Luke Donald is pitching a new course for the BMW
                             His home course in Lake Forest, Conway Farms.

The BMW Championship in Chicago has a interesting future, like will it
be here, or will it not. Will it ever go back to Cog Hill, or is destined to
keep driving around town. Is the next stop the north shore area, or might
it go even further south than Lemont.

Right now nobody knows where it's going, the people who make such
decisions have a short list but nothing is final. But certain clubs keep
popping up.

Conway Farms (CF) seems to top the list. The Lake Forest Course
located by Rt. 60 and the 294 Tri-State tollway, has another big event
on it's plate for the 2012. The USGA Mid-Amateur Championship, that
it will host along with The Knollwood Club also in Lake Forest.

Other names that get talked about are, The Merit Club which hosted
the 2000 US Womens Open in Libertyville, Kemper Lakes Golf Club
in Kildeer, and Olympia Fields in south suburban Olympia Fields. The
new Chicago Highlands Club in Westchester by the tollway Rt. 294 and
31st street.

Luke Donald the worlds #1 player, is a member of Conway Farms, he
has already spoken to the PGA Tour in regards to his home club. Donald
also said the PGA Tour had looked at 2011 WGA-Amateur host club
Northshore Country Club in Glenview. Donald wasted no time saying
Conway has much more golf course than Northshore. Of course Donald
is correct on that. In fact it was shocking that the tour even looked at
NSCC in the first place.

Actually the Knollwood Club which has just came off an incredible three
year renovation by architect Keith Foster, would make a better BMW
site than NSCC. Knollwood was also just added as host club of the
2016 Western Amateur.

One factor not mentioned is the back to Cog Hill in 2013 scenario. You
bet, and you read this right. Cog Hill is an option, although it's slim. But
for Cog Hill to have any chance, Frank Jemsek will have to bring architect
Rees Jones back and make changes to "Dubsdread" course #4.

The clubs that get talked about as a potential 2013 might have some
drawbacks. Olympia Fields already has the 2013 Western Amateur
(for the moment anyway) but that event could be moved for a BMW
instead. Kemper Lakes is expected to be in phase two of what looks
like a two-year renovation project with architect Rick Jacobson in 2013.
The Chicago Highlands Club does not have a clubhouse yet, and there
is no date for construction to begin.

With a time table of now 25-50 days for an expected announcement,
almost anything could happen. Including the BMW to drive off again
to a city who knows where, but the real plan seems to be that the BMW
will stay in Chicago every other year. Then just like new cities expose
BMW to new markets, a move to the northshore of Chicago would
expose the tournament to another part of the Chicago area and again
new fans.

Which really brings us back to Conway Farms GC. Which according
to general manager Todd Marsh says the club, "really doesn't know what
is going to happen". Marsh says he knows about 2012 and 2014, but
nothing about 2013, other than Conway Farms is a candidate.

"It is really nice of Luke the worlds number one player to think that
highly of us and the club, " Marsh said in regards to being a BMW host.
"But we really don't know what's going on for 2013."

Marsh says it would be different not having the championship at Cog Hill,
because it's been there so long and the Jemseks have been great hosts
for years.

 
(L) The par 3, 223 yard 17th hole at Conway Farms, (R) The par 5, 600 yard 8th hole.

Marsh calls Conway Farms which is now celebrating it's 20th year an
"open style prairie course". In those 20 years Conway Farms has hosted
the 1997 NCAA Championship, the 1998 USGA Junior Championship,
two Cannon Cups in 2002/2006 (the Ryder Cup of AJGA golf), a few
USGA qualifiers, the 2009 WGA-Amateur, and next up the USGA
Mid-Am.

Conway Farms is designed by architect Tom Fazio, and plays to a yardage
of almost 7,250 yards and a par of 71. It is a walking only course where
pace of play is important, to a membership of 260 members where just
over half of them play to a single-digit handicap.

In preparing next years mid amateur championship, the club recently
completed putting all new sand in it's bunkers and upgrading it's
drainage system.

Donald says that "moving the BMW to north of Chicago would
attract more fans to the championship". Which if so, would be a great
thing for the Evans Scholars Foundation run by the WGA.

At this time Conway Farms seems to be emerging as a front runner to
land the 2013 BMW Championship, even though that decision has not
been made.

The biggest question about CF is does it have the space. Marsh says
that's a question he will leave to the experts who run tournaments. But
notes that, " the PGA Tour runs the LA Open at Riviera on 160 acres.
The 2013 Mens US Open at Merion will be played on a site with less
than 160 acres. While CF has 210 acres.

These questions and more should be answered before you put your
Turkey on the table for Thanksgiving. 

TO HEAR RORY'S INTERVIEW WITH CONWAY FARMS GM
TODD MARSH AND, COMMENTS FROM LUKE DONALD
PLEASE CLICK HERE:

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