JIM “DOC” SUTTIE (L) and GARY PINNS (R) at the Illinois Golf Hall of Fame dinner, last Friday night at The Glen Club in Glenview. Two members of the 2021 IGHOF Class. ______________________________________________________________________

THE GOG BLOG by RORY SPEARS, Director of Content and Creation for Golfers on Golf. Follow Rory on Twitter @GogBlogGuy or connect on LinkedIn. In the clubhouse lobby of The Harvester Club in Rhodes Iowa.

FALL GOLF IS HERE-enjoy the season.

Because it will quickly fade away, as fast as it has arrived. Where did summer go ? But the amazing thing is that golf courses remain crowded, even during the week it seems.

But every nice sunny day, with warm temperatures, are likely to leave us with crowded golf courses.

By about 6:30 PM every day, the daylight to play another hole, or sink another putt has fallen into that day’s sunset. So don’t wait, get out and play. Because before we know it, it will be time to visit our local golf domes like the Mistwood Golf Dome in Bolingbrook.

TPC WISCONSIN-could it be. This is not official yet, but yet another great golf course could be in the works in the Madison area. The location would be Ryder Cup Captain Steve Stricker’s home club, that would be renovated, with Stricker involved and likely two-time former U.S. Open Champion Andy North. Stay tuned for developments. IF this plan comes together, one would have to think that Stricker’s AM-Family tournament on the PGA Tour Champions, would move there.

GOLF GIFTS for the holidays. Shopping season will be here before you know it. But there are still problems with supply and demand across the country. It’s not just in the golf industry. But if you want to get your favorite golfers some holiday golf gifts, I suggest you order sooner than later. This way they won’t arrive on Valentine’s Day.

I’m still waiting on a club, that might take a while longer to get here. I’m not alone. Recent stories show that people are waiting for new clubs all over the country. Some golf stores can’t keep the shelfs stocked. Because when a new shipment arrives, those products have already been sold. The thought is that the golf industry is not designed for this type of demand, but what industries are.

Perhaps another thought, is that should American companies rely on product coming from the Far East. Is this a signal to build it here. But the argument would be, that prices would reach levels that nobody would pay. I think it’s time to test the market, and see how much of the golf industry can be brought here, or built here.

The Evans Scholars Invitational now partnered with NV5.

THE WESTERN GOLF ASSOCIATION (WGA) and the Korn Ferry Tour, have announced a new five-year partnership with NV5.

The Evans Scholars Invitational, will now be the NV5 Invitational-presented by First Midwest Bank.

All proceeds from the championship will benefit the Evans Scholars Foundation, and it’s mission to supports deserving caddies with full tuition and housing scholarships to attend college. For more information on NV5, see www.NV5.com.

IT SOUNDS LIKE area golf courses are staying busy for this time of year. Multiple golf professionals have told me that large numbers of golfers were out playing this past Friday and over the weekend. The only thing expected to start lowering those numbers is that it’s getting dark sooner, meaning less tee times to sell in the afternoons.

GOLF CART ISSUES do the golf carts at your golf club lock-up far too often. The problem I have received the most feedback on during this golf season, are golf cart lock-ups on the golf course.

These issues have come from a variety of courses and multiple golf cart brands. IF your cart is telling you to return to the cart path, when your two feet from the path. OR telling you you are too close to the green, and your 50-60 yards away still out in the fairway. DO report these issues to the pro shop when your done playing. Because nobody likes lock-ups that make you go in reverse for a while, before you can go forward. But if you don’t inform the pro shop, which issue, where, what hole etc., they can not do anything to fix the problem.

LAST WEEK I got to sample some of Dave “Links” Lockhart’s of Golf 360TV, Links Lager beer. It’s good tasting, and served with a good ABV. So try some at Mike Munro’s Green Street Grille in Bensenville, or other area clubs that are selling it, like the Preserve at Oak Meadows in Addison.

SMART GOLF that has a location in Lincoln Park, has opened a second location at 350 East 22nd Street in Lombard. I’ll have more about my visit to this new location later this week.

I recently visited The Harvester Club in Rhodes Iowa. This former #1 public in the Hawkeye state, is now private after a renovation from original architect Keith Foster. The club re-opened in late 2019, and is even better than in the past. Stay clicked in for details.

The Gog Blog is back all-week. RS