Golfers on Golf Radio has returned for 2018, L-R Ed Stevenson, Bill Berger and Rory Spears at WNDZ AM 750

Golfers on Golf Radio is back on the air for yet another season. Chicago’s longest running golf radio show was back on the tee this past Saturday. It came off the first tee firing and breaking some real golf news.

Ed Stevenson, Bill Berger and I are looking forward to the next 21 weeks of being with you on Saturday mornings, either after your round, or before you head out to your first tee.    MCQ’S DOME in Bolingbrook is the premier dome in the Chicagoland area, if your looking out the window at all the snow this morning and looking to hit the golf ball. Go visit McQ’s Dome the best option until the outdoor courses are ready for play. #MCQS

 NEED MORE DOMES how about a trip to the French Lick Resort. The historic West Baden Hotel at the French Lick Resort is a Must-Stay. Right now check out the Sunday and Monday stay package and golf at the French Lick Resort now $600 Frenchlick.com

IT WAS REALLY GOOD TO BE BACK ON THE AIR this past Saturday morning with our first edition of Golfers on Golf Radio for 2018. Having Arlington Heights native Doug Ghim live from the University of Texas, fresh off his Low-Amateur week at the Masters was a great drive off the first tee.

It was great news that Doug will turn professional right after the U.S.Open at Shinnecock, and in the meantime I wish him and Texas Teammates a nice run in the NCAA National Championships, hopefully they will play Illinois or Northwestern in the finals.

After our interview with Dave Neville of Callaway Golf, Brendan Sweeney of the French Lick Resort joined us, where we learned about the resort adding 9 more holes to it’s Valley Links course, exciting news indeed. Pete Dye disciple Tim Liddy and Golfweek golf architecture guru Brad Klein will walk the FLR property in a few weeks and submit a routing to the resort. Golfers on Golf Radio is looking to bring in some celebrity guest hosts over the course of the year, stay tuned and or clicked in, and we hope it will lead to more story’s getting broke on the air during GOG Radio.

THE PGA TOUR once again did a smart thing by moving up the tee times to complete the fourth round of the RBC Heritage Championship at Sea Pines Resort on Hilton Head Island in South Carolina. While the final round of the tournament was shown on CBS, it had been taped earlier, which was no big deal. The galleries enjoyed a nice day, and were able to see the completion of the championship before bad weather arrived.

MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL could learn from this. For all the stadiums that don’t have a dome or a retractable roof, moving around start times would be a real good idea. After sitting at both Cubs and Sox games in bad weather, both this year and in other years, it’s amazing how many games could have been played with earlier start times, or later start times in some cases.

TOMORROW the weather is supposed to be back in the 50’s. Hopefully it will be time to take the golf game back outside. All of the clubs that had spring scrambles or other events schedule for this past weekend, pushed them back a week or so because of the weather. Check in with your club to find out the rescheduled date.

BIG 3 PARTNER LEN ZIEHM has checked in from his clubhouse in Port St.Lucie Florida in the PGA Village. Ziehm has posted two columns on his Lenziehmongolf.com website. First up is golf in Key West Florida and the second is a book review of the new book called “Tiger Woods”, not approved by Woods, which means it’s likely to be good and truthful. Ziehm’s columns are back running in the suburban Arlington Heights Daily Herald on Wednesdays for another year.

LAST WEEK I went to Mistwood golf Club to attend the Callaway Golf Day for the Illinois PGA Section professionals. It was very informative and I will post a story recapping the day. Events like this are a great way to learn about the product line and more companies should do it. With the golf equipment market changing the way it is, golf companies should have days like this with both the pro’s and the general public on occasion. Given the right time and the right venue, I bet they would be well attended.

IT WAS not surprising to again see the ball numbers posted in the Titleist commercial that ran during the RBC yesterday. With Titleist having 91 players and the second highest being in the low 20 somethings. While the #1 ball in golf had a lead, and all those players are getting paid to play the ball, the days of Titleist at 118 and second highest competitor at 11, have changed in to 91-22. The market is changing.

Golfersongolf.com will be back this week with more stories, and yes I have some catching up to do after the last ten days, or missing days here, due to getting ready for the radio show. But it is great to be back on the air , 21 more exciting weeks to go. RS

  SPRING WEATHER GOT YOU COLD AND WET, try McQ’s Dome in Bolingbrook. You can work on your golf game, do your Kentucky Derby prep in the OTB, or enjoy great food and beverage in the grill. MCq’s, Chicago premier golf dome is located on Bolingbrook Drive call (630)-739-7600 or visit Mcqsdome.com. THE FRENCH LICK Resort has good priced spring golf packages for Sunday’s and Monday’s, please visit Frenchlick.com and come play the award winning Pete Dye and Donald Ross Courses.  ______________________________________________________________________

GOLFERS ON GOLF RADIO is L-R Ed Stevenson, Bill Berger and Rory Spears. In studio at WNDZ AM 750, show time is 10 Am on Saturday’s.

