In the 1960's the idea of creating a golf course to service CFB Shearwater personnel and their families was proposed using Crown land around the site of the closed artillery coastal defense fortifications at the northern mouth of the Halifax Harbour in Eastern Passage. With the addition of land owned by the Hartlen (from which the course gets it's name) and MacDonald families and the considerable financial support and volunteer work of more than 300 Canadian Armed Forces servicemen, Royal Canadian Mounted Police members and civilian defense personnel the course began to take shape. The club was opened in 1965 with only three holes, which are played as holes 14, 15 and 16 today. Construction on an additional six holes began shortly after and 9 holes were open for play in 1967. With the help of a Canadian Forces loan the 18 hole layout was completed in 1974.

In 1988 golf course architects Cornish and Robinson were commissioned to design two new holes, one new green and to reconfigure the layout of the course. The two new holes (9th and 10th) are spectacular with huge undulating greens and gorgeous fairway bunkering. The green on the old 8th was rebuilt into a huge contoured green that is guarded with beautiful bunkering and now plays as the 18th.

The most memorable hole from the original layout was the 6th. It had a huge concrete gun bunker in the middle of the fairway that at one time was one of the turrets for the massive coastal defense guns. With the addition of the new holes this hole was one of the two that were taken out of play because of safety issues.

In 1991 the last part of the reconfiguration took place. A new full service Clubhouse was opened as well as practice facilities. The reversing of the two nines also took place.

A great many changes have been made over the years at Hartlen Point but the course has always had scenery that is second to none. Because of the ever-present winds the course is widely considered to be one of the most challenging layouts in the province.