Celebrate the Centennial Year of the Donald Ross Golf Course all year long at the French Lick Resort. This July look for the best in Women’s Golf as French Lick Resorts bridges the gap between the tours-Symetra-LPGA-LPGA Legends Tour-Frenchlick.com French Lick Resort is the Presenting Sponsor of the Chicago Golf Show Feb. 24-26. ______________________________________________________________________

THE GOG BLOG SPEAKS OUT-By RORY SPEARS. Editor and Director of Content. Follow Rory to the NCAA Championships, and on Facebook, Linkedin and Twitter @GogBlogGuy

It was fun to get away to the 2017 PGA Merchandise Show in Orlando a couple of weeks back, then I had an opportunity to see some destination properties in Florida, and both of the Carolina states.

At least when I got back to Illinois, there was a golf show to attend this past weekend in Tinley Park. More on that later.

As for Florida, the Sunshine State is preparing for golf from various tours to start teeing it up.

The Champions Tour has already played this past week, and for more on that, please visit our Big 3 Partner Len Ziehm’s site Lenziehmongolf.com as he recaps the Allianz Championship that drew large crowds this past week. Ziehm followed Barrington native Gary Hallberg who shot 64 to survive a Monday qualifier to play this past week. Hallberg did not play as well in the championship, finishing a T-66 for the tournament.

Coming this July to the French Lick Resort.

OUT WEST at Pebble Beach Jordan Spieth was back in the winners circle, for the tenth time, he put his name in the record books alongside the the greatest golfer of all time Jack Nicklaus, with his win total at his current age. Only Jack can match Spieth’s numbers.

Speaking of numbers, or lack of them, it’s Tiger Woods that is back in back rehab again. The writing on the wall is that his career could be over, and that would be no surprise at this point. Word is one major online golf publication is ready to post the caption on page 1 that says “Finished ?” with a picture of Woods. The odds for the Masters are coming out, and as Woods has been known for years in Las Vegas as “Mr. Suckerbet”, that would be true again this year.

FLORIDA is getting ready for the PGA Tour in a week, with the Honda Classic at the PGA National Golf Resort which was one of the stops I made during the time in Florida. I’ll have a story on the resort coming up this week, and how the Bear Trap put a real kink on my round, and knocked me from the ranks of under par golf on the back nine.

Welcome to the Bear Trap on the Champion Course at the PGA National Resort.

The Florida Tour will also take us to Innisbrook in Palm Harbour, the home of the PGA Tour’s Valspar stop.

Innisbrook has had great champions in recent years, like Spieth and our very own Kevin Streelman and Luke Donald, who both had great finishes at Pebble Beach this past week.

I spent some time taking a look at the Copperhead Course at the resort, and it looks great after a renovation that the tour players are going to love.

The Streamsong Resort Black Course in Central Florida, photo courtesy of Streamsong Resort and KSM.

While the PGA Tour might not be on it’s way to the Streamsong Resort in Central Florida, there is nothing from stopping you from heading over to tee it up on 36 holes of great golf. The team of Ben Crenshaw and his partner Bill Coore have designed Streamsong’s Red Course, while Tom Doak gets the credit on the Blue.

This October the new Black Course by Gil Hanse will open, and there will be 18 more reasons to get to Streamsong. I’ll have my interview with Streamsong Director of Golf Scott Wilson coming up this week. Do stay clicked in.

  HIT THE BALL outdoor golf season is right around the corner. McQ’s Dome on Rt. 53 in Bolingbrook (L) see Mcqsdome.com. TRY THE new simulators at the Schaumburg Golf Club at 401 N. Roselle Road in Schaumburg, play Top 100 courses and enjoy food and beverage from Chandlers Chophouse right upstairs. Visit Schaumburggolf.com (R)

THE TINLEY PARK GOLF SHOW was at it’s best in this it’s sixth year. A tip of the cap and or golf visor to Joe Copeland and partner Gregg Tengerstrom. The size of the show now runs from wall to wall in the Tinley Park Convention Center, and I saw many more golf booths, and less non-golf booths.

The long line waiting to get in, and the lack of parking when I arrived showed me that the golfers were out in force by the time the doors opened on Friday. there was more booths from courses outside of Illinois, and several courses I had not seen before. Both McQ’s Dome and Mistwood had a great presence, and so did Ravisloe, Cog Hill, Glenwoodie and others.

THE CHICAGO GOLF SHOW is now next up on the tee coming Feb. 24-26 at the Donald Stephens Convention Center. The long putt contest is back, get you swing and stroke ready to go. The Gog Blog Returns tomorrow. RS