THE GOG BLOG by Director of Content RORY SPEARS, Follow RORY on Twitter @GogBlogGuy, and to the simulators at the Schaumburg Golf Club on Roselle Road, where it’s golf season year round. Call the SGC at 847-882-9000 for simulator time today.

  THE FRENCH LICK RESORT, Resort, Spa and Casino open all year. Book your golf packages now, see Frenchlick.com. Palmetto Dunes on Hilton Head Island in South Carolina, three golf courses. The Jones, the Hills and the Fazio, Palmettodunes.com.    ______________________________________________________________________

YOU WOULD LIKE TO THINK that when one is in Hawaii that all will be well. Well yesterday as the Sony Open played down to the fourth and final round, things did not go well off the golf course. After nine months of no contract with the golf channel, the audio and visual people including camera operators walked off the job and started picketing in front of the golf course.

Supervisors and non-union folks took over, but at all the Golf Channel produced tournaments yesterday there were issues. These problems will not happening at NBC or CBS televised tournaments. TGC has had a reputation for not paying well over the years, and this might be a signal that it’s time for that to stop. it’s not known if the strike will continue, or maybe now strike talks will get moving and or if things will get settled any quicker . Let’s hope they do.

THERE IS SOME debate now about the new tax plan put in by the government. What’s good for the masses, might not be good for golf. The question being raised is, did President Donald Trump a golf guy in his own right, hurt the industry by taking away folks being able to write off a portion of business golf.

The World Golf Foundation and it’s CEO Steve Mona who monitor such things have been somewhat quiet, and last week when reached by a national publication, Mona reportedly had “no comment”. In that publication former PGA of America president Ted Bishop sounded the alarm with his comments about the changes in the tax law. Saying golf would take a big hit with the new non “write-off” policy.

Personally I found it interesting that Mona would have no comment, since Mona normally has a team of PR people always taking him around to media folks at all the big golf events, or is the figure head of national golf day in DC, which is coming again up this spring.

I interviewed Mona at Medinah during the Ryder Cup in 2012, regarding the economical impact that Ryder Cup week would have on the Chicago area and Illinois in general. If anyone should be speaking on this topic it’s Mona, who as of this morning apparently is now saying the golf-no tax write is not a done deal. We will see.

MASTRO COMMUNICATIONS a PR firm that does it’s share of work in golf, is releasing a study by Datatech that does numerous golf surveys, on the effects that Amazon.com is having on whats called “The Brick and Mortar stores” across the country. One quote calls Amazon a “disruptive force” on the retail industry, and effects it is having or could have on golf stores or pro shops.

Personally ordering any golf products online is not a smart move. Especially golf clubs, maybe and that’s a maybe, you order a shirt or cap online, but other than that, not a chance you should be buying golf merchandise online. I wouldn’t buy anything golf without checking it out in person first, and then taking it home in my car. Stay tuned on this one, or clicked in here.

CLEVELAND GOLF has announced that it has signed an agreement with two-time long drive champion Jamie Sadlowski of St. Paul, Alberta Canada to play it’s products. Which includes the Launcher HB Driver. Sadlowski is in his second year of professional golf playing various tours. It will be interesting to hear the claims of how far this driver hits the ball, especially with the talent of Sadlowski doing the driving.

THE GOG BLOG RERUNS TOMORROW.. stay clicked in. RS