June 28, 2006

BUSHWOOD, FL — Who within the Captains Club chooses a Spackler golf course? What factors does the group evaluate when making that decision? Why the same course each day? Where do you find these courses? When does the group make this decision? Can I participate?

If a dollar was offered each time we have delivered a response to one of these questions, we’d possess enormous wealth. But since that is not possible, we thought instead that we’d explain the ins and outs of a Carl Spackler Open venue.

While the average player on site enjoys four days of regulation play and fun each June, approximately a year of preparation and effort are expended in advance of an Open. Approximately 3 weeks are spent cleaning up afterward before the Open moves on to its next venue for the following year. What is it about this championship that requires such extensive preparation and execution?

Simply put, it’s the cheapest annual national amateur championship of golf in America. That means an near all-inclusive golf vacation for less than $500. As such, the Captains Club strives to provide the finest experience possible for all players with the event – whether they are inside or outside the ropes. The Club seeks to provide a rigorous examination of all its golfers; where they live, what they enjoy, what kind of personalities and then pour in the golf.

The first and most important rule to selecting a venue is price. Since this is a golf trip in structure, let's find the best values in eastern America and put them on a list. Find the best golf experiences (not courses) for a maximum of $65.00 on Saturday morning without discount. How do you find those courses? Read, read and read newspapers, magazines and books.

There are 500 good values in eastern America. However, how many have lodging within 30 minutes of the course, 40 vacant rooms with at least double beds and a price point of $75.00 or less per room per night including 10% tax. You drop that list by 80% with those requirements.

Why the same golf course? There is a difference between 350 guaranteed rounds and 80 rounds from a business standpoint to a golf course. That does not include food, beverage or range balls. Add bag storage and the elimination of, "I did not know the green was over there." and we have a 54-hole tournament at one facility. Since 90% of all golf course management do not understand customer service, the Captains Club must make the repeated phone calls to obtain a quote. The goal is to find 4-nights of the best lodging and 3 rounds of the best golf for a maximum of $270.

Our afternoon tee times on Wednesday and Thursday along with senior rates play into further discounting.

Visiting the golf course is the next step for the Captains Club. This does not involve checking the conditions or services, but to gather the facts and hopefully straight forward opinions. "We drink approximately 3,000 beers throughout the week," said Kevin Long, Jr., Vice President of Alcohol Consumption. "The difference between $2.00 a beer and $2.50 per beer is $1,500. That is very important to the Carl Spackler Open. Futhermore, how is the course going to respond to guys pooping their pants, pissing in the fairway and throwing the f-word around? You just do not know until you play the course."

Answering these types of questions enables the golf tournament to quietly move in a positive direction. Other questions include: Do they have an extra clubhouse menu to take home? How much for a gatorade? How big is the practice facility? Can someone play the course 5 times in 4 days without boredom? Are the cart girls hot? How serious is the course about hidden personal coolers? Is there a place for the player meeting? How many blind shots? How empty is the parking lot? How far realistically to the lodging? Does the course act like they care about us? Can you play a round in 5.5 hours without being pushed? What are the conditions like near the cart path fairway entrances and exits?

"Conditions cannot be predicted," says Tom McCauley, Vice President of Grass. "You can really tell a lot about a maintenance staff by the conditions around the cart paths. That is where you manage the conditions of a golf course. There is a logical reason why the best conditioned golf courses have cart path 4 inch curbs around the greens and tees. It is all about managing the carts and preventing disease. The conditions of a golf course are important, but anything can happen in 9 months."

The difficulty of the golf course is important. Unless you are playing the Grande Golf Club or Cook's Creek (extremely wide fairways), the easier the course, the more boring the course. The harder the course, the more exciting it is during the 5th round in 4 days. "The handicap system and putt points are in place for the average player and hacker," says Greg Long, Chairman of the Captains Club. "The number of hazards and challenges on the course are provided for the low handicapper enjoyment."

"We have eliminated golf courses before we put our golf shoes on," says Jason Watson, Vice President of Awards. "It has happened more than once."

What kind of entertainment is available in the surrounding area of the hotel or venue? Each mile is a drunken mile. Can 80 golfers comfortably fit into the building?

The eastern United States is a pretty broad area. Columbus guys drive 10 hours to Virginia and Raleigh guys drive 10 hours to New York. To make sure the tournament remains broad, the Captains Club implemented a rotation of venue. This includes seeing the sites. The golfers attending more than 3 years are listed in a spreadsheet with venue locations. Add up the miles and work in that direction. With 66% of the tournaments held in southern Virginia, North Carolina or Myrtle Beach, look for the tournament to be moved northwest.

Can I participate? The Captains Club loves help. There is one important thing to remember. Home courses are risky business. The field will walk away on Sunday morning, but you will remain with the memories.

The Captains Club hopes it answered many of the questions surrounding how a Carl Spackler Open Championship is conceived, conducted and celebrated. The tournament is a grueling, exhausting and exhilarating test for everyone associated with it. Whether you’re a player or managing the tournament. By week’s end, one looks back with some wonderment that the entire venture came together and allowed one outstanding golfer to raise a trophy above his head in acknowledgment of a goal achieved.