October 2, 2006

BROOKLYN, MI — The #1 tournament in amateur golf, Carl Spackler Open, has selected Grande Golf Club and Brooklyn to host the 2007 Major Championship. The Grande is located 2 miles south of downtown Jackson, Michigan.

The Captains Club made the public announcement on Sunday night just before the ultimate deadline. "Today, with excitement, we have selected Grande Golf Club to host the 2007 Carl Spackler Open," said Greg Long, Chairman of the Captains Club. "Once again, we are excited about our unique opportunities, the town of Brooklyn, steady growth of the tournament, and god willing exceeding expectations once again."

Grande (pronounced “grand” despite the final “e”) features expansive fairways, sprawling wetlands, and fairways that measure on average an astounding 4 acres per hole. The Ray Hearn design also holds the 6th spot in Golf Digest lore with its 2003 best new golf course in America.

Just like Mountain Valley and The Neuse, Grande Golf Club is ranked 4 1/2 stars by Golf Digest and boasts extreme character including mammoth greens with double tiers as high as 3 1/2 feet.

"The field of players must be ready to attack," said Long. "The forced carries over wetlands and daunting second shots to well-bunkered, sometimes wildly undulating greens is a guaranteed dream or nightmare depending on individual game plans."

Long added, "Thunder Hill has incredible character. The Neuse and Mountain Valley also have a place in my heart. The Grande is another great track, but the added conditioning makes this the best all-around venue in our 7-year history."

The Grande Golf Club selection returns the tournament north for the 3rd time. The 6th state, Michigan, is expected to provide record low temperatures, record low precipitation and record low humidity.

"Everything appears to be going in Spackler favor this year," said Long. "I have a lot of confidence in our golf course, tournament logistics and broader entertainment. There is a going to be a list of guys kicking themselves after missing this one. I pitty the fools."

Although the actual tournament will be held in Jackson, all lodging and non-tournament activites will take place in or around Brooklyn, MI. The tournament venue is already jammed packed full of unique entertainment, format changes and increased camaraderie.

The Grande Golf Club is located 60 minutes from Detroit Wayne International Airport (DTW). Northwest Airlines, home to DTW, provides non-stop 2-hour maximum flights from Atlanta, New York, Virginia Beach and Raleigh. Vehicles traveling through Toledo can expect 18 extra minutes if passing through DTW.

Registration for the 2007 Carl Spackler Open will be available on November 15. Although the cost for the tournament is still unknown, the non-refundable deposit of $120 per participant must be postmarked by December 28.