Mountain Ridge at Crystal Mountain Resort

Address: 12500 Crystal Mountain Dr., Thompsonville, MI 49683

Phone: (231) 378-2049

Overall Rating: 8.39

Front 9: Par 36

Back 9: Par 36

Overall Course: (all 18) Par 72

Clubhouse and Amenities – Rating 9.14

The clubhouse and pro shop at Mountain Ridge in Crystal Mountain Resort, Thompsonville, Michigan, deliver an excellent experience. Dining options abound, starting with The Thistle Pub located right alongside the clubhouse and pro shop—a full restaurant featuring a wide and full menu. Additionally, Wild Tomato offers another full restaurant with a good menu and excellent breakfast. Furthermore, Betsie River Pizza & Subs pairs with an ice cream shop to satisfy any sweet tooth. Inside the clubhouse, a grill serves sandwiches, burgers, hot dogs, and pre-packaged snacks, while a full bar provides beer, sodas, juices, energy drinks, and water. Food pricing varies, with The Thistle Pub on the expensive side and beverages seeming a bit high.

The pro shop stocks a wide range of apparel, including caps, hats, visors, shirts, and skirts. Golf equipment options include golf balls, gloves, clubs, bags, tees, ball markers, and divot tools. Clubhouse restrooms stay clean, and on-course facilities offer sinks plus porta-johns. Well-maintained carts feature GPS and club covers for inclement weather. Cart paths blend paved and gravel sections, yet remain well-marked. Golfers enjoy plenty of paved parking and an easy-to-find assisted bag drop. Amenities also include a driving range and practice putting green.

Outstanding staff—from bag drop to pro shop to food and beverages—prove helpful, courteous, and knowledgeable on golf questions. Overall, Crystal Mountain provides an excellent experience. Indoor golf simulators support play during inclement or off-season weather. Guests can book stay-and-play packages, enjoy occasional live music, indulge at the Crystal Spa, or sharpen skills through the Crystal Mountain Golf School with individual lessons and practice facilities.

Hole 1 – Par 4 – Rating 7.71

Red: 339 yds
Green: 362 yds
White: 386 yds
Blue: 407 yds

Large level tees overlook a rolling fairway. This hole plays uphill from tees and downhill to the green. Longer rough borders tree-lined edges. Wetlands lie left of tees. Pond water hazard guards left and behind green. Real sand greenside bunker challenges approaches. Maintained fringe encircles a large green. Fast putting speed tests precision on receptive, undulating surfaces. The green resembles a saddle, high in the front and back, low in the middle.

Hole 2 – Par 3 – Rating 8.00

Red: 100 yds
Green: 131 yds
White: 143 yds
Blue: 167 yds

This first par 3 on the front nine features tiered, elevated, large level tee boxes. The hole plays downhill to the green. Medium rough borders areas surrounded by trees. Pond water hazard sits left of green. Four real sand greenside bunkers guard the target: one left, one right, and two behind. Maintained fringe encircles a large green. Fast speed demands accuracy on receptive, undulating surfaces. Tiered design slopes back to front with a slightly higher tier in back.

Hole 3 – Par 4 – Rating 8.00

Red: 272 yds
Green: 295 yds
White: 344 yds
Blue: 382 yds

Elevated, tiered, level, medium size tees command a rolling fairway. The hole plays downhill from tees. Longer rough flanks tree-lined boundaries. Two real sand bunkers greenside defend the target: one on the right side and the other on the left front corner. Maintained fringe encircles a large green. Fast speed requires touch on receptive, undulating contours. Tiered layout slopes back to front with high tier on back right corner.

Hole 4 – Par 4 – Rating 8.00

Red: 303 yds
Green: 338 yds
White: 376 yds
Blue: 418 yds

Level, medium size tees open to a rolling fairway. The hole plays uphill to green. Large real sand fairway bunker lurks down the right side of the fairway. Long rough edges tree-lined borders. Pond water hazard lies right of fairway. Two real sand greenside bunkers defend approaches: one guards the left front corner; one protects the right side of the green. Maintained fringe encircles a medium size green. Fast speed challenges putts on receptive, undulating terrain. Surfaces slope back to front and left to right.

