Crystal Mountain

Crystal Mountain is a pretty cool resort in general. In fact, the California Club in the restaurant was probably the best I've ever had. Unfortunately, the Mountain Ridge golf course is just overpriced for what you get. At $140 I would have expected to not be hitting out of mud on numerous tee boxes.

The layout is decent. Some holes are VERY average and some holes are pretty cool, but overall nothing to write home about.

Pace of play on a Saturday morning was very slow. There were 3 groups lined up on #1 when we teed off. We waited every hole and almost every shot.

The course has some challenging aspects to it, but attention to detail was lacking. No way they should be charging over $100 to play this course. let alone $140. $75 would be doable based on the condition in June 2023.

The greens however, were in great shape and rolling nicely.

Overall, just a big let down in course quality and conditions based on price.

it was a beautiful day to play golf in October. The course was beautiful as usual. The tees were pretty beat up but he rest of the course was still in great shape.

Great course. Beautiful views and great conditions. Everything about the experience was great. Will definitely be back next time in the area (we live 4 hrs away)

Most of the front 9 is nothing special other than a hole or 3 that were beautiful. I started to feel as if i wasted my time and $ playing the round. However 10 tee surprised me with its immediate uphill elevation / tee shot. The back 9 is beautiful and true Northern Michigan golf. The back 9 definitely saved the day and makes the course worth what I paid. Glad I played it.

I went here with my dad on family vacation at twilight time. Its a nice course through the woods of the Northwest LP and a fair amount of variety. There are four different tee boxes, a good deal of elevation change, and smooth greens that are swift but bot crazy fast. The fairways are fairly open and there are a couple doglegs but its pretty straightforward. It's totally worth it at the twilight rate but I would not personally pay the full rate for what you get.
This is nicer than the other Crystal Mountain Resort Course and more manageable than Arcadia nearby. Its worth trying for a price when you are around here.

The golf experience on Betsie Valley has always been considered a step down from Mountain Ridge. The gap is closing with a renovation that is altering several holes, opening up corridors and making them more playable. With fewer trees, conditions should improve.
On the day I played, several holes had temporary greens, but you could see the potential. I look forward to seeing the finished product.

Mountain Ridge has gained fame as the host of the Michigan Women's Open, an event that attracts aspiring pros from around the country.
It's the perfect resort course - tough enough for a highly respected championship but fun and engaging for 9-10-handicaps like me. It's generally flat until the final stretch climbs up the ski hill and ends dramatically with a go-for-it-in-two downhill par 5. It's great fun.

Staff was great and the course was beautiful. Working on making updates to a few holes and I can't wait to return to see the results!

This is an unattractive course, and in worse overall condition than most municipal tracks I have played. Most of the residential property that surrounds the course is under heavy construction…which I get…it has to be done sometime…but construction aside, this course is still not worth your money.

Beautiful course, great layout, challenging holes. Greens in fantastic condition, people so nice,,will definitely play here again, and would recommend to anyone, fun to play.

Played the Mountain Ridge course on the last day of a buddies golf trip. Greens were fantastic. Not wicked fast but rolled very true. A nice break from the toughness of Arcadia Bluffs but still not a pushover course. All of the staff were very friendly and the practice area was nice as well.

Mountain Ridge is one of my favorites in Michigan. Each hole is different and keeps you guessing, unlike some other resort courses. As you near the end of your round, you take the cart path up the mountain and are met with the best three finishing holes in the area. You can sometimes get stuck behind groups of people (it is a resort, after all), but don't let that stop you from coming. This is a wonderful course and I would definitely recommend playing it.

This is a pretty average resort golf course. The pace of play is usually slow due to the lower cost, meaning the less-skilled players usually choose it over its higher-priced sibling. The greens are nice, but some of the other conditioning is a little lackluster. It's a somewhat challenging track in a few places due to the protected greens, but an average player should be able to score pretty well here. You'll have fun if you play Betsie Valley. It's certainly not a bad course, but it's just dwarfed by how good Mountain Ridge is. It's just a shame it always has to be compared to a much better course.

This course is one of my favorites, and well worth the money.

The greens are always quick, but very true. The layout does have the typical resort feel, but it is challenging and has more variation than most.

The practice facility is top notch and the food beverage is terrific. This is just flat out a well run place.

Crystal Mountain may fly a little under the radar when golfers are looking at northern Michigan's Top 100-rated golf courses. But families in the Midwest know Crystal Mountain very well. This is one of the best outdoor family getaways up here, and the golf product is quite serviceable as well.

The Mountain Ridge course is the newer of the two courses here, designed by Michigan architect William Newcomb, and is a very pleasant and wooded play that can be a great challenge from the back sets of tees. Though considering we played nearby Arcadia Bluffs the day before, we certainly appreciated the more mellow fairways. The course couldn't have been in better condition and endless pines lining each hole, plus some nice elevated tee shots like the par-3 5th, make it a really fun round.

The onsite Kinlochen, a small, Scottish-inspired lodge with multi-room units and a nice bar and patio, is a great touch.