The 80th playing of the Masters tournament, beginning on Thursday at Georgia’s Augusta National, won’t be like any previous stagings of golf’s first major championship of the year.

This one won’t have Tiger Woods, back surgery a week ago forcing his withdrawal, and the landmark Eisenhower Tree left of the No. 17 fairway is gone, the victim of a February ice storm. The start of Masters festivities was different, too.

Augusta National opened its gates on pre-Masters Sunday for the first time to host a youth Drive, Chip and Pitch competition, but then had to close the gates for the first time since 2003 on Monday because of a heavy rainfall.

The Masters, more than any of golf’s four major tournaments, has a tradition of high-profile champions but that could change this week with Woods out and defending champion Adam Scott, Rory McIlroy and Phil Mickelson all winless in 2014.

Slow starts for those stars could be encouraging for Luke Donald, Kevin Streelman, D.A. Points and Steve Stricker – the players with Illinois connections in the field – but none have done much recently to suggest they’ll contend this week.

Northwestern alum Donald, once the game’s No. 1-ranked player, could be the best bet of the locals. He had two top-10s on the Florida swing of the PGA Tour and a tie for 24th in the Shell Houston Open on Sunday.

Wheaton resident Kevin Streelman, adjusting to life as a parent after the birth of daughter Sophia on Dec. 26, missed his first cut of the season at Houston and hasn’t cracked the top 20 in his nine appearances since starting the season with a tie for third in the Hyundai Tournament of Champions in January.

Illinois alum Points has had a terrible year, missing the cut in his last three starts and finishing no better than a tie for 28th in his 10 tournaments in 2014. Another ex-Illini, Steve Stricker played in only his third tournament of the season at Houston. He tied for 24th with his focus not entirely on golf. A Madison, Wis., resident, he ducked out of Houston after his Saturday round to watch Wisconsin play in the Final Four that night, then got back in time to finish the tournament on Sunday.

The possibility of a Masters rookie winning is the best story-line going into this year’s championship and none would make for a better one than Kevin Stadler. He and his father Craig form the first father-son combination to play in the same Masters.

Craig won the Champions Tour’s Encompass Championship at North Shore Country Club in Glenview last June but has played in only three events this year. He won his Masters in 1982. Qualified only as a past champion, Craig claims this — his 38th Masters — will be his last appearance at Augusta National. He’s been waiting for Kevin to qualify, and it finally happened when he won the Waste Management Open a few miles from his Scottsdale, Ariz., home in February. It came in his 239th career start on the PGA Tour.

“He’s getting a little too old (60) to compete (at Augusta),’’ said Kevin. “He’s told me that for about five years. He loves going back, but that course seems to be a little too tough for him these days. It’ll be great to spend some time with him on the course when I never, ever play golf with him.’’

The last Masters rookie to win the title was Fuzzy Zoeller 35 years ago. Prior to that the last rookie winner was Gene Sarazen in 1935 – the second year the tournament was contested. That year the tourney had 23 rookies, not surprising for a tourney that young. Horton Smith, then the head pro at Oak Park Country Club, won the first tournament (when it was known as the Augusta National Invitational) in 1934 and also took the third in 1936. The only competitor still alive from the first Masters is Errie Ball, long-time head pro at Oak Park Country Club and the first director of golf at Butler National in Oak Brook. Ball, now 103 years old, is still teaching golf in Stuart, FL.

VALDOSTA, Ga. – Bob Spence is about to hit the 60-year mark as a golf professional. Now his focus is on Kinderlou Forest, a stunning 18-holer just 16 miles from the Florida state line, but Chicago golfers should remember him well.

Spence, who turned pro in 1954 – a few months after graduating from high school, was the first director of golf at Kemper Lakes. The late Jim Kemper hired him in 1978 to direct the opening of the Long Grove course designed by Dick Nugent and Ken Killian. Kemper Lakes was an instant hit. It was the first public course to host a PGA Championship in 1989, a year in which Payne Stewart was crowned the champion.

