s Cove” (with a lot more "cove" than pirates waiting to steal your ball), and then finally a 590-yard par five with shore all along the right.