I guess you can learn something every day. I thought I knew a bit about Donald Ross, the famed golf designer, but I didn’t realize he had designed only one public course in Illinois. That course is Ravisloe in Homewood, which went public when Claude Gendreau purchased the club in 2009.

Cheryl Justak, publisher of Golf Now! Chicago, and I had played Ravisloe during its 107 years as a private club (my lone round there was about 20 years ago). We were duly impressed by our long-planned return visit this week. The course was in great shape, the rough was so thick it was frequently difficult to find your ball and the greens and bunkers were both challenging and fun. The clubhouse was nice, too. All in all, a good experience.

A bit of history, though. Because Ross was such a prolific designer — 413 courses are listed in his portfolio — I just assumed his courses were not unusual in the Chicago area. They aren’t. According to the Donald Ross Society his name is also on Beverly, Bob O’Link, Calumet, Evanston, Exmoor, Hinsdale, Indian Hill, LaGrange, Northmoor, Oak Park, Old Elm and Skokie. All those are private clubs. Only Ravisloe is open to the public.

Ross wasn’t the original designer of many of those courses, including Ravisloe, but he did perform renovations that – in many instances – led to him being declared the course designer. In the case of Ravisloe the club was founded in 1901. The Society says Ross did his renovation in 1915 but the club claims the bulk of the work was from 1917-19 and his fine-tuning continued until 1924.

All that is relatively unimportant, but it is noteworthy that public play is available on a course whose designer also created such famous masterpieces as Pinehurst No. 2 in North Carolina, Oak Hill in New York, Inverness in Ohio, Seminole in Florida, and Interlachen in Minnesota. A course he designed from scratch also now bears his name in French Lick, Ind.

You might guess I’ve been a huge Donald Ross fan for a long, long time. He’s by far my favorite of the old-time architects. Ravisloe, a par-70 that measures only 6,321 yards from the tips, has a bit of a quirky design. Nos. 2 and 3 are both par-5s and Nos. 6 and 7 are both par-3s. I can remember only two courses — in my 60 years playing golf — that had back-to-back par-5s and I can’t recall any that had back-to-back par-3s. There’s nothing wrong with either. It was just different, that’s all.

For reasons that have long escaped me, Tom Bendelow is still not in the World Golf Hall of Fame. He was the course architect that, perhaps more than any other, got golf started in the United States.

That’s especially evident in the Chicago area. Bendelow’s name has been on about 800 courses that were built from, roughly, 1895 to 1930. Most that have survived have been radically altered, among them Medinah’s famous No. 3 course that has hosted three U.S. Opens, two PGA Championships and the 2012 Ryder Cup matches.

Bendelow was the original designer of all three courses on the Medinah property in the 1920s. The No. 1 layout was renovated last year by Michigan architect Tom Doak. More extensive work has been done on No. 3 over the years to prepare that layout for its big tournaments, and Rees Jones was the latest architect to do the work there.

Medinah’s No. 2 course, though, is one of the very, very few unvarnished Bendelow designs anywhere. It was built in 1924 and has been well-maintained – but not altered – since then.

With the Ryder Cup over and Doak’s work well-received on No. 1 – the new model of that course will host this year’s Illinois PGA Championship in August, the club is now focusing on No. 2. It won’t be renovated, though.

The course, little used for non-member play over the years, received somewhat of a last hurrah at this spring’s Medinah Patriot Day. It’ll remain open, as a family course, until late September and then it’ll be closed for over a year for a $3.5 million improvement.

Jones has prepared architectural plans, which didn’t involve the famous architect interjecting his own design style. Now Wadsworth, the long-established golf course construction company, will work with Medinah’s staff, headed by superintendent Curtis Tyrrell, to enhance No. 2. Unlike so many other courses around the country, Medinah doesn’t want to downplay what Bendelow created.

“We’re calling it a modified restoration,’’ said Tyrrell. “This is as true a Tom Bendelow design as you’re going to find. We’ll take some liberties with the tees and bunkers to improve things for today’s game. It’ll be a real thorough project.’’

Before the year is out there’ll be some significant tree removal and storm drainage work done. Things will get more intense next spring when all the greens, tees and bunkers are altered and bentgrass planted. There’s lots to like about what Bendelow created, and that’s to be revived – not replaced.

