October 19, 2022

ONAWAY, MI — The Captains Club announced today that Black Lake in very upstate Michigan is not ready to provide availability for the Carl Spackler Open. The highly ranked golf course is owned by the Union Auto Workers organization and opens up public tee times months in very late-fall and early winter.

Located in Onaway in Northern Michigan, Black Lake Golf Club is one of the top golf experiences in the state. Designed by Rees Jones as an environmental-friendly, this course is extremely secluded, with no residential properties and with parallel holes separated by thick lines of trees.

"This is an outstanding opportunity, but an opportunity without availability," says the Chairman of the Captain's Club Greg Long. "We do not have time to ponder 'what if', but keep looking for available opportunities.

All holes are tree-lined, with frequent doglegs along manicured, rolling fairways that feature numerous elevated tees and both uphill and downhill approaches. There are approximately 63 sand bunkers and waste areas located along the landing zones or green side, and water in the form of ponds or wetlands comes into play on 6 holes. Many of the green complexes are raised but there is a great variety in design to keep it interesting. The putting surfaces roll quickly and true and range from mildly to extremely undulating.

Black Lake joins nearly a dozen other golf courses that are unresponsive or have no vacancies. The 2023 Carl Spackler Open is evaluating two courses in Virginia starting June 22, Michigan starting June 22, and North Carolina starting June 22. Demand for participation is expected to reach a maximum number of golfers regardless of location.