Kemper also hosted a tournament on the Champions Tour for several years and was the site of a U.S. Women’s Amateur, the Grand Slam of Golf and 24 straight Illinois PGA Championships before an ownership change led to the facility going private.

Spence moved on, too. Prior to the Kemper experience he spent six years as an off-and-on PGA Tour player. Afterwards he established himself as a teacher, working with –among others — the famed Bob Toski, and an expert on course operations.

He enjoyed all those things, but found out that he loved course architecture more than anything else. Spence hooked up with Davis Love III to create Love Golf Designs in 1994. Kinderlou Forest, now celebrating its 10th anniversary for owner John Langdale, was one of the first of the 20 courses that Spence built on Love’s behalf. It is most likely the best.

“We continued until the economy went bad,’’ said Spence. “Now (Love Golf Designs) is on hold, but Davis had a major desire to get into golf course architecture later in his career. I wouldn’t be surprised if the company started up again.’’

Love, of course, was the 1997 PGA champion and the losing U.S. captain in the dramatic Ryder Cup matches played at Medinah last September. He’s resumed his playing career and is also the host for the McGladrey Classic, a PGA Tour event played on his home course in Sea Island, Ga.

Kinderlou Forest has had a great first 10 seasons. Spence has declared it “better than Kemper Lakes’’ and isn’t so sure it isn’t the best course in Georgia – even though that state is home to legendary Augusta National, where the Masters tournament is played every April.

“There’s a lot of similarities between here and Kemper Lakes,’’ said Spence. “Both are great golf courses. Kemper Lakes has a lot of water and length. Kinderlou Forest doesn’t have as much water, but has variety in length and look on every hole.’’

Spence won’t designate a signature hole at Kinderlou, believing all 18 are special. The most striking visually, though, is the par-5 fourth, which features a large, deep cavern. You can play over it or around it. Either way, you don’t forget it.

The cavern, created when soil was needed to build a highway fronting the course, also extends in front of the tee at the par-3 fifth hole.

The lack of houses on the property is another similarity between Kemper Lakes and Kinderlou. So is the personality of the owners. Langdale and his family have long been prominent in various business and political endeavors in south Georgia, just as Jim Kemper was prominent in the insurance world in Chicago.

“Jim Kemper was one of the most special people I’ve ever known,’’ said Spence. “He became a fatherly figure to me, helping my life in any way he could. Mr. Langdale is the same way. He wanted a showplace for Lowndes County. He wanted to give back, just like Jim Kemper did at Kemper Lakes. I’ve been very fortunate to work with special people.’’

As was the case at Kemper Lakes, Spence moved on to other projects after Kinderlou Forest was up and running. Langdale brought him back six months ago to take Kinderlou Forest to a new level.

The first 10 years certainly weren’t bad. About 200 homes were built on the 4,000-acre property and the course, built on 600 of those acres, has already hosted a pro tour event (the Web. com Tour’s South Georgia Classic will be played there for the eighth time in April).

Kinderlou Forest, though, stands somewhat alone on the outskirts of Valdosta, a city of 54,000 and home to Valdosta State University and its 13,000 students. The weather makes golf an option year-around and overall living is affordable.

“We’re in the process of building it into a community, possibly a retirement community,’’ said Spence. “We’re trying to get people to come in here, and if they do they’ll want to stay.’’

Two Chicago area club professionals, Phil Benson and J. Anderson, have already brought groups from Chicago to check out what Kinderlou Forest has to offer.

As good as it is, Kinderlou Forest — at 7,474 yards from the tips –is no course for retirees, so a second — much shorter layout — will be needed. A lodge is also a consideration, though Kinderlou has townhome villas available for golfing guests and plenty of hotels are nearby. But space for more homes is abundant.

