THE GOG BLOG SPEAKS OUT-GOLF SHOW RECAP & COURSES OPEN

 VAL RUSSELL the Publisher of Chicagoland Golf holds up the first issue of 2018, and the show program of the Chicago Golf Show, see Chicagogolfonline.com for details on Chicagoland Golf and how to get it. McQ’s Dome is Chicago’s premier golf dome, and it’s the place to go play the ponies in the OTB, great food and beverages in the grill. Go visit the Mistwood GC pro staff at the dome for a preseason tune up. Mcqsdome.com.     _____________________________________________________________________

THE GOG BLOG by RORY SPEARS, Director of Creation and Content, Follow Rory to McQ’s Dome and on Twitter @GogBlogGuy, and Linkedin and Facebook.

WELCOME TO MONDAY after the Chicago Golf Show. It was great to see so many golfers out at the show.

The destination properties were there with their booths, the major local courses were there with their booths.

Most of the major equipment companies came out to show off their new clubs and let the show-goers hit them. The Illinois PGA had their professionals there to help with free lessons, and let the juniors try out other parts of the exhibit to learn the game.

Several of the championships had their trophies there for photo op’s. I write for Chicagoland Golf which provided the golf show program, and was the first issue of the year for 2018 for CG. French Lick Resort led by the former Medinah caddie Brendan Sweeney did a great job as show sponsor.

The Pete Dye Statue at the French Lick Resort. Frenchlick.com

THE THREE SHOW RECAP..three area golf shows in three weeks is too much. I would like to see the Tinley Park and Lake County Shows pull their dates further away from the Chicago Show. The Tinley Park show took a little hit because of terrible weather that weekend, Lake County for whatever reason was not well attended, and the Chicago Golf Show seemed to do well. But at what point are there too many shows.

I have known about the Milwaukee Show and now I have learned that Madison Wisconsin is also having a show. Toss in a few in Indiana, and more in Michigan, and the resorts and Midwest courses are over loaded. Hopefully all the shows can work together and do some better scheduling in 2019, and or maybe someone needs to come off the schedule all together.

WHAT DID I LEARN at the shows. First on the tee there are some new products on the market. Callaway Golf with it’s Rogue Line of clubs is quickly taking the market by storm, it’s hard to believe that anything could beat out the Callaway Epic Driver that i got last year and had success with, but the Rogue seems to be a step up in class. So did the Rogue fairway woods, my Callaway  fairway Steelhead woods I got last fall could be on the bench as well before too long, we will see. Callawaygolf.com.

THE SUNSET VALLEY golf course in Highland Park that has been under renovation will reopen in August, I’m looking forward to touring that property in the short future and reporting back on what I find. The old Highland Park County Club will be closed down for good.

IF YOU DIDN’T SEE MY STORY FROM THE WEEKEND, other new products included a new golf energy drink GolferAid, filled with healthy stuff and it tastes a little like Ginger-Ale is my feeling. Bixtar Golf Balls that is quickly gaining traction in the market is headquartered in Elk Grove Village, $19.99 a dozen and yes they are legal. For more information see Bixtar.com.

IN THE UP of MICHIGAN, there will be another brand new course open this year. Stay tuned for details on that one, which is part of the Greywalls, Sweetwater and Island Casino golf area.

TONIGHT IS A MEETING in Lake Bluff that takes public input on the fate of it’s Park District Golf Course that is celebrating it’s 50th birthday in 2018.

Welcome to the 50th year of the lake Bluff Park District Golf Course.

The Lake Bluff Park District is holding a town hall forum tonight, to help the board decide the fate of it’s golf course, which has been losing money for the last few years.

LB is good golf course, and I hope it stays open past this year. I talked to GM Dominic Flood last week, who is part of the Billy Casper management group running the course.

Flood is hoping for the course to remain open, and it should. Both the course and the clubhouse need some renovation work, but a lot could be done and for far less than some of the 6-7 million dollar projects happening in the area. Lake Bluff is solid enough that 2-3 million would go a long way. I’m keeping my fingers crossed for the course to remain open beyond 2018.

SPEAKING OF BEING OPEN, Foxford Hills in Cary, and White Deer Run in Vernon Hills are reporting that they are now open for 2018, I would guess weather pemitting, but if want to play TODAY, they are open and so are courses 1&3 at Cog Hill in Lemont that are open year round.

JACK NICKLAUS might be the greatest golf all time, but I’m not on board with his rollback of the golf ball concept. Most amateurs still don’t hit it far enough and need all the help they can get. If the USGA and Executive Director and CEO Mike Davis want to roll the ball back, make it for the tour pro’s only.

U of Illinois Sr. Dylan Meyer has been put on the Ben Hogan Award watch list in men’s college golf, which is like winning the Heisman Trophy in college football. Have a great spring Dylan and the Illini.

I AM COMING UP on my Drive for 5, more on that later this week. RS

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About Rory Spears

Rory spent over 8 years growing up working at Rob Roy Golf Club in Prospect Hts.IL, then two years at Chevy Chase in Wheeling. He has covered golf in Chicago since 1986. Rory was one of the initial members of WSCR all-sports radio Chicago and covered golf there for 5 seasons, before moving on to work for ESPN/Sportsticker and ESPN Radio. In addition to hosting Golfers on Golf Radio on WCPT AM820 Chicago, he writes for both the Chicago District (CDGA) Magazine, and formerly Chicagoland Golf. Rory has played over 525 courses in 39 states, and rates golf courses. He does golf course management and communications consulting, within the golf industry.