THE NEW CLUBHOUSE AT-THE PRESERVE AT OAK MEADOWS in Addison is taking shape along with the new 1st tee starter shack. See more details at DuPageGolf.com.    ______________________________________________________________________

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

ZIEHM & SPEARS Podcast Series 2020-Volume 33 is posted in case you missed it.

Len and I cover this weeks Masters Tournament, and other things from the local golf scene and beyond. Do check out Chicago’s most complete weekly golf report.

IT’S MASTERS WEEK. The Tradition unlike any other.

Well let’s hope not this year. This is not a tradition I would like to see continued.

No patrons, very limited media. Hard to get merchandise is the word, but somehow I bet you can order it online. Will the Back 9 on Sunday mean much if people are watching the NFL. I wonder who will call the main game on CBS at 3 O’ Clock with Tony Romo. ESPN College Game Day is live at Augusta National on Saturday, why not Jim Nantz doing PBP from the CBS compound at ANGC.

I was headed out to Cog Hill today, I have not played Cog 4 all year. Guess what, it’s a Tuesday in November in Chicago and No.4 is sold out. (Actually it turned out Dubsdread, Course #4 is closed for the year, and maintenance is happening). Sure there was warm and windy weather today at Cog Hill, and not only myself but maybe about 100 other golfers enjoyed courses 1, 2 and 3 on a 74 degree day, before the rain hit.

Speaking of hits, the Cog Hill Long Drive Pale Ale was such a hit, that they are out of the beer, and it’s unknown if more can be produced in 2020. Stay tuned. In the meantime do check out the bottles of honey that are produced at Cog Hill. It comes in different sizes and colors, depending on whether it’s a spring batch (lighter color) or fall batch (darker color).

MY Travels have taken me to various courses in the last few weeks. So I will have stories from those travels over the next couple of weeks. They include more on what’s happening in the world of golf in the Wisconsin Dells. Checking in on various course renovations around town, and all the new clubhouses going up.

What are the plans at White Pines Golf Club in Bensenville and how they might move forward with help from Mistwood Golf. The new dome shell at the Mistwood Golf Dome is up and looking sharp, as the dome prepares to open this month.

I’ll be catching up with Holland Michigan golf architect and Michigan State WGA Evans Scholar Ray Hearn, who is gearing up for projects at both Flossmoor Country Club and Midlothian Country Club.

I have more from Titleist on the new TSi drivers and woods. Did you see the new Augusta inspired LAB putters, looking sharp (limited edition model).

What’s nice this week in addition to watching the Masters, is that the weather is still good for golf. Which again is the one thing it seems like everyone can do outside. Enjoy it while you can, it won’t last much longer.

WHO DO YOU like to win the Masters. it doesn’t seem like many people think Bryson DeChambeau will go back-to-back in the majors. Little-by-little Dustin Johnson, Jon Rahm, and Brooks Koepka are emerging as favorites. I’d like to Rory McIlroy close out the career Grand Slam but his play is too up and down from round-to-round. He might make 5 straight birdies and then go bogey-triple bogey-bogey and give it all back just like that. I’m thinking Dustin Johnson is due, but any one of 12 guys could win it.

FACING REALITY… both Tiger and Phil don’t seem to have a shot. A Top 10 for either player would be a great week.

Podcast partner Len Ziehm has some great updates on two local tour players, Kevin Streelman on the PGA Tour, and Jeff Sluman on the PGA Championships Tour, but at 63 is ready to scale down how much he plays on tour. Ziehm reports that Sluman told him that he has sold his home in Florida, and will spend more in a new home in Chicago’s western suburbs. Streelman not in the field at the Masters this week, told Ziehm he wants to make sure he is in the field next April for the 2021 Masters.

On the equipment front, Wilson Golf has announced some new irons, and Tour Edge Golf has rolled out it’s 521 Series Hot Launch clubs, I’m looking forward to testing those clubs out. You should too. The Gog Blog is back all week.

Another edition of Ziehm and Spears Podcast Series 2020-Volume 34 comes along later this week. Stay clicked and tuned in to that. RS.