LEN ZIEHM of the DAILY HERALD (L) at PGA Village in Port St. Lucie Florida, RORY SPEARS of GOLFERS ON GOLF (R), in the WCPT AM 820 STUDIO’S CHICAGO. ______________________________________________________________________
2019 Illinois Golf Hall of Fame Inductee Len Ziehm of the Daily Herald and Rory Spears of Golfers on Golf Radio and Golfersongolf.com. Are presenting weekly podcasts through out the Covid-19 Pandemic to keep golfers informed about what’s happening in Illinois Golf and beyond.
Click here to hear the Ziehm and Spears Podcast Series 2020-Volume 9 from May 13th.
Topics include, live golf returns to Florida this weekend and next. Thoughts on Illinois golf, more tournaments canceled, and which one’s aren’t. That and more, please listen in, and Thanks for Listening-Len and Rory.
RORY SPEARS (L) of Golfers on Golf-with 2019 Illinois Golf Hall of Fame Inductee Len Ziehm, have combined to bring you the next in a series of features on golf and destination travel. As the Covid-19 Virus goes away, it will be time for you to get away. _____________________________________________________________________
THE PRIDE OF SOUTHERN INDIANA-Details online at FrenchLick.com.
HISTORY IN SOUTHERN INDIANA has been being made for well over 100 years. The feature below brings out what you find when your travels take you to French Lick Resort.
BY: RORY SPEARS with LEN ZIEHM.
FRENCH LICK is no longer just the town that NBA legend Larry Bird grew up in. It’s a community that has gone through a rebirth, simply because the town’s resort was brought back to life by an Indiana company that wanted to give back to it’s home state.
“Who would have thought that this project could happen in the small town of French Lick Indiana, with a population of 2500 residents. The resort employed 373 people when the Cook Group bought the resort about 15 years ago, and now we employ over 1700 people. The whole town has taken it upon itself to say this is our fabric of life, this is what we do. It’s where we live, and this the pride we have. It’s how we try and approach this.” says Brendan Sweeney, Director of Golf Marketing and Development.
THE WEST BADEN HOTEL is one of two hotels that comprise the French Lick Resort.
“Lots of golf history was made in French Lick before I first arrived in summer of 2009,” says Len Ziehm. “The resort had hosted the 1924 PGA Championship won by Walter Hagen (the first of his five straight wins in the tournament) and two LPGA Championships, both won by legendary players-Betsy Rawls and Mickey Wright.”
“In 2009 when I got there French Lick was at the very beginning of it’s revival, one created by the generosity and visionary approach of billionaire Bill Cook,” adds Ziehm. ” Cook had just financed the rebuilding of two hotels and the day I first arrived, what is now the Donald Ross Course was just re-opening after a full-scale renovation. The five hour drive to southern Indiana was a big part of what helped create my plan to enter golf travel-writing after a 41 year career at the Chicago Sun-Times. This phase of my writing life has been a joy, and frequent stops at French Lick are a big part of the reason why.”
THE FRENCH LICK SPRINGS HOTEL (L) THE NEW VALLEY TOWER ROOMS (R)
” On my first visit, I got a memorable truck ride with director of golf Dave Harner over what became the spectacular 27 million dollar Pete Dye Course. It wasn’t even grassed at that time, but what a terrific venue it has become. In 11 years since my first visit, I’ve been to French Lick at least once a year, and one year I had three visits. During those times I have seen the creation of the LPGA Legends Championship, the Legends Hall of Fame and the Senior LPGA Championship. The first major championship for women who had done so much for game and the development of the LPGA itself,” says Ziehm.
One of the most interesting things about the Pete Dye course, is that it almost never got built. Dye came down from his home off the 18th fairway at the Crooked Stick Golf Club in Carmel Indiana, just North of Indianapolis and looked at the land where French Lick Resort officials expected the course to be built. Dye walked the land and told resort officials he couldn’t build a golf course there. After driving home that night, Dye started drawing holes on a napkin. Early the next morning he called the resort back and said I think I can build it. So later that morning at a diner South of Indianapolis, a meeting was held, a deal was made, Dye’s legendary volcano bunkers were built, and the rest is history. The resort still has that napkin (more details of this story on the audio interview below with Brendan Sweeney).
