Author: lenz

Medinah’s Tee-K Kelly wins Illinois Amateur again

SPRINGFIELD, IL. – A year ago Naperville’s Ray Knoll and Northbrook’s Nick Hardy battled through four playoff holes before Knoll won the Illinois State Amateur title. Knoll couldn’t repeat this year, and Hardy didn’t win, either, but nobody played better than those two during this year’s final round at Panther Creek Country Club on Thursday. They were spectacular.

Tee-K Kelly, a Medinah member from Wheaton, won his second Illinois Am title in a three-hole aggregate score playoff with 18-year old Conor Dore of Chicago, but that result was somewhat overshadowed by the record rounds posted by college stars Knoll (Iowa) and Hardy (Illinois).

Hardy matched the course record of 6-under-par 65 but wound up third. For the final 18 holes Knoll was even better. He posted what’s believed to be the lowest round in the 85-year history of the Illinois Am – an 8-under 63 – and it included what’s believed to be the first albatross in the event’s history as well. Chicago District Golf Assn. officials couldn’t confirm the apparent milestones because much of the tournament data was lost in weather-related damage several years ago.

Knoll, who enters his junior year at Iowa in the fall, saw his title defense evaporate after shooting a 75 in the morning 18 holes of the 36-hole final day. Making six birdies in the first 11 holes in the afternoon, all from the four to 10-foot range, Knoll climbed the leaderboard but saved his best for No. 15, a 576-yard par-5.

“Going to the last round I knew I didn’t have a chance to win, but I was playing good and just tried to be aggressive,’’ he said. So, at No. 15 he blasted a “perfect’’ drive, then studied the possibility of going for the green with his second.

“I didn’t know what my yardage was because my rangefinder died when I was on the 10th hole,’’ he said. “I stepped it off from the 200-yard marker and found the yardage was 267 yards plus three more to the pin. I hit a high draw with my 3-wood and swung a little harder because that distance was a little out of my range.’’

Well, actually it wasn’t. His ball landed on the front of the green, bounced once and rolled into the hole. It was his second albatross, the first coming on a 6-iron shot from 191 yards while playing an informal round with his father at Hickory Ridge in Carbondale.

This one elevated Knoll to under-par status for the tournament and into a tie for sixth place. He wasn’t close to the front-runners — Dore, who enters his freshman year at Southern Illinois-Edwardsville in the fall, and Kelly, who won the title for the first time in 2013. They finished the regulation 72 holes at 9-under-par 275.

Dore, who ruled the Chicago Public League for three years while at Whitney Young, made three costly bogeys down the stretch – the first at No. 17 in regulation and the last two in the final two holes of the playoff. That made Kelly, a senior-to-be at Ohio State, the champion off his three pars in the extra session.

Hopefully men’s Illinois Amateur will have better luck weather-wise than women’s did

The longstanding major golf championships for Illinois’ best players will be coming fast and furious now.

First up was the 82nd, rain-shortened Illinois Women’s Amateur at Illini Country Club in Springfield. This week the state’s best men are in the same city, but at Panther Creek Country Club, to decide the winner of the 85th Illinois State Amateur conducted by the Chicago District Golf Assn.

That three-day tourney started with 138 players on Tuesday but the climax is Thursday with a 36-hole day for the low 35 and ties after Wednesday’s round.

After this week’s main event comes the men’s Illinois Open, the 54-hole finals of which will be split between Royal Melbourne in Long Grove and Hawthorn Woods Country Club from July 20-22, and the big month concludes with the Phil Kosin Illinois Women’s Open, also played at 54 holes at Mistwood in Romeoville, from July 27-29. The men’s Open will be played for the 66th time, the women’s for the 21st.

Two Big Ten stars, Iowa’s Ray Knoll and Illinois’ Nick Hardy, went four extra holes before Knoll won last year’s Illinois State Amateur at Cantigny, in Wheaton. Both are in this week’s field as is Tee-K Kelly of Wheaton, the 2013 champion who plays at Ohio State.

None could cope with Bloomington’s Alex Burge, who won the 96th Chicago District Amateur, the first big tournament for the amateurs this season. Two veterans should also be in contention at Panther Creek – Illinois Mid-Amateur champion John Ehrgott of Edwards and Taylorville’s Dave Ryan, who made the cut at last month’s U.S. Senior Open.