WE ARE BACK, and it’s nice to be back for the start of our 22 week run for the 2018 golf season.

Tee time for now is 10 AM on Saturday mornings,on Am 750 WNDZ Chicago. If our old tee time at 9 AM reopens, we could elect to make a change, stay tuned.

On behalf of our group, Ed Stevenson, Bill Berger and yours truly, we welcome you our listeners and readers back in the fold. As for being Chicago’s favorite foursome, our fourth Mike Munro will drop in when he can, and we could add some celebrity guest hosts to join the group from time to time. Stay tuned again.

Masters low amateur Doug Ghim

We opened the season with Masters low-amateur Doug Ghim, of Arlington Heights who checked in from his school the University of Texas in Austin.

Ghim shared some great Masters week stories and announced that he will turn professional the week after playing in the U.S. Open at Shinnecock, but first wants to help Texas win the NCAA Championship.

The new Callaway Rogue Driver, Go Rogue. Callaway.com

This past week at the Mistwood Golf Club, Callaway Golf held a day for the Illinois PGA Section professionals, and another day at the Glen Club for more pro’s on Thursday.

During the quickly growing in numbers day at Mistwood, I spoke with Dave Neville Director of Brand and Product Management of Callaway Golf, and we played that interview on the show.

For all of you who missed the interview here it is again. Go Rogue.

Click here to hear the interview with Dave Neville of Callaway Golf.

You are on the first hole at the Pete Dye Course at the French Lick Resort.

Our final interview of the show was with Brendan Sweeney, the former Medinah Country Club caddie, who now serves as the Golf Marketing Director of the French Lick Resort, in of course French Lick Indiana.

First on the tee is a spring package for Sunday’s and Monday’s at the resort, play the Donald Ross Course, play the Pete Dye Course, stay at the two-famous hotels and all for $600.

But better yet was the announcement that more golf is coming to the resort. Currently the resorts third course the Valley Links course is nine holes. That will be changing to 18 holes in the near future. Pete Dye disciple Tim Liddy and Golfweek architecture guru Brad Klein will walk the property in the week ahead, and submit a proposal to the FL Resort on a proposed routing. A few other architects will be in the mix as well, it will be interesting to see who does the project.

The Par 4, 7th hole at the Preserve at Oak Meadows in Addison.

IT’S MORE GOOD NEWS for the Preserve at Oak Meadows, while Ed Stevenson could not be specific, it appears that the Preserve, already a winner of a major award with Golf Digest Magazine, will be receiving yet more accolades from someone or some organization in the golf industry. We await the announcement. Congrats to Ed, architect Greg Martin and everyone at the DuPage County FPD on what is coming down the pipeline.

The plans for the new clubhouse are moving forward, the hope is for construction to begin next year, with the clubhouse opening in 2020. Golfers on Golf Radio returns for week 2 of 22 next Saturday at 10 Am, we hope you can join us on Am 750 WNDZ.

The Gog Blog Speaks Out returns tomorrow. RS.

 CHICAGOLAND GOLF PUBLISHER VAL RUSSELL holds up the Chicagoland Golf Chicago Golf Show edition, the April edition is now out in time for the expected arrival of the outdoor golf season. Pick up a copy at favorite golf course or golf retail store. Still too cold for you, if so take your game to McQ’s Dome in Bolingbrook. (630)-739-7600.    ______________________________________________________________________

University of Illinois Sr. Dylan Meyer was nsmed Big Ten Player of the week after his win at the 3M Classic in Augusta.

Dylan Meyer won the 3M Augusta Invitational for the second straight year, as was named the Big Ten Men’s Player of the week.

It was the second time the Evansville Ind. Sr has won the year thus year, and it was the fifth time he was won the award during his time during his career at Illinois.

Meyer had scores of 67-69-69 for an 11 under par score of 205, that won him the 3M Augusta Invitational. As a result of his performance, Meyer’s stroke average for the year is 70.59 and he has been under or at even par 15 of his 22 rounds this season. As a result Meyer has earned a sponsors exemption to the Valspar Classic in 2019 on the PGA Tour.