“The greens have shrunk. Due to some maintenance things they’ve been mowed smaller and lost a lot of their character,’’ said Tyrrell. “They’ve gone from intricate, unique shapes to small circles, and a lot of the bunkers have expanded through edging and weathering. They used to have nice movement to them. Now they’re big ovals. They’ve gotten bigger, and the greens have gotten smaller. And some bunkers have been filled in, and others have been added.’’

Jones sorted all that out through the use of old aerial photographs and other archival materials.

Suffice it to say that when the course re-opens it’ll look different – but more like it did in the Bendelow days.

“The greens will be unique,’’ said Tyrrell. “We won’t worry too much about how many hole locations we can get because the greens will almost double in size, and they’ll take on shapes that aren’t customary these days to what modern architects are building. They’ll take on a whole new flare.’’

Even now those greens still have lots of interesting humps and bumps that are largely missing on the Nos. 1 and 3 courses. Those humps and bumps will only be accentuated, Tyrrell said.

Unlike the other courses, there’s no need to change the routing or length of the holes on No. 2. The course will remain about 6,300 yards from the back tees.

“The course won’t get longer, but it will get shorter for certain levels of handicap players,’’ said Tyrrell. “We’ll be more than doubling the amount of tees. It can play as short as 4,000 yards from the junior tees and there’ll be a (tee) option for everybody.’’

Tree removal is inevitable, though Tyrrell isn’t sure how many will come down and says new ones will be planted in some places.

“What we hope to do is open the course up for people to see the great routing rather than get walled off by rows of trees,’’ said Tyrrell. “It’s going to feel more open, and more of the trees that get taken out will be for agronomical purposes rather than restorative purposes.’’

The course has been frequently referred to as the “ladies’ course,’’ but that was never accurate. It was simply shorter than the other two Medinah layouts and therefore preferable for junior and family play.

“Everybody played it,’’ said Tyrrell, and that will continue after the “modified restoration.’’

And in the final days of its present state the No. 2 course will be readily evident to the area’s most devoted junior golfers. Medinah will host the PGA’s Drive, Chip and Putt regional tournament in September. It will send winners to next spring’s national finals prior to the Masters at Augusta National. The Drive, Chip and Putt event will be held on the driving range that is adjacent to the No. 2 course.

There doesn’t seem to be nearly as many golf charity events as there once was, but the Medinah Patriot Day outing certainly isn’t having any problems. In fact, after six years, it’s growing big-time.

I was among the 140 golfers that participated in Tuesday’s event on Medinah’s No. 2 course. Jim Cornelison highlighted the pre-golf luncheon with his signature rendition of the National Anthem, an experience made even more memorable when done Blackhawk-style in the confines of the club’s ballroom. More money was raised from a spirited auction, one item of which included two paintings.

The golf was delayed twice by rain – once before the round started and once while it was in progress – but the event was still an unqualified success. Mark Slaby, a Medinah member and the event founder, said this latest Medinah Patriot Day will gross over $200,000 to aid military families and that’s up from the $140,000 the event grossed last year.

“For a golf outing that was outstanding,’’ said Slaby. “Our message is being amplified. We sold out (the playing spots) 50 days in advance and I suspect that if you haven’t applied by February next year you’re not going to get in. We’re trying to get people to sign up quick.’’

Slaby had to work through a Ryder Cup on Medinah’s No. 3 course and a Tom Doak renovation that closed the club’s No. 1 course. Next year No. 2 will be closed for a restoration (I’ll be reporting on the particulars in Facebook/lenziehmongolf).

Medinah Patriot Day, though, has awarded 67 scholarships over its first six years and now has a full-time executive director, Michael Ziener.

“We have an opportunity to take the event to another level,’’ said Slaby. “Next year we’ll be back on the No. 1 course and will try to expand to two courses, and by this time next year we’ll be over 100 scholarships.’’

Phil Mickelson called the soon-to-be-released “The Squeeze’’ as “the best golf movie ever.’’ That’s a stretch when you put it beside my two favorites – the first version of “CaddieShack’’ and “The Greatest Game Ever Played.’’’

“The Squeeze,’’ however, certainly provided a lot of fun for the audience at its Chicago premier showing in Skokie this week and it’ll likely be a delight at its second showing — a March 30 fundraiser for the Illinois PGA Foundation at Bensenville Theater. The movie won’t be officially released until April 17.