Ehrgott has made the cut in the last five State Ams and finished in the top 10 in three of them. Ryan, 61, is the oldest player in the field. Youngest is Varun Chopra, 15, of Champaign. Most of the starters were survivors of nine qualifying rounds held around the state from June 8-24. The low round in those eliminations was a 67, posted by Aurora’s John Wright in the first one at Fox Bend, in Oswego.

Panther Creek, a Hale Irwin design that opened in 1992, hosted the LPGA Tour’s State Farm Classic from 2007-11. It’s set up at 7.174 yards for the State Amateur.

Weather dampens Women’s Am

Shawn Rennegarbe, a University of Arkansas player from Addieville posted a 72 in the qualifying round of the Illinois Women’s Amateur and no more golf could be played at Illini Country Club.

Rain wiped out the next three days of play, when the title was to be decided in a match play format. Rennegarbe was one stroke better than Grace Kil of Arlington Heights, Jessica Yuen of Bolingbrook and Maggie Ambrose of Springfield.

Yuen is two-time Illinois high school champion for Nequa Valley. Ambrose plays out of Panther Creek, where this week’s men’s State Am will be played.

Here and there

Mistwood’s Andy Mickelson carded a 7-under-par 64 on Monday to capture the Mauh-Nah-Tee-See Classic in Rockford, the last tuneup for Illinois PGA members before next week’s expanded Illinois Open.

Brad Marek, the 2005 Illinois Amateur champion who played at Hersey High School in Arlington Heights and Indiana University, took home an $11,000 first-place check on the Dakotas Tour after shooting rounds of 62, 68 and 69. He leads that mini-tour’s money list.

John Deere Co. has agreed to sponsor the PGA Tour stop held at TPC Deere Run in downstate Silvis through 2023. The company and tour agreed to a seven-year contract extension during last week’s John Deere Classic.

Mount Prospect’s course, which has been undergoing a lengthy renovation, is scheduled to re-open on Aug. 1.

Northbrook-based KemperSports has added The Bog, in Saukville, Wis., to its management portfolio.

JDC win gives Spieth momentum boost for St. Andrews

SILVIS, IL. – Bring on the British Open. Jordan Spieth is more than ready to claim the third leg of what could be the first modern day golf Grand Slam.

The 21-year old Masters and U.S. Open champion won the John Deere Classic for the second time without his best stuff on Sunday, then boarded a jet with a batch of other players for this week’s third major championship of the year at storied St. Andrews in Scotland.

Spieth started the final round of the JDC with a two-stroke lead but trailed by four with six holes to go. Tom Gillis, a 46-year old journeyman without a win in 171 starts on the PGA Tour, got hot early and posted a 7-under-par 64. That made him the clubhouse leader at 20-under 264 for the regulation 72 holes.

Gillis, who played four groups in front of Spieth, made a costly bogey at the 16th and Spieth made three birdies to force a playoff. The extra session went two holes, Spieth winning with a par after Gillis hit a tee shot into the right rough and his second into a pond on the left side of the fairway.

Spieth started the tournament with a par-71 round, showing rust after a two-week layoff. He was hot in rounds two and three, shooting 64 and 61, then cooled off again on Sunday.

“I didn’t have my best for the first 12 holes or so, but it’s very satisfying to have stretches like that and still come out with the win,’’ he said. “This gives me a lot of momentum to draw on.’’

Sunday wasn’t just a duel between Gillis and Spieth. Danny Lee, winner of the Greenbrier Classic – last week’s PGA Tour stop, and hometown favorite Zach Johnson also were in the hunt. Unusual circumstances derailed both.

Lee went brain-dead at the fourth hole. With the course soggy from heavy rains on Saturday, the lift, clean and place rule was invoked. That wasn’t the case on Sunday. Lee picked up his ball “without just thinking.’’ His caddie gave him the bad news – a one-stroke penalty that eventually kept him out of the playoff.

Johnson might have been in the playoff as well. He was lining up a birdie putt on the No. 16 green when what sounded like a gunshot forced him to jump back. It apparently came from a pontoon boat on the nearby Rock River and security officers quickly rushed to the scene.

“I don’t know if it was a backfire from a boat or a firecracker or what,’’ said Johnson, who was clearly shaken by the incident but didn’t blame his finish on it. He left his 35-foot birdie putt two feet short but salvaged par and wound up tied for third with Lee, one stroke out of the playoff.

Gillis was on the brink of being the latest first-time champion at the JDC – there have been seven just since 2000. He carried a No. 643 world ranking into the week and was No. 194 in the FedEx Cup standings and No. 199 on the PGA Tour’s season money list. In finishing second he earned a seat on the jet to the British Open.

