County Benzie Time zone Eastern (EST) (UTC-5) GNIS feature ID 1877506 Area 3.3 km² Headquarters Michigan, United States | Township Lake FIPS code 26-19135 Elevation 225 m Population 47 (2010) | |
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Similar Prairie Dunes Country, Cypress Point Club, Shinnecock Hills Golf Club, Pine Valley Golf Club, The Country Club | ||
Crystal Downs Country Club is a private country club and lakefront community in Lake Township, Benzie County, near Frankfort, Michigan, in the United States. Designed by golf course architects Alister MacKenzie and Perry Maxwell in 1929, the par-70, 6,518-yard (5,960 m) course offers views of Lake Michigan and Crystal Lake. The Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore lies just to its east. The country club and surrounding housing comprise the "Crystal Downs Country Club" census-designated place (CDP) for federal statistical purposes. As of the 2010 census, the CDP had a population of 47.
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 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. Crystal Downs is currently ranked the #19 course in the world according to Golf.com.