Terry Jastrow, long-time producer and director for ABC Sports, wrote “The Squeeze,’’ the story of a young golfer from a small, rural town who gets caught in a life-or-death predicament between two Las Vegas gamblers. Jastrow’s wife, Anne Archer, is a producer of “The Squeeze.’’ As an actress she had roles in “Fatal Attraction,’’ “Patriot Games’’ and many other notable movies.

Mickelson isn’t the only other golf celebrity who had a favorable reaction after a sneak preview. Jack Nicklaus and Tom Watson also liked it for its authenticity, and Watson even invested in the project. He wouldn’t commit, though, until seeing five swing videos of Jeremy Sumpter, who plays Augie Baccas – the lead character.

“If they can’t swing the golf club, I’m not interested in investing with you,’’ Watson told Jastrow. After seeing the videos Watson admitted “I was duly impressed.’’

Sumpter is a plus-1 handicap at a club in California but hasn’t played serious tournament golf. “I’m an actor,’’ he said after the Chicago premier, and there’s no doubt he is that.

More prominent acting names are also in the cast. The dueling gamblers are played by Michael Nouri (“Flashdance ‘’ is just one of his many stage and screen credits) and Christopher McDonald, who played one of my favorite screen characters – Shooter McGavin in the golf comedy “Happy Gilmore.’’ McDonald’s character in “The Squeeze’’ is loosely patterned after the notorious golf gambler Titanic Thompson.

“The Squeeze’’ has similarities to the two golf movie classics. Like “CaddieShack’’ it has its humorous side. Like “The Greatest Game Ever Played’’ (the story of Francis Ouimet’s shocking win in the 1913 U.S. Open) it has an historical base.

Jastrow and Archer got the idea for the movie after a dinner with Chris Flatt, head of international marketing for Wynn Las Vegas, and her husband, Keith. Keith told them about a six-month period in his youth, about 30 years ago. He had won his city amateur tournament by 15 shots and was enticed by a gambler to take his skills to Las Vegas. That didn’t go so well, as Flatt had to be whisked out of town on a bus to avoid trouble with some tough guys.

That tale had a happy ending, as Flatt now owns six courses in the Las Vegas area. “The Squeeze’’ has a surprise ending, with both “Riverboat’’ (McDonald) and “Jimmy Diamonds’’ (Nouri) foiled in their attempts to win a bet with each other.

Only 19 days were required for the filming – 13 basically at Eagle Point in Wilmington, N.C., and six at Wynn Las Vegas Resort. Eagle Point will become more prominent in 2017 when it hosts the PGA Tour’s Wells Fargo Championship. That event will change home courses for a year because usual base Quail Hollow in Charlotte, N.C., will host that year’s PGA Championship.

The IPGA Foundation event, a fundraiser for Maryville Academy’s golf program, starts at 6 p.m. with appetizers and the movie begins at 7:45 p.m. Tickets, available through the IPGA, are $60.

The U.S. Golf Assn. has finally committed to holding a national championship for senior women players. Though long overdue, that’s good news.

On the other hand, the first such tournament won’t be held until 2018 and there will be differences between the first U.S. Senior Women’s Open and the only other major event for senior women, which is put on by the LPGA Legends Tour.

The Legends Championship has been played the last two years at the Pete Dye Course in French Lick, Ind., which is also the site of the Legends Hall of Fame. The Legends event is over 54 holes; the first U.S. Senior Women’s Open will be over 72 holes.

Players can ride in the Legends event, won the first two years by Lorie Kane and Laurie Rinker. As per USGA tradition in open championships, the Senior Women’s Open will be walking-only. And, of course, the Legends is for former LPGA players while both amateurs and professionals can compete in the Senior Women’s Open.

Age requirements could be the most significant difference, however. The Legends Tour is for players 45 and over. The Women’s Senior Open is for players 50 and over.

Those differences will be the subject of discussion leading into the first Senior Women’s Open but, in the end, they may not matter all that much. The big thing is, senior women finally have their own open championship and another designated “major.’’ That figures to be a big boost for the serious players in that segment of golfers.

USGA president Tom O’Toole made the long-awaited announcement at the USGA’s annual meeting in New York.

“We have studied and discussed the need for this championship for many years, and now we can celebrate its introduction,’’ said O’Toole.

The field size and prize breakdown for the first Senior Women’s Open haven’t been set. No dates or sites have been determined, either.

For comparison purposes, the LPGA Legends Tour will start its 15th season in March. It’ll have nine tournaments, but only the LPGA Legends Championship will be as long as 54 holes. It offered $500,000 in prize money the last two years and its third staging will be Aug. 28-30, also at French Lick.

