THE KORN FERRY TOUR returns to Chicago Sept 9-12 at the Chicago Highlands Golf Club, and to live action tomorrow in Florida. THE NEW CLUBHOUSE at the Preserve at Oak Meadows in Addison, is rising from the ground, see the details at DuPagegolf.com  _____________________________________________________________________

YESTERDAY INDIANA UNIVERSITY held a Zoom media conference call with head coaches Mike Mayer (men’s team) and Clint Wallman (women’s team) in regards to next weeks opening of the universities new Pfau Golf Course.

Click here to hear the conference call between Indiana University golf coaches Mike Mayer and Clint Wallman. The gaps on the call have been edited out for time concerns, and the 27 minute call is only 20 minutes here. The link begins with opening comments by men’s coach Mike Mayer.

The PFAU Golf Course opens on June 15th, and the courses website is now up and operational at thePfaucourse.com.

The new PFAU course clubhouse (view from 18th green) and the second hole from the tee box.

Click here to hear the interview with architect Steve Smyers on the renovation of the golf course (Oct. 2019).

The 15th hole on the Pfau Course (L) and the closing hole the 18th with clubhouse (R).

Opening day is June 15th details at ThePfauCourse.com

CLUB CHAMPION stores now open-Great idea for Fathers Day Clubchampiongolf.com The Korn Ferry Tour comes to Chicago Sept. 9-12-tournament site Chicago Highlands.   _____________________________________________________________________

THE GOG BLOG-by Rory Spears, Director of Content and Creation for Golfers on Golf. You can follow Rory on Twitter @GogBlogGuy, or LinkedIn, Facebook or Instagram.

Honma TR20 line of clubs

Honma’s TR20-which stands for Tour Release 2020, is a product line that combines 60 years of design work from a team of club design engineers.

The TR 440 and 460 drivers, are part of the line that includes TR20 P and V irons.

This line of clubs brings tour level performance to amateurs, who handicaps range from low-to-middle-to high.

“When you combine the attention to detail and finely crafted performance upheld by the takumi with our expert Carlsbad R&D team, every phase of clubmaking process becomes a finely engineered work of art,” says John Kawaja, president of Honma Golf. “In the hands of golfers, the TR20 family of clubs inspires confidence and the pride that they’re using equipment that’s been meticulously created by two expert teams. When Japan’s finest club designers’ team up with America’s most accomplished club designers, the clear winner is the golfer who values inspired quality and performance.”

The TR20 clubs-drivers and irons, the new TR21’s coming this fall include fairway woods and hybrids. Bur regarding the TR20 Driver,

“Like a race car, these drivers are built for speed,” says Chris McGinley, VP of Global Product. “They have a minimum lightweight TiCarbon Fast frame with a maximum amount of carbon body area. It’s a carbon clamshell-the entire outer crown and sole are made of carbon, while the underside of the crown is ribbed to reduce weight and increase strength-that sits on top of a very thin titanium frame eliminating vibration and the variable face thickness increasing face repulsion and COR for more initial ball speed.

One testing outlet but’s the TR20 460 driver fourth overall in Most Wanted testing, and had the third highest ball speed among all drivers tested.

The TR20 series of drivers sell for $649.99 apiece, with the irons at $199.99 per club with a graphite shaft and at $179.99/steel shafts. A new iron release is coming out this summer, it will be the TR20B for blade irons.

There are three Homna Experience locations that include Reunion Resort in Kissimmee Florida, Ko Olina Golf Club on Oahu in Hawaii, and the Honma House in Carlsbad California.

For more information on Honma clubs visit us/honmagolf.com.

MISTWOOD GOLF CLUB IN ROMEOVILLE-tee times and more call (815)-254-3333.    _____________________________________________________________________

THE GOG BLOG by RORY SPEARS, Host of Golfers on Golf Radio, Director of Content and Creation for Golfersongolf.com Follow Rory on Twitter @GogBlogGuy, Facebook, Linkedin and Instagram. In the WCPT AM 820 Studios.