Helen Alfredsson won the 2019 Senior LPGA Championship on the Pete Dye Course at French Lick. She won’t get to defend the title this year, due to the cancellation of the championship because of Covid-19 concerns.
When Ziehm first arrived in French Lick, the investment to rebuild the resort was reported to be over $500 million dollars.
As of last year, that number has gone up another $100 million dollars. Ziehm adds that every time he revisits the resort, there is something new on the property to check out.
Most recently the addition of the Valley Tower, with some 80 new rooms is right off the entrance of the casino. Those rooms have adjoining doors, so groups can move back and forth between the rooms, and around the social area’s in between. The Valley Sports Bar is another place for guests to meet, and new sports book where you can bet all the games, is just inside the casino’s entrance.
FORMER MEDINAH COUNTRY CLUB CADDIE BRENDAN SWEENEY has been the driving force behind golf at the French Lick Resort-along with director of golf Dave Harner, and head golf professional Andy Fortner.
Welcome to the gates of golf at the French Lick Resort. The Pete Dye Course is currently home to the Senior LPGA Championship. While the Donald Ross course is home to the Symetra Tour’s (the road to the LPGA) Donald Ross Classic. Both events scheduled for July of this summer have been canceled due to health concerns over the Covid-19 Virus. Both Championships will return in 2021.
“One of the reasons we had to cancel the Senior LPGA Championship was due to the kids that come from our charity Riley’s Hospital for Children to help as starters at the championship,” says Sweeney. ” Riley’s was built in Indianapolis in 1924, it’s kind of Indiana’s version of St. Jude’s hospital in Tennessee. One of the biggest heartbreaking things in canceling the Senior Women’s LPGA, was what to do with Riley’s. So we worked out a deal with Riley’s, and will do something special for them. But we could not put these kids in danger, when much of the world is in quarantine.”
The Pete Dye course and the Donald Ross course are only two-thirds of the resorts golf operation. If your looking for a nine-hole round of golf, the Valley Links course might be right for you. Valley Links was designed by Tom Bendelow who also designed the Medinah Country Club’s three courses, among some other famous gems. But Valley Links will get it’s due in the future. The plan is to add nine more holes, hopefully the effect’s of the virus on the economy don’t push this project back too far into the future.
The good news for golfers, is that with the two professional tournaments being canceled in July, there are more tee times available for resort guests to play golf.
The Pete Dye Golf Course, on a fall morning during the 2018 Sr. LPGA Championship.
“We are currently open for golf with restrictions in place,” says Sweeney. “Currently our rooms are not open, but there are a couple of hotels in the area that have rooms. We hope to have some rooms open in May, with soft openings for a couple of our restaurants. The restaurants around French Lick will open by the middle of the month. As for our casino, we are still awaiting word from the governors office on when we can do that.”
Click here to hear the interview with French Lick Resort’s golf marketing director Brendan Sweeney, to learn more about golf in French Lick. The resorts 175 year history, and how the resort has made this historical comeback, to be a leading destination property not only in Indiana, but in America.
Sweeney adds that the resorts maintenance staff has been working hard to make improvements, while the resort has been shut down. So that operations are at full steam ahead, when guests start returning in numbers, after the threat from the Covid-19 virus decreases.
For more information on the French Lick Resort and the safety precautions taken for staff and guests, please visit FrenchLick.com or (888)-936-9360. Book your upcoming “stay and play” today.
THE ONWENTSIA CLUB IN LAKE FOREST-THE GROVE COUNTRY CLUB IN LONG GROVE, both have had their junior golf championships canceled for next month, due to Covid-19 concerns. This was announced jointly by the Western Golf Association (WGA) and the Women’s Western Golf Association (WWGA).
BY RORY SPEARS: Director of Content and Creation for Golfers on Golf Radio and Golfersongolf.com. Follow Rory on Twitter @GogBlogGuy, or Facebook and LinkedIn.
The Par 3, 9th hole at the Onwentsia Club in Lake Forest.
