Crystal Downs Country Club

Detailed description of Crystal Downs Country Club

Crystal Downs Country Club is a Private 18 hole golf course located in Frankfort, Michigan.

Crystal Downs Country Club first opened for play in 1933. The course was designed by Alister Mackenzie and Perry Maxwell.

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. Whoever did it, Crystal Downs has fairways that zigzag and drape over the 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. 

Despite being consistently ranked among the top courses in the United States (ranked 10th for 2007-08 by Golf Digest) the only tournament of note it has hosted has been the 1991 U.S. Senior Amateur, due to its isolated location far from population centers and the corresponding lack of sufficient facilities (lodging, transportation, infrastructure) needed to accommodate the crowds attracted by major tournament events.

Par for the course is 70. From the back tees, the course plays to 6,518 yards. From the forward tees, the course measures 5,466 yards. The longest hole on the course is #16, a par-5 that plays to 588 Yards. The shortest hole on the course is #14, a par-3 that plays to 147 yards from the back tees.

Watch out for #8, a 550 yard par-5 challenge and the #1 handicap hole on the course. The easiest hole is #14, a 147 yard par-3.