The Senior Women’s Open will become the 14th national championship conducted by the USGA.

“We feel strongly that factors such as the international strength of the LPGA and the increasing number of age eligible quality competitors from around the world, as well as the growth of women’s golf, are key to reaching this historical announcement,’’ said Mike Davis, the USGA executive director. “We hope this new championship will inspire both amateurs and professionals.’’

ORLANDO, FL. – The PGA of America has been holding its Merchandise Show for 62 years. In recent years it’s been generally overwhelming, frequently chaotic and always informative. It’s also, for many, a hint that spring – and the heart of the golf season –isn’t all that far away.

This year’s PGA Merchandise Show at the Orange County Convention Center drew the usual 40,000 attendees and had over 1,000 exhibitors. According to PGA estimates, if you walked through every mile of the show and checked out all the offerings relative to instruction, fashion, equipment and technology you would have covered about 10 miles.

All the major manufacturers, of course, were on hand to introduce their new product lines. So were plenty of others who hoped that their products would captivate the golf industry in the months ahead. Some will, some won’t.

This is my opportunity to reveal the products I found the most interesting – not necessarily the best. The bottom line is, these products underscore once again how inventive and innovative the people in the golf industry really are.

My favorite from this 2015 show was also among the best. GolfBoard was selected Best New Product of the 2014 PGA Merchandise Show, but it’s still fairly new as far as even hard-core golfers are concerned.

GolfBoard brings the concept of surfing to golf. You ride an electric board and it feels similar to snowboarding, surfing or skateboarding. The company calls it GolfBoarding and insists it isn’t difficult to learn. The GolfBoard carries one golfer, who is standing, and his bag. In short, you “surf the earth’’ when you take it on the course.

The device speeds up play and makes the player more active than he would be sitting in the traditional cart. Dave Weretka, long-time publisher of GolfChicago magazine is GolfBoard’s representative in the Chicago area.

SWING TRAINERS always underscore the creativity involved in golf. DST Golf introduced a warmup tool and practice club that is literally and figuratively “ahead of the curve.’’

PGA Master Professional Nigel Blenkarne demonstrated how to use what looks like a pitching wedge with a bent shaft. The bent shaft would make the club illegal, according to the Rules of Golf. For practice and warmup, though, it’s fine and Blenkarne said “some PGA guys are practicing with it.’’

In addition to the bent shaft, the club has a white line on the clubhead and a wide, flat sole angle that encourages the proper swing for chip shots. It forces you to be in the optimal impact position. DST also offers an 8-iron that is legal for competitive play.

Ray Rapcavage, a New Jersey resident who considers himself “a good amateur player,’’ brought along the Golf Swing Shirt – a striking orange pullover endorsed by three-time major champion Padraig Harrington and teaching guru Jimmy Ballard.

You put the Swing Shirt on over your own shirt, insert one arm at a time into the center sleeve and then head for the range. You may look and feel funny, but those who used the Swing Shirt on the huge circular practice range at Orange County National Golf Center felt they were striking the ball with body turn rather than the flipping of the hands, and the hands were always slightly ahead of the ball at impact. That resulted in a more reliable motion through the ball. At least one LPGA Tour player was intrigued enough by the product to take one home.

PUTTING also traditionally inspires new products. Ed Klein, of Aberdeen, Wash., didn’t come with a new putter. He came with a new grip that could catch on as the USGA’s ban on anchored putting closes in for 2016.

Klein’s product is the Arm-Lock Converter Putter Grip. You simply have a new (bigger) grip installed on your present putter. It comes in two models – round and flat – and fits any putter. Klein says either model will make you an arm-lock putter and eliminate the issues presented by anchored putting. The grip doesn’t require modifications to the loft of the putter but must be fitted properly.

Of course there are plenty of new putters on the market as well, the most unusual looking being produced by Cure – a company formed in 2013 by retired architect Steve Davis and Florida teaching pro Jeff Ryan.

Cure putters, which come in five models, feature a larger lightweight head with extreme heel/toe weighting. The creators claim that provides “unmatched stability, forgiveness and distance control.’’

BALL TECHNOLOGY may be more ongoing than any area in golf, and OnCore Golf has come out with “the world’s only hollow metal core golf ball.’’

The company, based in Buffalo, N.Y., claims it’s “the first major upgrade in golf ball design in decades.’’ The ball came out in 2009 but wasn’t approved by the U.S. Golf Assn. until last May.