WELCOME BACK-No Gabe Kotter isn’t coming home this week, but professional golf including the PGA Tour and Korn Ferry Tour are back on the tee.

By Thursday, those sports fans looking for current live action will have something to see. The PGA Tour will be playing in Texas at the Colonial Country Club, while Korn Ferry Tour hits the fairways at the second course at TPC Sawgrass in Florida.

The Korn Ferry event will have some Illinois influence in the field. Nick Hardy, Vince India, Andy Pope are among the players looking for their first win of 2020. Here’s hoping they have a great week in their first week back on tour. I’m hoping the TV networks show us some live looks of each event, that would be great to see.

***THE EVANS SCHOLARS INVITATIONAL*** will be played Sept. 9-12 at the Chicago Highlands Golf Club near Oak Brook.

THE REAL QUESTION is what will sports be like with no fans.  According to story by Golfweek, the Memorial Tournament coming up the third week of July will be able to have 8,000 fans per day. Let’s hope they do, and people stay spread out.

Having played Muirfield Village there are several holes that sit down, while the neighboring houses sit up on the ridges. You can bet that they will add to galleries with back yard viewing parties. If the Memorial gets by with out any major spreading of Covid from galleries of that size, hopefully it’s not long before 10,000 fan’s are the limit. Here’s hoping the BMW Championship at Olympia Fields in late August, can have 10 to 12,000 a day.

THIS WEEK the Illinois PGA Section is expected to release it’s revised schedule for the remainder of the 2020 season. It will be interesting to see when the four major tournaments will get played. It will keep our local section professionals busy for a while. Illinois PGA Section Executive Director Carrie Williams joins Golfers on Golf Radio this coming Saturday to speak more on the Illinois PGA Section and what lies ahead.

WORD FROM AROUND TOWN is that now with courses in Illinois being allowed foursomes, would area courses stay busy, after going a month with limited play and turning away business. Apparently they have, this past weekend with nice weather and no rain the tee sheets have remained full. Illinois courses deserve several straight weekends of solid business.

ARE YOU READY TO TRAVEL-Who Isn’t. Everyone is pretty much getting tired of sitting in their homes, and is ready to go somewhere, anywhere at this point. Golfers on Golf combined with Len Ziehm on Golf will continue to do our best in keeping everyone informed with the reopening of travel destination properties as that happens.

What parts of the facilities are open, golf courses, spa’s, casino’s, restaurants and more. Stay clicked in, or listen to our weekly podcasts for updates on golf properties. In addition to travel stories coming up right here at Golfers on Golf.com.

JUNE 15th will be the official opening the new PFAU Course at Indiana University in Bloomington, a great stop off on the way to the French Lick Resort. The website is now up and running. Architect Steve Smyers was brought in to renovate the course. I saw all 18 holes last fall, this should be added to your must play list.

If your ready for new equipment, Club Champion and other fitting locations are back up and running. Call your local fitter if it’s time for new product in the bag. The Gog Blog returns tomorrow. RS

WCPT AM 820 THE HOME OF GOLFERS ON GOLF RADIO for this years 30th season, 10 Am Saturday mornings. The New Clubhouse at The Preserve at Oak Meadows is going up, for more details on the Preserve please visit DuPagegolf.com.     ____________________________________________________________________

THE GOG BLOG by RORY SPEARS, Director of Content and Creation. Follow Rory on Twitter @GogBlogGuy, Facebook, LinkedIn and Instagram, at WCPT AM 820.

It was great catching up with Ryan Brown the Director of Golf at Eagle Ridge in Galena IL. during our radio show yesterday.

Eagle Ridge is on the comeback trail under new ownership, and will become a place golfers need to visit going forward.

There are plenty of golf specials in the month of June, the resorts spa and the General Golf course are open again.

EagleRidge.com Isn’t it time for you to visit Eagle Ridge, Ready to Travel, who isn’t. We have all been stuck in our homes for way to long. #GoGolfing.

American Angela Stafford holds the Solheim Cup.

2021 Team USA Solheim Cup Captain Pat Hurst has added Angela Stafford as an assistant captain for Team USA.

Stafford a former major champion, has been a member of Team USA in the Solheim Cup, six times.

