[JC Jones]

6:22pm last night I got the call.  The call I have been waiting for since I took up the game.

"Clear your calendar for October 7th, you're playing the Downs"

Every golfer in Michigan, especially those of us who have grown up and lived in Michigan our entire lives dreams of playing Crystal Downs one day.  It means more to me than any other course in the world because this is my state's contribution to the pantheon of the worlds greatest golf courses.

I read the write up 20 times last night but I need more.  I'm looking for hole by hole pictures and advice.  All is welcome, all is appreciated.

[PThomas]

have a blast JC!

and make sure your putting touch is working well that day!

[Andy Troeger]

www.golfarchitecturepictures.com

Lots of photos of CD.

[TEPaul]

JC:

Maybe you've already taken off for the course but if not pay particular attention to these things:

1. Interesting right to left tilt to the first green
2. Semi-inscrutable tee shot (particularly for the first time player) on #5.
3. The interesting 7th hole made most interesting by the boomerang green. For your sake I hope the pin is on the back portion.
4. The rolling 8th fairway, particularly on the second half of the hole.
5. Look at how the best angle of attack on the 10th green seems to be from the rough on the right.  
6. The extreme slope of some portions of the 11th green
7. The inscrutability of the approach to #13.
8. #15 green---great contouring. #14 ain't bad either
9. #17---a one of a kind hole. If you know what to do on the tee you're a genius.
10. #18 has a fine driving diagonal along the right side. If you aren't playing the tips just go back there and look on this hole.

Enjoy yourself. The course and its architecture is some of the best in the business.

[John Kavanaugh]

JC,

Congrats on the dream come true.  You enthusiasm reminds me how I would feel if I ever got the call to play Augusta National.  How did the invite come about?  Who are you playing with and will their games reflect yours enough that you get to play the correct set of tees?

[JC Jones]

JC,

Congrats on the dream come true.  You enthusiasm reminds me how I would feel if I ever got the call to play Augusta National.  How did the invite come about?  Who are you playing with and will their games reflect yours enough that you get to play the correct set of tees?

JK,

My brother married a girl (15 years ago) from TC whose dad is a very prominent lawyer up there.  He is a member of TCGCC though.  Well my brother and his wife recently moved from Orlando up to TC so he was able to start really applying the pressure on his father in law to pull some strings.

I will be playing with the member, my brother and his father in law.  I dont know anything about the member other than I will owe him for the rest of my life.  The rest of us all shoot 75-85 with me being on the low end, my bro in the middle and the old man at the high end.  Our games, however, are completely different.  The old man plays old man ball, my brother is very straight off the tee and with his irons but struggles with the short game and I am a long player who putts well but struggles with the 40-80 yard wedges.  

I am hoping to play all the way back.  But, honestly, I am just happy to be playing, I'd play from the ladies tees.

[Patrick Glynn]

JC - I hope you have a great time!

http://www.golfarchitecturepictures.com/Web%20Galleries/USA/Michigan/Crystal%20Downs/index.html

Pictures of every hole! Tee, fairway, greens & panoramic... When I paly a "name" course, I check his site & try and get a Stroke Saver & save pics of each hole to my hard drive. Makes for a fuller experience IMHO.

Edit - I see Andy also posted the link.

[David Stamm]

6:22pm last night I got the call.  The call I have been waiting for since I took up the game.

"Clear your calendar for October 7th, you're playing the Downs"

Every golfer in Michigan, especially those of us who have grown up and lived in Michigan our entire lives dreams of playing Crystal Downs one day.  It means more to me than any other course in the world because this is my state's contribution to the pantheon of the worlds greatest golf courses.

I read the write up 20 times last night but I need more.  I'm looking for hole by hole pictures and advice.  All is welcome, all is appreciated.

Enjoy yourself JC. Your enthusiasm is wonderful to see and reminds me of myself when I'm about to play great course.

[Joel_Stewart]

Funny how you can live somewhere and never able to make a connection to get on a particular course.  It took me a long time to get on Cypress Point then I played it 5 times within 3 years.

At CD, the front nine will blow you away.  I flew into CD after playing Pine Valley for 3 days and came off the ninth hole thinking this is a top 5 golf course.  The back nine was a little bit of a let down but you'll love it.  Some interesting things on that golf course you will not see on other courses.  I'm sure others have told you not to hit it above the hole.  Have fun.

[Dan Herrmann]

So what's the over/under on the number of hours JC will sleep the night before?

How about 4?

[Jordan Wall]

So what's the over/under on the number of hours JC will sleep the night before?

How about 4?

I have an over under on 5 hours...I get under, because I think 4 is spot on...

[ed_getka]

JC,
   Don't worry about sleep the night before. It is 2 nights before that counts the most just like for a marathon. Nobody sleeps well the night before the big event.
    Be sure to putt assertively so the ball holds it's line. Do NOT putt like Aaron Baddeley at Oakmont or CD's greens will eat you alive. If you go around without a 3-putt you are the second coming of Ben Crenshaw.
     Don't even think of shooting your handicap or you will be disappointed. Just enjoy every shot and don't give up.
     #3 par 3 green tilts from right to left, so resist the temptation to bail right.
      #4 green tilts from right to front left.
    #5 green tilts hard from left to right so you have 2 puzzles to solve there, the drive and the approach.