“There was a little hesitation because of the technology involved,’’ said co-founder Curt Rogers. The creators claim it has perimeter weighting that leads to an increase in vertical spin and reduces a slice up to 30 percent.

ORLANDO, FL. — Chicago-based Wilson Sporting Good celebrated in 100th anniversary in 2014 and more good things could be coming down the road.

Wilson certainly has had the most entertaining TV ad campaign in golf the last few years. The latest version of the “Seriously!’’ ads, featuring Guy Johnson, made its debut on Golf Channel during the 62nd PGA Merchandise Show at Orange County Convention Center.

“It was shot in Arizona about four months ago,’’ said Tim Clarke, president of Wilson’s golf division. “It’s funny, our best one yet. Guy does a wonderful job articulating our brand. These ads have taken a life of their own.’’

Johnson has been featured in the campaign for four years. Clarke gave a sneak preview of the latest creation.

“This commercial is about Guy Johnson imposters,’’ said Clarke. “The reality is, there’s only one Guy Johnson just like there’s only one Duo golf ball – the original low compression ball.’’

Johnson was the focal point of Wilson’s section at the Demo Day, posing for pictures and signing autographs for visitors. Clarke wasn’t surprised by Johnson’s popularity.

“We had an LPGA player with him at the first PGA Show that we brought him to,’’ said Clarke, “and Guy had a bigger line for autographs. That shows the power of TV.’’

The Demo Day had 100 participating companies, more than 300 hitting bays and four practice greens. An estimated 6,000 attendees made the trek to the 42-acre circular range at Orange County National Golf Center and Lodge and more than 150,000 shots were taken during the day designed for testing new equipment.

Masters champion Bubba Watson had a crowd five-deep watching his ball-striking demonstration that kicked off the Demo Day. Wilson doesn’t have a player of his caliber in its growing stable of touring pros, but the company has re-signed Kevin Streelman to a multi-year contract and has added up-and-coming PGA players Troy Merritt and Brendan Steele to its other stars – European-based Padraig Harrington and Marcel Siem, Illinois coach Mike Small and PGA journeyman Ricky Barnes.

“Our first century had an exciting finish, with Streelman setting a birdie win (seven straight to close out his victory at Hartford), Siem winning in Europe and Padraig in Asia,’’ said Clarke. “But 2015 will be our best yet. Our product line is as good as we’ve ever had.’’

Given the economic climate of the last few years it’s understandable that golf course owners might be reluctant to take on expensive projects. That hasn’t been the case at Mistwood in Romeoville, however.

In the last three years owner Jim McWethy brought back Michigan architect Ray Hearn for a renovation of a course that he designed in 1998. The upgrading included a major remodeling of the practice range and the installation of 21 sod wall bunkers on the course.

And that wasn’t all.

While the course renovation necessitated the closing of the course for parts of 2012 and 2013 McWethy also ordered the building of a spiffy Performance Center. Like the work on the course, it didn’t come cheap.

And that wasn’t all.

Mistwood’s original clubhouse was dismantled in September and a new one is expected to be ready by next June. It’ll be a two-building structure – a restaurant and banquet facility in one building and pro shop, staff offices and men’s and women’s lockerrooms in the other. The two will be connected by a common basement that’ll be used as a storage area for carts and other essentials.

And, even that’s not all.

In the midst of the above work being done McWethy purchased the 10-year old Ditka Dome in nearby Bolingbrook. It had been an indoor practice range with a bar-restaurant. Now it’s much more than that, and more work is in progress there.

Throughout it all McWethy has politely declined to reveal the costs involved.

“I don’t want to give a number, but obviously it’s very significant,’’ he said.

That begs the question: why was McWethy willing to take on all these projects when the golf industry was – to put it mildly – not experiencing the best of times?

“The economy is not good and golf is an activity that is being challenged,’’ McWethy admitted. “It goes back to my fundamental belief that if you do a good job with every aspect of it, there’s still enough business out there. There’s still a lot of people playing golf.’’

But there’s some trepidation, too.

“Is this the best possible investment right now? No. Is it a good investment now? Yes. We can look either real smart or real dumb,’’ summed up McWethy. “We don’t know yet.’’

A true visionary who just turned 70, McWethy grew up in Palos Heights and has been a long-time resident of Downers Grove. He was involved in the Berry Bearing Co., which was started by his paternal grandfather and manufactured bearings and related products in Lyons until the family sold the company in 1992.

