June 2, 2013

SNOWSHOE, WV — Three hours from nowhere, says national publications regarding West Virginia top public-access course. But you must go there, the publication demand in the same breath.

So the Carl Spackler Open will do just that.

Taking the advice, the 2013 Carl Spackler Open will be held in the heart of West Virginia, and while most golfers might not really believe the hours from nowhere part of it, they will discover that the accolades are true for this golf course located in a remote part of the Mid-Atlantic.

That being said, the Gary Player designed Raven is worth the trouble.  As mountain courses go, it's both more spectacular and more playable than what you're typically thinking of when you hear the term, the stereotypical mountain layout having rock-hard, sloped holes with weird bounces and requiring lots of time spent searching for wayward golf balls.

The Raven is none of that well, mostly not.  The course is more than wide enough, but if you are off the track, you are most likely lost.  And while there are a few holes with some dramatic drops and climbs, it's surprisingly level in other spots. All the while, you are wondering how can this kind of quality be found so far off the beaten path?

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 solid tournament 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 this year's test. 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 uniqueness to The Raven is the rock accents throughout the facility. There's beautiful stone work everywhere you look bridges and stacked stone walls and we were surprised to hear that the labor was almost entirely handled by a local company that would literally go up into the hills, get the rock, and then come down and build the walls.

The 2013 Carl Spackler Open will be held in Snowshoe, WV. There are 65 golfers expected to participate in the 13th annual event. West Virginia will be the 10th different state to host the amateur golf tournament. The practice round will be held on Thursday afternoon with the 54-hole tournament starting on Friday morning.