November 13, 2006

JACKSON, MI — The Grande Golf Club is ranked 4 1/2 stars by Golf Digest. The ranking comes from very unique character including huge greens and obese fairways. The hazards at the Grande are plentiful, strategically placed and ragged to provide unique lies.

"This course is full of character," said member Kyle Marti after his round in 2005. "Some of the bunkers are deep, but all of them are huge and penal."

There are 48 sand bunkers cut with ragged edges, but more than double in size from your average golf course.

"The golf course is characterized by a display of soft, large, ragged, intricate, white sand bunkering," says Greg Long, Chairman of the Captains Club. "I cannot believe there are only 48 of them."

The 455-yard, par-4 13th hole is deceptive with sand splitting the fairway in half and basically running down the middle from the main landing area to the green. "Leap-frogging from one trap to another on the way to a triple bogey is about as much fun as accidentally sitting on a pricker bush," says Brian Long of the hole. "A power fade is my recommendation."

Ray Hearn carved 11 bunkers out of the middle of 5 fairways. "This is just another unique characteristic of the Grande," says Greg Long. "The sometimes enormous sand hazards are the only protection from a total assault by our high handicappers."

Lies within the unique ragged edges are designed to eliminate the free swing of a club and add at least 1 penalty stroke.

The 2007 Carl Spackler Open Championship registration begins on Wednesday. The deadline for entry $120 (non-refundable) postmarked by December 28. Approximately 60-74 golfers are expected to attend.