MISTWOOD GOLF DOME on Rt. 53 in Bolingbrook is open daily until 10 PM. But it’s also the home of McWethy’s Sports Bar and the award winning chicken wings. So you can book your hitting bay online at Mistwoodgolfdome.com or call (630)-739-7600.

THE GOG BLOG BY RORY SPEARS-Director of Content and Creation for Golfers on Golf. Follow Rory on Twitter @GogBlogGuy or connect on LinkedIn or Facebook.

RORY SPEARS on the First Tee at Pine Needles in Southern Pines North Carolina home of the 2022 U.S. Women’s Open.

WELCOME TO 2022.

Happy New Year and welcome to golf in 2022. I am ready to tee it off, and will do so before long on my way to the 2022 PGA Merchandise Show at the end of this month in January.

This part of the year is always exciting. Because one never knows what the year in golf will bring. But the 150th edition of the Open Championship at St. Andrews will be exciting, and perhaps the years best major.

The U.S. Open returns to The Country Club in Brookline Mass. and is the clubs first big event since the 2013 U.S. Amateur and or the historic Team USA Ryder Cup win in 1999.

2022 will make the last Presidents Cup on American soil until 2026, when the matches come to Medinah. But late this fall, work is expected to begin on Medinah #3 as the course undergoes a renovation by Australian architecture firm OCM. I said it before and I will say it again, this renovation is the most significant one in the Chicago area in recent years, and maybe over the next few years. If this project brings a U.S. Open here in about 8-9 years, it will be well worth it. Not to mention everyone would love to see another Ryder Cup at Medinah again someday. But that would be closer to the year 2040.

The three simulators are open at the Schaumburg Golf Club at 401 North Roselle Road in Schaumburg. Chandlers Chophouse is open, so is the pro shop for great golf gifts. (847)-885-9000

THIS YEAR there will not be any big golf tournaments here in town, with the BMW off to Delaware.

The only PGA Tour stop in Illinois will the 51st edition of the John Deere Classic in Silvis Illinois (Quad Cities).

But the interesting thing about the JDC, is that it’s dates are week earlier this year. So with the British Open not the week after the JDC, this years field could see some names that normally don’t play there. Stay tuned.

GOLF CLUB NEWS-Titleist has announced the release (coming soon) of the new Vokey SM-9 wedges. The tour professionals will have them this week at Kapalua for the Tournament of Champions. Callaway is launching it’s new line of Rogue Clubs, coming soon. You can get fitted for them at Mistwood starting next week.

BATAVIA BASED TOUR EDGE will have a new line of clubs out, come February. Stay tuned.

I AM CURIOUS what the PGA Merchandise Show will be like this year. The 42,000+ show-goers in recent years, might be closer to 30-32,000 this year. Most of the major equipment companies are not coming. But some might just have a smaller presence.

IN CHICAGO THIS YEAR our tournaments will be highlighted by the Western-Am at Exmoor, and the WGA-Jr. at Naperville CC. The WWGA will have it’s amateur at Sunset Ridge in Northfield and the WWGA-Jr. at Prestwick in the south burbs. 50 years after Nancy Lopez won one of her WWGA-Jr’s there.

THE ILLINOIS OPEN returns to White Eagle Golf Club in Naperville, where it had a very successful staging in 2020. But the other three Illinois PGA majors have not yet been announced. The Illinois State Amateur run by the Chicago District Golf Association (CDGA) will be played at Westmoreland in July. The Illinois Women’s Open returns to Mistwood.

2022 MIGHT JUST BE a great year to enjoy upgraded facilities that are now open. Heritage Oaks in Northbrook will have a full season of being open. The Preserve at Oak Meadows will have it’s new clubhouse open all year. Fox Run in Elk Grove will have it’s new clubhouse open all year. Heritage Bluffs will have it’s new clubhouse open all season. The new practice facility at The Bridges of Popular Creek will have it’s grand Opening in March.

SETTLERS HILL in Batavia will reopen at some point in July. But the new clubhouse there should open in 2023.

THE CHICAGO GOLF SHOW is back at the Donald Stephens Convention Center in Rosemont Feb. 25-27. Tickets are on sale. Chicagogolfshow.com.

SO GET READY to Grip-It and Rip it. Those days are coming soon. But they have already started if you were one of the almost 100 golfers who teed it up at the Eskimo Open at Cog Hill this past Sunday. Because the conditions were not exactly what was hoped for.

The Gog Blog returns all week. RS

PICK UP A BAG a new golf bag for 2022 at the Schaumburg Golf Club located at 401 North Roselle Road. So what are you doing with your holiday gift card. 2022 is here and it’s time to load up with the new gear. Visit SchaumburgGolf.com or call the pro shop at (847)-885-9000. The clubs three simulators are open, and so is Chandlers Chophouse.

THE GOG BLOG by RORY SPEARS, Director of Content and Creation for Golfers on Golf. Follow Rory on Twitter @GogBlogGuy, or connect on LinkedIn or Facebook.

DURING THE SUMMER OF 2021 I was invited to play Butterfield Country Club in Oak Brook. Later I learned from Tim Cronin the Illinois Golfer, Illinoisgolfer.net who is writing the clubs new history book, that last summer was the 100th season of golf at the club. Even though the club is actually 101 years old.

Congrats to Butterfield Country Club on 100 years of golf, and hopefully at least another 100 years. Less than 10 years ago, architect Steve Smyers did a renovation of the clubs golf course. The course has 27 holes, and can combine them for a routing of almost 7,800 yards. Butterfield would be great for a PGA Tour event.

