GOG..NEWS IS BACK..Sorry to have been away so long. But I have been traveling to golf hot spots
all over the country. Armed with information I am ready to go.

Unfortunately this column still needs a name. While it is a tribute to NEWS, NOTES AND NONSENSE
and the late Phil Kosin of CHICAGOLAND GOLF ( Phil your missed), I won't be calling it that.

Hopefully the GOG news column will help fill the void that the end of CHICAGOLAND GOLF left us with.

GOLFERS AND FOOTBALL FANS..two well known linksters who also suit up for our local NFL team
the Chicago Bears are teaming up for charity. QB Jay Cutler and TE Greg Olsen who have seen
their fair share of stadiums and stadium courses, while be live at HUB 51 on Monday night December
7th for some MNF. The game that night is the Packers and Ravens.

The benefit will support each players foundation, Jay Cutler himself a diabetic for youth diabetes. Greg
Olsen for support of breast cancer research. Tickets start at $150, but VIP tickets go for $300. HUB 51
is located at 51 West Hubbard Street in Chicago. For ticket info www.hub51chicago.com/huddle

GOLF SEASON IS NOT OVER..the folks at THE BULL AT PINEHURST FARMS in Sheboygan Wis. are
running golf specials all this weekend (Fri-Mon) with warm weather expected. They also have a few
remaining spots for the Thanksgiving day brunch, with seatings at 10:30-11-and 3 PM. The club is
also taking early reservations for tee-times during the PGA Championship week next August, while
the PGA is going on just up the road in Kohler/Haven at Whistling Straits. 20% discount if booked by
Jan 5th 2010. For more info call 920-467-1500.

SPEAKING OF KOHLER, GOG hears that Kohler CEO Herb Kohler is trying to buy the famed and historic
Pinehurst resort in Pinehurst NC. The home of both the 2014 Mens and Womens US Opens. Kohler
might be trying to get back in good graces with the USGA, after leaving them high and dry by giving
Whistling Straits to the PGA in 2004-2010-2015 and in 2020 for the Ryder Cup. There is no indication
that the resort is for sale from Pinehurst's owners, recently the resort had to deny a false rumor that
courses #6 and #8 were being sold off as part of economic cost cutting.

IS THE EAGLE FOR SALE ?..as in EAGLE RIDGE in GALENA. Illinois' top golf resort and the home of the
General golf course has supposingly had perspective buyers on the property in recent weeks. Rumors
have it the resort, is losing money for the eighth consecutive year. The resorts other three courses the
North, South and the East course are in need of renovations.

SPEAKING OF RENOVATIONS..the King of classic course renovations and restorations architect Keith
Foster is back working in the Chicago north shore area. Foster best known in the Chicago area for his
original design of Shepherd's Crook in Zion, (recently named by Golfweek magazine as the 18th best
municipal course in the USA) is working with crew at Knollwood C.C. in Lake Forest. Trying to finish
before old man winter sets in. A story on Foster and his work are upcoming here at the GOG BLOG.

ONE OF MY FAVORITE MICHIGAN COURSES EARNS A NUMBER ONE..the Tom Weiskopf designed
Forest Dunes G.C. in Roscommon MI., has been voted the number one public course in America by
Golf World magazine. Not sure why, but it is still a great layout and highly recommended by yours
truely. GWM also selected Oak Hill C.C. as the number one private course and Kiawah Island Resort
in South Carolina as the number one golf resort.

TITLEIST GETS THE SHAFT...Titleist has selected Nippon to provide the shafts for it's new high
preformance AP-1 Irons. The AP-1 irons will now come with the N.S. Pro 105T lightweight steel shaft.
The shaft is exclusive to Titleist. Nippon has supplied shaft's to other classic Titleist products like the
Bullseye putter and several sets of irons.

ON THE EQUIPMENT SCENE..Chicago based Wilson Golf has also launched several new golf products
and equipment. A separate story will be upcoming on the GOG BLOG about Wilson's new golf products
for 2010.

GOLF INSTRUCTOR TURNED ARCHITECT..Long time golf instructor Jim McLean who heads up the Jim
McLean golf school, at the Doral Resort in northwest Miami Florida, just put his name on the resorts old
silver course. The grand re-opening was held last week on November 13th in Florida. A future story on
the course and what's up at Doral is coming soon here at the GOG BLOG.

THE FOLKS AT KEMPER SPORTS who run the Glen Club in Glenview, have reportedly had the people
from the LPGA in town to look at the course as a possible new home for the LPGA Championship. If the
course is not selected for the LPGA Championship, an LPGA Tour event could still happen at the home
where runways were turned into fairways.

PINE MEADOW GOLF COURSE is safe, after a recent story in the Daily Herald led to some confusion
that the Chicago Catholic Archdiocese was about to sell off part of Pine Meadow Golf Club. GOG went
right to PM for the update. GM Dennis Johnsen assures golfers that is not true, there is some surrounding
property that will be sold, but not the golf course. The Jemsek family recently signed a lease that will
keep Pine Meadow a golf course for a period of time that will keep golfers happy, according to Johnsen. 
But no one is saying exactly how long, hopefully it's one of those 99-year type deals.

Recently GOG did some checking with noted golf historian Wayne Morrison, a member of the historic
Merion Golf Club in Ardmore PA., Morrison believed to be the nations top source on famed architect
William S. Flynn courses. Flynn noted for his work at Shinnecock, Cascades and other top courses
might be the designer of Pine Meadow, even though Flynn's records indicate he did a course in Illinois
called St . Mary's by the Lake. Since the catholic seminary where Pine Meadow is located is called
St. Marys, it's quite possible PM is a Flynn design. Most of PM's current holes are still original according
to Morrision, Flynn's other classic Illinois course Mill Road Farm was sold off back in the 1940's and was
eventually plowed under.

STRAWBERRY FARMS G.C. is the hot new name in golf. Strawberry Farms G.C. in Kenosha WI. the golf
club in which former Chicago Bear Jay Hilgenberg is a part owner of, has competition for the name
Strawberry Farms. It seems that former major league baseball player Doug Decinces has designed
a course of the same name in Irvine Cal., either way both courses have opened to fine reviews.

ROAD TRIP..I took a 17 day, 21 course trip back in October. It was the golf trip of a life time, a separate
story on that trip is coming to the GOG BLOG soon. More golf news will be included in that story as
well...

My GOG radio partner Mike Munro has his White Pines Golf Dome open for the winter months ahead.
Check out one of the nations top indoor golf facilities right here in Bensenville. The golf dome will be
open until May 1st, 7 Am to 11 PM daily.

UNTIL..next month..HAPPY TURKEY EVERYONE..and I hope you get one last local round of golf in for
the 2009 golf season. Many courses are still open...RORY SPEARS