Meyer played in this years Valspar where he made the cut. He was T-8 after the first day.

THE GOG BLOG is written by Rory Spears. Follow Rory on Twitter @GogBlogGuy, and on Linkedin and Facebook.

GOLFERS ON GOLF RADIO returns this Saturday at 10 AM, our new Tee-time on AM 750 WNDZ, for show 1 of 22 weeks.

  MCQ’S DOME is open for golf in final days of the winter golf season, if the bad weather is going to keep you golf game inside for another week, spend it at McQ’s, while your there, enjoy the end of the Blackhawks and Bulls seasons, and the home openers for the Cubs and White Sox. It’s Masters week, and prep for the Derby a month away in the OTB. McQ’s Dome in Bolingbrook, for details Mcqsdome.com or call (630)-739-7600.     _____________________________________________________________________

 THEY ARE OPEN-Mistwood Golf Club is opening for the season tomorrow, and McWethy’s Tavern is your place post round in the clubhouse. Mistwood Golf Club in Romeoville, please visit Mistwoodgc.com or call (815)-254-3333. Play Kelpies Corner.    ______________________________________________________________________

MISTWOOD, THEY ARE OPEN TOMORROW- THE PHIL KOSIN ILLINOIS WOMEN’S OPEN July 16-18.

Mistwood has done some course improvements this spring, come out and see them and play one of Chicago’s top public golf courses. The last week of June Mistwood will host the 118th Women’s Western Golf Association Amateur Championship.

You like Amen Corner in Augusta, well come out and try Kelpie’s Corner at Msitwood, holes 14-15-16-17 around the lake go for one of your best rounds of the summer. If the weather doesn’t have you ready fr the outdoors tomorrow, go to Mistwoods sister property, McQ’s Dome in Bolingbrook.

The performance Center is open, and you can practice under the heaters. and then turn to the Irish style bar for a cold warm, or maybe this weekend a warm one.

   The partial island green the par 5, 3rd hole, and the welcome to Kelpie’s Corner on 14.

Come play Mistwood, they are open.

  THE NEW CALLAWAY ROGUE DRIVER With Jailbreak Technology, now used by both defending Masters Champion Sergio Garcia and 3-time masters winner Phil Mickelson, THE NEW ROGER CLEVELAND WEDGE DESIGN the Mack Daddy’s in the bag of Phil Mickelson at the Masters Tournament. For more information Callawaygolf.com #Rogue   _____________________________________________________________________

THE GOG BLOG by RORY SPEARS,. On the 9th green at Shinnecock Hills Golf Club home of the 2018 US. Open. Follow Rory the Director of Creation and Content on Twitter @GogBlogGuy, or on Facebook, and Linkedin.

With the playing of the Masters Tournament this week in Augusta Georgia, it’s time for the 2018 golf season to begin the playing of it’s major tournaments.

The four majors are called majors for a reason, they are the biggest tournaments in golf. They are the tournaments that all golfers want to win the most. They are career defining moments, they are Hall of Fame defining moments.

This year the four-majors all have some story lines behind them. At certain majors there usually is a story line about one player who then becomes a sentimental favorite for one reason or another. So for 2018, here are my hopes for the four best potential major winners. The ones that make sense for the game, the fans (or this week the patrons) and the players themselves.

THE MASTERS-RORY MCILROY, the green jacket and a Masters win are the only thing thing missing from this Irish guys closet and career golf room. With his win at Bay Hill, McIlroy seems to have found his putting stroke, and can go low again when needed. There are only five players who have won golf’s ultimate prize, The Grand Slam and only the great Bobby Jones has done it one year. McIlroy had a chance to win the Masters once, and let it get away during the “Back nine on Sunday”. Here is hoping that doesn’t happen again, and McIlroy completes his career Grand Slam this coming Sunday.

THE U.S. OPEN-PHIL MICKELSON at the Shinnecock Hills Golf Club. “Lefty: as he’s known, needs just one more win to wrap up an amazing career. That win is the U.S. Open, a win at the open would give Mickelson his career grand slam and that is something the golf world love to see. Mickelson like no other player brings a presence to the golf arena, not felt since Arnold Palmer. Mickelson has a way with the fans that most players will never have. Mickelson has six second place finishes at the U.S. Open the most recent being in 2013 at Merion, when he came up a shot short of a playoff with Justin Rose. Mickelson had a great chance at Winged Foot in 2006, but failed to convert a putt on the 18th green. He came up a shot short in the famed 1999 U.S. Open at Pinehurst, when the late Payne Stewart won his last major. Mickelson had a shot at Shinnecock in 2004, losing to Reteif Goosen, but he loves the golf course and it should suit him just fine come June.