The 103rd Western Junior, and the 94th Women’s Western Junior Girls Championships have been canceled for 2020, and will not be played.
The boys were scheduled from June 15-18 at the Onwentsia Club in Lake Forest, and the girls from June 15-19 at the Grove Country Club in Long Grove.
The site for the boys Western Junior Championship will be announced at a later date. The girls junior 2021 championship will be played at the Aurora Country Club from June 21-25.
The Clubhouse at the Grove Country Club in Long Grove IL.
“We’re obviously very disappointed that we won’t be able to conduct our two world-class golf junior championships, the Western Junior Championship’s and the Women’s Western Junior, in 2020, but we feel strongly that this is the right decision under these challenging circumstances,” said Vince Pellegrino, WGA senior vice president of tournaments. “Our foremost priority is the health and safety of all of those who would have been involved, including players, their families, the club members and staff and our tournament officials.”
Jackie Wacker, Women’s Western Junior tournament chairman, added that canceling the tournament was a difficult decision.
“We waited as long as possible to see if there might be a significant improvement in the resolution of the ongoing and unprecedented health crisis we are facing,” Wacker said. “However, we ultimately decided the risk is just too great to have so many young girls and their families travel-many from long distances-to compete. We hope and trust all involved will understand we are doing this out of care and concern for the welfare of our players and everyone who would be on hand to support them in the competition.”
The good news is that the Western Amateur Championship scheduled for July 27-August 1st at Crooked Stick Golf Club in Carmel Indiana, and the Women’s Western Amateur Championship set for July 20-25 at Prestwick Country Club in Frankfort Illinois are still scheduled to be played. And their are no plans at this time to alter the schedule according to Pellegrino.
For more details on WGA and WWGA events stay clicked in here, or visit WGAESF.org or WWGA.org.
GOLFERS ON GOLF RADIO contributor Len Ziehm joins Ed, Billy and Rory live this Saturday from PGA Village in Florida. GOG Radio 10 AM Saturday’s WCPT Am 820. _____________________________________________________________________
THE GOG BLOG by RORY SPEARS, Director of Content and Creation and host of Golfers on Golf. Follow Rory on Twitter @GogBlogGuy and LinkedIn or Facebook.
FOR THOSE OF YOU who have Sirius XM in your car, or via your phone. You can’t help but being able to enjoy certain channels, that are one band all day long through the end of May.
Channel 27 that was Deep Tracks, is now the Led Zeppelin Channel. It’s heaven, and not just a stairway to, but something to enjoy and get you pumped up on the way to the golf course. That is if you can get a rare tee-time these days, with twosomes only, UGH !
What I did hear was a deep-track from the album Led Zeppelin II, called “What is, and What Should Never Be.”
Which seems to be what our Illinois golf industry is currently suffering with. Granted, I feel sorry for the business owners who can’t open at all. Especially hair salons, since sooo many people now need a haircut. Golfers, I think the visor era is about to return, since many golfers can no longer fit all their hair, under a baseball style cap.
OUR GOLF COURSES do deserve a better shake than they are currently getting from the State of Illinois. It’s my understanding that the Allied Golf Group that consists of the Illinois PGA, the Chicago District Golf Association (CDGA), the Club Managers Association, and the Midwest Golf Course Superintendents Association, are still working with the governor and his staff to make revisions to what the current rules are. Many of those rules are “What Should Never Be.” But for now, they are “What is”.
APPARENTLY the Western Golf Association (WGA) has now joined the effort and is working hard to get caddies back on the course in Illinois, at least by June 1st. The Spears Plan, that I suggested weeks ago, would be fore-caddies on each side of the par 4 and par 5 holes. Each caddie would have their own rake for the day to rake bunkers on that hole. One caddie on Par 3 holes, by the green, to spot incoming shots and rake greenside bunkers. It would be a start until full walking caddies return.
WHAT WE DON’T KNOW IS, will golf be stuck with these current terms until June 1st, or the day after Memorial Day, or even next Monday on May 18th. Will another week, this week, of good compliance earn Illinois golf a few more privilege’s by next Monday.