“The week was a success overall,’’ he said. “I haven’t shown a whole lot of form coming back from shoulder surgery. I missed four months this year, and you start to wonder how much more is there. After what I saw this week I’d say maybe I’ve got some time left.’’

Spieth has much more of it, of course. He left for St. Andrews as the sixth player to have won the first two majors championship of the year. The only Grand Slam in golf history was by Bobby Jones in 1930, but his four wins were in different tournaments – the U.S. Amateur and British Amateur replacing the Masters and PGA Championship, which are included now. Jones’ other wins were in the U.S. Open and British Open.

“I’ve heard St. Andrews is playing softer than usual, which is kind of nice for having come from here,’’ said Spieth. He has been at St. Andrews only once, for two days over three years ago. He loved the setting, but was widely criticized the last three weeks for not skipping the JDC to allow for more preparation in Europe with such a big title on the line.

“I really didn’t care about that,’’ he said. “I came here for a reason, and we accomplished that reason. Certainly we have some momentum going into next week.’’

A 61 at JDC is Spieth’s lowest round as a pro

SILVIS, IL. – Another John Deere Classic hasn’t been won yet and the British Open – the third leg of golf’s Grand Slam — is next week’s target. Still, Jordan Spieth’s game is good enough right now to win them both, no doubt about it.

That was underscored on Saturday when the 21-year old Masters and U.S. Open champion climbed to the top of the leaderboard in the JDC at TPC Deere Run.

Spieth arrived at the site of his first PGA Tour win of 2013 off a two-week break, one of which included not touching a club. Rustiness showed in Thursday’s first round, when he shot par 71 and was mired in a tie for 101st place.

The rust disappeared on Friday when Spieth shot 64 and moved into a tie for 16th, and Saturday the sharpness was even better. Spieth posted a 10-under-par 61, giving him a two-stroke lead to take into Sunday’s final round.

Could his game be peaking at the perfect time? It certainly seems like it. At least Spieth could do no wrong on his 2-3-3 finish on Saturday. The deuce at the par-3 16th was followed by an errant tee shot at the par-5 17th. Spieth found himself deep in the left woods.

“There wasn’t a big window,’’ he said, “and I needed to hit it 170 to carry the bunkers.’’

He did that with a 5-iron, a club chosen for the loft it could produce rather than the length. He was still left with a 105-yard left-to-right third shot to the green. Club choice was tricky, but Spieth pulled out a sand wedge and miss-hit it. The “miss-hit,’’ though, dropped into the hole for an eagle.

“Maybe that was the wrong club, to be honest,’’ said Spieth. “I had a lot of good breaks coming in when I didn’t hit good shots off the tee.’’

The birdie on the finishing hole resulted in the lowest round of Spieth’s meteoric career.

As good as Spieth has been the last two days, this JDC is far from his. Danny Lee, winner last week at the Greenbrier Classic, shot 62 in the third round after playing the first two in Spieth’s threesome. Lee called Spieth’s blazing finish “a little ridiculous’’ but admitted “he’s winning everything right now. I’ll just go out and play and see what happens. All I know is a lot of people will be watching us, and I can’t wait to see what happens.’’

Lee has his own shot at history before he, Spieth and a batch of others board the jet from the Quad Cities Airport to Scotland on Sunday night for the British Open at St. Andrews. If Lee wins on Sunday he’ll be the first player since David Duval in 1997 to claim his second PGA Tour win a week after winning his first.

The focus in the final 18, however, will be on Spieth who was widely second-guessed for playing the JDC instead of going to Europe a week early and tuning up at the Scottish Open with a shot at the Grand Slam on the line.

Spieth has no regrets about coming here. He replaced the hybrid in his bag with a driving iron as part of his British preparation, and was pleased with the results. Plus, the weather on Saturday was helpful, too. There were two weather delays, but they didn’t keep Spieth off the putting green.

“I was embracing practice in the rain because we’re sure to see that next week,’’ he said.

For now, next week can wait. Spieth has more than just the red hot Lee to beat on Sunday. Lee will be Spieth’s playing partner for the third time this week but Justin Thomas, leader after the first two rounds, and Johnson Wagner are shot behind Lee and hometown favorite Zach Johnson, the 2012 champion, is another swing back.

`There’s a lot of young players coming out who aren’t scared to win,’’ said Spieth. “It’d be great to win again at a place that’s special to me.’’

