NOW OPEN & OPENING SOON (L) the Shepherd’s Rock Golf Course at the Nemacolin Woodlands Resort in Farmington PA. one of the last new designs by the HOF architect Pete Dye, see Nemacolin.com for more details. (R) The Preserve at Oak Meadows in Addison IL., the architect Greg Martin restoration of Oak Meadows Golf Club has a new look and feel to it. Learn more at DuPageGolf.com Open’s August 7th.    _____________________________________________________________________

THE GOG BLOG by RORY SPEARS, Editor and Director of Content. Follow Rory to the Nemacolin Woodlands Resort in Farmington PA, home of Fat Bird and two great Pete Dye Golf Courses. Rory’s shirt provided by Antigua, a leader in golf apparel see Antigua.com. Rory Spears is on Facebook, Linkedin and Twitter @GogBlogGuy

What a finish to the British Open, just when you thought that Jordan Spieth was about to pull a Masters 2016 replay, he pulls off a Master 2015 replay.

Birdie-Eagle-Birdie-Birdie-par finish, that’s some real golf in Royal Birkdale land, and it earns Jordan Spieth his third major and 3 legs of the career grand Slam, that can be completed next month Quail Hollow CC in Charlotte NC. at the PGA Championship.

With a win at the PGA Championship Spieth at age 24 would be youngest player in golf history to complete the career slam.

The debate that is out in the air or on social media, is how long it took Spieth to play the 13th hole after he hit a poor drive that ended up on the high dunes of Birkdale. It took over 20 minutes for Spieth to take his drop and get his playing partner Matt Kuchar back in the round. Kuchar had 20 minutes to review his birdie putt on the 13th hole which has angered some folks.

Columnist and Sports talk show guy Skip Bayless ripped Spieth for how he went about his recovery on the 13th hole. Actually it’s Bayless who deserves crap for his posts on Twitter for ripping Spieth. Kuchar didn’t lose the open because of how long the 13th hole took to play. Credit Spieth for knowing the rules, meeting with all the rules officials involved and making the best decision possible. It earned him the Claret Jug.

OPEN BROADCAST..say what you want about Fox on the USGA championships broadcasts, but NBC was awful. They don’t copy Fox’s use of the line to follow the ball flight very well, and as always Dan Hicks butchered the broadcast and couldn’t wait to drop Eldrick Woods name all over the place, NBC’s saving grace is having Johnny Miller in the booth, who tried his best to keep Hicks and the broadcast on track through the links. Plus the fact that NBC was using the US Open theme music on a British Open telecast was a complete disgrace. Bring back ABC to the Open Championship.

John Daly with the Vertical Groove Driver, has won a Champions Tour event using this new hot club.

JOHN DALY has gone to a new driver, called the Vertical Groove driver, that reduces the amount of spin on the golf ball. The two-time major champion is launching it the best he has in years with this new driver, that is legal by USGA standards and is being using on the Champions Tour by a few players. The reduction in spin especially on windy days adds accuracy and distance to your drives. Daly was kind enough to let me hit his driver at the grand opening of Shepherds’ Rock, that was set to his spec’s, but even with the speed I generate, not in Daly’s league, I saw some real distance and had the ball just explode off the club face. Now Daly hit right after me, and drove it 40-45 yards past me (which he should) but it was amazing watching the ball take off after being hit by the Vertical Groove driver. If you are looking for a new driver with some pop to it, go swing a vertical groove driver you will be surprised. See Vertgolf.com for more details.

Recently I was at the Grand Opening of Shepherd’s Rock Golf Course at the Nemacolin Woodlands Resort, I will have a full report on this emerging destination property in Southwest Pennsylvania in the days ahead. Stay clicked in for that.

I AM WISHING a speedy recovery to the Skokie Country Club home of next weeks Western Amateur, at one point a majority of the golf holes were under water, and superintendent Don Cross and his crew have been working non-stop to put the course in tournament condition. Fingers crossed for no more rain. Defending champion Dylan Meyer is in the field. Visit the WGA website, WGAESF.org for information on the championship.

THE EXCITEMENT BUILDS I have not yet played the Preserve at Oak Meadows in Addison, but will do so shortly. Your chance is coming as soon as August 7th. This is one of the best things to happen in golf for the Chicago area in recent years, you will want to go play it as son as you can. Play COULD BE limited per day in this preview season at DuPagegolf.com, so put in your request to play starting August 7th . My full recap of the holes, through the eyes of architect Greg Martin will run in the next issue of Chicagoland Golf due out around July 30th in your pro shops and golf retail stores.

The Gog Blog returns this week, stay clicked in. RS