Hole 5 – Par 3 – Rating 7.67

Red: 124 yds
Green: 157 yds
White: 183 yds
Blue: 202 yds

This second par 3 on the front nine presents tiered, elevated, large level tee blocks. The hole plays downhill to green. Large fairway bunker threatens the right side. Medium length rough frames tree-lined edges. Four greenside bunkers defend strategically: one on the left front corner, one on left side, one on back left corner, and one back right. Maintained fringe encircles a large green. Fast speed tests skill on receptive, undulating contours. Surfaces slope back to front and left to right. Everything flows toward the front right corner.

Hole 6 – Par 5 – Rating 8.67

Red: 395 yds
Green: 485 yds
White: 513 yds
Blue: 541 yds

This first par 5 on the front nine opens from level, medium size tees. Rolling fairway features a slight dogleg left. The hole plays uphill to green. Medium rough lines tree-lined sides. Two real sand greenside bunkers with small stones threaten approaches: one on right front corner, one large bunker that runs from the left side around the back. Maintained fringe encircles a large green. Fast speed demands precision on tiered, receptive, undulating contours. Surfaces slope back to front with high tier on back left corner.

Hole 7 – Par 4 – Rating 8.29

Red: 325 yds
Green: 356 yds
White: 375 yds
Blue: 402 yds

Elevated, tiered, level, medium size tee boxes overlook a rolling fairway. The hole plays downhill from tees and uphill to the green. Two real sand fairway bunkers threaten drives: one on the right side, another large bunker on the left side running to the left side of the green could be a waste bunker. Longer rough borders tree-lined edges. Maintained fringe encircles a large green. Fast putting speed challenges strokes on receptive, undulating surfaces. All four corners of the green are high and middle is low.

Hole 8 – Par 4 – Rating 8.00

Red: 272 yds
Green: 310 yds
White: 326 yds
Blue: 364 yds

Level, medium size tees launch drives onto a rolling fairway. Long rough guards tree-lined boundaries. Three greenside real sand bunkers defend the target: one on back left corner, two in the front. Maintained fringe encircles a large green. Fast speed requires finesse on receptive, undulating terrain. Contours slope back to front and right to left.

Hole 9 – Par 5 – Rating 8.50

Red: 396 yds
Green: 445 yds
White: 485 yds
Blue: 530 yds

This second par 5 on the front nine starts from level, medium size tees. Rolling fairway features a dogleg left. Two real sand fairway bunkers lie down the right side. A third fairway bunker is on the left side after the dogleg. Medium length rough borders tree-lined areas. Pond water hazard sits right of fairway and green after dogleg. Two greenside real sand bunkers protect the target: one on the back left corner, one all up the green’s right side. Maintained fringe encircles a large green. Fast speed tests control on receptive, undulating surfaces. Tiered design places two tiers high to the back of the green and everything slopes forward.

Average Rating Holes 1-9: 8.09

Mountain Ridge Back Nine

Hole 10 – Par 4 – Rating 8.00

Red: 275 yds
Green: 325 yds
White: 341 yds
Blue: 400 yds

Large, level tees overlook a rolling fairway. This hole features a dogleg right. Real sand fairway bunker sits down the right side. Longer rough flanks tree-lined borders. Three real sand greenside bunkers guard the approach: two near left front corner, one on back left corner of green. Maintained fringe encircles a large green. Fast speed demands accuracy on receptive, undulating contours. Surfaces slope back to front.