THE BRITISH OPEN- A FIRST TIMER AT CARNOUSTIE GOLF LINKS. Every year in golf at least one major is won by a player who wins his first major. With no player trying to win a career Grand Slam at the British this year, this major would be best won a player who has not win a major before, and may or may not fall into the category of, “The Best Player to not have won a major”. That can be a long time veteran like Matt Kuchar who almost won last year, losing out to Jordan Spieth. It can be an up and comer like Bryson DeChambeau who fits the bill of a European type player with his Plus-Fours on. It can be European players like a Jon Rahm or Tommy Fleetwood, many Americans, especially younger ones would pick Rickie Fowler. Our hope is that the “Open Championship and the Claret Jug” go to a first time major winner at this very historic major venue.

THE PGA CHAMPIONSHIP-JORDAN SPEITH AT BELLERIVE COUNTRY CLUB, when Jordan Spieth won the 2017 British Open at Birkdale, he put himself in position to win the career grand slam. Now with three of the four legs done and in the trophy case, it’s the only major the kid from Texas still needs. A Midwest venue like Bellerive just outside of St. Louis is the perfect place to do it. The PGA Championship will be played for the 100th time this August, and with the new dates and schedule change, it might never get played in August again, as it moves to May come 2019. The centennial PGA Championship deserves a great player, a classy player, someone good for game on and off the golf course. That player is Jordan Speith who hopefully will fulfill his career slam at the years final chance for glory. That is unless you count the Ryder Cup in September.

Here’s keeping our fingers crossed for a special year in the major championships, and that 2018 is a great year for the game of golf. RS

  Schaumburg Golf Club readies to open it’s first renovated nine holes, this weeks cool temperatures make McQ’s Dome in Bolingbrook a great place to work on your game before heading outside next week. McQsDome.com or call (630)-739-7600 #Mistwood

   WELCOME TO THE AUGUSTA NATIONAL GOLF CLUB HOME OF THE MASTERS

Visit Masters.org

It’s that week all golfers look forward to, for many it’s the signal that golf season has started, it’s time to dust off the clubs that have sat idle all winter.

For everyone that sits in front of the television this week to watch the Azaleas in full bloom, an golfers walk between them and the pine trees of the Augusta National Golf Club, It should be a good week.

There are ten top name players who should be in the hunt come, The back nine on Sunday. In the tradition Unlike any Other, next Sunday “should be” outstanding. That being said, here is a look at our Top 10 Picks for this years Masters Tournament. 1.Justin Thomas, 2. Jordan Spieth, 3. Dustin Johnson, 4. Rory McIlroy, 5. Jason Day, 6. Phil Mickelson, 7. Bubba Watson, 8.Sergio Garcia, 9. Justin Rose, 10. Jon Rahm.

Then there are some sleepers in the field who could break through, they include John Deere Classic defending champion Bryson DeChambeau, former British Open Champion Henrik Stenson, former U of Illinois alum Thomas Pieters, 2017 Valspar Champion Adam Hadwin, and current BMW Champion Marc Leishman.

While another great story will be the play the of Arlington Heights resident Doug Ghim, who got a Masters invite with his runner-up finish in the 2017 U.S. Amateur Tournament at Riviera. Ghim is a senior at the University of Texas and will turn professional later in 2018. Ghim will play in the U.S. Open at Shinnecock this summer before turning professional.

As for Garcia, the defending champion is locking into his new Callaway Rogue Clubs and is starting to play some great golf, while the runner up from 2017 Justin Rose is playing good golf, and has had some success with the new hot golf shaft on tour the TPT, that Jason Day is also using.

McIlroy at Bay Hill seemed to figure out what has been wrong with his putting stroke and if so, maybe can finally slam the door on his career grand slam. Our pick to win, with either Day or Mickelson.

Phil Mickelson is playing some of his best golf in recent years and is a real threat to win his fourth green jacket. Mickelson like Garcia is playing the new Callaway Rogue line and seems to have settled in.

The scouting report coming in is that the Euro’s are playing well, and so is Canadian Adam Hadwin,check out his results this year and you will find a player flying under the radar. If there is a downer to this years Masters it’s that Steve Stricker who has played great golf this year is not in the field. When Stricker missed cut by 1 shot at Houston last Friday his chances to head to Augusta were over. Here is hoping that Stricker makes it into Shinnecock and the U.S. Open.

