Crystal Downs Country Club
Frankfort, MI
Crystal Downs Country Club is a private 18-hole, par-70 golf course in Frankfort, Michigan, playing 6,560 yards with a course rating of 72.9 and slope of 143. It is ranked #15 on Golf Digest's America's 100 Greatest Golf Courses (2025-26).
🏛 Designed by Alister MacKenzie (1929); Perry Maxwell (1928)
Crystal Downs Country Club in Benzie County, Michigan is a private course designed by Alister MacKenzie and Perry Maxwell that opened in 1929. It plays to a par of 70 over 6,560 yards along Lake Michigan and Crystal Lake, and was ranked 10th in Golf Digest's 2007-08 list of America's greatest courses.
Accolades
- Ranked #15, America's 100 Greatest Golf Courses (Golf Digest, 2025-26)
- Ranked #1, Best in Michigan (Golf Digest, 2025-26)
- Ranked #23, Top 100 Courses in the U.S. (GOLF Magazine, 2024-25)
- Ranked #17, USA Top 100 (Top 100 Golf Courses, as of Oct 2026)
📍 249 E Crystal Downs Dr, Frankfort, MI 49635
Course layout
Hole lines and layout © OpenStreetMap contributors. Tap a hole line for par and yardage.
Scorecard, hole by hole
- Par 70 over 18 holes: 4 par 3s, 12 par 4s, 2 par 5s
- Longest hole: No. 16, 588 yards, par 5
- Shortest hole: No. 14, 147 yards, par 3
- Hardest hole by handicap: No. 8 (par 5, 550 yards)
- Biggest elevation change: No. 1, about 90 ft downhill from tee to green
- Doglegs: 1 left, 3 right
| Hole | Par | Yards | Hcp | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 4 | 460 | 3 | 5 bunkers, plays about 90 ft downhill |
| 2 | 4 | 425 | 5 | 5 bunkers, plays about 25 ft uphill |
| 3 | 3 | 191 | 17 | 6 bunkers, plays about 40 ft downhill |
| 4 | 4 | 409 | 7 | 7 bunkers |
| 5 | 4 | 353 | 9 | dogleg left, 11 bunkers, plays about 35 ft downhill |
| 6 | 4 | 384 | 13 | dogleg right, 4 bunkers, plays about 10 ft uphill |
| 7 | 4 | 335 | 11 | 5 bunkers, plays about 35 ft downhill |
| 8 | 5 | 550 | 1 | 2 bunkers, plays about 50 ft uphill |
| 9 | 3 | 175 | 15 | 1 bunker, plays about 30 ft uphill |
| Out | 35 | 3,282 | ||
| 10 | 4 | 395 | 6 | 3 bunkers, plays about 60 ft downhill |
| 11 | 3 | 196 | 16 | 2 bunkers, plays about 20 ft uphill |
| 12 | 4 | 430 | 4 | dogleg right, 3 bunkers |
| 13 | 4 | 484 | 8 | 5 bunkers, plays about 30 ft downhill |
| 14 | 3 | 147 | 18 | 7 bunkers |
| 15 | 4 | 327 | 14 | 4 bunkers, plays about 10 ft uphill |
| 16 | 5 | 588 | 2 | 5 bunkers, plays about 15 ft uphill |
| 17 | 4 | 311 | 12 | 3 bunkers, plays about 40 ft downhill |
| 18 | 4 | 400 | 10 | dogleg right, 8 bunkers |
| In | 35 | 3,278 | ||
| Total | 70 | 6,560 |
Scorecard from the BLUE tees. Doglegs, water and bunkers are read from the OpenStreetMap hole lines and mapped hazards © OpenStreetMap contributors. Elevation: Open-Meteo / Copernicus DEM, approximate.
Nearby golf courses
| Course | Miles | Holes | Par | Rating / slope | Access |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crystal Lake Golf ClubBeulah | 8.7 | 18 | 72 | 73 / 133 | Public |
| Pinecroft Golf CourseBenzonia Township | 9.0 | 18 | 72 | 70.1 / 126 | Public |
| Champion Hill Golf CourseBeulah | 10.5 | 18 | 72 | 72 / 127 | Public |
| Dunes Golf ClubEmpire Township | 13.9 | 18 | 72 | 67.7 / 111 | Public |
| Chestnut HillsBear Lake | 15.2 | 18 | 72 | 71.8 / 129 | Public |
| Crystal Mountain Resort - Mountain RidgeThompsonville | 16.3 | 18 | 72 | 73.6 / 139 | Public |
| Arcadia Bluffs Golf ClubArcadia | 16.9 | 18 | 72 | 75.7 / 146 | Public |
| Betsie ValleyThompsonville | 17.0 | 18 | 72 | 71.9 / 136 | Public |
| Mistwood Golf CourseLake Ann | 17.3 | 27 | Public | ||
| Arcadia Bluffs - South CourseArcadia | 18.2 | 18 | 72 | 75.6 / 132 | Public |
Straight-line distance from this course.
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