THE NEW DRUMLIN PUTTING COURSE ar Erin Hills Opens this Thursday August 1st, for more details on the nations second biggest putting course, see ErinHills.com. THE BAER NINE at the Schuamburg Golf Club has opened the first seven holes, and will have the last two holes open any day now. For more details see Schaumburggolf.com.   _____________________________________________________________________

GOLFERSONGOLF.COM presents The Gog Blog- by Rory Spears. Director of Content and Creation. Follow Rory on Twitter @GogBlogGuy and on Facebook or Linkedin. On the North Course at Eagle Ridge in Galena.

OKAY SORRY…I know it’s been almost a week, since I posted the latest golf news you expect to get more often.

But last week was the return to Eagle Ridge in Galena. It had been 11 years since I had been on property. That was 11 years too long.

Because there is news coming from the resort. It was sold close to 90 days ago. The new owner is Mark Klausner a 22 year home owner, living in the Galena Territory.

Local ownership is something the resort has needed for a long time. And the future will be better off because of it. I did have the chance to meet Klausner, and he seems like a great guy. He does wear the Eagle Ridge logo on his sleeve,and more importantly in his heart.

Besides the fact there is some fixing up to do. Comes the reality that the golf operation does need some improvements across all of it’s golf courses. Currently new Director of Golf Ryan Brown who hails from Boyne Golf in Michigan, is still settling into his new job. Once Brown can plant his feet and roll up his sleeves, I’m sure the improvements in the golf operation will become visible to the golfing guests and members.

There will be meetings this fall to determine the course of action Klausner and the management team will take, as they start improvements and upgrades. From what I hear, just about anything could be on the table. It wouldn’t surprise me to see a different looking Eagle Ridge five years from now. Illinois needs a great golf destination property, and if Eagle Ridge “takes off” again, it would be good for the industry. Stay clicked in, I’ll be following developments in Galena.

DO YOU LIKE BEEF JERKY ?  It’s become a favorite snack of mine, and is great on the golf course. Golfers on Golf has learned that in the next 48 hours, the PGA Tour will announce it’s new line of “official” beef jerky. I wonder what flavors they will have.

SPEAKING OF THE PGA TOUR. it was great for the Memphis tour stop to have such a great field this past weekend. But a WGC-event the week after “The Open”, on another continent, seems questionable. If I’m on tour and played all four days at Portrush, I would WD out of Memphis. But kudo’s to the guys that played, and to see Rory McIlroy and Brooks Koepka in the final group on Sunday was fantastic. The galleries were big in spite of the high heat.

THE WESTERN AMATEUR returns to Point O’Woods starting tomorrow. Defending champion Cole Hammer is in the field.

TODAY WAS THE ILLINOIS PGA SENIOR MASTERS at Onwentsia in Lake Forest. When two IPGA professionals 50 years of age and over, get honored every year. This years award winners are both very deserving. Ed Posh from Village Links in Glen Ellyn. And Billy Rosinia from Flagg Creek golf course in Countryside. I’ll post more from the days events in the week ahead.

Tomorrow, I’ll visit the new Club Champion fitting studio in Schaumburg. Because it’s time to learn more about the golf club fitting process. Stay clicked in for details. RS