Registration open for Gus Macker tournament

Registration open for Gus Macker tournament

LUDINGTON — Registration is open for the Gus Macker 3-on-3 charity basketball tournament at Stearns Park. The 31st annual event is set for June 17-18 and will welcome teams from throughout the Midwest to Ludington’s lakeshore.

With a Lake Michigan beach backdrop, Ludington will host 35 courts that will line Lakeshore Drive and Stearns Outer Drive. Food and merchandise vendors are part of the event, adding a festive flair to the tournament grounds on Father’s Day weekend.

“As Ludington celebrates our 150th anniversary, we also are excited to celebrate 31 years of 3-on-3 basketball on our shoreline as part of this year’s event,” said Chamber President/CEO Brandy Miller. “We hope to see players from throughout the years return to participate in this year’s event.”

The 2023 tournament is the final year of the Chamber Alliance’s three-year contract with Gus Macker. While the Chamber Alliance will no longer be managing the event, Gus Macker is interested in keeping Ludington on its tour in 2024 and considering managing the event as a corporate-run tournament, as it will be celebrating 50 years of 3-on-3 tournaments next year. 

“We really want to thank the Chamber and its Macker Committee for 31 incredible years of 3-on-3 hoop weekends on the beach,” Gus Macker owner, Scott McNeal, said. “We appreciate the dedication and hard work they put in to create the Macker tour’s most-popular event.

“We are working hard to keep Gus Macker in Ludington in 2024 and will be looking for new groups to help us make it happen,” said McNeal.

The Ludington Gus Macker is a charity basketball event, benefiting local sports and service clubs, and organizers are looking forward to making significant donations again this year. In 2022, $15,500 in charitable donations were made as a result of the tournament. 

Gus Macker 3-on-3 tournaments are designed for basketball players who love the fun of the driveway game – male or female, from age 7 to 70-plus, short and tall, the most experienced or those with little or no experience who just want to play. 

Registration for each team of four players is $180, and online sign-up ends May 29 at 5 p.m. Registration and more can be found at www.Macker.com/local/ludington-mi.