THE MISTWOOD GOLF DOME is your place for indoor golf. The weather this week does not look great, and open courses might need to take a step back. You don’t. Keep getting your game ready with golf at the indoor home of Toptracer and McWethy’s Sportsbar. Learn more at Mistwoodgolfdome.com or call the dome at (630)-739-7600. THE FRENCH LICK RESORT has spring golf packages now available, you can book now and be ready to enjoy Southern Indiana. Visit Frenchlick.com #SrLpga now in July.  _____________________________________________________________________

THE GOG BLOG-by RORY-you were expecting ? By Rory Spears, Director of Content and Creation. Follow Rory-either one of us on Twitter. But for Rory Spears @GogBlogGuy.

I open the week with a nod to the defending champion of the Players Championship, that tee’s off this week from TPC Sawgrass in Florida.

Rory McIlroy what went wrong yesterday at Bay Hill, one moment you are winning the tournament on the front nine on Sunday. Then an hour later you have lost five shots and trail by 4. Do please, get it all worked out by your tee time on Thursday.

THE PLAYERS is not a major, nor should it be, even though it normally has one of the best fields of the year. This year will be no different, and large galleries are expected, unless the C-Virus scares them from coming out. I’ll take a lime with that please.

SAWGRASS is one of the great designs created by the late Pete Dye, and I’ll have more thoughts on Pete’s Courses later in the week.

TIGER IS NOT PLAYING this week, so there should be a much more balanced coverage of the championship. Let’s see what NBC has on tap for us. Woods sore or stiff back that caused him to miss the WGC-Mexico, the Honda, Bay Hill and The Players is still not right. No date set yet for his return. In the meantime more good news, is that without Woods we are seeing not the stars of tomorrow, but the stars of today. Several first time winners have won in recent weeks and that’s good for golf. The tour is not and never should be, all about 1 player.

THE WEATHER HERE is interesting. 67 yesterday and now a week of 31 to 50, maybe push golfers back indoors to work on their game. Some courses that were about ready to open, have pushed back opening day for a week or two. With the rain now falling outside our office, holding up course openings could be a good thing. Sad to say.

THE RIVERS CASINO in Rosemont now has sports book betting. The first bets were made this morning. Blackhawks and NBC hockey announcer and Horse Racing guru Ed Olczyk made the first bet. He picked the White Sox to win the AL Central at 16-1. Others were there making bets on horses, but no word yet if golf betting is an option there. If it isn’t, it should be. I’ll check it out this week. #bettheplayerschampionship

NORTHBROOK’S NICK HARDY had another good week on the Korn Ferry Tour, even though his final round of +1 (73) dropped him down 9 spots to a T-16. Hardy is now in 23rd place on the K-F Tour points list. The top 25 at season’s end get a PGA Tour Card for the 2020-2021 season.

I HOPE YOU HAVE SEEN some of our recent postings about the news around town. It was nice to see that the new clubhouse at the Preserve at Oak Meadows is making progress and coming out of the ground. It is expected to open at some point this fall.

IN PALATINE where Palatine Hills Golf Club is trying to rid itself of a flooding image, after repeated flooding on it’s last four holes (15-18). I spoke with Palatine Park District Director of Facilities Steven Nagle who assures me that the Park District is ready to review some options and see what can be done about the flooding issues. The course flooded 8 times in 2019, which is 8 times too many.

IN ELK GROVE at Fox Run Golf once the costs are figured out, and the park board votes some final approvals, a new clubhouse and maintenance barn will be built. Work is expected to start right after Labor Day. A bigger clubhouse is needed at Fox Run.

THE NEW BOB VOKEY SM8 Wedges are in the pro shops as of last Friday. Which is great news. But whether it’s the new SM8’s or the Callaway Jaws Wedges by Roger Cleveland, both are really good. I hit both at the PGA Show in Orlando, and the newer sleeker styles on both help golfers cut and slice through their shots, instead of heavy bottom weighted wedges, that can cause fat shots or the dreaded skulled line drives. If your in the market for new wedges, there hasn’t been a better time to get new ones than right now.

Palmetto Dunes Resort on Hilton Head Island. SC.

One of my favorite resorts in the Southeast is Palmetto Dunes Oceanfront Resort on Hilton Head Island in South Carolina.

They have three 18 hole golf courses, and all are worth playing if your travels take you that way.

All three courses are named after the architects that built them. Robert Trent Jones, Arthur Hills and George Fazio.

The resort is offering some specials this spring including the “Ladies Golf Getaway”, the “Golf Academy Package”, the Group Golf Stay & Play. In the summer ahead the “Summer Buddies & Brews Group Golf Package” will be another option.

What does this oceanfront resort have ? It’s more like what don’t they have. A beach, great golf, fantastic food and beverage and plenty of other activities. For more details do visit Palmettodunes.com or call (877)-567-6513. You can get a quote today. Don’t have a group, no problem for singles, couples or families. PDOR-is over 2,000 acres of fun, so go enjoy the Low-Country of South Carolina.

FINALLY, it was disheartening to hear that PGA Tour Player Scott Piercy lost three endorsement deals this past week, because of a joke he posted on his private Twitter account about former Democratic Presidential candidate Pete Buttigieg. Titleist, FootJoy and his clothing contract with J. Lindeberg. What has emerged in golf in recent years, is that too many folks are getting their feelings hurt or offended by what’s posted on Twitter. It’s time to move forward and realize that words are just that, and folks should have a little more liberty to post as they wish on their social media accounts, without all the drama that at times, follows.

The Gog Blog will return all week long. RS