Hole 11 – Par 4 – Rating 7.71

Red: 317 yds
Green: 343 yds
White: 380 yds
Blue: 424 yds

Tiered, large, level tee boxes overlook a rolling fairway. Large real sand fairway bunker lies down the right side. Long rough edges tree-lined boundaries. Real sand greenside bunker with small stones guards right side of green. Maintained fringe encircles a large green. Fast speed challenges putts on receptive, undulating terrain. Long and narrow surface slopes back to front.

Hole 12 – Par 3 – Rating 7.71

Red: 132 yds
Green: 149 yds
White: 177 yds
Blue: 206 yds

This first par 3 on the back nine features large, level tees. Golfers tee off over a pond water hazard. Real sand bunker lies to the right after the pond. Long rough borders tree-lined right. Maintained fringe encircles a large green. Fast putting speed tests skill on receptive, undulating contours. Surfaces slope back to front. Many undulations challenge the putting surface.

Hole 13 – Par 4 – Rating 8.29

Red: 277 yds
Green: 345 yds
White: 402 yds
Blue: 443 yds

Large level tees overlook a rolling fairway. Waste bunker threatens left of fairway. Longer rough borders tree-lined edges. Two real sand greenside bunkers guard the target: one on the left front corner and one on the back right corner of the green. Maintained fringe encircles a large kidney shaped green. Fast speed requires precision on receptive, undulating contours. Surfaces slope back to front.

Hole 14 – Par 5 – Rating 8.33

Red: 379 yds
Green: 449 yds
White: 501 yds
Blue: 546 yds

This first par 5 on the back nine opens from large, level tees. Rolling fairway invites aggressive drives. Long rough punishes errant shots along tree-lined edges. Real sand bunker guards left side of the green. Maintained fringe encircles a large green. Fast speed demands careful approach on receptive, undulating surfaces that slope back to front. Terrain falls off sharply on back of green.

Hole 15 – Par 4 – Rating 7.43

Red: 316 yds
Green: 342 yds
White: 368 yds
Blue: 406 yds

Elevated, tiered, large level tee boxes command a rolling fairway. Long waste bunker runs the left side of fairway all the way up to the left side of the green. Long rough flanks tree-lined boundaries. Maintained fringe encircles a large green. Fast putting pace challenges strokes on receptive surfaces with a lot of undulation. Contours slope back to front.

Hole 16 – Par 4 – Rating 8.00

Red: 269 yds
Green: 303 yds
White: 325 yds
Blue: 370 yds

Small, elevated, tiered, level tee blocks overlook a rolling fairway. This hole features a dogleg right. The hole plays downhill from tees and uphill to green. Long rough borders tree-lined sides. Real sand bunker with small stones lies right of green. Maintained fringe encircles a large green. Fast speed tests putts on receptive, undulating contours. Surfaces slope back to front. Balls seem to feed to the right side.

Hole 17 – Par 3 – Rating 8.00

Red: 108 yds
Green: 149 yds
White: 169 yds
Blue: 206 yds

This second par 3 on the back nine offers tiered, elevated, large, level tee boxes. The hole plays downhill to the green. Medium length rough frames tree-lined edges. Three real sand greenside bunkers defend the target: two cover the left front of the green and one is on the back right corner. Maintained fringe encircles a medium size green. Fast speed tests accuracy on receptive, undulating surfaces. Contours slope back to front and left to right. This visually challenging hole demands precise shot-making.

Hole 18 – Par 5 – Rating 8.00

Red: 419 yds
Green: 480 yds
White: 490 yds
Blue: 559 yds

This second and final par 5 on the back nine launches from elevated, level, medium size tees. Rolling fairway plays downhill from tees. Slight dogleg right guides shots. The hole plays downhill to green. Four real sand fairway bunkers scatter down the left side. Long rough edges tree-lined boundaries. Three real sand greenside bunkers defend the target: two protect the left side and one on the right side of the green. Maintained fringe encircles a large green. Fast putting speed challenges strokes on receptive, undulating surfaces. Tiered layout features higher and flatter tier on the back of green. Everything slopes to the front from the back tier.

Average Rating Holes 10-18: 7.94

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