The selection process is over for the next induction class into the Illinois Golf Hall of Fame and two of the six to made it were PGA Tour regulars after being early survivors of the qualifying school format. Bob Zender came first. After winning the Illinois State Amateur three times and earning All-American status at…
Author: lenz
Historic Homestead Resort offers a lot more than golf
HOT SPRINGS, Va. – Our return to the Omni Homestead Resort & Spa was long overdue. We first visited in 2014, and a lot has changed at America’s first resort since then. Eleven years ago our report was all about golf, and that was appropriate. Homestead was where the legendary Sam Snead first started playing…
Donald can still be a great player — occasionally
Last week’s PGA Championship at North Carolina’s Quail Hollow had its surprises. None of the 20 club professionals survived the 36-hole cut. Neither did established stars Jordan Spieth, Sepp Straka, Patrick Cantlay, Justin Rose, Brooks Koepka and Shane Lowry. One who did play all 72 holes was also surprising. Luke Donald, the long ago Northwestern…
Billiter is Illinois PGA’s match play champion again
The PGA Championship, second major event of the PGA Tour season, claims the national golf spotlight on Thursday at Quail Hollow, in Charlotte, N.C., but the Illinois Section of the PGA staged its first of four majors last week and it produced a result for the local record books. Jim Billiter, of Ivanhoe Club,…
There’s one course that stands out among others at Myrtle Beach
MYRTLE BEACH, S.C. – This is a given. If you’re in search of a golf destination Myrtle Beach will never let you down. So many courses, an oceanfront location for beach goers, lots of other entertainment options, lodging and dining options. It’s all there. I’ve made annual trips to MB for about 15 years and…
Euros might have a rare advantage in the ’26 Presidents Cup
The Presidents Cup, played every two years between the top PGA Tour players from the U.S. and a select team of International stars from all parts of the world except Europe, hasn’t created much excitement since its debut in 1994. The U.S. holds a 13-1-1 edge in the series. Medinah hosts the next staging, in…
Illini golfers switch attention to hosting an NCAA regional
Coach Mike Small’s University of Illinois men’s team, scheduled to host one of six NCAA regional tournaments, will find out the other schools in the field on Wednesday’s Selection Show on The Golf Channel. The Illini, ranked No. 13 in the collegiate polls, will join other hopefuls for the NCAA finals from May 12-14…
GOLF TRAVEL NOTES: PGA Tour returns to Myrtle Beach
Make no doubt about it. With its beaches, lodging options, golf courses and wide variety of other attractions Myrtle Beach, S.C., is – at least arguably – the top tourist destination in the Carolinas. For a week in May, however, it’ll be a bit more than that. It’ll be the site of a…
Illinois PGA’s new Open Series will be something unique
Last year the Illinois PGA’s newest big thing was the addition of a season-long team competition that was well received by section members. This year’s newest big thing is more far-reaching. The Illinois PGA Open Series tees off on Monday at White Eagle, in Naperville. That’ll be the first of six one-day tournaments that…
Eagle Ridge bolsters its golf instruction program
Galena’s Eagle Ridge, long been Illinois’ premier golf resort, has brought in a new instructor who knows the area well. Scott Szbowicz went to Eagle Ridge on his honeymoon 41 years ago. Szybowicz and his wife, Jane, have been squeezing in regular visits to Eagle Ridge during his 37 years as a PGA member….