The 2021 Solheim Cup matches will be contested at the Inverness Club in Toledo Ohio. For more information please visit Solheimcup@lpga.com.

THERE HAVE been changes made to the Players Pass at area golf courses operated by GolfVisions. For details on the Players Pass and the free golf vouchers handed out at the Chicago Show, see Golfvisions.net.

BID DEADLINES are coming up on various properties from the Warrior Golf bankruptcy that are being sold. The auctions are being operated by Links Capital Advisors and Chris Charnas, for more information see LinksCaptialAdvisors.com or contact Chris Charnas at (312)-543-7192. Auctions are happening this week.

DALLAS BASED TOP GOLF has teamed up with Golf Scope to create a new virtual reality game, called Pro Putt by TopGolf on Oculus Quest. More details at Topgolf.com and at Proputt.com.

CLUB CHAMPION has reopened it’s four fitting stores in the Chicago area, and most of it’s 74 locations across the country. There are current specials, for more details please visit Clubchampiongolf.com.

Chad Johansen holds the Blackberry Amateur trophy. The Blackberry Am will be played this June 27 & 28 at Blackberry Oaks in Bristol.

Chad Johansen the Illinois PGA professional and general manager at Blackberry Oaks announced today while appearing on Golfers on Golf Radio Am 820 WCPT, that this past Friday he has opened registration for the 10th annual Blackberry Amateur.

The Blackberry Amateur is sponsored by Wilson Golf and Michelob Ultra.

The field is limited to the first 120 players that sign up.

For more information, please visit Blackberryoaks.com, or call (630)-553-7170. The Gog Blog returns on Monday. RS

GOLFERS ON GOLF RADIO (L-R) Rory Spears, Ed Stevenson, and Bill Berger. (R) 2019 Illinois Golf Hall of Fame Inductee Len Ziehm has joined the show as a contributor ______________________________________________________________________

GOLFERS ON GOLF RADIO WEEK 7- at 10 am tomorrow (Saturday) on Am 820 WCPT or listen live at Wcpt820.com. You can watch the show live on Facebook, just visit the WCPT FB-page. If you on the course, the range or out and about, catch us on the Tune-In-Radio APP, Search WCPT820.

If you miss the show, you can have a mulligan. Check it out on Soundcloud.com/Chicagosprogressivetalk.

This weeks guests, are Eagle Ridge Resort Director of Golf Ryan Brown, on the reopening and changes at Eagle Ridge in Galena.

The Man in the Golden Jacket-Chad Johansen live from his open house in the western burbs. Johansen is the IPGA professional and GM at Blackberry Oaks in Bristol.

We will hear from Len Ziehm of LenZiehmonGolf.com and the golf columnist of the Daily Herald with his thoughts in the world of golf. Join us every Saturday morning.

THE FIRST TEE OF GREATER CHICAGO-Rory Spears visits the First Tee facility at Sultans Run in Southern Indiana. Golfers on Golf and the Gog Blog by Rory Spears, follow Rory on Twitter @GogBlogGuy, and or Facebook, LinkedIn and Instagram. Don’t forget Golfers on Golf Radio tomorrow morning10 AM on WCPT AM 820 Wcpt820.com  _____________________________________________________________________

The First Tee of Greater Chicago will resume in-person programming during the week , of June 15th at Countryside, Fountain Hills, Harborside and Glenwoodie, schedule are now available for viewing.

Changes for the summer ahead, class sizes now only will have 8 participants. Registration is based on your child’s age, and not skill level-PLAYer, Par, Birdie or Eagle.

Participants must have masks. Revised pick-up and drop off procedures.

To sign up or review safety procedures visit Firstteegreaterchicago.org. or for details to sign up for the Notah Begay III regional tournament at Harborside on July 6 and 7.

