THE TINLEY PARK GOLF SHOW is back this week starting Friday at Noon, with a special $5.00 admission on Friday. $10.00 on the weekend. Get your tickets now at Tinleyparkconventioncenter.net contests, prizes, you could win $500.00 on Sunday.
MISSION ACCOMPLISHED-WELL ALMOST, I have returned from the national PGA Merchandise Show in Orlando, and now it’s time to get ready for the local Chicago area shows this week in Tinley Park, and at the end of the month in Rosemont.
When I worked for show host Mike Murphy at WSCR-AM, he would say, “we’re going to pack 10 pounds of stuff into a 5 pound bag.”
Well I feel that’s what I did with this trip, that left me always on the go, not enough time to relax, but I collected plenty of good things to fill up the site here, until the Golfers on Golf Radio show returns on WNDZ-AM 750 in April.
The only blemish on the trip, was that my final round of golf, outdoors, for a while anyway was washed away when the heavens opened up at Reynolds Lake Oconee in Greenboro GA., about an hour east of Atlanta.
Former Medinah Country Club Director of Golf Mike Scully, is doing a great job as general manager at Reynolds-L/O. But you must also credit the new Metlife ownership group for putting their millions of dollars of improvements into the property. Reynolds Lake Oconee is the top golf destination property in Georgia, offering 6 golf courses, plenty of first-class dining options, 5-star places to stay that include a Ritz-Carlton and tremendous villas. Practice facilities that rate among the best. Think Reynolds at Lake Oconee when you have Georgia on your mind, for golf and more. I’ll have more on the reopening of Great Waters later this week.
The new 18th hole back tee markers, on the Bear Tee’s at the Great Waters Course, Reynolds at Lake Oconee.
Demo Day at the PGA Show was a sunny, but cold and windy day. Some folks didn’t last 90 minutes before heading out. I made it five hours, before retreating to the hotel for the night.
But the show itself, with a record amount of almost 44,000 credentialed attendees continues to grow.
During my 19 day trip, I visited several resorts, a few more stand-alone golf properties, and the show. I covered 9 states and almost 4,000 miles. Learning and seeing a lot in the world of golf, at times it’s easy to see who the industry contenders are, and who are the wanna-be’s. There are some start-up’s that have a solid foundation, it will interesting to see how they grow.
You can visit my podcast with, Illinois Golf Hall of Fame Class of 2019 Inductee Len Ziehm for more thoughts on the PGA Show. Just scroll down a few stories.
INNISBROOK RESORT- I spent part parts of four days there. The resort with it’s new room renovation’s now complete, is really moving forward. On the golf side, there is some thought that it’s Valspar dates in 2021, could move to two weeks after the Masters, we will see. What I do think, is that if the USGA is serious about taking the new U.S. Sr. Women’s Open to places like Arizona or Florida, Innisbrook would be a great place for the championship in Florida. It could be played closer to fall dates, away from the Valspar Championship.
PINEHURST has the par 3 Cradle Course looking really sharp for the winter season, I’ll be posting a Cradle Close-up before too long. The newly remodeled Manor Inn and the Holly Inn are real winners for Pinehurst. I’ll have a review of Pinehurst hospitality in the days ahead.
COLT KNOST who won the 2007 USGA Public Links Championship at Cantigny Golf in Wheaton, has retired from the PGA Tour, after failing to keep his tour card by not winning yesterday at the Phoenix Open. He plans to work in golf broadcasting.
THE TINLEY PARK CONVENTION CENTER, home of this weeks Tinley Park Golf Show, Friday through Sunday. Buy tickets now. tinleyparkconventioncenter.net
THE WASTE MANAGEMENT Phoenix Open was not a good one for players with local area ties. Kevin Streelman, Luke Donald, and north suburbans Patrick Flavin of Highwood all missed the cut. Flavin the former Illinois Amateur and Illinois Open Champion made it into the field after surviving a Monday qualifier.
CBS has filed suit in the theft of some 46 camera’s and more from the 2019 PGA Championship at Bethpage Black.
According to various media reports, multiple vandals broke in on Sunday night after the final round and looted the CBS storage area. Yes there was security on site, but apparently a security guard who witnessed the theft did nothing. The lack of action by the guard got his company sued by CBS for major money.
Since I’m now stocked up with material, I’ll be writing plenty from the world of golf. So stay clicked in. RS