“If Kinderlou goes as planned we have to have a lot of people coming from out of state, and a lot coming to retire,’’ said Spence. “It’s a great place to live. We’re building an atmosphere that you’d rather be here than anywhere else.’’

The only pro golf tour event in Chicago in 2014 will also headline the 31st Chicago Golf Show.

The Encompass Championship, which made its Chicago debut on the Champions Tour in 2013, will be the presenting sponsor of the winter attraction that begins a three-day run at the Stephens Convention Center in Rosemont on Friday (FEB 21).

Jeff Sluman, the Champions Tour veteran from Hinsdale, will become the fourth former major champion to appear at the show, following John Daly (2008), Craig Stadler (2012) and Lanny Wadkins (2013). Sluman won the 1988 PGA Championship. Stadler was the champion in last year’s Encompass Championship at North Shore in Glenview. The Encompass Championship returns to North Shore from June 16-22.

Bears’ stars Robbie Gould and Patrick Mannelly and Northwestern men’s basketball coach Chris Collins will also make appearances on the Main Stage at the show, and 10 Illinois PGA representatives will offer instruction tips.

The over 400 exhibitor booths include representatives from 80 domestic and international travel destinations. Visitors can also receive half-price tickets to this year’s Encompass Championship and a pass to play one of the 11 Chicago courses managed by GolfVisions as part of their attendance at the show.

Show hours are noon-7 p.m. on Friday (FEB 21), 9:30 a.m.-6 p.m. on Saturday (FEB 22) and 9:30 a.m.-4 p.m. on Sunday (FEB 23).

Luke update

Former world No. 1 and Northwestern great Luke Donald has changed management companies. He left International Management Group to join Lagardiere Unlimited.

Donald will now be represented by Steve Loy, who is also Phil Mickelson’s agent. Lagardere represents 45 PGA Tour players, easily the most of any agency according to Sports Business Daily.

Here and there

The Western Golf Assn. has decided to take its Western Amateur back to Point O’Woods, the tourney’s long-time Michigan home, in 2019. Point O’Woods hosted the premier amateur event 40 times between 1963 and 2008 and winners there included Tiger Woods, Mickelson, Ben Crenshaw, Curtis Strange and Tom Weiskopf.

Mistwood, in Romeoville, was a big winner after its massive remodeling effort. Golf magazine tabbed the course as its Renovation of the Year for 2013 and Golf Range magazine placed the new Mistwood Performance Center among the top 50 ranges in the U.S.

Jay Casaletto, the former head pro at Royal Melbourne in Long Grove, will serve as Chicago tour director for Golf Channel’s Amateur Tour this season.

Billy Casper Golf has taken over management of Rob Roy, the Prospect Heights nine-holer.

Metamora Fields, site of the fourth and last of the Illinois PGA’s four major tourneys, has a new head professional in Dion Hoegh. Erin Strieck, the head professional for 13 years at Eagle Ridge in Galena, has moved to Iowa’s Spirit Lake course.

Jeff Perdew, general manager of Chicago Highlands in Westchester, has been elected to a three-year term on the Illinois PGA board of directors. Trey Van Dyke, Oak Brook’s head pro, is now the Midwest representative on the PGA of America’s board of control

February is again show-time for Chicago golfers. The third annual Tinley Park Golf Expo begins a three-day run on Friday (FEB 7) at the Tinley Park Convention Center and the 31st Chicago Golf Show takes over the Stephens Convention Center in Rosemont on Feb. 21 for a similar three-day run.

In the meantime, though, there has been a lot going on within the Chicago golf scene even during these extraordinary winter months. Most notable is a management change at Cantigny, the well-regarded 27-hole facility in Wheaton

Northbrook-based KemperSports will take on management duties in mid-February, leading in to Cantigny 25th anniversary season. Cantigny becomes the 16th Chicago golf facility under the management of KemperSports.

The takeover triggers the start of a bus year for Cantigny. The facility will host the Illinois State Amateur for the fourth time and also welcome the Chicago Open for the second straight year.

