THE YEAR END TWIN ORCHARD CC Golf Sale returns from Thursday November 21st to Saturday November 23rd.

Numerous North Suburban and Northwest Suburban Clubs will participate in this years sale that runs three days at Twin Orchard Country Club in Long Grove.

So golfers come find deals on apparel-men’s and women’s, clubs, golf balls, golf shoes, golf gloves, hats, all weather gear, range finders, GPS items and more.

A perfect event to help you get holiday shopping done early for your favorite golfer. OR just load up on golf product for the 2025 winter golf trip or 2025 golf season.

Questions or comments-visit the Twin Orchard Country Club website or call the club.

  ARLINGTON LAKES GOLF CLUB 1211 South Wilke Road Arlington Heights. Book your tee times at (847)-577-3030. The Nickol Knoll par-3 course is still open on Payton’s Hill.

THE GOG BLOG by Rory Spears, Director of Content and Creation for Golfers on Golf. Follow Rory on Twitter-X @GogBlogGuy or connect on LinkedIn/Facebook/Instagram

Rory Spears at Cabot Citrus Farms in Brooksville Florida. More golf has opened at CCF. Come play the Roost.

SO ARE YOU PLAYING SOME SPOOKY GOLF THIS WEEK?

Because some courses are offering a Halloween golf experience in the next few days. But if not, just get out and play, because northern golf will be closing up in a couple of weeks.

There might not be much more golf where the temperatures are over 60 degrees. But tomorrow it’s supposed to reach 80, so if you can, get out and play.

THE NGF-The National Golf Foundation which over the years hasn’t always provided the most promising data, is sharing some good news. Golf is getting younger, or so says the data.

Because a sport that has had hole-in-ones from kids under 10 years old hitting driver from less than a hundred yards. OR a 103 year-old hitting driver from 125 yards for his ace. The average age now for an on-course golfer is 43.5. Rounds of golf in the post pandemic era show that 71% of them come from golfers under 50 years old. The average age in 2019 was 44.6. So a drop in age of this size is a large needle mover. Especially since the game now has over 26 million on-course participants.

The largest age group now playing golf is ages 18-34, with a number of some 6.3 million. Social media has helped, as players seeing more of the latest new apparel and equipment. Because it’s now said that those stories of Millennials “giving up the game”, are no longer carrying any weight.

Locations of golf courses seem to help draw interest. Because golfers are enjoying traveling to places like Bandon Dunes, Sand Valley, the Middle of Nebraska, or remote places in Florida (aka Streamsong and Cabot Citrus Farms).

NEW COURSE BUILDING continues to rebound. The great Northwest or more remote area’s of states like South Carolina, are seeing new courses spring-up. Colorado, Texas and Wyoming are other states seeing new clubs pop-up.

I REMEMBER when some experts thought the golf-boom caused by the pandemic would be over by 2022. But obviously that has not been the case. So how long can it go. It should continue if the game doesn’t out price it self.

There are more and more cases of widespread complaints about everything from Ryder Cup ticket prices, to equipment, golf balls and rounds of golf setting people off. $600 dollar drivers, $500 dollar putters, a dozen balls costing nearly sixty dollars. Some top Top 100 courses asking $500 to $1,000 to play.

Granted some courses are just worth more than others, but lets not get stupid. So what makes a course great. Plenty of reasons, but one of them is that a dream-bucket list course can be played by as many golfers as possible. Sure some courses are private and access will always be limited. But it would be nice to see some of the top public venues not cost somebody’s entire trip budget for one round of golf.

LIV GOLF-plenty of talk that Greg Norman is out. But not so fast. Norman’s headed for a new role within LIV. But he is not getting tossed out. Norman will remain on the board, like serve as commissioner but not CEO. He will continue to scout courses for future LIV Golf sites.

THE PGA TOUR is losing yet another sponsor. From Las Vegas comes word that the Shriner Children’s Hospital is leaving after 17 years. So who steps in? Well with all the hotels and casino’s in the Vegas area, one of them will likely jump-in and carry the load.

SO AS THE SEASON closes down, now is a great time to take stock in your game. Is it time to get new clubs, some new clubs, a new bag, new shoes or apparel. It’s amazing how many people have name brand range balls in their bag. Sure they might says Titleist or Callaway on them, but if the other side says practice on them. Lose them now.

