October 19, 2012

SNOWSHOE, WV — The #1 tournament in amateur golf, Carl Spackler Open, will head back to the mountains this June 2013. The Captains Club finalized the public venue announcement just before the ultimate deadline. The Raven at Snowshoe Resort in Snowshoe, WV will host the 2013 Carl Spackler Open.

"Today, with much excitement, we have selected The Raven to host the 2013 Carl Spackler Open," said Greg Long, Chairman of the Captains Club. "The opportunity was a large surprise in the scouting process. We are excited about our unique opportunities, West Virginia, steady growth in  tournament quality, and god willing exceeding expectations."

The Captains Club added one of the best courses in the state of West Virginia. The Gary Player designed course, Raven at Snowshoe Mountain, is located in the middle of nowhere, but perfectly centered between the vast majority of past players.

Situated in the valley of the Allegheny Mountain Range, The Raven Golf Club at Snowshoe is a true mountain course offering spectacular views with elevation changes on some holes measuring over 200 feet from tee to green. The award-winning Gary Player designed course is a resort friendly course. The greens are big ranging from 6,000-7,000 square feet. Four tee boxes were used to accommodate all abilities. The most golfer friendly feature is the mounding lining the edges of the holes. All mounds were designed to push errant balls back into play and onto the fairways.

The mountainside gem flows effortlessly through the hills and valleys of the surrounding skill hill. During construction, they moved less than 375,000 cubic yards of dirt. We like to think Gary designed the course and Mother Nature built it.

At an elevation of 4,848 feet above sea level, Snowshoe Mountain Resort offers golf enthusiasts a mountaintop Village to enjoy throughout their visit. Featuring 1,400 comfortably appointed rooms, the Village is also home to numerous restaurants options and stunning sunsets.

"We have been patiently waiting for a golf course in West Virginia to become aggressive with a bid," says Captains Club member Greg Long. "We almost waited a decade, but very impressed with the 2013 bid. This is a tremendous golf course that I believe to be as good as Grande and better than Conklin Players Club. It has the best set of Par 5's ever played along with some absolutely beautiful golf vistas. The downhill 9th hole (picture shown) in particular has a beautiful creek meandering across and adjacent to fairway before cutting in front of two greens. Yes... two greens."

West Virginia is the 10th different state to host a Carl Spackler Open. The venue selection also keeps the event in the Appalachian Mountains for its 4th time in 5 years.

The 2013 Carl Spackler Open will be played in Snowshoe, WV. The golf tournament will be held Friday, June 7 through Sunday, June 9. The traditional practice round will be held on Thursday, June 6. There are 48 to 60 participants expected for the 13th annual event. The required fee is $397. Golfers can register online regardless of their attendance. The event has a scorecard requirement and $120 non-refundable non-transferrable deposit. The official registration period began on October 23.