Crystal Springs (Burlingame, CA)

Golferguy209 · September 14, 2021

Playing in a best ball tournament this upcoming weekend at Crystal Springs in Burlingame. It's my first time playing the course and I don't have any time to get out there for a practice round. Any advice or strategy on playing the course? I play mostly in the East Bay if there is any course that you can compare it to. Thanks in advance!

James the Hogan Fan · September 17, 2021

I hope someone chimes in for you. My situation is similar; I lived in the east and now live in the north bay. Crystal is a course that's good enough I've heard of it but not good enough I ever made the trek to play it.

I'd be curious to hear about it.

wtoomey · September 17, 2021

Here we go…

#1: Stay right off the tee. If you are long, 3w is the play. You cannot be center of left of fairway for approach. On the green, front right is the easiest to putt up to any left or back pins. Green slopes back front, left to right.

#2. Left edge of bunker is your line off the tee. Do not get left of or on green, you need to be on the right side of green as it slopes left to right and is fast.

#3 Not much other than tee box is about +3 yards in elevation to green.

#4 Anything going towards the right edge is going to bound into hazard, the ground is hard over there. Green is very deep. If you are considering going for in two, ball coming in the front left of green has best chance of chasing up.

#5 Right edge of bunker is your line. Play for right side of green on approach. Bunker fronting green is a b****. +6 up hill

#6 Aim for bunker and let gravity do it’s job. Good drives usually leave you 120 to a flat green.

#7 aim right tree and let ball bound right to left. Lots of room far left past bushes and tall tree, but rough is long. Deep green that slopes right to left. More green behind sand than you think.

#8 Long par three. If pin behind sand, just play the number out to the left. You will have an uphill putt.

#9 Left edge off grove of trees. Tight hole with OB left. Approach needs to be middle to back of green. Huge false front in left green. Can run up the right. Back of green pins are fine, front of green pins, good luck.

#10 This hole is funky because the second shot needs to be played to short of the green (5 feet) so the ball will bound up. No real need to cut the corner but you need to get out long enough because the corner is a tree that you cannot see from the tee.

#11 +8 up hill. Green is big time back to front. Need to stay under hole and not come in too far from the side or you will have a bender.

+12 Aim for the right side of left bunker. +9 on second shot. Distance should be to just clear trap. Green will not hold anything from middle to back. If you end up in back trap, PUTT out of it. No sand at all.

#13 Play to the middle number. Usually same club as #11.

#14 Long hole, trouble left off the tee. Flat green. Be happy with a 4

#15 Short and narrow. Could be played 8 iron, 8 iron or driver wedge. This green is usually the softest and balls will check and stop unlike what you have experienced in the first 14, so play to the number and toss a dart.

#16 Too long left will block you out, so you want to play something moving left to right. Going for two is tough with traps on both sides. You need to go up high or tread the needle between them.

#17 Long narrow hole, long narrow green. Back of the green is the high side, so anything short will be a nice up hill attempt. Front pin will be affected by the back of the trap, pushing balls to the left.

#18 Left side of right traps, bombs away. Long second will not run up because of elevation and mound. Green slopes back to front.

Course Knowledge: Traps SUCK! Avoid them at all costs. If you get in one, you cannot play it as a sand shot, there is no sand. Dig in, weight forward, but square face, an inch behind the ball with a pitching motion, not breaking your wrist at all.

You won’t have very many level lies, remember to level your shoulders to the slope.

#1 & #2 greens are the toughest, don’t let them discourage your round. #6 and #15 are usually always soft and receptive. The green are going to probably be a bit firmer. If we get any rain before your round, they might receive a ball better, but they’ve been hard.

The green surrounds have been worn thin, lots of bump and runs because there is nothing under them to get under and lift up with.

Pay attention to your drive once it lands, a lot of movement on the ground because of the uneven ground, the ball will end up in unexpected places. The idea of everything moves towards the water is true on the fairways, but not necessarily on the greens.

Good luck! If you have any other questions, let me know.

aloha b. · September 19, 2021

On 9/17/2021 at 5:25 AM, wtoomey said:

Here we go…

#1: Stay right off the tee. If you are long, 3w is the play. You cannot be center of left of fairway for approach. On the green, front right is the easiest to putt up to any left or back pins. Green slopes back front, left to right.

#2. Left edge of bunker is your line off the tee. Do not get left of or on green, you need to be on the right side of green as it slopes left to right and is fast.

#3 Not much other than tee box is about +3 yards in elevation to green.

#4 Anything going towards the right edge is going to bound into hazard, the ground is hard over there. Green is very deep. If you are considering going for in two, ball coming in the front left of green has best chance of chasing up.

#5 Right edge of bunker is your line. Play for right side of green on approach. Bunker fronting green is a b****. +6 up hill

#6 Aim for bunker and let gravity do it’s job. Good drives usually leave you 120 to a flat green.

#7 aim right tree and let ball bound right to left. Lots of room far left past bushes and tall tree, but rough is long. Deep green that slopes right to left. More green behind sand than you think.

#8 Long par three. If pin behind sand, just play the number out to the left. You will have an uphill putt.

#9 Left edge off grove of trees. Tight hole with OB left. Approach needs to be middle to back of green. Huge false front in left green. Can run up the right. Back of green pins are fine, front of green pins, good luck.

#10 This hole is funky because the second shot needs to be played to short of the green (5 feet) so the ball will bound up. No real need to cut the corner but you need to get out long enough because the corner is a tree that you cannot see from the tee.

#11 +8 up hill. Green is big time back to front. Need to stay under hole and not come in too far from the side or you will have a bender.

+12 Aim for the right side of left bunker. +9 on second shot. Distance should be to just clear trap. Green will not hold anything from middle to back. If you end up in back trap, PUTT out of it. No sand at all.

#13 Play to the middle number. Usually same club as #11.

#14 Long hole, trouble left off the tee. Flat green. Be happy with a 4

#15 Short and narrow. Could be played 8 iron, 8 iron or driver wedge. This green is usually the softest and balls will check and stop unlike what you have experienced in the first 14, so play to the number and toss a dart.

#16 Too long left will block you out, so you want to play something moving left to right. Going for two is tough with traps on both sides. You need to go up high or tread the needle between them.

#17 Long narrow hole, long narrow green. Back of the green is the high side, so anything short will be a nice up hill attempt. Front pin will be affected by the back of the trap, pushing balls to the left.

#18 Left side of right traps, bombs away. Long second will not run up because of elevation and mound. Green slopes back to front.

Course Knowledge: Traps SUCK! Avoid them at all costs. If you get in one, you cannot play it as a sand shot, there is no sand. Dig in, weight forward, but square face, an inch behind the ball with a pitching motion, not breaking your wrist at all.

You won’t have very many level lies, remember to level your shoulders to the slope.

#1 & #2 greens are the toughest, don’t let them discourage your round. #6 and #15 are usually always soft and receptive. The green are going to probably be a bit firmer. If we get any rain before your round, they might receive a ball better, but they’ve been hard.

The green surrounds have been worn thin, lots of bump and runs because there is nothing under them to get under and lift up with.

Pay attention to your drive once it lands, a lot of movement on the ground because of the uneven ground, the ball will end up in unexpected places. The idea of everything moves towards the water is true on the fairways, but not necessarily on the greens.

Good luck! If you have any other questions, let me know.