Don Placek

Crystal Clear is a collection of childhood and adult remembrances, reminiscences, and reflections about golf and life. This is also a book about family--mine--and how it shaped me and my beliefs as I grew into middle age. The book is divided into three parts. Part I, Back Nine: Open Mind of a Child, is about the back nine holes of Crystal Downs golf course near Lake Michigan, where I played golf with my dad during my childhood, and what he and those holes taught me. This part of the course in pure Michigan, with its forests and sandy meadows. Crystal Clear starts with the back nine because that is how my dad always played the course. If we could sneak in a few holes before dinner, we began on the tenth hole. Part II, Front Nine: Adult Mind of a Teacher, includes my memories of playing the first nine holes of "the Downs"--a typical Scottish seaside layout--viewed through the lens of the teacher I have become. Part III, Adversity as a Gift: These stories form a collection of personal triumphs over obstacles, hardships and traumas. These are their stories. I hope you find clarity with these pages.