Photo by Andy Hu on Unsplash.com
The tournament was born back in 1974 in Lowell, Michigan. Scott McNeal (alias Gus Macker) got together with 18 friends and $18 to play a friendly 3-on-3 basketball game in his parent’s driveway. The tournament continued to grow, and due to the tremendous interest from outside communities, it took to the road and moved its home base from Lowell to Belding in 1987. Today, Macker is played in outdoor and indoor courts in over 75 cities throughout the country, drawing over 200,000 players and 1.7 million spectators. But even with this growth, it continues to feel like a “hometown” game. The Gus Macker tournament is always a wholesome activity for all ages and talent levels.
2020 would have marked the 29th anniversary of Gus Macker in Ludington but, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the tournament had to be canceled. The tournament has also been cancelled for 2021 due to restrictions still in place.
Because of its longevity and beautiful location, the Ludington Gus Macker Committee and the Ludington & Scottville Chamber of Commerce were inducted into the Gus Macker Hall of Fame in 2018.
In 2023, the Chamber Alliance of Mason County announced that it would not be renewing it’s contract with Gus Macker. That fall, Dr. Andrew Riemer, owner of Riemer Eye Center and Stix Bar; and Chris Nicholas, owner of WMOM Radio; petitioned the Ludington City Council to allow them to take over the event. The Council approved and the group has been running the tournament since.
In the 28 years of Macker in Ludington, over $300,000 has been returned to the area’s schools to purchase uniforms and equipment. These teams donate their time in setting up hoops, fences, and cleaning up. In order to make the tournament run smoothly, nearly 400 other volunteers are needed, from checking-in participants to being a Gus Buster.
Ludington Gus Macker
(833) 448-7657
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