THE GOG BLOG SPEAKS OUT,RANTS, RAVES AND MORE
STANDING TALL IN FRONT OF THE CAROLINA HOTEL, IN THE HEART OF PINEHURST
GOLF SHOWS, GOLF SHOWS, GOLF SHOWS...and sounding like the
Genesis album "And Then There Were 3" the Chicago area has just that.
Round 2 has now posted in the clubhouse with the completion of the new
Tinley Park Golf Show.
A TIP OF THE CAP OR GOLF VISOR...to Greg Buban for launching the
southside golf show, that's now in the middle of lineup between the
Cantigny show and this weeks Chicago Golf Show in Rosemont.
Upon my early Friday arrival with BIG 3 partner Tim Cronin, we found
ourselves parked nowhere near the front door. Which is a great sign at
12:15 on a Friday. The parking lot was fairly full, and it was nice to have
FREE PARKING, always a good thing. Several patrons also told me
that the $5 Friday admission was a selling point as well.
While I do enjoy going booth to booth at golf shows, without being grabed
by home repair people, dating services and other non-golf type things.
I did enjoy the the free-food booths that included great Italian handouts
and some great steak too. A nice touch.
Buban tells me he has signed a three-year deal to host the show and
here's hoping it continues. The Tinley Park Expo facility looks nice and
walking the carpeted floors makes a difference on people's feet after
hours of walking.
Multiple golf course operators also told me that this formula of regional
Chicago area golf shows is exactly what the area golfers and it's golf
properties needs. Time will tell if that is a successful formula. But as
a diehard golfer, I enjoy having as many golf shows in the winter as
possible. So as much as I liked Tinley Park, I'm just as much looking
forward to Rosemont this week as well.
FRANK JEMSEK WHO FLEW IN FROM FLORIDA TO ATTEND THE TINLEY PARK SHOW,
spoke at length with me regarding what's next at Cog Hill. Jemsek is still a strong supporter
of the Western Golf Association (WGA) and The Evans Scholars Foundation.
CHANGES ARE COMING TO DUBS...several holes will have some work
done. Architect Rees Jones in between his Medinah Ryder Cup visits is
expected to stop by Cog Hill at some point in 2012, as Jemsek made it
clear that any work done on course # 4 will again be overseen by Jones.
Question is what the architect who is called "The Open Doctor" do, to
enhance Cog Hill's bid to host the 2022 Mens US Open.
Jemsek made it clear that some changes will come into play for the daily
customer to Cog Hill, and not just touring pro's whatever year they return.
Which is apparently no sooner than 2017 at the earliest, based on latest
reports that has the future BMW Championship looking like this.
2012 Crooked Stick Carmel Ind.,2013 Conway Farms Lake Forest IL.,
2014 Cherry Hills (near Denver Co.), 2015 Conway Farms, 2016
Harding Park San Francisco Ca. 2017 Chicago area ???.
FOR MORE ON COG HILL AND THE JEMSEK GOLF RUN OPERATION
PINE MEADOW IN MUNDELEIN, and Rory's Interview with Frank Jemsek
Click here:
Download | Duration: 00:13:51
RAVE...It's nice to hear that things are starting to get settled in the
BMW Championship future site department. Hopefully the tour comes
to an agreement with all parties involved. The above possible schedule
does seem to be the way to go.
RANT..It's time the PGA Tour starts at looking to move the other Fex
Ex Cup events around, instead of just the BMW Championship all the
time. While the Barclays does move between New York and New Jersey
the distance involved is like moving the BMW from Cog Hill to Conway
Farms no big deal.
Tim Finchem..move NY, move Boston, and move Atlanta around too
if your going to keep moving the BMW Championship. It's only fair.
RANT...Hopefully we hear about all 64 players this week at the Match
Play Championship in Tucson. Even though it's expected that clueless
ESPN will be tracking one-player only. I think the majority of golf fans
would rather hear about "The Lefty Launch", "happenings with Haas",
"The Bradley Blast"..you know players that actually win tournaments
these days.
With four great # 1 seeds this week, let's follow them like the coverage
does at events like the NCAA Basketball Championship. The occasional
"live-lookin" for the comeback-kid is just fine.
THE CHICAGO GOLF SHOW..tee's off this Friday in Rosemont and I'm
looking forward to it. It should be a great show and here's hoping the golf
community turns out in force. Speakers like Craig Stadler and Chip Beck
should add to the show. I will have more on the show later this week and
a full wrap up next Monday right here.
AS THE WEEK GOES ON...more travel destinations coming up and a
look at the French Lick Resort, as it prepares to host both the mens and
womens Big Ten Golf Championships in late April.
THE PRESENTATIONS ARE DONE..the good folks over at the Dupage
County Forest Preserve District, are looking throughout their notes and
getting ready to narrow the five finalists down to one remaining golf
architect. To see who will handle the renovations at Oak Meadows GC
in Addison. Best of luck to DCFPD Director of Golf Operations Ed
Stevenson and the team voters on picking a winner.
RAVE..Congrats to Northwestern Golf Coach Pat Goss and the NU
Wildcats on winning the Big Ten Match Play Championship in Florida.
That's three in a row for the sticks from Evanston, than tuned up for
the event by getting pounded in a match again the NU alums. The
alumni team was headed up by World # 1 Luke Donald, who Goss
called a big help in getting the cats ready for the following week.
#1 seed Illinois lead by Coach Mike Small, saw his team get beat
in the semi-finals by Minnesota. The Gophers then lost to NU in
the championship.Visit BIG 3 partner www.lenziehmongolf.com
for a full story on the championship.
I'LL SEE EVERYONE IN ROSEMONT..........The Gog Blog Speaks
Out are the opinions of Rory Spears, and not always my Golfers on
Golf Radio partners Mike Munro, Ed Stevenson, and Bill Berger.
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