Links & Tee’s is one of the few Year-Round Golf Facilities in the Chicagoland Area, Located at 880 West Lake Ave. in Addison, Links and Tee’s offers a dome long enough and high enough to see good ball flight from your shots. Besides the double-decker hitting deck, that keeps from getting the wait line to long, Links & Tee’s offers a putting green and chipping green, lessons,special event nights and more. For more information on Links & Tee’s, please see addisonparks.org or call (630)-233-7275.Golf-Year-Round ______________________________________________________________________

The Gog Blog, Chicago’s #1 Online Golf News Source by Rory Spears. Follow Rory on Facebook, Linkedin, and Twitter #GogBlogGuy. By the Fireplace and Christmas tree at the new McWethy’s Tavern at Mistwood GC in Romeoville.

Normally this time of year I would be snuggled up by a fire place, and warming up after doing some snow shoveling. The TV would be on and it would be time to be watching football and hockey.

Maybe some golf from warm weather destinations, as the PGA Tour pro’s are raking in cash, playing in events from the silly season. Yes it’s still the silly season and I still do call it that. The only thing missing in the last few weeks has been a big money skins game.

But lately I’m driving the road and past golf courses that still have pins in the greens, and cars in the parking lots. Those cars are bringing golfers with a bag over their shoulder, not just wife’s or girl friends thinking they need to buy their husband or boyfriend a new golf shirt at a year-end close out sale. The same goes for men who are trying to buy their wife’s or girl friends something in a Pink or Yellow,to wear on the course or by the pool next summer.

Temp greens are not the order of the day, and the range is still open. People are calling pro shops and ordering gift cards. Yes it’s busy times in our local pro shops. The pro’s and General Managers are smiling too, there is income from the golf course and not just the holiday parties in the banquet room. Teaching pro’s are still giving lessons, and for golfers who bought equipment at year end sales, those clubs are being tested right now, outside and on the golf course.

Granted, not all the courses are open. Those that aren’t, are not making up lost revenue from that cool and way too rainy spring, that produced in empty tee sheets and few dollars.

Rounds are up in 2015 from the major public courses in the area that I have talked to, and no it’s not just because of the extend fall outdoor golf season. More on that in the days ahead.

The spin-off from all of this is that the golf domes that are normally busy in December are off to a bit of a slow start. Their business should pick up in the next week and after Christmas.

CONGRATS TO RORY MCILROY & ERICA STOLL on their engagement, this time I hope it sticks for the Irishman. Good things should happen for people named Rory. Yeah I know, I’m a little partial there.

Addisonparks.org

IT WAS great to hear about the new USGA and ASGCA program to help golf courses upgrade their courses. I’m thrilled that the first course to be selected for the program is Canal Shores in Evanston (formerly known as Peter Jans).

I am going to try and follow this story even more as it develops. This a good story for golf in the Chicago area, now if the USGA could bring some tournaments here as well. The USGA should now look toward developing another public course in the way they did Bethpage Black on Long Island in New York.The Black Course went on to host two U.S Opens and has a PGA Championship and a Ryder Cup in the years ahead.

BEFORE THE HOLIDAYS ARRIVE I will have more stories on new equipment including Cleveland/Srixon and from our local area Tour Edge in the next few days.

The same goes on the travel front for those of you who want to get away for when the real winter does arrive in Chicago. The Salamander Resort Chain, that includes places like Innisbrook near Tampa, Reunion in Orlando, Hammock Beach in Palm City Florida and others are great places to visit. Some other great places the Gog Blog saw in this past year, like Biloxi Mississippi and Pinehurst in North Carolina should be on your hit list as well. When the weather clears put the French Lick Resort on your list too. If you wish to go north and enjoy winter activities or comfort inside, the American Club in Kohler Wisconsin is a must visit.

IF YOU STILL NEED a gift for your favorite golfer, I made some visits to some of the local golf retails stores, there are some good deals to be had on golf balls, shoes, and clothes. Check them out.

AFTER ATTENDING the tee if off press conference for the Rust-Oleum Web.com tournament to played at Ivanhoe next June, I must say it sounds like it should be a good event, and I’m hoping the patrons come out and support it. Lake County with the Rust-Oleum tournament, the LPGA International Crown at Merit Club, the Western Amateur at Knollwood, the Illinois Open at Royal Melbourne and Hawthorn Woods. Will make Lake County the hot-bed of tournament golf in the area during 2016.

With that, go out and enjoy that final outdoor round of golf for the 2015 season, outdoor golf in December, it doesn’t come around every year. RS.