Chicago’s Southwest Michigan Golf Destination, the Island Hills Golf Club of Centreville Michigan. Check out the stay & play package for the Ray Hearn designed championship golf course, that has some of the nicest villa’s you will find at any golf course. Visit online Islandhillsgolf.com for more information. Just 2 hours from the Chicago area.

BY: Rory Spears Editor & Director of Content. Follow Rory on Facebook, Linkedin, & Twitter @GogBlogGuy

USGA.COM

The summer season is coming and in just over one month the U.S. Open at Chambers Bay near Seattle will tee off.

Martin Kaymer who won the title last year at Pinehurst, will be the defending champion.

Jordan Spieth who won the Masters last month will continue towards winning a Grand Slam, and Phil Mickleson will attempt to complet the Career Grand Slam.

The USGA continues to work hard to grow the game of golf all across America and around the world. One of the ways they are exposing more people to golf is bringing the U.S. Open Trophy on a tour of the country.

U.S. Open Trophy’s with Pinehurst Course No.2 as the back drop.

This Sunday May 10th is your chance to see the Men’s U.S. Trophy up close. Are you ready for your photo opportunity.

On Sunday morning the trophy will stop at the Harborside Golf Links at 111th Street and the Bishop Ford Expressway on the Southside.

Starting at 1 PM in Lemont the trophy will visit the Cog Hill Golf & Country Club from 1-4 PM.

The trophy is coming from the Pittsburgh area and will move on to Texas in the week ahead.

Don’t forget to watch the U.S. Open from Chambers Bay coming up next month. U.S. Open week is from June 15th through the 21st.

The U.S. Amateur at Olympia Fields this August.

The next USGA Championship in the Chicago area is the U.S. Amateur Chaampionship that will be played at Olympia Fields Country Club this coming August.

Currently it is the last USGA Championship that is scheduled for the Chicago area going forward in the years ahead.

The last USGA Championship that was played in the Chicago area, was the 2012 USGA Mid-Amateur Championship that was hosted by Conway Farms Golf Club and the Knollwood Club in Lake Forest.

            Erin Hills Golf Club in Erin Wisconsin, opens for the year this coming Monday May 11th. Erin Hills will host the U.S. Open in June of 2017.

           Island Hills Golf Club in Centreville Michigan, Chicago’s Southwest Michigan golf Destination. A Ray Hearn Championship designed golf course. See Islandhillsgolf.com for more details, and plan a stay and play package. Island Hills Villas are second to none.

BY: Rory Spears, Editor & Director of Content. Follow Rory on Facebook, Linkedin, & Twitter @GogBlogGuy.

Illinois Golfer Brian Campbell knocks home the winning putt at Rich Harvest Farms at the 2014 NCAA Regionals.

It’s that time of year again and the men’s Illinois golf team is on a roll.

As a result Illinois will head into the NCAA Regionals as a No.1 seed at the Sagamore Club in Noblesville Indiana. Sagamore is one of the six regional sites for the men’s championship.

It is the highest seed the illinois have had in the current post season format that started back in 2009. The regionals will be played the weekend of Mya 14th to the 16th. The NCAA Men’s Golf National Championship will be played from May 29th, through June 3rd at the Concession Golf Club in Bradenton Florida.

Five teams and one individual not on a qualifying team will advance to the nationals from each site.

Six Big Ten teams advanced to the regionals. They included Illinois, Iowa, Ohio State, Michigan, Penn State, and Purdue. Two individuals Maryland’s David Kocher and Minnesota’s Jose Mendez also qualified.

Illinois has finished 5th, 2nd and fifth at the nationals in the last three years. Two Illinois golfers, PGA Tour player Scott Langley and Euorpean Tour player Thoma Pieters both won the national championship, in the last five years. Illinois is rated No.1 in the country by one national poll.

Illinois is coached by Mike Small and led by Senior Brian Campbell.

     The Island Hills Golf Club in Centreville Michigan is your home to a Ray Hearn designed 18 hole golf course that’s among the finest in the Great Lake State. Come see why Island Hills is Chicago’s Southwest Michigan Golf Destination, visit the newly redesigned website at Islandhillsgolf.com to get all questions answered and your tee times booked today. Stay overnight in some of the best villa’s anywhere.

BY: Rory Spears, Editor & Director Content. Follow Rory on Facebook, Linkedin and Twitter @GogBlogGuy.

