MISTWOOD GOLFDOME ON RT. 53 IN BOLINGBROOK IS OPEN daily until 10 Pm. the dome is home to McWethy’s Sports Bar so bring your clubs and your appetite, and enjoy all the sports action after golf. Practice with Toptracer or get a lesson from pro’s like Nicole Jeray (R). Club fitting’s with Eric Russell and Matt Carter. You can book your hitting bay on line at Mistwoodgolfdome.com or call the dome at 9630)-739-7600.

THE SCHAUMBURG GOLF CLUB at 401 N. Roselle Road has three simulators open daily. The stocked pro shop and Chandlers Chophouse are right upstairs. Play the indoor version of SGC on the simulators. See Schaumburggolf.com or (847)-885-9000.

THE GOG BLOG’S SUNDAY MORNING SHORT GAME is written by Rory Spears, on location this week at the Pinehurst Resort in North Carolina. Follow Rory on Twitter @GogBlogGuy or connect on LinkedIn and Facebook. The Short Game Column will return next week with news from this weeks PGA Merchandise Show in Orlando FL.

The Carolina Hotel in Pinehurst is currently closed.

PINEHURST EDITION of the Sunday Morning Short Game News Column.

Writing from Pinehurst-NC.

Stop No.1 of the winter golf trip for Golfers on Golf in route to the 2023 PGA Show in Orlando, is the “Home of American Golf.” The Pinehurst Resort in North Carolina.

But this year was a little bit different. Because it didn’t take long to see some of the project that are currently going on. When one arrives at the historic Carolina Hotel to check-in and finds the hotel is closed, Plan B kicks into effect.

The final steel beams are now in place at Golf House Pinehurst.

But before on can even pull into the parking lot at the main Pinehurst clubhouse, it’s evident that the USGA project is in full swing, last Thursday the final steel beam was set in place at USGA Golf House Pinehurst.

The two new USGA buildings include the Golf House Museum and the new equipment testing facility. A place where visitors will be able to watch the USGA team test the new products that want to be “fairway legal” in the game of golf.

The USGA fence is up in Pinehurst.

Pinehurst is a USGA U.S. Open “anchor site” and the USGA buildings are now getting anchored down, right in front of the main clubhouse.

So when you spin around and do a 180 heading back to the Carolina Hotel. What you find is the workman and the contractors hard at work, with hotel and room renovations.

For those of you familiar with the hotel, the lobby is different. Starting at check-in through the Ryder Cup Lounge- that is no longer. While the rooms get a freshening up as well.

The main lobby in the Carolina Hotel is still being upgraded, and so is the Carolina’s main dining room-home to “The Best Breakfast in Golf.” The hotel has been closed for two weeks, but is expected to be reopened for guests this coming Thursday the 26th of January. So until then the Holly and the Manor Inn are doing the heavy lifting on housing overnight guests.

Pinehurst 8 the golf course is now open from it’s turning 25 tune-up. But the clubhouse still has some area’s of work going on.

IT’S NOW OVER at Pinehurst No.8, when it comes to the golf course. Tom Fazio’s design got a 100 day brush-up after being closed last summer from Memorial Day to Labor Day. Real credit to the crew for getting everything done in that time window.

The golf course had it’s bunkers and drainage redone, which allow for the course to play firmer and faster. The white sand is “a little whiter” and some views around the course that disappeared over 25 years, were brought back. The greens are still firm, but they are rolling really good. A recent visitor said he enjoyed making three putts over 30 feet, and one more over 20 during a recent round.

INSIDE THE CLUBHOUSE work continues. ecause only the pro shop is finished and open for use. The bar and grill, locker rooms and wash rooms still have teams workers putting things back together.

THE OLD PIT CLUBHOUSE (L) is still there and maybe anxiously awaiting to see if it will reopen. (R) A new hole carved out by Tom Doak’s team on land near where the Pit’s front nine once saw golfers.

Tom Doak’s Lead Design Associate Angela Moser did her first interview on the project with Golfers on Golf yesterday. Hear from this amazing talent tomorrow right hear at GOG.

Plenty more coming from Pinehurst over the next few days. See Rory Spears Facebook/Twitter for more pictures.