Erin Hills home of the 2017 U.S. Open is filling quickly for 2016, final chances to play the course before the open are selling out. 75% of tee times and lodging are sold for the year, book your trip now, see Erinhills.com. Arrowhead Golf Club on Butterfield Road in Wheaton offers 27 holes of golf, a revamped range, and full size clubhouse with room on the balcony to enjoy meals and watch the action on the course. For information on line see Arrowheadgolfclub.org, and see Pelican Golf in the basement of the clubhouse.     _________________________________________________________________

Dodging the rain at Palmetto Dunes Resort in South Carolina a few months back, spent this past weekend doing the same thing here in Chicago. The Gog Blog by Rory Spears, Editor and Director of Content. Follow Rory on Facebook, Linkedin and Twitter @GogBlogGuy.

The weather has not been good the last few days and lets hope it clears up and the golfers can get back out on the golf course.

The rain and the cold make for a bad combination, that empties out courses everywhere.

With May now upon us I hope the old saying about April showers and May flowers come true. We all deserve it.

On Saturday as the rain front closed in, it was nice to see a good crowd at Chicago Bill’s Golf in Hanover Park for the demo day.

Among the club manufacturers there Titleist, Taylor Made, Ping, Wilson and Nike. The appointment sheets were full and the lines to get in were forming behind the hitting bays. From all reports there was a good amount of golfers at Cog Hill for their demo day that included reps from about 8 companies.

The fitting process these days is so important, it really helps to get the right clubs in your hands before you even hit them on the course.

New ASGCA President                Greg Martin

Yesterday Golfers on Golf Radio enjoyed catching up with Greg Martin, the new President of the ASGCA (American Society of Golf Course Architects) who was voted into the post at the Associations annual meeting in Washington DC this past week.

Martin of Batavia is currently working on the major renovation of the Oak Meadows Golf Club located in Addison. The course is expected to reopen for play in May of 2017.

For Martin being elected President is a well deserved honor. In recent years Martin’s renovations include the Fox Run Golf Club in Elk Grove, the Wilmette Golf Club in Wilmette, and the Arrowhead Golf Club in Wheaton. Martin will start work this fall at the River Forest Golf Club in Elmhurst on a renovation project.

The cottages of Erin Hills keep growing in numbers.

The U.S. Open is getting closer and closer to having it’s week in the limelight of the Erin Hills Golf Club in Wisconsin.

Erin Hills is one of the 6 public courses that have or are scheduled to host the U.S. Open in it’s 117 year history. The course will close a little early this year, to begin the final preparations for the open. It will not reopen for public play until after the open is completed in 2017.

So far this year about 75% of the tee times and the overnight beds and cottages are booked solid already. So if you wish to play the course before the season ends, call Erin Hills and arrange your stay at Erinhills.com. The new cottage called Waterville is now open for overnight stays.

The Par 3, 7th hole at Mt. Prospect Golf Club

Last year the golf course got the renovation work, this past spring it was the pro shop over at the Mt. Prospect Golf Club, stop in and check out the pro shop at Mt. Prospect Golf Club.

In addition to the pro shop, I must mention that the practice facilities are so improved that the club is becoming the place to be when you just want to hit balls, or work on the short game.

Not to far down the street from Mt. Prospect is the Arlington Lakes Golf Club, that reopens from renovation on July 1st, in the meantime the clubhouse is getting a $400,000 upgrade on it’s interior. golfers should enjoy the improvements.

Chicagoland Golf

The new issue of Chicagoland Golf is out at the golf courses and the golf retail stores. Look for it now, and remember it’s always free, nothing better than FREE golf.

My column is on how Prairie Landing Golf Club was able to survive having to close, and now has a new lease on life. The 2014 bunker and course renovation has golfers loving the new style of the golf course.

Prairie Landing is not closing this year, or anytime in the foreseeable future. That is another win for the golfers of the area.

College golf is heading toward the Sectionals and then the national championships to be played in Oregon. Stay tuned, is this the year for the Illinois men or the Northwestern Ladies to be fighting for the championship.

The Gog Blog returns this week. Stay clicked in. RS.