LEN ZIEHM on golf and Lenziehmongolf.com have posted a story on Jensen Beach in Florida, check it out. CHAD JOHANSEN hosts an Open House on Saturday morning at the Dome, see ChadJohansen.com, Chad’s live with Golfers on Golf Radio 10:30 Sat    ______________________________________________________________________

  THE GOG BLOG by RORY SPEARS, Director of Content and Creation for Golfers on Golf. Follow Rory on Twitter @GogBlogGuy or Facebook, LinkedIn or Instagram. The Mountain Grand Lodge and Spa part of Boyne Resorts, that comprise 10 golf courses.

Resort operations have reopened as of this past week, at all three Boyne Resorts in Northern Michigan. The final five golf courses that had not been open, along with some of the resorts restaurants are open, with restaurants at restricted capacities.

Two people can ride in carts together. Boyne resorts has reviewed all of it’s operations and hasn’t taken as many precautions as possible so that resort guests and golfers get first-class treatment, accommodations, and personalized services.

Social distancing will be in place in public area’s, with heightened cleaning in all area’s of the resort.

The first hole on the Monument Course at the Boyne Mountain Resort.

Currently special offers that include two nights and four rounds of golf, start at only $236 per person at Boyne Mountain, $286 per person at Boyne Highlands and $408 per person at the Crooked Tree Cottages.

This special offer ends on June 24th at 6 Pm, and you need to mention promo code TIMETOGOLF when booking your stay.

For golfers there are 10 courses to pick from, all 10 are within a 45-minute drive of each other. Flagship property is the Bay Harbor Golf Club with 27 holes designed by Arthur Hills, that include the Links/Quarry/ and Preserve Nine’s.

From the 4th tee at on the Quarry 9 at Bay Harbor.

The Boyne Highlands resort has 72 holes of golf.

The original course by is the Heather by Robert Trent Jones. The Hills Course by Arthur Hills, or the Moor course, which is a fun and sporty design.

Then there is the architect Donald Ross Memorial design, that comes complete with 18 holes that have been inspired by holes at famous Donald Ross courses around the country.

While there are plenty of activities to do on property, there are even more choices when in the towns of Charlevoix, Harbor Springs or Petoskey. Beaches, waterfront dining, gaming, biking, hiking and Micro-breweries are among your choices.

So if your ready to head north as summer approaches, check out the resort or resorts that provide 10 golf courses in the same family. Visit BoyneGolf.com.

  LEN ZIEHM of Len Ziehm on Golf and the golf columnist from the Daily Herald live from Port St. Lucie Florida in the heart of PGA Village & RORY SPEARS in the home studios of Golfers on Golf in Arlington Hts., so we are practicing social distancing at an extreme. ______________________________________________________________________

This is our weekly podcast Volume 12. This week we touch on the tournament scene, and why they are getting cancelled or scaled down. The news that came down right after the record of last weeks podcast, the cancelling of the John Deere Classic.

Travel destinations that are starting to reopen, and what one local course has done, that nobody else in the country has started to do, just yet anyway.

CLICK HERE to hear Ziehm & Spears Podcast Series 2020-Volume 12. Where we keep you ahead of the curve.

Join us on Golfers on Golf Radio Saturday’s at 10 Am on WCPT-Am 820 Chicago. Ziehm and Spears Podcast Series Volume 13, will be here next week. Stay clicked in.

WHITE EAGLE GOLF CLUB WILL HOST THE ILLINOIS OPEN FROM AUGUST 3-5.    ______________________________________________________________________

The Gog Blog by Rory Spears, Director of Content and Creation for Golfers on Golf. Follow Rory on Twitter @GogBlogGuy, Facebook, LinkedIn and Instagram. The 12th hole at the Kilmarlic Club

THE OUTER BANKS of North Carolina have some of the Best Courses, you can play in the Tar Heel state.

The North Carolina Golf Panel, has named three courses in the outer banks area, that are in the Top 50 you can play in state.

No.16 is the Currituck Club, No.23 Kilmarlic Golf Club, and No.33 Nags Head Golf Links.

What golf in the Outer Banks area offers is a group of outstanding and fun golf courses, at affordable rates to golfers. When done golfing, numerous area activities add to the experience.

The style of golf changes from barrier island, to more modern inland parkland style courses. Four area courses possess coastal views. Area you ready to travel yet ?

