Crystal Springs Golf Course

You'll have fun now. Soon you may have a new regular destination.

Crystal Springs Golf Course in Burlingame is a solid course with great variety and beautiful scenery. And once a renovation project that has lasted more than three years is completed, it should be wonderful.

Much of the work, including a dozen new bunkers and all new cart paths, already is done, enhancing one of the oldest public facilities around.

Some new tee boxes are still being built, but most of the remaining renovations are on the front nine. Take a deep breath on the temporary boxes, and have some fun on the back side.

The 81-year-old Herbert Fowler design is challenging, with all kinds of elevation changes, tree-lined fairways and some of the smallest greens you'll play on.

It also is built on a game preserve overlooking the Crystal Springs Reservoir, so don't be surprised if get about as close to deer as your ever have.

Enjoy the wildlife, and don't get too disappointed if you don't start well. The back nine is a target score waiting to happen, if you play smart golf.

Crystal Springs starts with two of the toughest holes on the course, a long, dogleg-left par-4 follow by an even longer dogleg right. The slopes don't stop in the fairways, so take note of the pin placements on your scorecard and stay below the hole when you can.

Highlights on the front side include two more diverse par-4s: a long, uphill hole to a shallow green fronted by a bunker at No. 5; and an even longer, downhill hole within a 3-iron of the reservoir at No. 6.

Longer 4s are the staples here, especially from the white tees. The white-tee yardage is a stout 6,207, and only one of the par-5s is more than 500 yards, even from the blue tees.

Perhaps the toughest hole is the ninth, an uphill par-4 that doglegs right around trees to another small green.

Keep your chin up ... and grab a snack at the turn ... because the back nine is about 250 yards shorter than the front. No. 10 is just 325 yards from the white tees, but the sharp dogleg left still offers a challenge. No. 11 is the shortest par-3 on the course.

Highlights include No. 14, a long 4 that doglegs left over a ravine to another small green fronted by two bunkers; and No. 15, a very short but narrow 4 that will tempt you to go for the green. Play smart.

Finish with the longest hole on the course, but one of your best chances at birdie. Play it safe, because your approach shot is played to the smallest green on the course.

The upside in Burlingame is plentiful, but the biggest plus is simply a fun course with lots of variety. The trees will punish very wayward shots, but most of the fairways have more than adequate landing areas.

There is almost no water to speak of, and while there are lots of elevation changes, there are only a few blind shots. Bunkers have been added since the course was built, but there are still fewer than 40 on the whole course.

Warm up with short chips more than usual. You may miss some of the smaller greens, even with decent approaches, so up-and-down pars are a necessity.

The $58 weekday rate with cart

($80 on the weekends) is a little steep, but this is the Bay Area. And after the renovations are completed, Crystal Springs should rank as a bargain.

Directions: Take Interstate 80 west to San Francisco. Take Highway 101 south to I-380 and then to I-280 south. Take the Black Mountain-Hayne Road exit and turn right. Turn right on Golf Course Drive.