Crystal Springs is a fun thrill ride

Forrest Gump's momma was right when she said, "Life was like a box of chocolates. You never know what you're gonna get." As Oldgolfdawg pulled into the parking lot of Crystal Springs Golf Club yesterday for a round with old friend Scott Minister, he was afraid he might be sinking his teeth into something he might regret.

At first glance, Crystal Springs looks like a former goat ranch decorated with colored flag sticks scattered here and there. But I was determined to keep an open mind after being labeled a "golf snob" by old friend Steve Blackledge, and I'm glad I did. As Scott and I began to play and the round progressed, it became clear to me why he had labeled Crystal Springs "a poor man's EagleSticks." This mom-and-pop golf course located in the boonies of Hopewell, just off of Old U.S. Rt. 40, was like a roller-coaster ride, with potential thrills and spills all over the place. And the price was right, just $22 including the cart.

The front nine, in particular, features an abundance of elevated tee shots into valleys that are filled with danger for balls hit astray. The elevation changes, much like EagleSticks Golf Club in Zanesville, are what really make Crystal Springs fun and challenging. The seventh, eighth and ninth holes are beautifully designed and feature elevated tees that produce shots that are really fun to watch as they free fall into the distance.

The back nine, with the exception of Nos. 10 and 18, doesn't have as many dramatic shots because it takes on the characteristics of a links course. But the holes are very exposed to any wind that might be blowing and certainly are not pushovers. The 15th hole, a 288-yard, par-4 dog-leg left, departs from the links style mode and is reachable with a tee shot. But the tee shot is fraught with danger because of three well-placed sand traps and the fact that trees line the fairway where the dog-leg begins to bend.

From the back tees, the par-71 course plays 6,493 yards long. It carries a course rating of 70.1 with a 125 slope. It features just two par 5s and three par 3s. The par 3s are difficult, with Nos. 4 (176 yards) and 6 (228 yards) being all uphill and No. 14 (206 yards) being long and usually into the wind from a somewhat elevated tee.

Overall, the course maintenance was credible except for taking care of the sand traps, which were basically in a state of disrepair. Scott and I ruled we would just consider them ground under repair and wondered why they just didn't make them grass bunkers if they weren't going to take better care of them. Beyond that, the greens rolled nicely despite an occasional splotch here and there and the ball sat up nicely in the fairways.

On a scale of 1 to 5 in terms of desirability, Oldgolfdawg would throw the course 2 1/2 dog biscuits based mostly on its interesting layout. It's a 47-mile drive east from downtown Columbus to Crystal Springs and, for that reason, it doesn't deserve to rank high on anyone's must-play list. But if you're in that area and can't get a tee time to EagleSticks, a round at Crystal Springs is a good option to consider.