Crystal Downs Country Club

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Courtesy of Gary Kellner, Dimpled Rock

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L.C. Lambrecht

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Overview

Perry Maxwell, the Midwest associate of architect Alister MacKenzie, lived on site while constructing the course to MacKenzie’s plans, but there’s evidence Maxwell exercised considerable artistic license on some holes. Whomever did it, Crystal Downs has fairways that zigzag and rumble over the glacial landscape and greens that have doglegs in them. One drawback is that the putting surfaces are so old-fashioned that they’re too steep for today’s green speeds. But that’s part of Crystal Downs appeal. It’s short but has considerable bite.

About

Holes 18

Length 6560

Slope 143

Facility Type Private

Year Opened 1931

Designer Alister MacKenzie/Perry Maxwell, ASGCA

Awards

Ranking history:

100 Greatest: Ranked since 1989.
2023-'24 ranking (and previous): 14th
Highest ranking: No. 10, 2007-'08.

Best in State: Ranked first, 1989-'93, 2005-'22. Ranked inside the top 5 since 1977.

Panelists

Ratings from our panel of 1,900 course-ranking panelists

4.8

100 GREATEST/BEST IN STATE SCORES

Shot Options

8.1241

Character

8.2785

Challenge

8.0647

Layout Variety

8.2595

Fun

7.8048

Aesthetics

8.1043

Conditioning

8.0321

Reviews

1 / 15

Review

“Alister Mackenzie gem that is off the beaten path but so worth the trip! Beautiful piece of property, views of the lakes, outstanding condition, quirky holes, everything it should be!"

2022

2 / 15

Review

“Course had numerous elevation changes that provided scenic vistas and great hole designs. The greens were firm, fast and true. But, it was imperative you kept the ball below the hole. The 6,518-yard par 70 provided plenty of challenge. Iron shots required precision. The course played long for the yardage. The short par 4s, 5th and 7th required accurate tee shots to take advantage of the short length. Really liked the downhill Par 4 1st and uphill Par 4 2nd - very good holes. The long Par 5 8th had many shot options and a very tough undulating green - excellent risk/reward. Tough uphill Par 3 9th required a precise shot. The front nine was very open while the back nine was more tree lined. Holes 12 and 13 were difficult lengthy Par 4s with difficult greens. Loved the short uphill Par 3 14th - again it required a precise shot. Had a great vista at the green. Long doglegged left Par 5 16th, short uphill Par 4 17th and downhill doglegged right 18th provide for a great finish. Alister McKenzie/Perry Maxwell design."

2022

3 / 15

Review

“The course is set between Lake Michigan and Crystal Lake, with occasional views of both. The clubhouse sits high on a hill with views across to Sleeping Bear. The golf holes, especially on the front nine blend naturally into the slopes. Beautiful. Many unique and interesting holes with number 5 being the best. Amazing bunkering set into the slope at an angle with the green over the hilltop. With the exception of the par three 11th, every hole was good to exceptional. Hole 11 was redone poorly, and the false front starts in the middle of the green, unnecessarily repelling chips and putts."

2022

4 / 15

Review

“Several holes provided outstanding risk-reward options including the 5th, 6th, and 7th holes on the front 9 and the 11th, 14th, 15th, and 17th holes on the back. The 5th, 6th, and 7th holes comprise the best three hole stretch for shot options in my short time with Golf Digest. During my round, I played the 5th with a driver from the tee to set-up a sand wedge into the green. However, driver is not required, and Architect Alister McKenzie and Associate Perry Maxwell offer the player the ability to challenge the hole with a driver or lay back and still seize a scoring chance, albeit with a longer club. The 6th and 7th mirrored this set-up from the tee. All three holes also feature greens with wild undulations. So, taking on the risk and hitting the driver from the tee offers the reward of a short club into the uniquely shaped greens within this section of the course. On the back 9, the recent renovation of the 11th by Architect Tom Doak gave us a multi-tiered green. During my round, the pin was positioned in the back tier. A playing partner missed his tee shot just to the left and due to the severe slope of the 11th, watched as his ball trundled from the top tier, down the middle, and off the front of the green. What I took away from that situation was the risk a player takes on in attempting to hit the correct tier. If they do not execute the proper shot shape, dial up the correction distance, and manage their spin, their miss will make salvaging par mission impossible. Finally, the 17th hole is outstanding for its shot options. On the advice of my playing partners, I hit driver from the tee. This poor choice brought trouble on the right-hand side into play. What would have been the more appropriate play was to strike a long iron or hybrid about 200-yards off the tee, setting up a wedge to the uphill and severely sloped green. What makes the hole interesting is that my partners, who were older and cannot carry the ball as far, needed to hit driver to reach the fairway. Even then, they had a mid-iron into the green. My choice from the tee on the 17th hole will haunt me until my next round at Crystal Downs. But even then, given the options which McKenzie and Maxwell offer, the conditions may call for a completely different or even the same strategy, despite the scars my driver inflicted this time. "

2021

5 / 15

Review

“It's Prairie Dunes on steroids and a masterful routing. Pine Valley alone may exceed it in the number of great holes on one course."

2021

6 / 15

Review

“The fairways and the rough at Crystal Downs were a gorgeous biscuit brown when I visited. This enabled the turf to be firm and offer several yards of runout on tee shots. The greens had been properly watered, rewarding well struck shots on approach and from short distance. Every putt I hit rolled true, never wobbling offline due to poor conditioning. The bunkers were also exquisite with enough sand to present a challenge but not prevent a skilled player from executing shots properly."

2021

7 / 15

Review

“If you can get on the course, you will be pleased with the experience. It's a old course and Alister masterpiece. It's very hard, but a good test of golf and fair if you hit your targets. If you get the chance to play, do it!!"

2019

8 / 15

Review

“One of the best courses in the country. The back nine is amazing! Really cool club with greatly diverse holes."

2018

9 / 15

Review

“Very private and historic club. Alister McKenzie designed a fun routing with some treacherous greens. A very good test of golf."

2018

10 / 15

Review

“With its long par 4s, several of which are uphill, and just two monstrous par 5s, Crystal Downs is extremely challenging. Compounding the test is the change in elevation throughout the course. As a 1st time visitor, accounting for those changes made club selection and identification of my true yardage that much harder. Before my round, several people warned me about the crazy undulations of the greens at Crystal Downs. While the movements were severe, as a single-digit handicap, I don’t feel that I struggled to see the line. What made the greens hard was being positioned in the right place to aggressively putt. Several times throughout my round, I was past the hole and that spelled doom for my chip or putt as most of the green were tilted from back to front. Additionally, all the greens were small and surrounded by either thick rough or bunkers. Just about every chip felt like I had short-sided the pin and needed to be delicate in executing chips, pitches, or lobs. "

2020

11 / 15

Review

“This is one of the best courses in the world. The greens are exceptional and require thought hitting into them and putting them can be treacherous. It is one of my favoetie courses I have ever polayed."

2018

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