Almost immediately after the sale McWethy had an opportunity to get involved in golf and he took it.

While growing up he played, caddied and sold balls at the Navajo Hills course, which was eventually taken over by developers. His grandfather was both a president and club champion at Aurora Country Club but McWethy was never that good a player – though he did play on his high school and college teams. A member at both the Dunes Club in Michigan and Chicago Golf Club now, his handicap once reached six, but now he says it’s twice that.

“Golf was something I loved to do,’’ he said, and his inroad into the business side of the game developed when the owner of the headquarters building used by Berry Bearings, invited him to invest in a family-owned Michigan public course named Mistwood.

A year later that investment was expanded to include another Mistwood, the one in Romeoville that was soon to be built. McWethy became a seven percent investor in both courses and in 2003 he took over ownership of the Romeoville version, and that included hosting the Illinois Women’s Open. Both the course and tournament have blossomed under McWethy’s ownership and the extraordinary recent upgrades suggest that will continue.

“I love the game and take pride in doing things right,’’ he said. “That produces a tremendous feeling of satisfaction. Another twist to it is that it’s nice to be doing something by yourself. It makes you stand out in that respect.’’

The cost notwithstanding, McWethy admits to being “a little bit of a perfectionist’’ and believes the money spent will pay off in the long run.

“If you want something new, there’s not many places to go,’’ he said. “Every other course is kind of the same as it was 10, 15, 20 years ago. I see a little opportunity there. Our course is very popular now, and the people playing it are more serious golfers and come from greater distances to play it.’’

He envisions Mistwood becoming a golf destination (though he has no plans to add lodging to his to-do list) and he wants to host more significant competitions. His biggest concern now is “getting the word out.’’ To accomplish that he’s taken out ads on The Golf Channel and is also using billboard advertising.

“A lot of people still don’t know that there’s a treasure of a golf course sitting right here,’’ said McWethy, “but there’s still a lot of personal pride in doing something as well as it can be done. We wanted to build a great golf course, which we’ve done that. We have a Performance Center without peer and we’re building a clubhouse – the third piece of the puzzle. I don’t want to sound cocky, but we’ll have one of the finest golf facilities in the Chicago area.’’

And then what? Family considerations might play a part in what comes next, and neither his wife, son nor daughter is much into golf yet. McWethy says “we don’t anticipate buying another golf course,’’ but time will tell.

Chicago has never been rich in PGA Tour players over at least the last three decades, but there’ll be a new one on golf’s premier circuit in the 2014-15 season. Elgin’s Carlos Sainz Jr. earned his PGA Tour card by virtue of his play on the Web.com Tour this year.

Sainz, 28, barely made it through the complicated qualifying procedure that went into effect barely a year ago. First he had to make it into the top 75 money-winners in the Web.com’s regular season. Thanks largely to one strong tournament he finished in the No. 74 position.

That put him in the Web.com Finals, a four-tournament series that also included players ranked from 125-200 in the PGA Tour’s FedEx Cup standings. The Web.com Tour offered PGA Tour cards to the top 25 on the regular season money list and the top 25 in the playoffs. Of the 50 who advanced Sainz ranked No. 49.

Between the regular season and playoff series in his rookie season on the Web.com Tour Sainz had but one top-10 finish and made only 11 cuts in 24 tournaments, yet he still earned playing privileges on the PGA Tour.

“You can look at it different ways,’’ said Sainz. “Getting there with just one top-10 is pretty amazing. Everyone judges you by the number of cuts you make, but really it’s all about how the tour is structured. It’s so top heavy with its money structure. There’s a huge disparity between finishing No. 1 and No. 75. That gives a guy like myself a chance to get to the next level.’’

Sainz’ road to the PGA Tour was a difficult one. He started dreaming about getting there while playing in Illinois Junior Golf Assn. tournaments when he was 15 years old. The dream seemed possible after his graduation from Elgin Larkin High School and a four-year college career at Mississippi State.

He turned pro after that and spent three seasons on the Canadian PGA Tour before surviving qualifying school for the Web.com Tour in the fall of 2013.

“It’s been a crazy learning experience for me,’’ he said. “I had the Canadian Tour to fall back on, but the travel was so different in the Web.com. It was a different culture, playing on different grasses. I was just trying to learn.’’