I’m not sure every golf course can hold out another 3 weeks under these current terms. In the meantime, thousands of Illinois golf dollars, keep going to Wisconsin, Indiana, Missouri and other places, where foursome can play, and use golf carts or a caddie.
IT WAS TOUGH to hear that women’s golf is really taking a pounding in canceled tournaments for 2020. Mistwood announced that the Phil Kosin Illinois Women’s Open scheduled for mid-July was canceled. Both women’s event’s at the French Lick Resort, the Symetra Tournament on the Donald Ross Course, and the Senior LPGA Championship are off the schedule until 2021. Plus you can add the U.S. Senior Women’s Open, and a few Legends Tour events to the canceled list as well.
THE WGA and the Women’s Western Golf Association (WWGA) have their national junior boys and girls championships coming up here in town, come late June. Are those championships going to be, the next to go. Stay tuned, an announcement is expected shortly.
KEMPERSPORTS Management CEO Steve Skinner confirmed with us this past weekend during his Golfers on Golf Radio interview. That the Glen Club is not available for the Evans Scholars Invitational for the second week of September, due to the club being booked for corporate golf and multiple weddings. So the WGA and the Korn Ferry Tour are looking for another site for the tournament. Anybody in Chicago want to host a professional tournament that week ?
THE CITY OF CHICAGO stepped in at the last minute and wiped out some 160+ rounds of golf that were scheduled for that beautiful day last Thursday. When they re-closed Harborside International. Club officials were emailing groups on Wednesday night telling them not to show up on Thursday. With bad weather for Friday, you mean the city could not have waited one more day, to work in contrast with Governor Pritzker’s reopening provision.
IF YOU MISSED IT..the DuPage County opened up their 9-hole course Green Meadows yesterday in Westmont. So there are now a few more tee times available for golfers who are in need of them. See Dupagegolf.com for details on booking and the Covid-19 rules for playing golf on the DuPage County golf courses.
EAGLE RIDGE RESORT in Galena has been nominated in the Stella Awards for having the Best Midwest Resort Spa. Voting is now underway.
LANDSCAPES GOLF MANAGEMENT, a division of Landscapes Unlimited, LLC, has announced four new Midwest based clients, including Crystal Woods Golf Course in Woodstock Illinois. The course was originally designed by William Langford in 1950’s as a 9-hole par 37 golf course. In 1967 the course increased to 18 holes and a par of 72, under architect Charles Wagstaff, and reopened for play in 1969.
THE WEATHER wasn’t supposed to be great this week, but maybe that is changing a little bit for the better. So don’t give up on golf for this week just yet, get out and play. If you can actually get a tee time this week. The current restrictions did not even allow for courses to offer mom’s some free golf yesterday, as part of a promotion. That’s sad.
WCPT AM 820 the home of Golfers on Golf Radio for 2020, in it’s 30th season. Listen live 10 Am every Saturday morning on the air, on line, on our APP, watch on Facebook. (L-R) Ed Stevenson, Bill Berger and Rory Spears-with contributor Len Ziehm this year. ______________________________________________________________________
THE GOG BLOG by RORY SPEARS, Director of Content and Creation for Golfers on Golf. Follow Rory on Twitter @GogBlogGuy and or Linkedin, Facebook or Instagram.
ED STEVENSON Ex. Director of the DuPage County Forest Preserve District and member of the Illinois PGA, along with the DuPage Country FPD board and the golf staff of DuPage Golf, welcome golfers back now to all three of the DuPage County golf courses, with the reopening today of Green Meadows Golf Course in Westmont.
Green Meadows is a 9-hole golf course, that has three par 4 holes, and six holes that are par 3’s, for a total par of 30.
The Preserve at Oak Meadows, Maple Meadows, and Green Meadows, that consist of all 45 holes that are part of the DCFPD, are open for play. But they are still operating under the rules for golf courses in Illinois, set down by the State of Illinois and the governor.
For more details on golf and all the happenings at all three golf courses, visit Dupagegolf.com
WCPT AM 820 is the new home for Golfers on Golf Radio in 2020. (R) RORY SPEARS and BILL BERGER are your hosts along with Ed Stevenson for this season. Illinois Golf 2019 Hall of Fame Inductee has joined the show as a contributor this season.