Changes in the pro shop

Dick Wagley, named the Illinois PGA Professional of the Year in 2013, has announced his retirement at Indian Hill in Winnetka and Jay Casaletto, the head professional at Royal Melbourne in Long Grove, decided to leave the golf business.

Their departures at two of the area’s most prominent private clubs led to replacements being named at both places. Wes Warren replaces Wagley and Brad McMillan takes over at Royal Melbourne. Neither are newcomers to Chicago golf.

Warren spent the last nine seasons as head professional at North Shore Country Club in Mequon, Wis., but he was an assistant at Onwentsia in Lake Forest form 1999-2003 and Indian Hill (2004) before moving to Wisconsin.

McMillan was named director of golf at Royal Melbourne. He had been general manager at Turnberry, in Lakewood, from 2010-13.

Riverside, Evanston selected

The Western Golf Assn. has picked host clubs for two of its upcoming Junior championships. The Western Junior will be held at Riverside, in North Riverside, in 2015 and Evanston Golf Club, in Skokie, in 2018.

Flossmoor will host this year, from June 16-20, and Rich Harvest Farms, in Sugar Grove, will be the site in 2017. The WGA hasn’t named a site for the 2016 Western Junior yet.

Riverside and Evanston will host the prestigious tourney for the first time. Both were among the 11 charter members of the WGA when it was established in 1899. Only seven of the charter clubs still exist.

Remember Packard

Larry Packard, a long-time Chicago course designer and former president of the American Society of Golf Course Architects, has died in Tarpon Springs, FL. He was 101.

Packard’s Chicago creations include Palatine Hills, Lake Barrington Shores, Elgin Country Club and Silve Lake in Orland Park. His work nation-wide was highlighted by the Copperhead course at Innisbrook Resort in Florida, where he resided in recent years.

Copperhead has been a PGA Tour site, as home of the the event known in various years as the Tampa Bay Championship, Transitions Championship and – this year – the Valspar Championship. Wheaton’s Kevin Streelman won his first PGA title at the tourney last year.

Packard’s son Roger is also a course architect. His most prominent design is Cantigny, in Wheaton.

Northwestern men’s golf coach Pat Goss labeled Matt Fitzpatrick as “our most high-profile recruit since Luke Donald.’’ Unfortunately for NU, Fitzpatrick’s stay in Evanston didn’t last long.

Fitzpatrick, the reigning U.S. Amateur champion and No. 1-ranked amateur in the world, withdrew from the school on Thursday to pursue more playing opportunities as an amateur in his native England.

As U.S. Amateur titlist Fitzpatrick has invitations to this year’s Masters, U.S. Open and British Open in addition to the top amateur event world-wide. Playing a full schedule of these competitions while remaining a full-time student would have been difficult.

“Based on the opportunities I have right now from a golf perspective I feel it’s important to dedicate 100 percent of my time to the game,’’ Fitzgerald said in a statement released by NU.

Fitzgerald played in five fall tournaments for the Wildcats. He was second on the team with a 71.63 scoring average and was co-medalist at Duke’s Rod Myers Intercollegiate. He also finished third in NU’s Windon Memorial.

Goss understood Fitzgerald’s decision. “He has an incredible future ahead of him,’’ said Goss. “We wish him nothing but the best in his career.’’

Like father, like son

Winnetka resident Dennis O’Keefe, a Western Golf Assn. board member since 1992, has been elected the WGA’s chairman. His father Jim was the WGA chairman in 1955-56.

O’Keefe, president of a Lake Forest law firm, succeeds Jim Bunch of Denver as WGA chairman. O’Keefe is a member of the Glen View Club in the Chicago area as well as three other clubs in Florida.

Based in north suburban Golf, the WGA conducts the PGA Tour’s BMW Championship, the Western Amateur and the Western Junior while raising funds for its Evans Scholarship program for college-bound caddies.

