MCQ’S DOME IN BOLINGBROOK Golf, OTB and Sports Bar all rolled into one. Work on your golf game, play the ponies, enjoy some great food and beverage. Open 8 AM daily, and McQ’s is an official Blackhawks Bar, see the Blackhawks in their original six match-up with the Toronto Maple Leafs tonight at the UC. See McQsdome.com for more information, located on Rt. 53 in Bolingbrook. THE HALFWAY HOUSE, your home for indoor simulator golf is located at 555 S. York Road in Elmhurst. Play over 90 courses from around the world. Daily specials, leagues, lessons and more. Please visit HalfwayHouseGolf.com to make your tee time. MCWETHY’S Tavern is open at the Mistwood Golf Club, the course might be closed but McWethy’s is open year round. The Great Hall banquet facility is filling quickly for the summer, weddings or other special events this summer. Pick your date now, while you still can. McwethysTavern.com.         ______________________________________________________________________

The Gog Blog Chicago’s #1 Online Golf News Source by Rory Spears, Editor and Director of Content. Follow Rory on Facebook, Linkedin and Twitter @GogBlogGuy. At the Fazio course at Palmetto Dunes Resort on Hilton Head Island SC.

The golf season is coming up quicker than you might think. Yes got a dusting yesterday, and there might be a little more tomorrow.

But the temperatures will be in the 50’s by Friday and their is a chance of 60 come this weekend. By this time next week, the remaining snow could be gone.

If the snow is gone, and temps start to move up in the mercury, it won’t take long before the courses start to open for outdoor play. It would sure be nice to see many of them open come next month.

Tinleyparkgolfexpo.com

This past weekend the Tinley Park Golf Show helped launch the 2016 golf season. based on the attendance I saw on the first day, it seems like the golfers are ready to play.

BIG 3 partner Tim Cronin and I both noticed and increase in the amount of patrons there on Friday. Reports from the weekend especially on Saturday were the same. Congratulations to show directors Gregg Tengerstrom and Joe Copeland on their fifth season of operating the show, and it might have been their best ever.

When I left the show on Friday, I noticed a large amount of golfers headed out the door with equipment. Drivers, Fairway woods, Hybrids, Wedges, and Putters, and a few golf bags. Those golfers looked anxious to play, I suspect some of them are headed out to the domes this week.

Mistwoodgc.com

Mistwood Golf Club in Romeoville had a booth at the show, to promote the upgrades at the golf course and at McQ’s the indoor golf dome that is a part of the McWethy Golf operation.

It appears that Mistwood is really becoming a golf destination in the Chicago area. The investment made on both properties by owner Jim McWethy is starting to pay off. Do it right, and they will come. Lines are forming to hit golf balls at times in McQ’s dome, while on some occasions the same lines are forming for dinners at McWethy’s Tavern.

The word is getting around, and Chicago area golfers are now headed to both locations, and many more were at the booth in Tinley Park asking questions. The Mistwood and McQ’s staff had the answers for them. For McWethy who has spent millions to do it right and do it in a first class way, after 5 years of construction it is time for him to sit back and enjoy the results. But it would be nice if he and his team would get their hands on another golf property that needs an upgrade. But I’m not sure that will happen, in the meantime I’ll be spending some time at MCQ’s and Mistwood.

At Demo Day in Orlando with Len Ziehm.

BIG 3 partner Len Ziehm is still in Florida and finding great travel destinations in the sunshine state.

This spring he will visit a few more as the Ziehm Machine makes it’s way back to the Chicagoland area for the summer golf season.

Right now Ziehm has posted stories on some interesting Florida courses, check out his recent stories at Lenziehmongolf.com.

THE NEXT GOLF SHOW is the Chicago Golf Show in Rosemont now less than two weeks a way, more on the show right here in the week ahead. Mark your calendar now for February 26-27-28, and stay clicked in right here for more details.

Congrats to Vaughn Taylor on his win at Pebble Beach, just edging out Phil Mickelson. Taylor is one of the nice guys on tour and it’s good to see him in the winners circle again. Mickelson appears ready to make a move to be on the Ryder Cup team again, let’s hope he is at Hazletine National GC come late September.

The Gog Blog returns all week with more stories from the PGA show, and golf news from around the area. RS.