Spieth shows his game is British-ready at the JDC

SILVIS, IL. – Second-guessers abounded when Jordan Spieth announced he would return to the John Deere Classic for his last tuneup tournament before next week’s British Open.

A large segment of the world-wide golf community felt Spieth was short-changing himself by not heading to Europe a week ahead of his bid for a third straight major championship. After all, he would have more time to combat jet lag if he played in the Scottish Open instead of the event where he won his first PGA Tour title at age 19 two years ago.

With titles in the Masters and U.S. Open already clinched, Spieth is halfway toward an unprecedented Grand Slam of the four biggest tournaments. (The fourth is the PGA Championship at Wisconsin’s Whistling Straits course next month).

Those second-guessers seemed to have a case when Spieth had a mediocre showing in Wednesday’s pro-am at TPC Deere Run and followed with a par 71 in Thursday’s first round of the JDC. That left him tied for 101st place and in danger of missing the 36-hole cut.

Spieth, however, silenced those second-guessers on Friday when he posted a 7-under-par 64 and climbed all the way into a tie for 16th place – four strokes behind 22-year old Justin Thomas, the leader going into Saturday’s third round after posted 12-under 130 for the first two rounds. Spieth’s Grand Slam preparations – as well as his chances of winning the JDC again — don’t look so questionable now.

“Today was a big step forward,’’ said Spieth. “I was not feeling great after Wednesday, and then after (Thursday) being behind the 8-ball. But to come today and shoot a solid round when I needed to, and to have my putter working when I knew I needed it, gives me a lot of confidence.’’

Next week’s British is at storied St. Andrews, in Scotland – a layout much different than TPC Deere Run.

“I’m excited to go next week just because I love St. Andrews, and I love the town,’’ said Spieth. “It’s going to be an exciting atmosphere, and it may be good for me to have a limited amount of time there just to get some feels. I’ll be able to adjust to the speed and the conditions there. I’ll be able to do that in a couple days.’’

Spieth wasn’t feeling so confident after standing even par for the tournament four holes into Friday’s second round. A two-foot birdie putt put him in red numbers and a 241-yard second shot to a par-5 that set up an eagle was the highlight of his round. He played his last 14 holes in 7-under and, with seven holes left in that stretch, he started to relax.

“Then the cut line was out of my head, and it was `How can we move up the board a little more?’’’ he said.

The shot that set up his eagle at the No. 2 hole (Spieth played the back nine first) may have far-reaching implications. He used a driving iron, while in past years he would have used a hybrid.

“I’ve got this driving-iron I’m using in preparation for St. Andrews,’’ he said. “I want to get some swings with this club. I had a great number there just to launch it up the right side of the green. Obviously I was lucky to coast it the perfect distance and capitalize.’’

Spieth attributed his slow start here to rust. Wednesday’s pro-am was his first 18-hole round in nearly three weeks. During that stretch he went a week without touching a club, but now the vacation is very much over. His bid for the third leg of golf’s Grand Slam will be the talk of the entire sports world after he boards the flight to Europe from the Quad Cities Airport after Sunday’s final round of the JDC.

“I should have gotten out on the golf course a little more than hitting balls on the range,’’ Spieth said before his hot round on Friday. “I’m just looking to get a little better each day.’’

There are some similarities between the front-running Thomas, who also led after Day 1, and Spieth. Both have had sponsor exemptions to get into the JDC (Spieth in 2012 and Thomas in 2013 — and they were teammates on a U.S. junior team that competed in France in their high school years. Then Spieth went, briefly, to Texas and Thomas to Alabama.

“I’d say he got the best of me in amateur golf. I got the best of him in college golf. And so far, he’s got me beat pretty handily in professional golf,’’ said Thomas. Spieth already has accumulated $16 million in PGA Tour winnings in less than three seasons, with nearly $7.9 million coming in the first six months of 2015. Thomas has $1.6 million in seven tournaments spread of the last two years.

“As for a rivalry with Jordan, it’s nothing right now,’’ said Thomas. “I have a lot of to do get to his level. I’m working to get there.’’

Couples, Weibring boost field for Encompass tourney

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 in 2016.

Still, the 50-and-over circuit will bring its best to Glenview for the 54-hole competition that starts on Friday. Most notably, the popular Fred Couples will return to the field after missing last year with back problems. He was runner-up to Craig Stadler when the tourney made its North Shore debut in 2013.