Rees Jones created the Currituck Club, a courses that has features of where golf began. Dunes, wetlands, maritime forests and the sound of seascapes.

The challenges change all the time when golfers play Bob Moore’s Nags Head. The southern end of the inner-waterway, coastal winds with island holes. Nags Head gives golfers the feel that they are on a golf trip to Scotland or Ireland.

Kilmarlic Club a Tom Steele design settles into the marshland, but resides in 605 acres of a maritime forest.

Don’t forget that right after crossing the Wright Memorial Bridge, you come to the Pointe. The course that is said to be the first course in the country to have the A-1 bent grass.

Are you ready for fun, the coast, the conditions, the courses. For more details on golf in the Outer Banks of North Carolina, you can visit PlayOBXGolf.com.

THE NEW CLUBHOUSE at the Preserve at Oak Meadows is coming out of the ground, and the new starter shack and bag drop are also being built. See DuPagegolf.com         _____________________________________________________________________

The Gog Blog by Rory Spears, Director of Content and Creation for Golfers on Golf. Follow Rory on Twitter @GogBlogGuy or Facebook, LinkedIn or Instagram. At WCPT home of Golfers on Golf radio in it’s 30th season.

GOING DARK OR GOING SMALL, that seems to be the approach this summer when it comes to golf tournaments.

No sooner than Len Ziehm and I finished the podcast last week, and posted it. 2 hours later the John Deere Classic announced it was cancelled for 2020. It would go dark for the year, except for it’s outstanding charity wing, Birdies for Charity.

Without the tournament, BFC might only raise half the amount they did last year which was over $13 million. More than 500 charities benefit from golf in the Quad Cities area. The quick thought after the cancelling notice appeared from the JDC, was to blame Illinois and Governor J.B. Pritzker for telling the classic they would have to operate with handcuffs on. But that was not the case at all.

A special thanks to tournament director Clair Peterson for taking our call the next day about the logistics on what really happened. It’s nice when the face of the organization actually picks up the phone and speaks during these Covid-19 times, something that isn’t happening often enough.

John Deere Classic Tournament Director Clair Peterson at the podium during media day in 2019, at TPC Deere Run.

Peterson broke down what the expectations of the PGA Tour are these days, which is something that really had not been published, in what they consider safe to currently hold a PGA Tour event.

When hearing about the hand the JDC and Peterson were dealt, you have to wonder how any tournament can currently hold a tour stop.

What’s even more confusing, is how our second tour in event in town, the BMW Championship, scheduled for late August at Olympia Fields will be able to operate. Good luck to BMW and the Western Golf Association (WGA).

Peterson said the JDC had a list of things that had to happen in order to play, “but we just couldn’t check all the boxes.” I’m not sure how he could have done that. So the 50th Anniversary of PGA Tour golf in the Quad Cities will have to wait til’ next year. But in Illinois when it comes to sports, we are all good at doing that anyway.

THE ILLINOIS OPEN will be played from August 3-5, says IL. PGA Executive Director Carrie Williams. That’s the good news. The bad news is that field is down to 156 from over 250 players, all play for three rounds will take place at the White Eagle Golf Club. The second course, Stonebridge Country Club will have to wait for another year to be part of the championship. Which is too bad, because White Eagle and Stonebridge make a great combination for a tournament like the Illinois Open.

Qualifiers for the championship have been reduced down to only four, but that should be enough to get the field full of the players who deserve to be there. Golfers on Golf will attempt to reach Carrie Williams for comment during the week, or live on Golfers on Golf Radio this Saturday morning.

The U.S. Open will work with a smaller field at Winged Foot this September, 144 as opposed to 156, due to a shorter window for daylight in September than in June.

OUR CONDOLENCES from everyone at Golfers on Golf to all the friends and family of local golf trick-shot artist Peter Longo, who passed away over the weekend. Longo suffered a stroke earlier this year and was in rehab, trying to come back from the stroke.

I’ll have more through out the week, as Illinois golf courses are starting to reopen with less Covid-19 restrictions. Stay safe, stay healthy and Go Play. RS.