MISTWOOD GOLF COURSE is still open for outdoor play. So get outdoors and play while you still can. But on those cold days-the Mistwood Golf Dome is now open for the indoor season. Mistwood Golf in Romeoville and Bolingbrook. Enjoy year round golf.      _____________________________________________________________________

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

Puttview-The Book

YOU KNOW the book. You have seen them in different forms, from different suppliers.

When you watch PGA Tour players standing on the greens flipping the pages of their books with details of the greens. You wonder if it helps.

There are those who feel this is leading to slow play on the tour. As a result the PGA Tour has decided to enforce a rule that is restricting the use topographical green maps. While data is a part of major sports everywhere, it is causing some issues in sports that come along with it. Major League Baseball (MLB) is now reviewing ways and adding rules to speed up the games. That have turned into marathons, especially in the playoffs due to methods that come from Sabre Metrics.

Andrew Treadway the CEO of PuttView green books regarding the rule change.

“This is an unfortunate step backwards. That being said, as it relates to our business, we don’t anticipate the ruling having a significant impact. The PGA Tour doesn’t allow use of rangefinders, pushcarts or the wearing of shorts and the overwhelming majority of tournaments permit players to do all three. We anticipate both recreational and high-level amateur competitions will continue to allow the use of “The Book” and other topical green maps, a decision we believe to be in the best interest of the game.”

“Amateurs don’t enjoy the same benefits that tour players do, spending days on the course “sketching” green complexes like tour players and their caddies. We will continue to offer our USGA legal book to 99% of the worlds golfers, and we will also have the ability to provide a book that conforms to the new local rule in the event that a tournament committee chooses to utilize it.”

More thoughts from PGA Tour players on this topic as they become available.