The Champions Tour’s future in Chicago will be in doubt after this week’s Encompass Championship at North Shore Country Club in Glenview. The sponsor won’t renew its three-year contract, which expires after this year’s event, and North Shore is reportedly considering a major renovation project that would likely rule out its return as host venue…
Author: lenz
Branson has the most scenic golf course in America
BRANSON, Mo. – Golf isn’t the main attraction in Branson, this rocking town of about 10,000 in southern Missouri. It has a wide range of entertainment options. Golf is just one of them. Plenty of links-related things have been happening in Branson, however, with most of them tied in some way to Johnny Morris –…
Donald bested Wilson in duel for a spot in British Open
Luke Donald and Mark Wilson have long been the prime players with Chicago ties competing on the PGA Tour, and they were in the middle of some behind-the-scenes drama last weekend at the Travelers Championship in Hartford, Ct. Neither were qualified for the British Open, which is coming up in two weeks at St. Andrews…
Old Kinderhook’s full-service expansion will also result in a course upgrade
CAMDENTON, Mo. – There never was a doubt about the quality of The Course at Old Kinderhook. The Tom Weiskopf designed layout has ranked among the top three public courses in Missouri and the top 20 in the state overall since its opening in 1999. In the last four years, though, this scenic place in…
Erin Hills update: 2017 U.S. Open site keeps getting better
ERIN, Wis. – Erin Hills has gotten nothing but better since its opening in 2006. That was clearly evident when the facility on the outskirts of Milwaukee conducted what has become an annual outing leading into its ultimate showing – as the site of the 2017 U.S. Open. Jim Reinhart, general chairman for the big…
Why change winning routine? Spieth will play next in JDC
Why change a good thing? Jordan Spieth wants to keep his bid for golf’s Grand Slam going. That’s why he was quick to nix a possible schedule change after his victory in the U.S. Open. Spieth, who has won the Masters and U.S. Open already, will make his last competitive tuneup for next month’s British…
Next Tom Doak course is unique; it’ll play in two directions
ROSCOMMON, Mich. – The idea is at least intriguing. Tom Doak has designed a golf course that will have 18 greens and fairways but will play in two directions. The No. 18 green will always be the No. 18 green, but one day you play around to that green from a clock-wise direction, and the…
Michigan’s Homestead could be `Most Beautiful’ for visiting golfers
GLEN ARBOR, Mich. – The Homestead is located in the heart of Michigan’s best golf areas, but it’s difficult to consider it a golf destination. There’s so many more attractions there, most notably Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore. In 2011 ABC’s Good Morning America labeled that area “the Most Beautiful Place in America.’’ It’d be…
America’s Golf Capital in Michigan? Why not?
THOMPSONVILLE, Mich. – Crystal Mountain Resort started as a community ski area in 1956. Golf didn’t come until 1977 when one of the owners, Bob Meyer, designed the first nine holes of what is now the Benzie Valley course. That course became an 18-holer a year later, and Bill Newcomb, a well-established Midwest course designer…
Hardy takes momentum from NCAAs into the U.S. Open
Just 10 months ago Northbrook’s Nick Hardy was shaking off a loss in the final of the Illinois State Amateur and getting ready for his freshman year at the University of Illinois. This week, at 19, he’s playing in the 115th U.S. Open at Washington’s Chambers Bay course. Hardy won’t be the youngest player in…