2024. Prices and selections may vary and are updated frequently.
The first thing you have to know about the Crystal Downs Country Club is the golf course. It’s not just the best golf course in the state of Michigan according to Top100golf courses.com. It’s also the Top 10 golf course in the whole of North America, and also 18th in the entire world.
Yet it’s not as famous as it ought to be. In fact, it’s probably the best golf course most golfers have never heard of. In fact, while the whole 18-hole course was actually completed in 1933, it was only when Ben Crenshaw won the Buick Open in 1986 and kept on praising Crystal Downs after playing on the course.
That lack of fame for Crystal Downs is not always a bad thing if you’re a member here, since it should mean you won’t have too many people fighting for tee times. But that logic doesn’t exactly play here, as tee times in the Crystal Downs Country Club in Frankfort is also considered the toughest to get in the whole state.
To become a member of this non-profit private club, you’ll first have to be proposed by a current member. That can be difficult, since members can only propose a new member once every 5 years. Then your application has to be supported by several other members before you’re considered, so it helps if you’re somewhat well-known to begin with.
Reports about the initiation fee has been varied and conflicting, and none of them have been confirmed. Some reports say that the initiation fee is $180,000 but many other contend that the fees here are not as high as in other comparable golf courses and country clubs.
If you’re ever lucky enough to get invited as a guest, then count your lucky stars. The club is on the eastern shore of Lake Michigan, about 7 miles north of Frankfort and 40 miles west of Traverse City. Aside from the golf, the Crystal Downs Country Club also offers an excellent tennis program along with plenty of summer social events. It also has 2 dining facilities for fine and casual dining.