CD is like many Mackenzie courses in that the back tees aren't that long, but by the time you are done you will swear the course is 500 yards longer than the scorecard says.

Give me a call and I'll be happy to talk to you about the course. Check your IM.

[JC Jones]

So what's the over/under on the number of hours JC will sleep the night before?

How about 4?

Well, I managed to get about 5 hours in tonight before I woke up thinking about it, and Im about a month out.  Not sure how that projects out but it doesnt look good.

[Jordan Wall]

So what's the over/under on the number of hours JC will sleep the night before?

How about 4?

Well, I managed to get about 5 hours in tonight before I woke up thinking about it, and Im about a month out.  Not sure how that projects out but it doesnt look good.

It projects I win my over/under.

But honestly, do whatever you can to sleep, even if sleeping pills.

The last you want to happen is to sleep two hours and be all groggy for your day, if you know wht I mean...

[Joe Hancock]

Jordan,

You already have experience with sleeping pills?

Joe

[Tom_Doak]

Joel:

You need to come and play the back nine at Crystal Downs again.

JC:

I typed out a whole list of instructions a couple of mornings ago but somehow it never made its way here.  Here goes again:

The only thing you should worry about is STAYING BELOW THE HOLE on your approach shots.  This usually means staying short but not always, so here is a hole by hole guide:

1.  Play your approach for the front of the green and stay below the hole at all costs.  The club professional Fred Muller told me years ago this is one of four holes where he picks a club so if he hits it the furthest he's ever hit it in his life, he will finish a foot short of the hole!

2.  Keep left of the flag and short of the hole, although it's way uphill on the approach.

3.  Aim left of the flag as it all tilts right to left.

4.  Gentlest green on the course so aim for the flag.

5.  Aim for the flag to finish right of it.

6.  If the flag is left play to the left of it, if right play to the right, you don't want to putt over the ridge through the middle.  Don't go past the flag either.

7.  You have to miss in the correct half of the green ... if the flag is back take an extra club and a half, if it's in front club down.

8.  A very small target, and the only place to leave yourself is at the right front edge.  If it's playing into the wind you CANNOT be past the flag or you'll make a snowman.

9.  Stay below the hole, but it's uphill one club.

10.  Miss at the right front, just over the bunker.  Last time out I four-putted to one of the easier pin placements from the left edge!  [Actually it was three putts and a chip after the first one.]

11.  Miss to the left front.  Two clubs uphill but NEVER be past the hole on your first shot or your second or your third.

12.  Green falls away so don't be short ... the only green where you're better off long.

13.  Depends entirely on hole location.  If it's front, miss at front right.  Back right, miss right (hard not to).  Back left, just throw it back there.

14.  Stay short of the hole, but the green is not as severe as it looks.

15.  Tough one to describe, very tricky as opposed to steep.  Just aim for the hole.

16.  Stay short of the flag and probably to the right.

17.  Stay short and left of the flag, but if you don't get it five yards onto the green it's coming back 30 yards down the hill.

18.  Stay short of the flag and a bit to the right.

And for God's sake don't lose any sleep over it.  It's just a golf course.  A really good one at that.

[C. Squier]

First off, congrats....I know how it feels to get "the call".  

I played CD a few weeks ago for the first time.  I do agree that the front is better than the back, but that's like saying a '45 Mouton is better than an '82 Mouton.  Its true, until you realize you're drinking a frickin' '45 Mouton and '82 Mouton.....you stop analyzing and go back to enjoying the best the world has to offer.  (sorry for the wine parable to our non-wine snobs)  

Played during great weather and had a fun warmup at High Pointe the morning of.  I didn't 3 putt, which was a win for me....79 whiffs later, I walked off with a giant grin on my face.  

My best advice is to pick up the little booklet that Fred wrote.  It has little notes for each hole, but unlike any other booklet like it, it's actually really sage advice.  We met Fred after the round and the first thing we said was, "thanks for the book!".  

Enjoy the round!
Clint

[JC Jones]

Tom D -

I cant thank you enough, forgive me if I print out those instructions and carry them with me on the course.

Everyone else -

Thanks for the congrats, like I said, this is a dream come true and all of your advice has been phenomenal.

[ed_getka]

JC,
   Not all of #12 green falls away, there is a cool shelf on the left next to the bunker that I noticed for the first time last year.
Make sure to putt from one end of #7 green to the other if you have time. It is really fun to putt around the boomerang green.

Note shelf at the back of #9 green.

The coolest thing about CD is how the course gets into your head on subsequent plays. You then have an understanding of how important it is to stay below the hole, and it affects your ability to hit a good approach, which in turn affects your drive as you are trying to get in a good position for the approach, and so on.
Have a great time and let us know how it went.

Clint,
  No 3 putts on your first play is borderline miraculous!!!

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