Crystal Springs Quarry Golf Club 2
While the focus of this magazine is on golf in southern Illinois, if you look closely at the cover, you’ll see that the magazine serves “the metro-east and St. Louis areas.” Those of us from the metro-east may be partial to the courses on “our” side of the river, but every now and again, we get the itch to take a peek at a golf course in St. Louis. For a recent outing, we put together a group of a couple SIG writers along with our favorite editor to play Crystal Springs Quarry. The first thing to note is that the golf course is easily accessible from I-70 and I-270. The course is just down the street from the Riverport Amphitheater.
A Little Background
Crystal Springs Quarry Golf Club opened in 1997 as a 9-hole course. An additional nine holes were opened for play in 2000, giving the course its current 18-hole configuration. The amenities include a complete practice facility with a driving range and a short game area. There is also a snack bar at the practice facility situated right next to the tenth tee that conveniently serves as a “half-way house” for the golf course. The course is named for the quarry that existed on the property dating back to 1888. The quarry got its name from the many clear springs that feed the creeks and small lakes on the property. The course owner, Fred Weber Corp., consulted with the National Audubon Society during design and construction to create wetlands as an integral part of the course. They also included numerous areas full of native plants that are allowed to thrive naturally. The wetlands are federally protected and Crystal Springs Quarry has been recognized by the Audubon Cooperative Sanctuary System for environmental planning. According to Mike Briner, Pro Shop Manager, environmental stewardship is an important aspect of the Fred Weber corporate image. That environmental stewardship continues beyond design and construction into the daily operation of the golf course. Management follows the USGA Best Practices recommendations for daily maintenance. They continue to follow a “no interference” policy with regard to the wetlands and have expanded the “native areas” on the course. The property is situated in the Missouri River bottoms against the bluffs between an active limestone quarry and Creve Coeur Lake. The lake, wetlands, native areas, and tall, rocky bluffs create a beautiful setting in which to enjoy a round of golf.
Course Characteristics and Conditioning
Crystal Springs Quarry has five sets of tees. From the tips, it can play over 6,800 yards with a slope rating of 129 (113 is considered average). So it is a serious course suitable for championship golf. We played from the blue tees, which are the middle set, with a total yardage closer to 6,000 yards. In 2006, the bluegrass fairways began to be changed to zoysia. (The course was previously “cart paths only,” but the zoysia permits carts to now drive on the fairways.) Various methods can be used to introduce zoysia; at Crystal Springs Quarry, they introduced “stripes” of zoysia. The zoysia stripes are spreading, and on the fairways where it has almost taken over, you’ll get an excellent fairway lie. The complete transformation to zoysia fairways is still a work in progress, and the striping is still evident on some holes. The putting surfaces, several of which are quite large, have some significant undulations. The greens keeper has plenty of choices for tucking a pin in a challenging spot. On the day we played, we faced several difficult hole positions. Just because you find the green in regulation does not mean you’ll have a simple two-putt for par. Unfortunately, at least one member of our group who was above the hole repeatedly experienced multiple three- putts!
Your Round
The day at Crystal Springs Quarry begins with a short uphill hole with a wide fairway. Off the tee, a couple of large trees, which are growing innocently about 200 yards out in the middle of the fairway, will force a decision. Even a well placed shot off the tee will leave you with an approach up a steep hill to the putting surface that perches atop the bluff. From the green on the first, you have a grand view of the busy world that you are about to leave behind. You’ll drive your cart through the woods and seemingly enter a different realm. The rest of the round is played in a quiet and beautiful environmental oasis in the bottomlands with gorgeous views of the bluffs. No. 2 is the signature hole at Crystal Springs Quarry. The tee box is high on the bluff. If you like shooting from elevated tees – and who doesn’t? – you’ll love the view from the second tee box. It’s a 75 foot drop down to the fairway. The fairway is beautifully framed by rock outcroppings on the left and along the cart path on the right. We spoke with a friendly course marshal. When we asked about his favorite hole, he responded quickly: No. 4. A lake runs along the length of that hole, and you’ll need to carry water on your approach. Unfortunately for us, this hole was closed for maintenance during our recent visit as zoysia stripes were recently installed, but it is scheduled to re-open before this issue goes to print. A glance at the course map makes it appear that water is in play on 15 of the holes! But that’s a bit deceiving. The course has many spring-fed lakes, and Creve Coeur Lake is over your shoulder and in view for a while, but the fairways are generous. Every hole on the back nine has water, but if our memory is correct, our group did not put a single ball in the water, which probably indicates more about how much the lakes and creeks are in play than it does about our ball-striking skill. While the front nine has some of the best holes on the course, it is a bit shorter than the back. The course is a par 71 design, with par 35 on the front and 36 on the back. The course finishes with three strong holes, the most interesting of which may be No. 17. Mike Briner, the pro shop manager, says it is his favorite hole on the course. It’s a dogleg right with water all along the right. The finishing hole gives you one last chance to savor the beauty of the bluffs. On the right side of the eighteenth fairway, there is an aesthetically
Clubhouse, Restaurant, Practice Area
After completing your round, the cart path takes you through the woods back to the clubhouse. From the outside, the clubhouse is a functional cube of a building, but inside it is fully stocked. After our round, we spent a little time relaxing in front of one of the large screen televisions. We had a bratwurst at the turn, so we didn’t sample the fare at Limestones Restaurant, but the menu points to a higher-end experience. (On the lunch menu, the “Limestone Burger” is $9.) The restaurant is also used for tournaments, wedding banquets, and corporate meetings. The driving range and practice area, which is a short car ride from the clubhouse, is located near Creve Coeur Lake, between No. 9 and No. 10. The course has a teaching professional and an apprentice. Lessons are available, and there is a junior program.
Last Thoughts
As writers for SIG, we get a chance to play many of the great courses in the metro-east. We know that a lot of our readers live in Missouri, but drive to Illinois to play the courses on “our side.” Turnabout is fair play. Here is what is most striking about Crystal Springs Quarry Golf Club. When you think of the area around I-70 and I-270, the impression might be that it is highly developed with houses, businesses, the Riverport Amphitheater, and Lambert Field nearby. Crystal Springs Golf Club is an oasis in the middle of an otherwise highly developed area. Golfers can find relaxation on this course. You’ll be contemplating Audubon approved environmental areas, not someone’s back yard. (Missouri golfers might even think they’ve found a quiet metro-east-like course in west county!) Just remember to keep your approach shot below the hole.
