MCQ’S DOME in Bolingbrook, part of Mistwood Golf. Golf Dome, OTB and Restaurant all rolled into one. McQ’s is an official Blackhawks Bar, see all the Blackhawks games there, and bet the Kentucky Derby tune up races at McQ’s, see Mcqsdome.com or call the dome (630)-739-1592. Chandlers Chop House at the Schaumburg Golf Club, is waiting to feed you before or after golf in the new simulators at the club, that’s right Schaumburg Golf is a year round golf facility. Schaumburggolf.com (847)-885-9000.      _____________________________________________________________________

THE GOG BLOG, by RORY SPEARS, Editor and Director of Content. Follow Rory to the PGA Merchandsie Show in Orlando, on Facebook, Linkedin and Twitter @GogBlogGuy.

IT SHOULD BE AN AMAZING WEEK, it starts Wednesday as I make my way towards the French Lick Resort on Day 1 of the Florida and PGA Show trip.

I’ll be in Pinehurst by Thursday and I’m looking forward to Friday and a day with the President on Inuaguration Day.

No I’m not headed to Washington DC, but I’ll have some details on this coming up in the days ahead. By next week I’ll reunite with Flordia guy and BIG 3 partner Len Ziehm, who has settled into his new digs in sunny Port St. Lucie on the east coast of Florida, before heading to Orlando and the big show.

The Northern Illinois Golf Show this past weekend in Grayslake.

A SMALLER SHOW got off the ground this past weekend in Grayslake. The Northern Illinois Golf Show had a slow start but looks like it has potential to be something as the word spreads.

Joe Copeland and Gregg Tengerstrom who have been running the Tinley Park Golf Expo for 6 years, have brought the northern burbs a golf show like they produce in the south burbs.

Copeland explained to me that his team did 9 months of work in 9 weeks to get the show launched. With a full year to put together next years show, I think the NIGS can give the attendees more to look at. It was nice to see clubs like Kemper Lakes there already promoting the 2018 KPMG at Kemper Lakes (this year KPMG is played at Olympia Fields on the southside) I think this years KPMG will be promoted at the Tinley Park show.

THE CUBS are at the Whitehouse today with President Barack Obama, and President-Elect Donald Trump moves in on Friday. While they are on opposite sides of the fence from a political standpoint, one thing both men agree on is playing golf. That is a good thing for golf I believe.

What President Obama will do in golf after he leaves office will be interesting. Will he continue to try and pull together a proposed course on the Chicago lakefront, or just enjoy the finer clubs he can gain access to, mostly in California. Time will tell.

SOON TO BE President Donald Trump will not be actively running the golf properties that he owns while in office, his family will be over-seeing them. The Greatest Golfer of All-time Jack Nicklaus will attend the inauguration of President Trump on Friday, nice to see the A-List celebs coming out to launch Trumps 4 years in office.

According to new PGA Tour Commissioner Jay Monahan, the Tour is already working with Trump Doral officials and sponsors about moving the tour back to Miami where it should be. The quick-knee jerk reaction to leave Miami last year came back to bite the tour on the backside, hopefully this mistake is soon corrected. There is nothing wrong with having a tour event in Mexico, but the tour should be back in Miami and at Doral regardless of who the owner is.

Tee markers on the Loop Course at Forest Dunes in Roscommon Michigan.

ONE OF MY FAVORITE courses in Michigan is Forest Dunes Golf Club in Roscommon Michigan, about an hour southeast of Gaylord.

Forest Dunes continues to grow under owner Lew Thompson, and now the clubs second and third courses are open.

The second course called the LOOP, is really two courses in one. The Black routing runs clockwise and the Red routing is counter-clockwise. The club opens the course for play in one direction one day, and switches it the other direction the next day. I played both directions only two days after the course opened last June, I’d to try it again this year with it being grown in a little more. The Loop should be on your hit list for 2017, go play Forest Dunes and the Loop. A well deserved congratulations to Thompson and everyone at Forest Dune on getting named Best New Course You can Play by Golf Digest and Golf Magazine.

Chicagoland Golf Booth at the Chicago Golf Show

A tip of the cap or golf visor to Publisher Val Russell on getting Chicagoland Golf as the new program for this years Chicago Golf Show in Rosemont Feb. 24-26.

Unlike other editions of Chicagoland Golf this issue will not be a newspaper like edition but a full glossy edition to start the year.

I’m looking forward to the feedback from golfers and seeing if they would like to see Chicagoland Golf printed this way more in the future. I’m also hoping for more courses to support this issue and Chicagoland Golf as the year goes forward. There will plenty of great content and yes I am biased since I write for the publication. I have a full feature with Rich Harvest Farms owner Jerry Rich in the show edition about the NCAA Championships coming to Rich Harvest Farms this May.

This May at Rich Harvest Farms in Sugar Grove.

So if you have always wanted a final four here in the Chicago area, you will get three of them this year.

Sorry no hoops, but in hockey at the United Center in April, and then in golf for both the men and the women in May at RHF.

The NCAA Championships will be a great way to tee off tournament season here in the Chicago area, with  all the tournaments that are in town, and the U.S. Open up in Wisconsin. A rare Midwest visit, and only one in the next 10 years.

The Gog Blog returns tomorrow, with information on a new golf energy supplement that you really need to try. RS.