Up to Par: Harbour Trees Golf and Beach Club Celebrates 50 Years

Writer / Jon Shoulders Photographer / Jason Graves

For Justin Werkley, the head golf pro at Harbour Trees Golf and Beach Club, the key to long-term success at any golf club lies in treating its members right.

“We really feel like being a family club is one of the most important things that we do,” Werkley says. “We’ve got activities for everyone, and everyone is comfortable and loves being here. The kids, the ladies, the men - it’s a very welcoming, laid-back, comfortable place to spend your time.”

The staff held weekend-long festivities on June 4 through 6, celebrating the 50th anniversary of the club with members.

“We had a great party at the Beach Club where we had live music, and there was a tennis tournament and a golf tournament,” Werkley says. “It was a great way to celebrate the 50th.”

Werkley, who also serves as the head coach for the Noblesville High School girls golf

team, started playing golf as a young kid, and grew up on the Harbour Trees course.

“Golf’s a real passion and I love it here,” says Werkley, who has worked at Harbour Trees for the past 12 years. “The pro that was here before me, Lon Kinney, hired me to be his assistant pro in 2010, and I worked for him for two years and then he retired, which opened up the job and I applied.”

As businesses have steadily continued to open back up in recent months, Werkley says membership numbers at the club remain strong, and never significantly flagged last year during pandemic-related business shutdowns.

“COVID didn’t have a negative impact on our numbers - the golf course is busy, and things are great thankfully,” he says, adding that Harbour Trees sees a consistently wide age range among members. “Our numbers were actually up last year. About two-thirds of our families are under the age of 40. It’s pretty diverse all around - a lot of families, and a lot of kids. It’s very much a familyfriendly atmosphere.” Throughout the past five years leading up to the 50th anniversary, the club underwent significant renovations and additions, including a complete overhaul of the clubhouse, an overhaul of all the bunkers and fairways on the golf course, and installation of continuous cart paths for the course as well. The 18-hole Harbour Trees course was originally designed by Pete Dye, a legendary golf course designer responsible for several local courses, including Crooked Stick in Carmel, and all over the world.

“Those continuous cart paths are a gamechanger for us, because now if it’s wet we can still have events and keep carts on the path versus having to cancel things because the course is too wet,” Werkley says. “Lots of improvements and upgrades have been made over the past five years, and I think we’re stronger than ever now. We don’t have any large projects on the horizon currently, and we’re focused on doing what we’re doing, and making sure members new and old can continue enjoying it.”

The Harbour Trees clubhouse features an aboutGOLF simulator, allowing members

to shore up their skills virtually even in the winter months.

The Harbour Trees Beach Club underwent renovations throughout 2019 and 2020, and an upper deck called the Treehouse, which is a bar area with a capacity of approximately 200, was added. The kitchen got an expansion, and 800 square feet were added to the gym as well.

The dining menu features small plates like traditional wings, fried pickles and mozzarella sticks. Entrees include pork tenderloin, salmon and filet, and there’s also a kids menu and plenty of desserts. Beach Club breakfast options include breakfast burritos, avocado toast, buttermilk pancakes, chilaquiles and more.

As Werkley and his fellow staff members at Harbour Trees look to the future and work to maintain the club as a fixture of the community, Werkley says they will strive to honor what has made the club great in the past, while always looking for new ways to improve.

“It’s a challenge maintaining our traditions and our history, and also trying to be innovative to try new things and keep things fresh and exciting,” he says. “That mixture is sometimes a difficult one, but I think we’ve navigated it pretty well.”

Junior, full, and social memberships are available at the club, and a limited number of memberships are currently available.

“The people here and the members make this a great place to work and a great place to be,” Werkley adds. “The atmosphere is so friendly and fun, and always welcoming.”

Harbour Trees Golf and Beach Club is located at 333 Regents Park Lane in Noblesville. For more info including membership details, call 317-877-3612 or visit harbourtrees.com.

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