Crystal Springs Resort (Ballyowen & 6 other courses)
Hamburg, NJ (NW corner of NJ, 60 miles W/NW of NYC)
Does this look like North Jersey to you?
Fat Guy Note: The Crystal Downs Resort would be a great spot for a recurring late spring/early fall annual golf buddy trip; the resort is the only one in the Northeast that boasts 7 courses, avoiding boredom by providing plenty of options for tee times.
The 7 courses Crystal Springs offers in their golf packages: Ballyowen, Black Bear, Cascades, Crystal Springs, Great Gorge, Minerals Family Golf Center, and Wild Turkey.
Ballyowen Golf Club (pictured above):
Yardage: Black: 7,094; Blue: 6,508; White: 6,066; Gold: 5,531; Red: 4,903
Rating/Slope: Black: 73.6/131; Blue: 71.2/125; White: M 70.0/122; L 73.4/120; Gold: M 65.9/105; L 71.6/117; Red: 66.9/106
Opened: June 1998
Designer: Roger Rulewich
'10 Rates: $145 Weekend prime time, $125 Friday, $110 weekday
From the website: Ballyowen Golf Club has just been named as one of the Top 50 Public Courses in the US by Conde Nast's GolfWorld Magazine. More than 21,000 individual golf courses were evaluated based on 13 different performance criteria, including quality and condition of the course, reputation/prestige, food/dining, and service. Ballyowen has continually received outstanding critical acclaim since opening in June 1998, rated the #1 Public Golf Course in New Jersey by Golfweek, PubLinks, Zagat, New Jersey Monthly, NJ Golf, and The Jersey Golfer, and 15th among the 50 Most Popular Courses in the US by Zagat.
Ballyowen has been masterfully sculpted out of the local landscape by renowned golf course architect, Roger Rulewich. Situated on 250 sprawling acres atop a plateau, Ballyowen is surrounded by rolling farmland and craggy knolls, overlooking the spirited Walkill River. Virtually treeless, with plush green fairways, Ballyowen reflects the Celtic-style characteristics of this most unique golf site.
The links-style layout provides golfers with a kaleidoscopic array of verdant fairways, pristine white bunkering, and wheat-yellow native rough grasses. Tee shots flow into unique valleys amidst towering mounds. Glimpses of surrounding golf holes recede and vanish as golfers meander from fairway to fairway. Interestingly, the 360-degree visual perspective is relieved only by play of the individual holes.
Wild Turkey Course:
Roger Rulewich
7233 yards, par 71
'02 Fees: $70 to $95
Golf Magazine Review: The 5th course to open at Crystal Springs resort, 60 mi. W of NYC. A "basin and ridge" course stitched together from several different parcels of land, with a good mix of open and wooded holes. Sharp elevation changes, mountain views, and risk-reward scenarios mark the design. Water in play on 4 holes.
Golf Magazine Reader Ratings (1-5):
Overall: 4.1
Condition: 4.2
Pace: 3.8
Service: 4.0
Value: 3.9
Where To Booze & Grub: Owen's Pub at Ballyowen is an Irish-style pub serving Celtic fare, including authentic fish & chips, and a bagpiper salutes the sunset nightly.
The Crystal Springs Resort offers 12 restaurants, pubs, bistros, and cafes. Restaurant Latour is the resort's uppity joint, but after a round you'll surely gravitate to the Tiki Bar or the Crystal Tavern. For Italian, Springs Bistro, or with the kids, hit Chef's Garden.
Where To Crash: Choose between the resort's Grand Cascades Lodge, with a modern upscale rustic French vibe and a cool $7 million "Biosphere" indoor pool complex complete with water slides, a cave-themed steam room, and a grotto jacuzzi; or try the more family friendly Minerals Resort & Spa.
Tip: Make your "long weekend" a Monday-to-Thursday stint, gear up for 36-a-day for 3 or 4 days straight, and get a great deal on their weekday 7-course Sampler Package for just $333.