When it comes to sports on TV these days, there are some big issues and things don’t always work out real good for the fan. TV tries to become more fan-friendly these days, with running clocks in the corner of your screen, and quite often the score. But could they do more, probably so, and more than likely as techology moves forward, so will TV.

However all the hard work and all the improved graphics, better camera angles and microphones on players, coaches or officials doesn’t help if nobody is watching the broadcast. You always hear how rating numbers are up, but are they. I’m still waiting to hear from a reliable source that numbers are way down, or down from last year when you know the viewing audience wasn’t what was hoped for.

Mt. Prospect Golf Club Opening August 1st, stay clicked in for announcements regarding opening day.

Golf when it comes to TV for the most part gets it right. Then again the game gets played outside and in daytime conditions.

That being said, golf has learned how to draw an audience instead of pushing them away. Give Commissioner Tim Finchem some credit here for being flexible, for both the fans and players while making the TV networks understand that as well.

Golf has learned how to work around weather and not get controlled by Mother Nature in all circumstances. Number one it’s called flexible start times, what an amazing concept. If rain is coming in later in the day, you move up the start time and either complete the round, or get darn close to it. Baseball for example still hasn’t learned that concept, they still waste top starting pitchers letting them warm up and pitch two innings before a game gets called from a downpour.

The Erin Hills Clubhouse. Erin Hills opening next Monday May 11th.

When lightning gets close, the players and fans or patrons if at Augusta National get removed from the course long before anyone gets hit. Yes there were a few situations some years back, changes were made. TV might insist you could play for another 15-20 minutes before stopping play, but golf moves people out of danger in time. The NFL and MLB haven’t quite got that concept right just yet.

Starting times for golf on TV are done pretty well, even though the at the majors there have been some problems with late start times for the networks. Sending leaders off at 3 PM, makes for playoffs on Mondays, or players finishing in the dark like at Valhalla last year in the PGA. The USGA botched a couple of start times with west coast U.S Opens in recent years. Having the leaders stroll up 18 at 9 or 10 PM in the Eastern or Central time zones just doesn’t work. I’m not sure what the plan is for this year with the U.S. Open being played at Chambers Bay in Washington State, and not far from Seattle. Here is to the USGA and Fox getting it right the first time around come next month. Wrapping it up by 6 or 7 PM on Saturday and Sunday out East or in the Midwest is the time frame golf fans are looking for.

The time frame viewers are not looking for is what is being done in the National Hockey League (NHL). The NHL’s post season TV schedule has being nothing short of full blown TV disaster, especially here in Chicago were 5 of the first 8 Chicago Blackhawks games have started after 8:30 PM local time and three of those games are on school nights. While golf is doing everything it can to grow the game with the kids or fans of tomorrow, the NHL is shutting them out. This past Saturday the NHL showed it’s only playoff game at noon eastern time, which meant a 9 AM start on the west coast, and it was over before lunch outwest. That’s just dumb for a second round playoff game.

The Palmer Cup, at Rich Havrest Farms in Sugar Grove, coming June 12-13-14. See Richharvestfarms.com for details. Admission & Parking are Free.

While golf has made a few TV blunders along the way, the bottom line is that they get it right for the most part or learn from the errors of the past.

Now the question is can the other so called main sports do the same. Golf has had declines in youth participation in recent years, but number drop in golf is a drop in the bucket compared to sports like Football, Baseball, Hockey and Basketball. Step one in trying to stop declining participation levels are putting games or tournaments on TV at times people can watch them.

Here is the phone call that needs to happen.

“Hello, hi this is Tim Finchem who’s this, oh hi Gary how’s things in New York, oh you actually want to get more kids watching hockey so you can grow your sport, well here’s a thought and it starts with television.”

    Island Hills Golf Club of Centerville Michigan is Chicago’s Southwest Michigan Golf Destination, a Ray Hearn designed 18 hole championship golf course and some of the best villa’s you can stay in. Visit Islandhillsgolf.com for more information.

Golfers on Golf Radio. Standing L-R Mike Munro & Ed Stevenson, seated L-R Rory Spears & Bill Berger.

Golfers believe it or not, it’s week #3 already for Golfers on Golf Radio, and we are on the course today from 9 AM to 10 AM on WSBC-AM 1240 and WCFJ-AM 1470 on the southside.

If you miss us live, we don give our fans and listeners a Mulligan. He what kind of golf guys would we be if we didn’t. You get the Mulligan if you are out on the golf course or the practcie range, or even in the proshop or retail store getting some golf equipment. The Mulligan is played like this, we post the show here on the website at some point later on Sunday and you can visit this site and the past shows section and listen on line. We hope you will.