Here and there

Two new indoor teaching facilities – The Golf Academy at Terra Cotta in Crystal Lake and Catalyst Golf Performance in Lincoln Park — have opened recently.

The Illinois PGA announced its 2014 tournament schedule this week with a notable change in the site of August’s IPGA Championship. The section’s third major tourney of the season will be back at Stonewall Orchard in Grayslake instead of going to Medinah No. 1. The tourney has a three-course rotation, but Medinah No. 1 was renovated last year and it won’t return to the tourney rotation until 2015.

Chicago’s Mike Keiser has decided on the architects for his first course at Sand Valley in Wisconsin. The team of Ben Crenshaw and Bill Coore will design the first 18 of Keiser’s latest project. His multi-course Bandon Dunes in Oregon has received rave reviews.

The Illinois PGA will offer free lesson programs from 5-9 p.m. this Friday and again on Jan. 17 at the White Pines Golf Dome, in Bensenville. Links & Tees, in Addison, will hold an open house from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Saturday.

It was back to work this week for Kevin Streelman, Chicago’s lone homegrown PGA Tour player and one of the elite 70 players in the field at the BMW Championship at Conway Farms in Lake Forest.

Last week’s break in the FedEx Cup Playoffs gave Streelman a chance to get away from the rigors of the pro golf tour. He had played in tournaments four of the previous five weeks and six of the last eight.

“I didn’t touch a club for a week,’’ said Streelman. “Just rested and got my body in shape.’’

And had some fun. He went to his first Bears’ game in seven years on Sunday, accompanied by seven friends from his high school days at Wheaton Warrenville South, and then had dinner at MJ’s Steakhouse.

Born in Winfield, the 34-year old Streelman spent the first 18 years of his life living in Wheaton where he played most of his junior golf at Cantigny. When he headed off to college at Duke his parents moved to Winfield and Streelman eventually settled in Scottsdale, Ariz., but he isn’t staying anywhere near his old home town during the BMW Championship. Instead he’s staying with retired Bears’ star Brian Urlacher who lives four minutes from the Conway Farms course.

“I’ve known him for a few years and played some golf with him in the offseason,’’ said Streelman.

It might seem that Streelman, being from the Chicago suburbs, would have at least some local knowledge of Conway Farms – a private facility about to host its first PGA Tour event – but that’s not the case.

“I played a college tournament there – Northwestern’s tournament,’’ said Streelman, “but I vaguely remember it. That was at least 10 years ago. I don’t know what to expect, but we should be able to make a lot of birdies there.’’

That’s to be expected. The players remaining in the FedEx Cup Playoffs make a lot of birdies no matter where their tournaments are played. Conway will be no exception with $8 million on the line beginning on Thursday and more in the offing for the top 30 in the standings after the BMW Championship concludes on Sunday.

Streelman stands 16th in the playoff standings and has a great chance to make the 30-man field for The Tour Championship next week in Atlanta. Another $8 million purse is available there, and the winner of the FedEx Cup gets a $10 million bonus. That lucky fellow could be Streelman if he gets hot.

“I’m confident in my numbers to believe I’ll get through to the last 30,’’ said Streelman, “so I have nothing to lose. Winning in front of my home crowd would be a dream, but I’m not putting pressure on myself.’’

The season already has been a rousing success for Streelman. He made the cut in 16 of 23 tournaments and earned $2.9 million. He also won his first PGA Tour event, the Tampa Bay Classic – a tournament that will be known as the Valspar Classic in 2014 thanks to a new sponsorship agreement.

Next year will be a big one for Streelman, regardless of what happens on the course. His wife Courtney is expecting their first child sometime in 2014.

For now, though, the BMW Championship is his main concern. His swing coach of two years, Darren May, arrived Sunday night and they’ve worked to sharpen his game for this week’s challenge. Streelman needs to climb in the FedEx standings if he’s to make a run at the $10 million bonus in Atlanta. He started the playoffs in 13th position but dropped slightly after finishing in a tie for 19th at The Barclays and a tie for 41st at the Deutsche Bank Championship – the first two playoff events.

