December 10, 2009

LAGUNA VISTA, TX — The 2010 Carl Spackler Open Championship will be held in Laguna Vista, TX starting April 15, 2010. The location adds at least a warm climate, Gulf of Mexico, jet skiis, and beach bars. The Captains Club opened up the itinerary in November and declared Saturday, April 17 as "beach day". The event is expected to allow for 11 to 12 hours of beach time.

"We would like to take advantage of the environment," says Captains Club member Pat Boland. "We have moved the traditional itinerary around. The scramble has been moved behind Round 1, which opened up Saturday afternoon for the beach."

Beach day is expected to begin around 2:30PM CST. Breakfast will be served at 7:00AM CST with a shotgun start at 8:00AM CST. The club expects to be off the golf course by 1:30PM CST.

Participants will be shuttled to Wanna Wanna Beach Bar or Boomerang Billy's. Activites on the beach will include socializing, eating, beach volleyball, beach football, whiffle ball, frisbee & drinking games, and other team activites.

The city allows alcoholic beverages on the beach. They do not allow glass.

The shuttle service will be available for 10 hours to return participants to their golf course condo at their leisure. The transportation will most likely be on a schedule that will be provided to all participants.

"We have not yet decided on the beach bar yet," says Boland. "We are waiting on live music schedules and determining whether to add Coconuts to 'beach day' after sunset."

Captains Club member Kevin Long will be holding a "boogie board clinic" on Saturday at 3:15PM CST. He will explain the art of riding a board safely without spilling a beer.

Boomerang Billy's is a hidden jewel of South Padre Island, where Norman Rockwell would have a field day with the kitsch images of sailors sitting under the palapa hut bar, patrons playing volleyball out on the beach, and spring breakers puking over the deck. Before South Padre Island became the tourist mecca that it is today, locals needed a place to eat burgers and drink beer. Boomerang's was the answer. Boomerang's has a weathered plywood deck overlooking the Gulf of Mexico and a beautiful lapis-lazuli colored pool where patrons can be found exploring its watery depths. The facility has a "Margaritaville" feel.

Little more than a waterside shack, the Wanna-Wanna Beach Bar and Grill is a local favorite and the place to find beach bums and vacationers alike. Wanna-Wanna's customers are a peculiar mix. Patrons of the adjacent Island Inn Motel and sun-bleached South Padre natives are the usual suspect at this palapa-style thatched hut. It's the perfect island dive complete with cheap, so-so drinks and great views of the beach. The Wanna-Wanna is a great laid-back place to watch beach action, enjoy a grilled burger, and down an ice-cold cerverza. Friendly bartenders and locals make this beach bar one worth returning to. The fruity cocktails and relaxed atmosphere will melt away the hours. The facility has two volleyball courts just off a large deck.

There are 125 days before the practice round. There are 40 to 60 participants expected for the 10th annual event. A complete ground transportation plan with schedule will be provided in April 2010.