HOLES FROM THE FRONT & BACK NINE at Butterfield Country Club in Oak Brook IL.

The Gog Blog returns with the Gog Blog Speaks Out tomorrow. RS

THE MISTWOOD GOLF DOME IS OPEN all weekend with it’s normal hours until 10 PM. But if you want to look at some new clubs, a demo day with Mizuno is scheduled for Friday Jan. 14th from 2-6 Pm. Free of charge, but you need an appointment. For more information visit Mistwoodgolfdome.com or call the dome at (630)-739-7600.

THE GOG BLOG by RORY SPEARS, Director of Content and Creation for Golfers on Golf.

Some parts of these interviews ran on Golfers on Golf Radio during the summer months around tournament week. So here is all of what we missed at the time here on the website.

Doug Ghim after Round 2 of the John Deere Classic.

THE JOHN DEERE CLASSIC was back this past July after a year off for Covid.

So it gave the championship a chance to celebrate it’s 50th tournament.

There is a great recap of the little tournament that could, in the Craig DeVrieze book, Magic Happened, for sale on the tournaments website.

Doug Ghim-Kevin Streelman and Ryder Cup Captain Steve Stricker all spoke with us during Round 2 of the John Deere Classic. So here are their thoughts on golf at the time.

CLICK HERE to hear the interview session with Doug Ghim at the JDC.

CLICK HERE to hear the interview with Kevin Streelman at the JDC.

CLICK HERE to hear the interview with Ryder Cup Captain and three time JDC Champion Steve Stricker.

Lucas Glover won the 2021-John Deere Classic, that returns 1 week earlier in 2022.

University of Illinois Alum Dylan Meyer played the Forme Tour this past summer. He finished 6th at the Bolingbrook Golf Club.

WITH CVOID running wild up in Canada, the Canadian PGA Tour or the Mackenzie Tour, moved out of Canada for the second straight year.

The tour was renamed the Forme Tour and it made it’s way around the Midwest states, with a stop at the Bolingbrook Golf Club.

During that week, former University of Illinois standout, and 20216 Western Amateur champion Dylan Meyer was in contention. Unfortunately for Meyer, one bad hole during a par-5 in round two kept him from having a chance to win the tournament. For the year, Meyer finished just ahead of Illinois Open Champion T-K Kelly and Highwood’s Patrick Flavin in the tours point standings. Flavin played much of the summer on the Korn-Ferry Tour.

CLICK HERE to hear the interview with U of I alum Dylan Meyer at the Bolingbrook Former Tour Event.

THE CDGA Amateur trophy at Mistwood in 2021, won by Ethan Farnam.

THE CDGA Amateur was played in July and was held at the Mistwood Golf Club in Romeoville.

It was always the hope by Mistwood’s late owner Jim McWethy to have the state amateur played at his club Mistwood.

But while McWethy didn’t live to see the championship played, the state amateur did live up to the all the excitement McWethy thought it would be. If it was ever played at Mistwood.

Three players advanced to a three hole playoff. But the playoff still remained tied. But on the fourth hole, a sudden death hole, Ethan Farnam birdied the par 5, 18th hole to defeat Jordan Less by a shot.

University of Illinois golf team member Tommy Kuhl was in contention, and during Round 2, and had a brief stint with the lead during the morning flight of golfers. Kuhl spoke with the media afterwards.

CLICK HERE to hear the full interview with Tommy Kuhl at the 2021 Illinois State Amateur at Mistwood. Kuhl finished in 5th place for the week.

The Gog Blog returns tomorrow. RS

THE MISTWOOD GOLF DOME is open today normal hours. So take a break from all the football and get some golf in to start the day. Rt. 53 in Bolingbrook, book your bay at Mistwoodgolfdome.com or call the dome at (630)-739-7600. McWethys Sports Bar is open in the dome for food and drink. THE SCHAUMBURG GOLF CLUB is open year round, so call and book simulator time at (847)-885-9000 or visit Schaumburggolf.com.

GOLFERS ON GOLF RADIO WCPT 820-AM CHICAGO.

A SPECIAL THANKS to all of our sponsors for 2021 and we look forward to being back with you in 2022.

IN 2021 Golfers on Golf became Chicago’s only award national award winning golf radio program, when Golfers on Golf won a national ING Award for being one of the Top 3 golf radio shows in America.

Golfers on Golf Radio is the only Chicago area show that has a Two-time Hall of Fame Inductee-Len Ziehm both in the Illinois Golf Hall of Fame-Class of 2019. Plus the Illinois State Soccer Hall of Fame.

A member of the Illinois PGA. Ed Stevenson, Director of Golf for DuPage Golf and the golf courses of the DuPage Country Forest Preserve District.

A former member of the PGA Tour in Bill Berger, and now current PGA of America Life Member.

A host and writer who has been recognized with a national media award for work in the golf industry in Rory Spears.

But we do like to call ourselves “Chicago’s Favorite Foursome”. But the radio show was created by Mike Munro the former owner of the White Pines Golf Dome. Mike is now the current owner of the Green Street Grille in Bensenville. The show will be entering it’s 32nd year in 2022. So stay with us and tee it up again in the year ahead.

But in the mean time, keep it here all winter at Golfersongolf.com. Chicago’s only year round golf news source.

Thanks for listening and thanks for reading, Ed Stevenson, Bill Berger, Len Ziehm and Rory Spears.