The ranking system is complicated, but it’s possible that Streelman could climb all the way to No. 1 if he wins at Conway Farms. If he finishes fourth or better he could climb into the top five heading to Atlanta, and any player ranked that high would win the $10 million bonus by winning The Tour Championship.

The 70-man field for next week’s BMW Championship at Conway Farms in Lake Forest is finally official. It will include four players with Illinois connections, including Conway member Luke Donald.

Donald’s play has dropped off since he was the world’s No. 1-ranked player in 2011, but he will go into the BMW Championship ranked No. 54 in the FedEx Cup point standings. Also owning ranking spots high enough to get into the select field are Steve Stricker (8), Kevin Streelman (16) and D.A. Points (21).

That’s where they stood after Henrik Stenson won the second of the four $8 million playoff events on Monday – the Deutsche Bank Championship in Boston. Stricker, like Points a University of Illinois alum, was the big newsmaker there.

When this PGA Tour season started Stricker declared himself semi-retired. Wanting more family time, he planned to play only 10 events and the FedEx Playoffs weren’t in the mix. In fact, Stricker skipped The Barkleys – first event of the Playoffs – and came to Boston only because he had a chance to make the U.S. team for the season-ending Presidents Cup matches Oct. 3-6 in Dublin, Ohio.

Stricker needed a good finish in Boston to earn one of the 10 automatic berths on the U.S. team, and he got it with a second-place finish. That created another change in plans.

He had planned to go bow-hunting for elk in Colorado with some of his buddies during the BMW Championship, but that trip was rescheduled because Stricker needed to stay sharp for the Presidents Cup.

“We pushed this trip back a couple days so I could play in Chicago,’’ he said after his strong finish in Boston. “I’ll play in Chicago, but I’m not sure about Atlanta (The Tour Championship – last of the Playoff events). We’re supposed to leave on Monday after Chicago but, if I’m up there and have a chance to win or top-10 going into Atlanta I’ll probably go to Atlanta.’’

The change of heart is understandable, given the money available in the Playoffs. Each of the four events has a limited field and an $8 million purse. The 70 qualifying to play at Conway Farms will be reduced to 30 for The Tour Championship. In addition to the tournament purses $35 million in bonus money will be disbursed after the Atlanta stop ends on Sept. 22. The FedEx Cup winner gets a $10 million bonus.

Heading to Conway Farms the leader in the point race is Stenson, who moved ahead of Tiger Woods with his win in Boston. Also standing between Stricker and the big prize are Adam Scott, Matt Kuchar, Graham DeLaet, Phil Mickelson and Justin Rose. They’ll all be teeing it up in Lake Forest to continue the chase for the biggest financial reward golf has to offer.

Ticket-takers

The Western Golf Assn., which conducts the BMW Championship, has reported “brisk’’ ticket sales for the first PGA Tour event on the North Shore since the Western Open was played at Sunset Ridge in Northfield in 1972. Still, tickets in most categories are still available through either BMWChampionshipUSA.com or by calling 847-724-4600.

BMW Week starts Monday and runs through 15, with the tournament proper conducted over the last four days. One-day grounds tickets are $40 online or $55 at the gate. Practice round tickets are $10, and juniors age 16 and under will be admitted free when accompanied by an adult.

Date-specific daily tickets are also available in the United Fairway Club, which features indoor seating and upgraded food and beverage options behind the 15th hole. They’re priced at $75 per day for Sept. 12-13 and $85 for Sept. 14-15. Weekly badges for the United Fairway Club are $195.

Did you know?

Two local competitions will be played during BMW Championship Week. The Illinois Senior Open is Monday and Tuesday at McHenry Country Club and the Olympia Fields Fighting Illini Invitational will be staged at Olympia Fields from Sept. 13-15.