       The Dubsdread Challenge May 16th tee times start at 8 AM, different formats per nine holes, see Coghillgolf.com. Opening Day for Erin Hills Golf Club in Erin Wisconsin, home of the 2017 U.S. Open is Monday May 11th,see Erinhills.com for details. Re-Opening day is coming to the Mt. Prospect Golf Club currently scheduled for August 1st, follow this site for details or changes to opening day if they happen.

GOG RADIO FOR WEEK #3

A special guest with a special cause raising money throughgolf  will join us first around 9:10, followed by Larry Myers the General Manager at Shepherd’s Crook golf Club in Zion Shepherdscrook.org. Then right after 9:30 from the Arrowhead Golf Club in Wheaton we have assistant professional Andrew Ogata. Golfers find out whats new for 2015 at Shepherds Crook in Zion and Arrowhead Golf Club in Wheaton.

Len Ziehm at Lawsonia Golf Club in Green Lake Wisconsin.

BIG 3 Partner Len Ziehm has been on the move again, joining the Gog Blog in both Indiana and in Michigan over the last couple of weeks.

Ziehm has travel stories up on his website Lenziehmongolf.com. Ziehm’s golf column has now returned to the Daily Herald for the summer and should run through the end of September. Ziehm can be found in each issue of Chicagoland Golf as well, not once but twice.

Chicagoland Golf and chicagogolfonline.com is back for 2015.

The second issue of Chicagoland Golf for the 2015 Golf Season is out and in the proshops. It’s also in your favorite golf retail stores.

Chicagoland Golf is published by Val Russell. Pick up your free copy today at your favorite golf shop or golf store.

This months issue has a cover story by Chicago area golf course and golfproperty buyer and seller Chris Charnas.

More golf news and the Gog Blog Speaks Out, coming up this week right here. Stay clikced in and Go Play. 80 degrees today. RS

        The 2015 Sr. PGA Championship at French Lick Resort, the 2016 Sr. PGA Championship at Harbor Shores next May, The 2015 PGA Championship at Whistling Straits in Haven/Kohler Wisconsin this August. See PGA.Com for tickets and more.

BY: Rory Spears, Editor and Director of Content. Follow Rory on Facebook, Linkedin & Twitter @GogBlogGuy

Kerry Haigh PGA Chief Championships Officer

The Golf Club at Harbor Shores in conjunction with the PGA of America held a media day yesterday to give notice about some changes to the golf course that the golfing public and the tour players will find when they play Harbor Shores going forward.

Those changes were done for the most part on six holes of the golf course. The famed 10th green, often a subject of conversation, but also the site of of course designer Jack Nicklaus making his famed 100 foot putt during the Champions for Change event was not altered. One of the most visible changes came on the scenic but elevated 7th hole, where the green sits atop large sand dunes. From the top of the green, golfers have a great view of the beach and Lake Michigan.

        (L) Mt. Prospect Golf Club reopens August 1st. Island Hills Golf Club in Centerville Michigan, The famed Par 3, 17th Hole. See IslandHillsgolf.com for more information.

There was several presentations during the press conference and one of them was made by Kerry Haigh the PGA’s Chief Championships Officer. Haigh is in charge of course set up for the PGA’s major championships.

Below is Haigh’s presentation, followed by his interview with BIG 3 Partners Tim Cronin, Len Ziehm and your’s truly.

Click here to hear the interview with Kerry Haigh of the PGA.

During his presentation, Haigh spoke about the Harbor Shores Golf Course. During his interview with the BIG 3 Partners, talked about course set up for a double dose of Dye, Pet Dye that is with the Sr. PGA Championship coming to the Dye Course at French Lick Resort later this month, and the Dye designed Whistling Straits Course in Haven Wisconsin home of the PGA Championship this August. Haigh addressed the bunker issues at Whistling Straits and how the PGA plans to try and make sure another incident like Dustin Johnson had in 2010 does not repeat itself.

Haigh was asked about standout Chicago area courses Cog Hill #4,and Medinah  #3 and what future they might have in hosting a major PGA event in the future.

The Gog Blog will take a look at the changes that were made to the Harbor Shores Golf Club, and with the support of legend Jack Nicklaus the course designer. The changes include the regrassing of the greens and changes to the green surfaces on a few holes.