ILLINOIS COACH MIKE SMALL talks the NCAA Regional on the Meadow Valley Course in Kohler Wisconsin. Click here to hear the interview.

 THE KOHLER SPA delivers Wellness and Relaxation. Whistling Straits and Blackwolf Run are the American Club’s two golf complexes, each with two golf courses. For more information on the American Club, and it’s golf courses see DestinationKohler.com.         _____________________________________________________________________

THE GOG BLOG by Rory Spears. Editor and Direcor of Content. Follow Rory on facebook, linkedin and twitter @gogblogguy. At Blackwolf Run in Kohler.

The next step on the road to the 2016 NCAA National Championship is the round of Regional Championships, that starts this coming Monday May 16th, and runs through Wednesda y the 18th.

For the University of Illinois that is ranked #2 in the country, that stop will take them to Kohler Wisconsin and the Blackwolf Run golf complex that’s part of the American Club.

The regional will get played on the Meadow Valley Course, none of the holes from the River Course will be used during the competition. For Illinois this is the schools 9th straight NCAA Regional appearance. The Kohler regional is one of six sites around the country which is being used to determine the national championship field of 30 schools. The national championship will be played at the Eugene Country Club in Eugene Oregon.

The 18th green on the Meadow Valley Course at Blackwolf Run.

The Fighting Illini have won their last three regionals and have been to the national championship for the last eight seasons.

The Kohler Regional will be 54 holes with tee times beginning at 8 Am for the first two rounds. Round three will have tee times starting at 7:30 Am.

Each schoolin the field plays 18 holes per day. The Meadow Valley Course is a par 72 course, and can play 7,404 yards from it’s back tees.

The University of Illinois at it’s practice facility.

The Meadow Valley Course has been listed in the Top 100 Public Courses in America.

Joining Illinois will be 12 teams and 10 individual players from schools who did advance but their team did not.

Top schools joining Illinois include, # 15 Florida State, # 20 Florida, #21 Arkansas, # 29 Baylor, # 31 Penn State, # 35 Memphis, # 48 Kent State, # 54 UCLA, #61 East Tennessee State, # 63 Campbell, along with Idaho and South Dakota State.

The National Championship will be played from May 2-June 1. Illinois Alum Brian Campbell won regional championships in 2014-2015. While Luke Guthrie current PGA Tour player won a regional championship in 2011.

The 2017 NCAA men’s and Women’s golfchampionships will be played in Sugar Grove Illinois at Rich Harvest Farms.