The Web.com Tour comes to Ivanhoe Country Club today to announce it’s Rust Oleum Tournament to held next June. Golfersongolf.com will have more on this later today.      _____________________________________________________________________

The Gog Blog Chicago’s No.1 Online Golf News Source by Rory Spears. Follow Rory on Facebook, Linkedin and Twitter @GogBlogGuy. Erin Hills home of the 2017 US Open might be closed for the year, but many courses are not with the warm December weather we are getting.

Today I’m spraying to all fairways, and not snow covered fairways. Yes it is December, and the week ahead looks so good many courses are still open. You can’t beat that.

Public courses and private clubs alike are still letting golfers and or their members tee it up. Some are cart path only some courses are not, temporary greens haven’t shown up yet.

The Eskimo Open at Cog Hill on Jan. 3rd could end up with a record amount of golfers if the weather doesn’t change and change quickly. Speaking of Cog Hill, courses 1-2 & 3 are still open and over 160 golfers showed up this past Saturday to play golf. Over 100 more were out playing at Maple Meadows too, even Conway Farms had some member play.

All of this outdoor play might not bode well for the golf domes, but their day is coming and it’s coming soon. In the meantime, go outside and enjoy December, and do it with a club in your hand not a show shovel in your hand, it’s a great feeling.

WEB.COM the Rust Oleum Championship makes it’s debut in the Chicago area today with press conference at Ivanhoe Golf Club, several speakers will be on-hand to bring everyone up to speed on what to expect at the tournament next June which should be a good one. More on this later today.

THE USGA has drafted another new rule and it’s not going to make to many people to happy. If you are playing as a single, you are not supposed to post your score to be used for handicap purposes. As someone who plays solo many times during the day during the week, I will not be able to post too many scores.

It’s my concern as well that groups that keep track of data to supply golf organizations including the USGA with data on growth of golf, rounds played etc., could be sending in flawed numbers. I understand what the USGA is trying to do, hoping to cut down on the fudging of numbers, but if somebody wants to change their handicap up or down from what they really shoot, they will do it whether or not they play as a single or a foursome.

TIGER WOODS held a press conference last week before tournament play started. It sounds like Woods won’t be on the golf course a for a long time, after multiple back surgeries. While I wish Woods a speedy recovery, I was amazed at the gloom and doom by some golf media members who took the press conference as if Woods was retiring.

In all fairness to the great players or today’s game, it’s time for some of the print media and some of the networks to start looking ahead instead of behind. There was great golf before Tiger and there will be great golf after Tiger.

SOME OF WHICH WILL BE PLAYED BY Jordan Spieth who recorded yet another hole-in-one this past week. No word if he sprung for food and booze in the press tent like he did at the BMW Championship at Conway Farms.

THE DOMES ARE OPEN and looking for your business as well, don’t be afraid to go inside and outside this week when you practice or play.

The Gog Blog Returns later with an update on the Web.com Rust-Oleum Championship at Ivanhoe Country Club. RS