By David Theoret, The Golfinguy
Depending on your favorite season, Crystal Mountain Resort is either a ski resort with 59 well-groomed downhill runs, or a golf resort with 36 holes of championship golf. Regardless of the season, it’s one of Northern Michigan’s best resorts.
Crystal Mountain began as a school project when a geography teacher at nearby Benzonia High School tasked his students to find the best place in the county to start a ski area. The students determined the Buck Hills Range offered the best combination of terrain and snowfall.
The Buck Hills Ski Area became a reality in 1956 with a rope tow powered by an old pick-up truck engine and a warming hut built with donated lumber. In 1960, Buck Hills became Crystal Mountain Resort when it was purchased by 96 shareholders, many of whom had homes nearby. The new owners made substantial upgrades including a new lodge with dining and lodging for overnight guests.
By 1966, the number of owners had dwindled to a small handful, who realized that the best way for the resort to be profitable was to make it a year-round destination. Fast forward to 1981 and sole ownership of Crystal Mountain fell to the George Petritz family and the Petritz family has owned and operated the resort since that time.
Golf entered the equation at Crystal Mountain in 1977 with the opening of the Betsie Valley golf course. A second course, Mountain Ridge followed in 1995. Both courses have received the prestigious 4-star rating from Golf Digest Magazine and are members of America’s Summer Golf Capital, a collection of resort properties that feature 26 golf courses across northern Michigan. The Thistle restaurant and bar, plus an outdoor patio oftentimes features live music.
The Crystal Mountain’s 10-acre learning center and practice facility features a targeted grass range, along with a short game area, featuring chipping and putting greens, complete with sand bunkers for practicing. The Learning Center is also home to Crystal Mountain Golf School, which has been recognized as one of the best golf schools by Golf Digest.
Since opening in 1977, the Betsie Valley course has received many upgrades, most recently in 2021. Renovations included widening the fairways, building new tee boxes, a forestry management project to clear out brush, redesigned cart paths, and more. Even with all of these changes, the course still retains its original character and is now more playable than ever before.
Betsie Valley is spread across the rolling terrain which is blanketed in mature forests of pine and hardwoods. Water comes into play on several holes, and although there are only a few bunkers on the entire course, the majority of golfers tend to find at least one during their rounds. The tight, tree-lined fairways are often accented with wildflowers and lead to small, severely sloped greens making Betsie Valley more of a shot-maker’s course.
The Mountain Ridge course was carved from the mountainside, offering both a challenge and some terrific views. The golf course covers a range of elevation changes from subtle to spectacular. In total, navigating the course requires golfers to ascend over 200 feet during their round. Mountain Ridge is situated among huge Northern Michigan pine trees that frame many of the fairways and greens. Water is a predominant factor on the first four holes. Bunkers and sandy waste areas are more prevalent on Mountain Ridge than on Betsie Valley and usually factor into play. This course emphasizes brains over brawn, and having a sound strategy for each hole is important.
Both Betsie Valley, Mountain Ridge offer four sets of tees and combo yardage with distances ranging from 6,973 to 5,018 yards to accommodate golfers of all abilities.
With a course this beautiful there are many memorable holes but what I remember most are the par 3s; they were scenic, challenging, and fun to play. The second hole plays 143 yards, slightly downhill into an hourglass-shaped green with bunkers on either side as well as water on the left. The green is deeper than it is wide, so distance control is important.
When it comes to lodging, Crystal Mountain offers a wide variety of accommodations. Visitors can choose from hotel-style rooms that sleep two or four guests to mountainside homes that sleep up to 14. There are also bungalows and cottages that are equipped with everything you will need during your stay.
Crystal Mountain offers several dining alternatives from pizza and subs at Betsie River Pizza to casual fine dining at The Thistle. As its name implies, this Scottish-themed venue has something for everyone. It’s best described as come-as-you-are fine dining. The menu is eclectic with everything from burgers and fries to Cornish hen and rack of lamb. Breakfast is served daily at the Wild Tomato and they also serve lunch and dinner. During the winter, Wild Tomato adds several “igloos” to their property where skiers can enjoy a cocktail and shareables outside under the twinkling lights of the Michigan sky.
A golf vacation to Northern Michigan just isn’t complete without a visit to Crystal Mountain. Visit their
website at www.crystalmountain.com to see everything they have to offer year-round and plan your
next visit.
