October 13, 2008

AMHERST, VA — We’d all like to think we’ll get to know someone well enough to know his or her mind. It can come through months of correspondence, years of companionship, or decades of observation. But even then, there are always questions.

What would they do in a certain situation?  What would they think?  What would they say?

Luckily for us, Sam Snead Jr. (Jack), son of the late Sam Snead, took advantage of his years with his legendary father, learning his thoughts -- and Jack used that knowledge to help finish Poplar Grove Golf Club in Amherst, Virginia, about an hour south of Charlottesville in the central part of the state.

The Captains Club has selected Poplar Grove Golf Club in Amherst, VA to host the 2009 Carl Spackler Open Championship.

It will be the second national championship conducted in Virginia. The other at Colonial Golf Club (April 2002) in Williamsburg.

"Today, with much excitement, we have selected Poplar Grove Golf Club to host the 2009 Carl Spackler Open," said Greg Long, Chairman of the Captains Club. "Once again, we are excited about our unique opportunities, nearby Lynchburg, steady growth of the tournament, and god willing exceeding expectations."

Poplar Grove Golf Club was the final design of golf legend Sam Snead. So it's something of a paradox that Snead, toward the end of his life, developed a sympathetic regard for the travails of the average golfer. But he did, and it's on display at a course called Poplar Grove, which opened in 2004 in the Virginia hill country where Snead was born and raised.

Snead was never a professional golf course architect. But in the months before his death in 2002, he and his son Jack got involved in a project that was supposed to inaugurate the Sam Snead Golf Trail.

Carved through native Virginia forest, the layout features rolling terrain, natural streams and lakes, and sweeping mountain views. Five sets of tees provide challenges for all levels of golfers to enjoy, while finely maintained bent grass greens, tees, and fairways will ensure superior playing conditions for everyone. Indeed the legendary vision of Sam Snead will establish Poplar Grove as a contemporary classic.

Poplar Grove was nationally recognized as "#8 Best New Upscale Public Facility" by Golf Digest in 2005 and is home to several championship tournaments. The course is presently the 13th best public/private course in the state.

"Our decision on Poplar Grove was pretty easy after just 5 holes in mid-September," says Long. "The golf course is so good you can cancel part of multi-course golf trip and just keep playing Poplar Grove. Greg Garrett and I did just that."

Senior member Jay Glover asked, "Amherst. Are you sure? Is it big enough to host a major championship." Long replied with a chuckle, "We have found plenty of success in Barnesville and Peru. Trust me... You really do not want to miss this one in Amherst."

The press conference quickly turned into a question and answer session. Jay Glover spoke up, "I have a question. How do you think Amherst will size up against our past venues?" Long replied, "Poplar Grove is definitely the best tournament course in our history. The views of the Blue Ridge Mountains are magnificent. The lodging and entertainment will also be very strong."

Miller asked, "That is a pretty bold statement. Can you elaborate?"

Long replied, "Not at this time. That is entire press conference in itself. We will schedule another press conference for that. [pause] I will say the facilities are in place and vendor relationships are stronger than anywhere in history. Give us Michigan weather and the foundations of this trip probably cannot be matched. Our success will always be dependent on weather and our participants."

[Hands flew in the air.] Without begging for silence, he seemed ready to abort the news conference after just a few minutes at the podium. Long ignored other reporter hands in the air and forced questions. "I can see there are lots of questions. I am going to finish this press release," Long said as he tried to regain control. "Back to the golf course. Similar to the Grande and Rock Hollow, you need to ask the clubhouse for the signature hole. You can expect 18 solid character driven holes in wonderful condition. I would imagine 90 percent of our participants will consider the tournament course to be an all-time personal favorite."

The tournament will be played from 6,557 yards, which has a USGA Slope Rating of 138. It will be the highest Slope Rating in history.

"Almost everything appears to be going in Spackler favor this year," said Long. "I have a lot of confidence in our golf course, hotel, pricing, tournament logistics, transportation services, entertainment, and especially vendor relationships. The facilities and services are in place."

OK. I am done. I will take two questions today."

Senior member Jean Dore asked, "How about price?" Long replied, "The tournament fee is currently unknown, but overall venue fits the model for traditional pricing. October is our tournament budget season. I would expect an announcement on tournament fee by November 1."

Randon Mineweaser asked, "The 6,557 yards is quite long isn't it." Long replied, "Yes. The longest ever statistically, however there are 10 holes that drop in elevation and 5 holes rising in elevation. The 3rd, 6th, 12th, and 15th holes are large moves downward. Plus we will be moving the 4th tee up to increase fun factor and speed up pace of play. The course will play closer to 6,350 yards."

Poplar Grove is located 2 hours west from Richmond International Airport (RIC) and a couple of miles east of the Blue Ridge Mountains. Open registration for the 2009 Carl Spackler Open Championship is now available. The details surrounding registration will be available online starting November 15. Non-refundable non-transferable deposits of $120 per participant must be postmarked by January 28.