The latter will feature some of the best college teams in the nation, headed by coach Mike Small’s Illini – second in last spring’s NCAA Championship. Small himself is coming off his 10th win in the Illinois PGA Championship, which was played on Olympia’s South course last week.

Streelman, Points in good shape but Wilson out of BMW Championship

Now there’s just one FedEx Cup Playoff tourney left before the PGA Tour makes its first return to the Chicago area since 2011.

The Deutsche Bank Championship in Boston has a Friday-Monday run this week, and the low 70 in the standings after that 72-hole $8 million shootout come to Conway Farms in Lake Forest for the BMW Championship — tourney of similar duration and purse from Sept. 12-15.

Adam Scott won The Barclays on the outskirts of New York on Sunday and vaulted into second place behind Tiger Woods in the FedEx point race. Woods finished in a four-way tie for second in the first of the four playoff events.

Conway Farms is a new site for the BMW Championship, replacing Cog Hill in Lemont, and at least two players with Illinois connections won’t be there. Elmhurst’s Mark Wilson and University of Illinois alum Scott Langley qualified for 125-man field at The Barclays but didn’t play well enough to move on to the Deutsche Bank Championship.

Four other locals are still alive in the battle for the $10 million bonus that goes to the FedEx leader after the Tour Championship is played in Atlanta the week after the Conway Farms stop. Luke Donald, a Conway Farms member, and Luke Guthrie, another Illinois alum, can’t afford a letdown in Boston.

Donald tied for 41st at The Barclays and is No. 54 in the standings. A missed cut in Boston and he might not stay in the top 70. Guthrie missed the cut last week but is still at No. 81.

The Barclays was much more productive for Wheaton’s Kevin Streelman and Illinois alum D.A. Points, however. Streelman tied for 19th and moved up to No. 12 on the point list. Points, finishing with a 67 on Sunday, tied for sixth and moved up 10 spots in the standings to No. 15.

Changes coming at Olympia Fields

The 91st Illinois PGA Championship concludes Wednesday on Olympia Fields’ South course but bigger things are coming on the more famous North layout, site of four major championships — the 1928 and 2003 U.S. Opens and 1925 and 1961 PGA Championships.

Mark Mungeam, the North course architect the last 20 years, will supervise a renovation that calls for the reconstruction of all existing bunkers and the addition of five more. The ones that are being added were part of the 1938 design created by architect Willie Park Jr. but they were covered up over the years.

The bunkers will get Best (THIS IS BRAND NAME) sand, which is white and more playable than the more tradition varieties, according to Olympia head professional Brian Morrison. All the tee boxes will be given a rectangular shape that is rounded at the corners. Morrison said the renovation isn’t being done in preparation for the 2015 U.S. Amateur, which will be played on both the North and South courses as part of the club’s centennial celebration.

“We’re not required to do it (by the U.S. Golf Assn.),’’ said Morrison. “We are doing this mainly for the playability of our members.’’

Support for military veterans

The Illinois PGA Championship will again serve as the Chicago kickoff for Patriot Golf Day events. IPGA players were asked to make a voluntary donation to the charity that supports military veterans and the section will match the amount, to be determined after Wednesday’s final round.

Meanwhile, eight Chicago courses operated by Billy Casper Golf participated in last week’s World’s Largest Golf Outing, a fund-raiser for the Wounded Warrior Project. The Outing involved 826 golfers from 110 Casper-operated courses in 28 states. It raised $725,000.

Did you know?

The Western Golf Assn. will spend this week putting on the new Hotel Fitness Championship – first of four events in the Web.Com Tour Finals. The tourney begins Thursday at Sycamore Hills in Ft. Wayne, Ind.

The Chicago District Golf Assn. will conduct two of hits bigger tournaments back-to-back. The Illinois Mid-Amateur concludes its two-day run on Wednesday (AUG 28) at Flossmoor and the Illinois State Senior Amateur is on tap for Kankakee Elks on Thursday.