Check the scale on the textured surface?
The player_start entities shouldn't effect it... but you never know. Raise them a few more units off the ground brush.
Are you using HL.wad and a CS.wad ?
Sometimes there are similar .wad names used by HL and CS, if you have selected cstrike.wad and halflife.wad in your texture settings, you will think you are applying a CS texture but the HL one will override it. Sometimes they are very different.