THE NEW HOME OF GOLFERS ON GOLF RADIO WCPT-AM 820 CHICAGO. (R) Opening week is in the books, with Rory Spears (L) and Bill Berger (R) posing with the stations banner, while practicing social distancing. Next tee time 10 AM on Saturday. ______________________________________________________________________
THE GOG BLOG by RORY SPEARS, Director of Content and Creation. Follow Rory on Twitter @GogBlogGuy, Facebook, LinkedIn and Instagram. In the studio’s at WCPT Am 820 the home of Golfers on Golf Radio.
ILLINOIS IS OPEN or is it, come this Friday May 1st.
The golf courses in Illinois can finally open on Friday morning, but here in Illinois there are restrictions, and plenty of them. The two-page list can be found on the Illinois Department of Commerce website.
Too many of them for most of the folks who work in the golf industry, and the Illinois golfers in general.
While Illinois golf courses sat shuttered and empty this past weekend, states like Indiana, and Wisconsin welcomed Illinois golfers with open arms, and gladly took Illinois money in all forms. Green or plastic.
I feel sorry for those in Illinois golf trying to survive, these days it’s not easy. Social media reports all weekend, had courses in Indiana with full parking lots, and many cars had Illinois plates. In Wisconsin, there are social media reports of 700 golfers teeing it up on Geneva National and their three golf courses yesterday. Reports of over 200 cars in the parking lot at Lawsonia Links on Saturday, and likely more yesterday. I’m sure you can guess what the license plates said on many of those vehicles.
THE ALLIED GOLF GROUP here in Illinois worked hard to get something, anything, going with Governor J.B. Pritzker’s (D) office. That group consists of the Illinois PGA, the Chicago District Golf Association, the Club Managers Association, and the Midwest Golf Course Superintendents Association.
They got the ball rolling, dimples and all. Golf reopens on Friday. But many are saying the terms of reopening are too strict, and the Allied Golf Group did not do enough.
SENDING OUT only twosomes 15 minutes apart is a start, but in the big picture it doesn’t really cut it. My feelings is at least threesomes, at 12 minute intervals will do just fine. If that system works, move to foursomes by Saturday May 9th. If everyone plays at a good 4 hour pace, that’s about 32 to 36 golfers on the course at a time. In some cases that’s about 1 golfer, per 4-5 acres on most courses. No social distancing problem here.
At least one major cart issue was somewhat resolved. By allowing those with disabilities and the doctors note to have a cart, after originally saying no carts at all. That being said, what’s a legit condition and what isn’t still remains to be seen. The loss of cart revenue in Illinois is another killer for our golf courses.
RANGE AREA’S AND LESSONS. The ranges should open, even if golfers must hit with an open stall or two between those practicing. As IPGA professional Dennis Johnsen at Pine Meadow Golf Club in Mundelein told me, we can wash our range balls with bleach before sending them out again. As a guy who washed range balls for 8 years, bleach along with the other soaps and cleaners that balls normally get washed in, will do the trick.
LESSON’S, yes some styles of teaching will need to be adjusted. But the teaching professionals should be allowed to teach, and the club fitters should fit. Most don’t stand that close to the students or those getting fit for clubs anyway. IPGA Executive Director Carrie Williams made a great point, in saying there is no reason that a twosome isn’t a golf professional and a student having a playing lesson. She is correct, but with so few tee slots available, can courses do that ?
ROBERT MARKIONNI the Executive Director of the Chicago District Golf Association, told me that golfers will need to be patient for now, and he admitted that can be hard to do. And he is correct, because in many cases that’s not what we are seeing.
DUES PAYING members can’t get on the courses they have written checks to, and the golfers who have permanent tee-times at clubs are getting wiped off the tee sheet. Is that right, of course not.
WHAT DID HAPPEN, is that the food and beverage operations can open even if the clubhouses can’t. But to-go orders are happening, even if it’s a short menu. I know the thinking is to load-up your golf bags with munchies and drinks at home. But if you can purchase something from F&B at the course, please do so. They could use your support. Your golf bag gets heavier when carrying it with four or five cans of your favorite drink in it anyway.
SINCE MANY OF US WILL BE WALKING, and carrying our own bag. Prepare your bag in advance, even taking out little things do make it lighter to carry. Pull out some of the extra golf balls, tees, rain suits, rule books, bottles of sunscreen or bug repellent. Leave the umbrella’s in the car, take off the four towels and 10 bag tags. I would figure out which club you never hit, or the one that always gives you bad results. Take it out of the bag, and leave it at home. Everybody for now can get by with 13 or even 12 clubs. Do you really need five golf gloves in the bag, leave your phone in the car. Maybe the yardage books as well.
WALKING AND NO CADDIES. Yes that’s an issue, and not good to hear for those who caddie and or the Western Golf Association (WGA). While I’m not sure right now, you can have a caddie out double bagging (carrying 2 bags at a time), there is no reason that fore-caddies can’t be out on all the par 4 and par 5 holes. Maybe one on each side of the hole, and one on a par 3 hole by the green, to help find balls and keep pace of play moving. I’m sure the WGA will be looking to have it’s voice heard in Springfield this week.
DON’T THREATEN your pro or person answering the phone at the course you want to play, because they can’t grant all or any of your wishes right now. They have their hands tied, and there are those in the industry who believe our governor is looking for excuses to close golf down again in Illinois. So let’s not give him the chance to do so. Stay classy golfers.
Golfers on Golf Radio Am 820 WCPT 10 Am, every Saturday. We now have live listen online, and watch us live on Facebook. If you missed the show, it’s reposted online, catch a replay. Rory Spears (L) and Bill Berger (R).
Golfers on Golf Radio is back on the air for another season, our 30th.
Bill Berger and I tee’d off on Saturday to start the season. Our third partner Ed Stevenson was on the phone, but joined the show from out at The Preserve at Oak Meadows and Maple Meadows. Part of DuPage Golf. Visit Dupagegolf.com for details on all three DuPage County FPD courses and when they reopen.
Just a reminder, 2019 Illinois Golf Hall of Fame inductee Len Ziehm, has joined the show as a contributor. Ziehm and I are still doing weekly podcast’s and writing joint features on golf travel, and golf destination properties. Len is still writing his golf column in the Arlington Hts. Daily Herald and for other publications at times. We hope to have Ziehm on our show 1-2 times per month all season long. Our latest “Where are you Playing” story, involves Myrtle Beach South Carolina.
JOINING US IN WEEK 1 was Craig Annis from the USGA, we learned from Annis that this years U.S. Open at Winged Foot will have a field of only 144, instead of 156. Less daylight in September. Jim Richerson VP of the PGA of America joined us with updates on the PGA Championship and the Ryder Cup, and we thank him for that.
ALL OF US at Golfers on Golf send our condolences to everyone involved at Gull Lake Resort in Augusta Michigan, six courses and villa’s. On the passing of Jon Scott, who operated the resort with the Scott family. Jon will be missed, he was a great guy and great for golf.
THE GOG BLOG will be back all week long. With plenty to say as golf prepares to reopen here in Illinois on Friday. RS