April 29, 2009

AMHERST, VA — Poplar Grove Golf Club, the final design of golf legend Sam Snead, was chosen to host the 2009 Carl Spackler Open Championship. On behalf of the Captains Club, Greg Long, Greg Garrett, and Kevin Long, started to provide the detail surrounding the tournament course.

Greg Garrett started through the tournament course with the first hole, "Sleeping Giant", which is a 361-yard Par 4. The first hole is one of three par 4's where you cannot see the flagstick from the tee.

"The first hole is very similar to the 9th hole," says Garrett. "They both drop to a fairway before dropping more rapidly towards the green."

Participants will see a checkered fairway just below a view of the Blue Ridge Mountains. The fairway will appear to end. The left side drops rapidly towards the trees. The right side is a minor bailout area with trees starting 300 yards from the tee.

"Hit the 210-yard club off the tee," says Greg Garrett. "Hitting the driver correctly is gravy as the ball will bounce down the hill towards the green."

The green is oval shaped pointing similar to 2:40 on a clock. The green is 29 yards or 87 feet deep with a lower level in the back. The right greenside bunker comes into play with a deep pin placement.

"I thought the opener was easy, but it turned into hell quickly," said Kevin Long, Jr. "Take a look at the pin placement from the parking lot each day. Hit the driver with a front pin placement. Hit 210-yards off the tee with any other pin placement."

There are two sand traps; both greenside. Balls landing over the green end up in the rough well below the green.

"The first hole, Sleeping Giant, is not a fun hole in respects to Poplar Grove," says Greg Garrett. "If you like the first hole, you are going to be heaven for five more hours."

SCORE SUMMARY: Slick played the 2nd hole even through two days. Double G played +3 through two days. Winger played +3 through one day. The USGA handicap suggests the 6th easiest hole, however the Captains Club suggests the 2nd hardest hole with 5 rounds +1.2 strokes over par.

The 2009 Carl Spackler Open Championship will begin its annual practice round on Wednesday, June 10. There are 84 participants scheduled to participate in the 9th annual event.