September 28, 2009

ERIE, PA — The Captains Club announced today that Whispering Woods Golf Club on the shores of Lake Erie would be slid back on the venue list. The incredible opportunity is expected to be pushed back to 2011, 2012, or 2013.

Whispering Woods is situated 3 miles southwest of downtown Erie, PA. It is a lush golf course that continues to boast great reviews. The brand new public course was opened in 2007, but without a practice range.

Designed by the late John Exley (the same designer of the Upper Course at the Peek'n Peak Resort), Whispering Woods shares some of the same characteristics: large elevation changes, gullies, short drivable par fours with significant risk, and ample use of areas that exact an incredible penalty. It's tough to characterize this style of golf course design: it's not early American, it's not parkland, it's not "linky," and it's not manufactured/cookie-cutter. A fair amount of dirt was moved in creating Whispering Woods, but given the significant changes in elevation, the course still feels more set upon the land rather than shaped or bulldozed into being.

Whispering Woods presents a tale of two nines, woven together with a common thread. The first nine holes wanders through the housing development, and though the houses never come into play, they're visible from the fairways, tees, and greens. The closest the houses get to the course are the right side of the seventh hole and near the tee on the eighth. The back nine, in contrast, is completely secluded. An older house beyond the trees behind 11th tee is the only house you'll spot on the back nine, and unlike the front, you can peer through trees separating the holes to see other golfers.

Kyle Marti, Jon Marti, Greg Long, and Dave Osborne scouted the golf course in May 2009.

"The Carl Spackler Open has seen great character venues with Thunder Hill, Grande, Poplar Grove, and Mountain Valley," says senior member Kyle Marti. "Thunder Hill especially has a place in my heart."

The city of Erie includes plenty of lodging, a very large lake, and entertainment. The transportation service includes an outdoor trolley to and from nightly waterfront entertainment.

"We have pushed back Whispering Woods Golf Club on the schedule due to lack of communication by management," says Greg Long. "The range just opening is another reason to push things back on the calendar."

Long added, "I really liked the golf course and think the location of Erie, PA is outstanding for the Carl Spackler Open. We will try again to gain some attention from Whispering Woods next summer."

The 2010 Carl Spackler Open is scheduled to be played April 15-19 or June 9-12. Conklin Players Club in Binghamton, NY and South Padre Island Golf in Laguna Vista, TX are presently venue options. A decision on venue is expected on November 1, 2009.