That wasn’t easy. His first tournaments were in Colombia, Chile, Brazil, Panama and Mexico before the schedule shifted to U.S. courses. His breakthrough came at the Price Cutter Charity Classic in Springfield, Mo., where he tied for second and won $44,550. That represented most of his regular season winnings.

The $67,897 that he earned in the regular season allowed him to keep playing in the postseason events, and his game came together while he was completing a grueling stretch of 14 tournaments in as many weeks. He had a tie for 19th and a tie for 12th in the first two tournaments in the Finals, then missed the cut by one stroke in the third.

With his card in serious jeopardy, Sainz got through the season-ending Web.com Tour Championship in a tie for 31st place. He had to sweat out a bogey on the last hole, but that finish was just good enough to move him to golf’s next level.

While making it to the PGA Tour is a giant step forward, keeping his card will be just as difficult. He’ll have to finish among the top 125 money winners and won’t have many tournaments to do it.

“My priority will get me into between 15 and 20 events,’’ he said. “It comes down to me being ready to play when I do get in. I have enough events, in my eyes, to make it. It might be harder for me, but I’m looking forward to the challenge.’’

He couldn’t get into the first tournament of the PGA Tour’s new season, the Frys.com Open, but that enabled him to get a much-needed rest. He didn’t play for 12 days before defending his title in the Chicago Open at Cantigny. Sainz didn’t win but finished in a strong tie for third as Andy Ruthkoski of Muskegon, Mich., won the title.

Still, the fall has been kind to Sainz in the past, and he expected to get into both the last two November tournaments — Sanderson Farms Championship in Mississippi and the Mayakoba Classic in Mexico — before the PGA Tour goes on its December break. Good showings in those events would get his PGA career off to a good start and would be reminiscent of how he got to the Web.com Tour just a year ago.

In a torrid late-season stretch in 2013 Sainz won a Canadian PGA Tour event, lost the Illinois Open title the next week in a playoff, won his Chicago Open and then survived the first Web.com qualifying school.

“I get better as the year goes on,’’ he said. “The fall is a great time to catch fire.’’

Chicago’s golf season may be in its final days as far as 2014 goes, but you wouldn’t know it by developments over the last few days.

On the PGA Tour Wheaton’s Kevin Streelman made a final-round charge in the Shriners Hospital for Children’s Open in Las Vegas on Sunday. Making five birdies in a six-hole stretch on the back nine, Streelman took over the lead before third round leader Ben Martin rallied to overtake him.

Streelman shot 65 in the final round but wound up as the runnerup, two strokes behind Martin, who posted a 20-under-par 266 to claim his first PGA Tour victory.

Before Streelman made his charge the PGA’s Champions Tour announced a change in leadership. Greg McLaughlin took over as president of the 50-and-over circuit, replacing Mike Stevens. McLaughlin was the long-time tournament director of the Western Open before directing the Tiger Woods Foundation for 14 years.

The biggest news, though, was made on Sunday in Korea when the Ladies PGA Tour announced that Underwriters Laboratories will be the sponsor for its International Crown event.

UL, a premier global independent safety science company with a headquarters location in Northbrook, has been in operation since 1894 and has more than 11,000 employees world-wide. UL was an ambassador sponsor when the LPGA introduced its International Crown at Caves Valley in Owings Springs, Md., this season.

Jerry Rich, owner of Rich Harvest Farms in Sugar Grove, was a leader in the creation of the global team competition that was won by Spain in its first staging. The second staging will be at Rich Harvest, with the dates of July 18-24, 2016, revealed when UL’s involvement was announced.

Rich had hoped the International Crown would be based at his course, but LPGA commissioner Mike Whan said the third playing in 2018 would be in Korea – a country that has produced a number of top players on the LPGA circuit in recent years.

In making the announcement Whan declared that “Big is coming to Chicago,’’ but said a staging in Korea was appropriate as well.

“The Republic of Korea has clearly demonstrated their support for the LPGA by hosting 18 different tournaments over the years with tremendous fan support,’’ Whan said. “It made perfect sense that the first time we take the International Crown out of the U.S. was to a country with so many dedicated fans who support women’s golf.’’

Rich’s private layout has become Chicago’s best tournament venue in recent years. The biggest event there so far was the 2009 Solheim Cup matches between the LPGA stars of the U.S. and Europe. The Western Amateur and Palmer Cup, a prestigious team competition for collegiate players, will be played at Rich Harvest in 2015 before the International Crown makes its appearance.