THE MISTWOOD GOLF DOME is Chicago’s Premier golf dome, and has added the new Toptracer technology. Enjoy dome golf like never before, and while you are there check out McWethy’s Sports bar for great food, beverage and the place to catch all the sports action. Mistwood is a Top 100 in the country golf club fitter as rated by Golf Digest. Check out Mistwoodgolfdome.com to see the current fitting specials. Mistwood Golf Dome is located on Rt. 53 in Bolingbrook (630)-793-7600. THE SCHAUMBURG GOLF CLUB is your home for simulator golf. With the addition of it’s simulator bays, the Schaumburg Golf Club has become a year-round golf facility. Have your game ready to go with Schaumburgs outdoor 27 holes opens for play the this spring. While playing on the simulators, order from Chandlers Chophouse right upstairs in the clubhouse. For more information see schaumburggolf.com or (847)-885-9000 located on Roselle Road _____________________________________________________________________

THE GOG BLOG by RORY SPEARS, Director of Content and Creation. Follow Rory on Twitter @GogBlogGuy, Linkedin and Facebook. In the 18th fairway at Mid Pines, a Donald Ross Golf Course.

DONALD ROSS designed several courses in the Pinehurst-Southern Pines part of North Carolina, which is also known as the Sandhills area, which offers great land for fantastic golf.

While his masterpieces at the Pinehurst Resort draw much of the attention, his work in the Pinehurst area expands beyond the famous resort.

If you drive just a few minutes past the famed Pinehurst No.2 course, and down the street into Southern Pines, you will find two more Ross masterpieces that should be on any golfers hit list. The two courses are right across the street from another, they are Mid Pines and Pine Needles. They are part of the same resort, and they carry a bunker full history.

The opening tee shot at Mid Pines.

While Pine Needles gets most of the attention for having hosted three U.S. Women’s Open’s, and will host the 2019 U.S.Sr. Women’s Open, and another Women’s Open in 2022, the course across the street can hold hold it’s own with it’s sister property.

In fact Mid Pines is known to play a few strokes harder when it hosts stroke play tournaments of it’s own.

Mid Pines underwent a renovation in 2013 by architect Kyle Franz, who worked with Ben Crenshaw and Bill Coore on the Pinehurst No.2 restoration, got his first break when he was hired to redo Mid Pines. Franz work on Mid Pines helped the golf course earn multiple awards from numerous national golf publications. Which then helped him land the renovation project at Pine Needles across the street.

The backside view of the Par 3, 8th hole on Mid Pines.

Mid Pines was the first of the two golf courses, opening in 1921, before Pine Needles in 1927. The Holly House that is rented out by resort visitors and golfers, was built while the golf course was being built. So the next time you visit Mid Pines, you do a have a chance to stay in an almost 100 year old house, right on the golf course.

Franz work turned out so well, the view for those who airmail shots over greens, practically get a hole that’s about as good playing another shot back to the green. Mid Pines is not a long course, playing only 6,732 from the back tees. The front tee’s of the four sets of tee’s measure in at 4,903.

The par 3, 13th hole at Mid Pines, from the back tee’s it plays 232 yards, the longest par 3 on the golf course.

Franz did a great job of mixing in waste bunkers that fit with the green sizes he was working with.

In these times as some modern day architects are creating waste bunkers that stretch out for tens or hundreds of yards, Franz made the Mid Pines bunkers and waste area’s look they were left as they were in 1921.

The new greens, tee’s and bunkers, mixed in with some limited tree removal has made Mid Pines a very comfortable playing golf course, that looks like Ross himself did the renovation now just over five years old.

the 18th green leading into the back of the Mid Pines hotel has been redone in recent years, with the removal and additions to the hotels patio’s.

The renovation of Mid Pines has made this cozy golf course, a little more playable with some tree removal. But the feeling of being comfortable between the pines, has never left. In fact the new changes also make the golf course a little easier to walk.

Which is what many of the players in the annual Hickory Open do, they walk. Each year the Mid Pines-Hickory Open attracts over 100 players who tee it up with the old sticks, and dress accordingly.

More good news is that Mid Pines will stay open during the U.S. Sr Women’s Open that runs from May 16-19. So if your in town for the championship, you can watch golf and play the Donald Ross Course right across the street from the open.

Mid Pines is a Donald Ross course anyone can play, and should if you enjoy golf or Donald Ross courses. For more information see Pineneedles-midpines.com or call (910)-692-2114.