Our show included live guests Gary D’Amato from Wisconsin.Golf and Steve Skinner CEO of KemperSports management and KemperLesnik PR-Communications.
We heard some drop-in sound bites from Len Ziehm from Ziehm and Spears Podcast Series 2020-Volume 8, and Mistwood Golf Club Director of Golf Andy Mickelson, on working through the limitations of golf in Illinois, and having to cancel the 2020 Phil Kosin Illinois Women’s Open for this year.
NEXT WEEK-we hear from Kohler Director of Golf Dirk Willis and our Florida (for now) contributor, the Daily Herald’s Len Ziehm.
A reminder on how to hear Golfers on Golf Radio in 2020. * Listen live during 10-11 Am on AM 820 WCPT every Saturday morning. * Listen live online at Wcpt820.com * Watch us on Facebook-Live. We are told You-Tube is coming soon. * Download the Tune in Radio APP Search WCPT820 * About 90 minutes after the show is over, you can hear a replay at Soundcloud.com/Chicagosprogressivetalk and scroll down to the link of the show.
THE MISTWOOD GOLF CLUB is on Renwick Road in Romeoville. For information on tee times call (815)-254-3333 or visit Mistwoodgc.com. Golfers on Golf Radio is back tomorrow at 10 Am on WCPT Am 820. Listen live Wcpt820.com watch on Facebook. _____________________________________________________________________
THE GOG BLOG by RORY SPEARS, Director of Content and Creation for Golfers on Golf. Follow Rory on Twitter @GogBlogGuy for the golf news the Chicago area needs.
*2020 Phil Kosin Illinois Women’s Open at Mistwood Golf Club July 13-15 is canceled.
Golfers on Golf caught up with Mistwood GC Director of Golf Andy Mickelson on what’s happening at, trying to work through Governor J.D. Pritzker’s tough Covid-19 virus restrictions on golf. Plus the tough decision to cancel the 2020 Phil Kosin Illinois Women’s Open.
Click here to hear the interview with Andy Mickelson from the Mistwood Golf Club in Romeoville.
Golfers on Golf Radio Week three is back tomorrow on WCPT AM 820 at 10 AM.
LEN ZIEHM (L) & RORY SPEARS (R) WORKING WITHIN SOCIAL DISTANCING GUIDELINES ONLY 1250 MILES APART, between Port. St Lucie Florida and PGA Village-to Arlington Hts. IL. LenZiehmongolf.com & Golfersongolf.com for all the news. ______________________________________________________________________
THE GOG BLOG by RORY SPEARS, Director of Content and Creation for Golfers on Golf. Follow Rory on Twitter @GogBlogGuy and on LinkedIn, Facebook or Instagram.
Illinois Golf Hall of Fame Class of 2019 Inductee Len Ziehm, and veteran golf reporter, writer and show host Rory Spears have combined to do podcasts on a weekly basis during the Covid-19 pandemic. Below is Podcast Series 2020, Volume 8.
Click here to hear the Ziehm and Spears Podcast Series Volume 8.
Topic include, golfing through the restrictions, and alumni golf college event. French Lick Resort loses both of this summers women’s professional golf events. The Evans Scholars Invitational moves to September, but now needs a golf course.
Quite a story of the husband and wife team from Wisconsin, that made back-to-back aces, on the same hole, from the same tee, each using a 7-Iron.
All this and more, take a listen and enjoy the game of golf. Len & Rory.
THE DONALD ROSS COURSE at the French Lick Resort in French Lick Indiana. See Frenchlick.com . The 2020 Senior LPGA Championship in late July has been canceled. ______________________________________________________________________
RORY SPEARS (L) of Golfers on Golf, and LEN ZIEHM (R) of Len Ziehm on Golf and the Daily Herald. Follow Rory on Twitter @GogBlogBlog and Rory and Len on Twitter, and LinkedIn or Facebook. Preparing to tee off at the Donald Ross Course in French Lick.