The Gog Blog Returns this week. RS

Arlington Lakes Golf Club 1211 South Wilke Road in Arlington Hts. is a fun golf course with options for 3-6-9 and 18 hole rounds. Book a tee time today at (847)-577-3030.

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

Always nice to get a visit from Artoo-the pride of Heritage Oaks Golf Club in Northbrook. #Nomoregeese.

THE 2025 RYDER CUP at Bethpage Black on Long Island in New York.

PRICEY… is what some people are calling it, others say the ticket prices are outrageous.

$750 for a daily ticket on any of the three days of play. $400+ for a Thursday practice round and the opening ceremonies.

OVER $200 for Tuesday and Wednesday practice rounds. Which is more that a Friday Saturday or Sunday ticket in 2021 at Whistling Straits.

So it’s believed that even corporate types will feel the pinch, when you include all the add-ons. But New York has it’s share of big corporations and big spenders. But because of the high prices, the fear is that the average fan, the noise makers at team golf events will be left out in the cold. So perhaps a home course advantage will be lost, to those dreaded Euro’s looking for their first win on American soil since the “Miracle at Medinah” in 2012.

ONE STATISTIC claims that viewership of PGA of America events is down some 18% in recent years. But is it. I’m sure that number could be disputed. Because some golfers say they got an entire weekly ticket at Pinehurst this past June for $850.00 (and they probably did). So it remains to be seen what the response will be as tickets go on sale. So just in comparison-word is that you can get a ticket for Wednesday’s NLCS Game 3 in New York between the LA Dodgers and the New York Mets for $225.00.

ON THE BEVERLY CC SCENE-one of Chicago’s most historic clubs on the Southside is making some news. First off sadly was the passing of member Rick Ten Broeck who won a couple of major titles in the Illinois PGA Section, and the Beverly Club Championship 18 times. Rick’s brother Lance passed away in April of 2023. Rick also caddied in the professional ranks, including the bag of Jasper Parnevik when he was on the Champions tour.

The clubs old red brick clubhouse is getting a major redo-reports Tim Cronin of the Illinois Golfer. Because members of the club and the classic Donald Ross golf course voted to approve the $17 million dollar renovation by a vote of 185 to 25. So among the major changes include a new two story men’s locker room, and a expanded ladies locker room. Congrats to Beverly CC on these major upgrades.

MORE UPGRADES-credit to KemperSports Management and the folks at the Glen Club on pulling off a major bunker renovation on the fly this summer. Because during our visit and round of golf last week, several bunkers on a few holes were still a ” work in progress”. So it was a “free drop” if you landed in one of them. The new, I’ll call it off-white sand that has replaced the old brownish-orangish sand looks great.

RECENTLY I HAD A CHANCE TO PLAY THE EVANS-at Canal Shores. So in spite of only 12 holes being open at this time, it’s well worth the walk to jump out and play before the season ends. Tom Grey the Director of Golf says the “remaining six holes will open about May 1st of next year. But credit architect Todd Quitno with a job well done here, the putting hole that front’s the Baha’i Temple is plenty of fun. It plays about 65 yards downhill from the tee, and is an interesting and challenging hole to make a par (3) on. So I’m looking forward to playing the other six holes in the spring.

WINNETKA GOLF CLUB has reopened following the architect Rick Jacobson renovation. The new white sand there really stands out. While I had never played there before the renovation, and can’t compare the old with the new. But golfers who have a history there say the bunkers are the best they have ever seen them. So while they need some time to settle in, the course part of a storm water project has moved forward. But for Jacobson, it was his last project before heading off to Florida to retire. Congrats Rick on retirement after many years in the golf business.

KEMPERSPORTS Management has taken control of Winnetka, and says there are still more improvements coming. So stay tuned. In addition the par-3 course is really fun. So if you head to Winnetka GC, plan on playing 27 holes that day, it’s well worth it.

MEDINAH COUNTRY CLUB held a tee-off for the 2026 Presidents Cup. In attendance was Paul Azinger, architect of Course #3 from OCM Geoff Ogilvy and Jason Gore from the PGA Tour. I will have more on the this event coming soon.

LAST WEEK ON THE PGA TOUR-was a great week for our local players. Wheaton’s Kevin Streelman made a nice jump in the Fed Ex Cup point standings with a T-3. Streelman’s week included two rounds inn the low 60’s. Northbrook’s Nick Hardy and Arlington Heights native Doug Ghim also had solid showings. RS