This week brings us many possibilities, with so many players in the mix. So if you just focus on one player, you will miss an incredible week of golf. Hopefully CBS and the crew including Jim Nantz and Nick Faldo understand this.

CONGRATS TO ILLINOIS, as Coach Mike Small’s team wins it’s second tournament in a row. Sr. Dylan Meyer won the tournament for the second year in a row at Forest Hills CC, in Augusta GA. Meyer and his teammates get tickets to today’s practice rounds at the Masters. Meyer for the second straight year in a row also earns a sponsors exemption into the 2019 Valspar Championship at Innisbrook. This year Meyer made the cut and played all four days.

The Gog Blog is written by RORY SPEARS, the Director of Creation and Content, you can follow Rory on Twitter @GogBlogGuy, and on Linkedin and Facebook.

   CHAD JOHANSEN the GM/PRO at Blackberry Oaks in Bristol, holds the Blackberry AM trophy, The Blackberry Amateur is June 23-24, sign up now at Blackberryoaks.com or call the clubhouse at (630)-553-7170, this year lets fill the 120 player field, the AM is sponsored by Wilson Golf and Michelob Ultra. VAL RUSSEL holds up an issue of Chicagoland Golf at the Chicago Golf Show, Chicagoland Golf has it’s second issue of 2018 out this week, pick up a copy at your local public golf course, or golf retail store.     _____________________________________________________________________

GOLFERSONGOLF.COM the Gog Blog by RORY SPEARS. Director of Content and Creation. Follow Rory on Twitter @GogBlogGuy, and on Linkedin and Facebook, with Dan Phillips in McQ’s Dome open today from 11-5 PM.

The Medinah Country Club has filled it’s opening at the Director of Grounds position with the hiring of Steven Cook, who comes over from Oakland Hills Country Club in Michigan where he has been the Director of Agronomy for the last 21 years. He replaces Curtis Tyrrell who left for the Bonita Bay Club in Florida.

For Cook this will be his second stint at Medinah. After graduating from the University of Illinois, he started his career in the Mid to late 1980’s at the Medinah Country Club and was the superintendent of courses #1 and #3 until he left for a job in Paris France in 1989.

Welcome to Medinah Country Club.

Cook then came back to the United States and worked in Iowa at the Wakonda Club before moving over to Oakland Hills in 1997. While at Oakland Hills, Cook was in charge of getting both of Oakland Hills courses ready for the 2002 and 2016 U.S. Amateur Championships, the 2004 Ryder Cup and the the 2008 PGA Championship.

Cook is a Master Greenskeeper, and a three-time certified Golf Course Superintendent, he is a member of the Golf Course Superintendents Association of America, and the former chapter president in Iowa. He is a member of the USGA and has served as a volunteer at both USGA and PGA events. He admits to being a Cubs-Bears and Illini fan when it comes to sports.

  GOLFERS ON GOLF RADIO goes live at Tidewater Golf Club in Myrtle Beach South Carolina in 2016. The Gog Blog  Part of Golfers on Golf Radio AM 750 by Rory Spears. Follow Rory on Twitter @GogBlogGuy, Linkedin and Facebook.

The South Carolina Golf Panel has released it’s annual list of the best golf courses in the Grand Stand Area and in South Carolina.

Tidewater Golf Club in Myrtle Beach is ranked #3 in the Grand Strand area and number 27 in the state of South Carolina. On the public rankings side of South Carolina, the ocean Course at Kiawah island came in at #1, with Sea Pines-Harbour Town Golf Course at #2.

With all the golf courses in the Hilton Head Head Island area, the Charleston Area and the Myrtle Beach area of South Carolina, #27 is a solid finish for Tidewater. That beat out courses like the Davis Love III designed Atlantic Dunes at the Sea Pines Resort. The Tidewater course has thee holes that have Atlantic Ocean Views.

:Our goal every day is to create an experience at Tidewater that rival the best public courses in South Carolina, and this is a validation of that effort,” said Chris Cooper the General Manager at Tidewater. “There are few states in the country that can rival South Carolina for the quality of golf, so this is an honor that we take great pride in. With the heart of the spring season upon us, we look forward to providing an unforgettable experience to our most important constituency-traveling golfers.”

IF YOUR PLAYING GOLF in the Myrtle Beach Area, Tidewater Golf Club should be on your must play list. Golfers on Golf Radio-Chicago.

For more information on Tidewater Golf Club please visit Tidewatergolf.com.