FIRST IT WAS THE 2020 Senior Women’s LPGA Championship, and now it’s the 2020 Donald Ross Classic at the French Lick Resort being canceled due to the spread of the Covid-19 Virus.
As a result, the French Lick Resort has had to cancel both tournaments that were to be played at the resort this July.
The 2020 Donald Ross Classic is part of the Women’s Symetra Tour. The tournament will return as part of the tour’s schedule, in the 2021 season.
“We continue working toward our primary goal of providing as many safe playing conditions for all Symetra Tour professionals when the time comes,” Mike Nichols, the Chief Business Officer of the Symetra Tour. “French Lick Resort is a tremendous supporter of the LPGA legends and future stars. We are disappointed that the Donald Ross Classic won’t be taking place this year, but are looking forward to returning in 2021. The team at French Lick Resort cares a great deal about the event and hosting it at it’s highest potential. For players, sponsors and volunteers, it will be back even stronger.
The Donald Ross Classic is a 144 player field and Patty Tavatanakit is the defending champion. The purse is $225,000 with $33,750 to the winner.
“We are disappointed that the Symetra Tour won’t be swinging through French Lick this year, but the celebration for this event will be even bigger next year,” said Dave Harner Director of Golf for the French Lick Resort and tournament director.
ERIN HILLS with special rates through the end of May, please visit Erinhills.com. Illinois Golf Hall of Fame Inductee Len Ziehm is now a contributor to Golfers on Golf Radio that can be heard Saturday mornings at 10 Am, on our new home WCPT-AM 820 Chicago. _____________________________________________________________________
THE GOG BLOG-by RORY SPEARS, Director of Content and Creation for Golfers on Golf. Follow Rory on Twitter @GogBlogGuy, and on LinkedIn and Facebook.
AND NOW WE HAVE THEM, the dates are out for the rescheduling of the Evans Scholars Invitational (ESI) on the Korn Ferry Tour.
The (ESI) is a fund raiser for the Western Golf Association (WGA) and Evans Scholars Foundation.
Originally the ESI was supposed to be contested from June 20-24 at the Glen Club in Glenview Illinois.
But due to schedule changes because of the Covid-19 Virus, the Korn Ferry Tour has moved the ESI back to September 9-13, opposite the U.S. Open at Winged Foot.
What is still unknown is where the tournament will be played. The Evans Scholars Invitational was supposed to return to the Glen Club, but a scheduling conflict with the new dates, is likely to force the tournament to need a new home for 2020.
WGAESF.com EvansScholarsInvitational.com
“We are excited to announce this new date for the Evans Scholars Invitational as we look to bring the Korn Ferry Tour golf back to Chicago in 2020,” said Vince Pellegrino, senior vice president of tournaments for the Western Golf Association. “We appreciate the ongoing support of our partners and volunteers as we work towards tournament week, knowing we will only contest this event if deemed safe to do so under the guidance of leading public health officials.”
The Korn Ferry tour has changed it’s schedule and created new events to restart the season. The first tournament expected to be played is the Korn Ferry Challenge at TPC Sawgrass on the Dye’s Valley Course June 11-14, before moving down the street the following week to play the King and Bear Course at the World Golf Hall of Fame.
Six events were played before the season was halted due to the spread of the Covid-19 Virus. If the season can continue on June 11th, this years schedule will be 23 events. Follow PGAtour.com for information on the merger of the season and the new format for Korn Ferry players to earn PGA Tour cards for the 2020-2021 season.
Pellegrino added that the Western Golf Association feels “fortunate that the Tour agreed to move forward and play the Evans Scholars Invitational in 2020.”
The WGA and the Women’s Western Golf Association (WWGA) are still deciding if the Western Junior Boys championship and the Women’s Western Junior Girls Championship both scheduled for late June in the Chicago area, can be played in June, postponed, or need to be cancelled for this year.
LEN ZIEHM of the DAILY HERALD (L) at PGA Village in Port St. Lucie Florida, RORY SPEARS of GOLFERS ON GOLF (R), in the WCPT AM 820 STUDIO’S CHICAGO. ______________________________________________________________________
