MCQ’s Dome (Left) part of the McWethy Golf along with the Mistwood Golf Club, is now open for the golf dome season. Links & Tee’s in Addison is now open for the winter as well, visit Addisonparks.org. White Pines Golf Dome in Bensenville is now open.       _____________________________________________________________________

The Gog Blog by Rory Spears, Editor and Director of Content. Follow Rory on Facebook, Linkedin and Twitter @GogBlogGuy. On a cool day on top of the Volcano Bunkers on the Pete Dye Course French Lick Resort.

The temps are dropping and the winter golf domes are opening. The Chicago winter golf season is starting.

But that doesn’t mean the outdoor golf season is over just yet. The next couple of days aren’t supposed to be to bad, temps in the low 60’s. Golfers in the Chicago area will take that in November anytime.

But then the fall golf season will drop off starting on Thursday, will we get a few days where it comes back in the next couple of weeks ? well that’s unknown for now. Hopefully there will be a few more outside days after this Wednesday. If it’s not to be, then dome season is truly upon us.

THAT HOLIDAY SEASON is coming up as well, the Gog Blog will have some thoughts about gifts for the golfer or golfers in your life. Stay clicked in for details and ideas and those will be coming in just a couple of weeks.

MCQ’s Dome. I have written a lot in the last week or so about MCQ’s Dome in Bolingbrook. MCQ’s is still continuing to evolve under owner Jim McWethy. McWethy has put a lot of money in to MCQ’s to make it a place to go, for golf and more. If you are looking for a chance for some free golf, you can go to MCQ’s OTB and try to make a few bucks playing the ponies first, and use that to pay for your golf.

The OTB has been expanded this year, and so has the back area of the MCQ’s Bar. There is more parking spaces outside, and the range mats and balls are new. The targets are bigger, better and in some cases newer. If they look like a cross promotion for Mistwood, well it might be because they are. In the restaurant the menu still has the great BBQ, but there are more choices this winter to pick from.

This Wednesday the new McWethy’s Tavern will open, and from my interview with Jim McWethy it also sounds like a menu worth checking out. I will be there before long to do just that.

I HAVE To hand it to Jim McWethy for his commitment to golf and his two properties, everything has been done first class and the golfers are appreciating it. I expect 2016 to be the best golf season Mistwood has ever had. No word yet on the annual Mistwood holiday sale, but golfers are going to want that hat or shirt that says “Mistwood”. Get yours before they are all gone.

In the last few days I have been sent information from Titleist Golf, Cleveland Golf and some apparel lines on new product. I’ll be writing about them in the days to come.

PHIL MICKELSON has been in the news. Lefty has split with longtime coach Butch Harmon, and is now working with Grayhawk GC Instructor Andrew Getson. Phil says he is looking to hear some new ideas, it would nice to see him win that elusive U.S. Open title.

Tiger Woods former caddie Stevie Williams is not one of my favorite people, but it might be interesting to read his new book about his days of caddying for Tiger.

Williams like most other people wasn’t treated all that great by Woods on many occasions, and said Woods made him feel like a “slave” on many occasions. For all the people who want to know more about Woods, I’m surprised by the people who seem to be upset by the book, and claim nobody was asking for a book like this to be written. Nobody said it shouldn’t be written either, and it still amazes me how many people want to defend Woods, the more the truth gets out about the kind of person he really is.

A FEW WEEKS back the talk was about whether or not, Woods or Mickelson should be a future Ryder Cup captain. Well for everyone who thinks Fred Couples is such a great choice, Mickelson has a lot of Couples in him and would make a better choice than Woods. I would think future Ryder Cup captains should be Steve Stricker at Whistling Straits in 2020. Even sooner in 2018, does anyone have Paul Azingers number.

JOHN DALY would love to be captain, that would be a scream. I’m not sure if the USA team would win, but stories of fun times would get told for years.

I SAW A DRONE VIDEO of the new Arlington Lakes Golf Club look in Arlington Heights, the renovation by Mike Benkusky that is taking shape. Get well wishes to Benkusky who is on the mend after minor surgery. The Arlington Heights Park District will keep it’s 9 Hole Par 3 course Nicholl Knoll open until this Wednesday. The course on (Walter) Payton’s Hill is always fun.

THE UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS fired it’s AD Mike Thomas today. Hopefully whoever the new person is,will do at least one thing right. That is stay out of the way of Coach Mike Small and the men’s golf team. They are #1 for a reason and they are best thing the Illinois sports program has going for it.

In the days ahead I’ll have more on the Arlington Lakes and Oak Meadows renovations.

The clock is ticking on the final days of outside golf, go enjoy. I know I will. RS