BENTON HARBOR, MI. – There’s been no shortage of projects, equipment or promotional efforts designed to create more golfers, but I’ve seen none better than the Wee Course — a facility built beside the Harbor Shores Resort in the Southwestern Michigan community.
In this case Wee means a short course, but one that encourages play from all age groups — youth, parents, grandparents, you name it.
Harbor Shores has a fine 18-hole course designed by Jack Nicklaus that has hosted Senior PGA Championships but it is also part of a master-planned community, and that’s where the Wee Course comes in. It was designed by Colin Montgomerie, a World Golf Hall of Fame inductee who won his first major title in the United States at Harbor Shores in 2013 and went on to star for Europe on nine Ryder Cup teams.
Nicklaus created a championship course on what had been a contaminated industrial sited It was a challenging project that turned out beautifully. Montgomerie had a different task. He drew upon his growth and development as a junior player in Scotland to create the Wee Course. It opened on Labor Day in 2025.
The Wee Course is more than one golf course. It was built on real grass, not artificial turf – though mats are used on weekends to preserve the turf. While the nine -hole lighted short course is the feature on its five acres, the facility also includes a 15,000 square foot Putting Course, called Highland Greens. For $40 players of all ages can enjoy both in the same day.
Montgomerie not only designed the facility, he also gave it a rousing sendoff when he checked it out 10 months after its opening. That day – July 6, 2026 — started with Montgomerie walking the course with Jeff Fettig, former chairman and chief executive officer of the Whirlpool Corporation, a leading contributor to the Wee Course facility and the visionary behind Harbor Shores expansion.
Eventually Montgomerie wanted to play a few holes using Fettig’s chipper.
“It was rather strange,’’ Montgomie recounted later. “We decided to hit a few shots and my first one was about 60 yards. Somehow it found the hole. Then, incredibly, I did it again on the very next hole we played.’’
Montgomerie’s back-to-back aces weren’t the first holes in one on the Wee Course. There were 51 recorded there in the first 10 months of its existence. Still, Montgomerie’s brought widespread attention and that put the Wee Course in the golf spotlight.
“Golf is a game for all ages and generations,’’ he noted. “Courses like the Wee Course will attract parents who play golf and want to introduce their children. to the game, and grandparents who might not be able to play 18 but can bring their grandchildren along for nine holes. From my personal experience around the world, and especially in Scotland, short wee courses can bring together communities and create a foundation for the whole area.’’
That’s what’s been happening at the Wee Course. We made a point of visiting during a three-week swing through the Midwest.
Each hole on the Wee Course has two sets of tees. The Blue tees have more angles and challenging pitch shots. The White tees offer shorter pitch shots. A nine-hole round can be played on a course as short as 275 yards and as long as 500. The shortest holes range from 20 to 80 yards. The course also includes a replica bridge with the same measurements as the Swilcan Bridge at St. Andrews, in Scotland.
Daily rates for playing nine holes and using the Highland Greens Putting Course are $30. For 18 holes they’re $40. All day access is $50 and it’s $10 for just Highland Greens.
Junior rates (ages 13-17) when accompanied by an adult are $20. Juniors 12 and under when accompanied by an adult are complimentary. If you don’t bring your own clubs you can rent a wedge, putter and souvenir ball for $15. All daily rates include a souvenir ball.
The Wee Course also offers season passes. For a single it’s $1,500, for a couple it’s $2,000. For a family it’s $2,500. Passes for juniors (ages 16-18) the fee is $500 and for those 13-15 it’s $300.
We wondered if the course was priced right. Two course employes felt so, and we agreed after talking with three generations of family members who played the course together.
Key staffers are Joshua Doxtator, PGA general manager; Jackson Davison, PGA head professional; and Matt Vollrath, course superintendent. Montgomerie is golf professional emeritus.
The course is located at 201 Graham Ave., Benton Harbor. Already the facility has a special event for youth – the Wee Course Exhibition Cup – and course record scores and hole-in-ones are already tabulated on a clubhouse leaderboard.
