Representative image Photo: Phillip Capper from Wellington, New Zealand · CC BY 2.0
Crystal Downs Country Club
Frankfort, Michigan, United States
18 Holes · Par 70 · Private club — no published green fee; play is by member invitation · Links
— About
About Crystal Downs Country Club
Crystal Downs Country Club occupies a strip of sand dunes in Frankfort, Michigan, with Lake Michigan on one side and Crystal Lake on the other. Alister MacKenzie designed the course with Perry Maxwell, and it opened in 1929 as a par-70 layout of 6,518 yards. That is short by modern standards, and the course does not try to make up the difference with length. Its defenses are subtler: fescue rough, inventive bunkering and greens with a great deal of movement. Some of them carry more than six feet of fall from back to front, notably on the second and eleventh holes. The fifth, a short par 4, and the eighth, a par 5, are the two holes most often named when people list the best in the game, and the seventh has a boomerang-shaped green. The club stays out of the spotlight, and it is a private, members-only place with no published green fee. Ben Crenshaw skipped a practice round during the 1986 Buick Open to see the course, and it now appears regularly on national top-100 lists, including Golf Digest's list of the best US courses.
- The course sits between Lake Michigan and Crystal Lake in Frankfort, Michigan, on a strip of sand dunes.
- Alister MacKenzie designed the holes and Perry Maxwell supervised the construction, which produced a course that opened in 1929.
- At 6,518 yards and par 70, it relies on greens, rough and bunkering rather than raw length.
- Some greens have more than six feet of fall from back to front, which makes reading the putt as important as hitting the green.
- Ben Crenshaw visited during the 1986 Buick Open, skipping a practice round to see MacKenzie's work.
History of Crystal Downs Country Club
Crystal Downs was created in the late 1920s on dune land between Lake Michigan and Crystal Lake. Alister MacKenzie designed the course, and Perry Maxwell, his associate in the Midwest, supervised the building on site, which gave the architect the time to get the details right. The course opened in 1929. In 1986, Ben Crenshaw visited during the week of the Buick Open to see MacKenzie's work, choosing to skip a practice round. Crystal Downs later became a fixture of national course rankings, and it has been ranked as high as 10th on Golf Digest's list of the best courses in the United States and as high as 14th in Golf Magazine's list of the top courses in the world. The club has kept a low profile, and it remains private and members-only, with guest play arranged by members rather than by public tee sheet or online booking.
Signature holes at Crystal Downs Country Club
The fifth is a short par 4, and it is one of the two holes most often named among the best in the game, alongside the eighth. The seventh is another strong two-shotter, and its boomerang-shaped green makes the angle of the approach more important than distance. The eighth, a bunkerless par 5, is regarded by some as the finest three-shot hole that MacKenzie and Maxwell produced. Together these three holes show how the designers used the dunes, not length, as the main test on a course of only 6,518 yards.
When to play Crystal Downs Country Club
Northern Michigan has a shorter golf season than many parts of the country, with summer the peak on the Lake Michigan shore and early fall bringing cooler air and quieter days. Winters here are cold, so the course is not a year-round destination for most visitors. Because Crystal Downs is private and open only to members and their guests, the best time to visit is whenever a member can host you in season.
Playing Crystal Downs Country Club: tips
Crystal Downs is a members-only club with no public tee times and no published green fee, so you will need a member to host you. The club's address is 249 E. Crystal Downs Drive, Frankfort, MI 49635, and its telephone number is 231-352-9933. The club asks for appropriate golf attire, so check the details with your host before you pack. Ask your host as well about the arrangements for caddies and about the best route to Frankfort from your arrival airport, since the club publishes no public visitor guidance.
— Weather at Crystal Downs Country Club
Approximate conditions · Observed · Open-Meteo
Visit Crystal Downs Country Club
249 Crystal Downs Drive, Frankfort, MI 49635
Frankfort, Michigan, United States
— FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions about Crystal Downs Country Club
Can the public play Crystal Downs?
No. Crystal Downs is a private, members-only club with no public tee times and no published green fee. The only way to play is as the guest of a member.
Who designed Crystal Downs?
Alister MacKenzie designed the course with Perry Maxwell, who supervised its construction on site. It opened in 1929 and plays as a par 70 of 6,518 yards.
How long is Crystal Downs?
The course measures 6,518 yards and plays to par 70, which is short by modern standards. The test comes from its greens, fescue rough and bunkering rather than from length.
Which holes are the most famous at Crystal Downs?
The short par-4 fifth and the par-5 eighth are the two most often cited among the best holes in the game, and the seventh is known for its boomerang-shaped green.