The #1 ranked course in New Jersey. 75,000 bottles in the wine cellar! Need we say more?
Golf buddy trips, or couples trips, have become an annual pilgrimage among friends to seek out the best in golf and comradery; they are a special part of the game and quality of life. If you have been on one, you know.
For those special trips golfers seek out destinations with a variety of golf, lodging, dining and activities where men and women can escape from the real world into golf nirvana.
When golfers think of top resorts and destinations nationally for trips, places like Pinehurst, Kiawah, Streamsong, Kohler, or Bandon Dunes come to mind. You need to add Crystal Springs in New Jersey to that list!
For golfers in Ontario, Quebec and throughout, the northeast States it’s closer to home than you think (roughly 8 hours from Toronto, ON, 6.5 hours from Ottawa, ON and 5.5 hours from Montreal, QC)! Only 45 minutes from New York City, Crystal Springs, in the scenic Hamburg Mountains near the Appalachian Trail, provides the perfect destination for golfers and even non golfers.
Cascades Course
Crystal Springs’ quality and variety of golf is unmatched in the region. It is the largest golf resort in the region featuring six championship courses and 90 holes of golf, and is considered one of the “Best Golf Resorts in The Americas” by Golf Digest.
Complementing the world-class golf experience is the Grand Cascades Lodge, one of the premier hotel facilities in the Northeast, and the Kittatinny Mountain Range provides a spectacular backdrop. The luxurious 250-room 4-star Adirondack-style lodge offers spacious 1-, 2- and 3-bedroom units complete with kitchens and all the modern amenities. The resort also offers the Minerals Hotel as another option for golfers seeking a variety of recreational activities.
Add in more than 10 dining experiences including the 4-star Restaurant Latour and its award-winning (Wine Spectator Grand Award) 75,000-bottle Wine Cellar, two full-service award-winning spas, skeet shooting and scotch tastings, and golfers have an unmatched premier golf retreat to enjoy on those Northeast trips.
Since for special trips it is mostly about the golf, consider that Crystal Springs has something for everyone. For golf aficionados, we recommend the award-winning Ballyowen Golf Club, New Jersey’s No. 1-rated golf course designed by Roger Rulewich, the long-time lead designer for Hall of Fame architect Robert Trent Jones Sr. This modern day links-style course is spread over 250 acres atop a plateau with 360-degree views overlooking the beautiful Walkill River. The best stretch of holes might be on the front nine from holes 3 – 7, with holes 6 and 7 playing around a lake providing drama on every swing. Make sure to take advantage of their new caddie program and make your rounds even more enjoyable.
Aerial of Wild Turkey course at Crystal Springs Resort
Rulewich also designed Wild Turkey, a tremendous course in its own right providing a great 36-hole combination with Ballyowen. Located adjacent to the Grand Cascades Lodge, this modern gem that can be best described as “basin and ridge” incorporating some similar features to the highly acclaimed Ballyowen. The course features a variety of parkland holes that flow along a ridge and through an open basin area providing spectacular views.
Joining Ballyowen and Wild Turkey is one of Golf Digest Magazine’s toughest courses in America, the memorable Crystal Springs course designed by Robert Von Hagge. Despite measuring just over 6,800 yards from the championship tees, the distinct character of the club can be attributed to Von Hagge’s hallmark sculpted mounds that frame the tight fairways and small greens and the limestone quarry that the course flows in and around.
Black Bear is also one of the more popular courses in the region. It drapes along the Hamburg Mountain landscape providing scenic wooded holes with challenging shot values.
Crystal Springs also features two innovative nine-hole courses that cater to all levels of players and families. The Cascades course provides the perfect course for the emergency 9-holes to be played adding another element for the group. The course offers a variety of tee positions including junior tees, large cups, as well as Footgolf. Golfers can also try Golf Boards and Golf Bikes here. The Minerals course, designed by Robert Trent Jones Sr., has long been regarded as the best 9-hole golf course in the Northeast and one of the top short courses in America. Families also enjoy this course with its four-person family golf carts.
Black Bear Course
In addition to the world-class golf, golfers will find a variety of other activities to do in the region including hiking, biking, boating, kayaking, fly-fishing and bird watching at area state parks along the scenic Appalachian Trail and the Kittatinny Mountain Range. Exploring local wineries and beer distilleries is also a popular treat, and New York City, one of the largest cities in the world, is just an hour away.
When the limestone quarrying operations ceased in the area in 1929, the site filled with water, forming the many natural springs that now dot the property. The clear waters at the 11th hole of the Crystal Springs course prompted the naming of the course, the community and ultimately Crystal Springs Resort.
When planning that next golf trip, remember, it doesn’t require a long trip to experience great golf in a wonderful setting. For more information about Crystal Springs Resort and to book your next golf trip, visit www.crystalgolfresort.com.
