With Josh's blessing, I'd like to follow this thread using the boxing scorecard format recently introduced by John Kavanaugh. I was fortunate to play both courses with him, and after riding his coattails to two great courses in Michigan I'll happily continue riding his coattails on this thread.
Both courses throw haymakers on the first tee. Crystal Downs' first tee view is, quite simply, a home run. The whole front nine just lays out in front of you, creating an adrenaline rush in the player fit for opening a title fight. This tee shot, more than anything on the course, defines the Crystal Downs experience for me. Josh covered the playing characteristics well - it's as straightforward as any tough hole rich with subtlety and featuring a green that could be happily putted for 30 minutes can be. I do love, though, that the strategy of the hole goes against formula. We all love strategic golf, but sometimes I think we try to define strategy in a narrow box that says "put a hazard in the ideal side of the fairway, and make the approach trickier from the other side." With a fairway bunker right and a green opening from that side, it appears the ideal angle of approach is from the right. In fact, it might be from the left for most pin positions to get the ideal angle into the green's slope. Then again, an approach from the left brings the back bunkers more into the line of play while it's easier to bail out away from them from the right, leaving a simpler up and down that might be the ideal play for the bogey golfer.
Of course, Kingsley's opening view is a pretty great one as well, and probably defines the course as well as Crystal's opener. The tee shot is accommodating with plenty of short grass and wide channels to each side of the bunker complex, but it also requires precision from the player long enough to think about flying the complex and getting home in two to strike it well enough and on the correct line. Like the first at Crystal, the first at Kingsley gives the bogey golfer strategic options to take advantage of the stroke he's receiving. The landing zone for a layup is wide, and the green accepts a running shot. Getting above the hole is probably just as treacherous here as it is at Crystal's first too.
I suspect either of these holes would win most rounds 10-8 against another course. They're both fantastic openers. For me, the playing characteristics of the 1st at Crystal just slightly trump those of Kingsley's first. As great as Kingsley's tee shot is, missing the speed slot leaves a fairly uneventful second while every shot at Crystal's opener is exciting regardless of how out of position you've gotten (as I can attest). It's nitpicking, but that's the only way to pick a winner between two holes that are among the best 50 opening holes in golf.
1st round: CD wins 10 - 9
Running Total: CD 10, Kingsley 9