Crystal Downs Country Club

Crystal Downs — Alister MacKenzie and Perry Maxwell in northern Michigan’s wooded dunes

The course is situated between Crystal Lake and Lake Michigan, set amidst inland dunes, forests, steep slopes, and open water views.

Crystal Downs emerged around 1930 from Alister MacKenzie’s design, with Perry Maxwell supervising construction and continuing the work over several seasons.

MacKenzie and Maxwell expertly utilized the natural contours of the land, requiring very little earthmoving. The fairways are uneven, the greens severely sloped, and the bunkers are seamlessly integrated into the dunes.

The course may be short, but it is exceptionally vibrant. Lies are rarely flat, and the greens have a way of turning small misjudgments into significant challenges.

The private seasonal club is valued for simplicity and fidelity to the original architecture.

Designed by Alister MacKenzie with Perry Maxwell; completed progressively in the early 1930s.

Designed by Alister MacKenzie with Perry Maxwell; construction gradually completed in the early 1930s; a founding member of the Alister MacKenzie Society.