Crystal Lake Golf Club

Remarkable condition considering the drought we have experienced.

So some comments on the golf experience during COVID-19 and during the same week the governor asked everyone to be aware we were at a turning point. The pro shop was open and multiple people were walking in to pay. Distancing was not being observed. On top of that the man taking payment on Friday the 7th of August, around 12:50, was not wearing a mask and there was no plexiglass separator in place. When asked why he was not wearing a mask he said he had two nearby, but made no effort to put one on.

Tee times were running right on time so given it was near 1 PM that was a good sign. The starter also was not wearing a mask and was riding with his ‘side-kick who also was not wearing a mask.

One of us rode a cart and three of us walked. On a scale of 1-10 where 10 is extremely walker friendly I’d rate this as a 6. You can walk it without too much effort but there are some very long and sometimes steep walks from green to tee on several holes. I’d say walk but be mindful of some long steep climbs.

Pace of play was very good though we may have lucked out as we never had anyone in front of us. We finished 18 in 4 hours and 20 minutes and at times we seemed to be holding up the group behind us.

A COVID-19 disappointment on the course was the young woman serving beverages and snacks from a mobile cart. She also did not wear a mask and when asked if she had one she just said no but offered to have us reach into the snack box ourselves rather than her touching it. That was nice but did nothing to stop potential spread from this pleasant 19 or 20 something. In terms of availability she was around the course quite regularly and that was a very good thing. Most courses have not figured that out.

At the end of the round we were going to stop off for a cool drink but decided not to as the patio was packed and the bar inside was crowded as well. There was no plexiglass separation between bartender and customers and the bartender we saw around 5:20, wore a mask over her mouth but not her nose

Rates for golf were fair. $33 Over 60 rate for walking versus $40 standard rate. Course was in very good condition though greens were slow but true. We were a bit disappointed by the odd positioning of the 4th and 5th holes which were basically a backwards L and a regular L divided by out of bound stakes and having several blind shots. Besides that it’s a nice playable layout if not very tight in some places raising risks from errant shots.

Probably won’t be back here until COVID-19 is under control.

Glad I finally played this course.. Extremely fair yet very challenging. Tough, quick greens but nothing to be scared of. No crazy carries or anything. This was extremely enjoyable and we will absolutely play it again. One hour from our house but well worth it.

Nice course, good variety of holes. Greens were nice. People respectful and friendly.

We found this course, and though it is an hour away from our home, we both are thinking of joining there. Great course, some spectacular holes, sure there are a few choke points where golfers are hitting against each other, but for the most part, once you learn the layout, you are fine.

Was not impressed with the.guy in the pro shop charging extra to ride alone. I didn't know the other party. He wanted me to ride with and with this carrona thing still going on I'm not willing to take the chance and neither should they. And by the way the other two guys that I played with weren't charged extra to ride singe.

Disappointing. ..

The course is in great shape though!

Awesome course, great layout and very well kept- Greens a little slow but in great shape. Starters are cool, good mix of difficult holes and holes you can score on. Best public course I have played in the area for under $70.. only $59 on weekdays.. awesome

This is not a bomb an gauge course. Played blue tees which was appropriate for our group. Many holes require thinking and placement shots. There are ample opportunities to grip it and rip it tho. Some elevation changes some tight fairways. You get to hit just about every club tho. Overall very enjoyable course, will be back

Tried this course a couple of years ago, and while I liked the course, the attitude of the rangers and pro shop employees left a sour taste in my mouth. They were very curt and not accommodating at all. However, since the course was in good shape, I decided to give it another shot. Well, absolutely nothing has changed. They were fairly rude over the phone when I booked my time, and even more rude were the rangers in person during our round. There are 3-4 of them on the course, and not only are they doing nothing to help with pace of play, they are unwilling to help with any questions about the course, and have no personality at all. In fact, they act more like the golfers are there to serve them and they couldn't care less about customers having an enjoyable time. There are many other good courses in this $70.00 price range, with much friendlier staff - I'd try any other course but here. Special shout out to the bartender/restaurant staff though, who ALMOST made us forget about the poor service on the course itself.

For some background info, I've literally never reviewed any place in my life (41 years old), and had to set up an account just to share my experiences here.