Also new to the field will be D.A. Weibring, who will be playing in his first tournament of the season. Weibring, limited to only five tournaments last year by back issues, played collegiately at Illinois State and has a long record of success in Illinois pro events. He won the John Deere Classic (under its previous titles) in 1979, 1991 and 1995 before designing the course on which that tournament is now held. He also captured the 1987 Western Open.

Another player with Illinois ties, though, could ready for a breakthrough this week. Jeff Sluman, who has long resided in Hinsdale, is one of only three players — defending champion Tom Lehman and Kenny Perry are the others — who have finished in the top 10 at both of the two Encompass Championships held so far. Sluman tied for third in 2013 and tied for sixth last year.

The only notable absentee is Colin Montomerie, who will be on St. Andrews, Scotland, for his induction into the World Golf Hall of Fame. Montgomerie leads the tour’s Charles Schwab Cup standings but Jeff Maggert, winner of two of this year’s major titles for senior players, will supplant him with a victory at North Shore.

His rivals include 12 players who won major titles on the PGA Tour and seven who captained either Ryder Cup or Presidents Cup teams. The 81 starters will play with amateur partners in the first two rounds; only the pros will compete on Sunday when the $270,000 first-place check from the event’s $1.8 million purse will be handed out.

Spieth, Murray headline show at JDC

Jordan Spieth, already the winner of the Masters and U.S. Open this year, will get back into tournament play at the John Deere Classic at TPC Deere Run in downstate Silvis on Thursday. That was the scene of Spieth’s first PGA Tour victory in 2013.

While Spieth will be the focal point of the 72-hole tournament that concludes on Sunday, he’ll share the spotlight in Wednesday’s pro-am with actor-comedian Bill Murray. Murray, playing with frequent pro-am partner D.A. Points, has an 8:45 a.m. tee time. Spieth will have his tuneup round in the afternoon.

Come Thursday he’ll begin his last competitive appearance before going after the third leg of golf’s Grand Slam at the British Open next week.

The JDC may have the strongest field in its history as Spieth will be joined by defending champion Brian Harman; Zach Johnson, the winner in 2012; and Steve Stricker, who scored a three-peat from 2009-11. U.S. Ryder Cup captain Davis Love III is skipping the Encompass to play in the JDC. So is Vijay Singh, who won the JDC in 2003 but hasn’t been back since finishing tied for fourth in his title defense in 2004.

Ten Broeck heads qualifiers

Lance Ten Broeck has had an interesting career in golf. He grew up in Chicago, at Beverly Country Club, and qualified for the 1975 U.S. Open at Medinah when he was still a teen-ager. He went on to earn his PGA Tour card and was a journeyman on the circuit for several years, then became a successful caddie on the circuit while working mainly for Jesper Parnevik.

Now Ten Broeck is back to competing again. On Monday he shared medalist honors in the qualifying round for the Encompass Championship. He shot a 5-under-par 67 at Deerfield golf course to share honors with Geoffrey Sisk of Marshfield, Mass. They were the best among five qualifiers for the tournament proper, which tees off on Friday.

IPGA picks Williams

Carrie Williams, the executive director of the Illinois Junior Golf Assn. the past eight years, will be Michael Miller’s replacement as executive director of the Illinois PGA. Williams revealed her hiring while announcing her resignation from the IJGA.

Miller departed the IPGA after 23 years to become executive director of the PGA’s Southwest Section. Williams was on his staff prior to moving to the IJGA. Jordan Abdel-Haq, the IJGA’s associate executive director, will take over Williams’ duties when she takes her new post on Aug. 25.

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 – the billionaire who created Bass Pro Shops. His first such Outdoor World opened in the nearby, much larger town of Springfield, Mo., in 1972.

Morris, a passionate conservationist, built his business empire around fishing, hunting, camping and boating but – in more recent years – he has embraced golf in a big way. That’s why Branson has become a big golf destination that figures to get only bigger in the very immediate future.

The Arnold Palmer Practice Center at Top of the Rock isn’t your ordinary driving range.

Here’s a sampling of what’s been happening golf-wise in Branson and the nearby towns of Ridgedale, Hollister and Reeds Spring. A warning: this could be a bit overwhelming.

Morris acquired Big Cedar Lodge on the outskirts of Branson in 1987. Now it’s a sprawling wildness resort highlighted – from a golfer’s viewpoint – by the Top of the Rock course and the accompanying Arnie’s Barn. (The Big Cedar facility also has multiple restaurants, a spa, chapels, stables and a conference center, among other things).

Top of the Rock is a nine-hole par-3 course designed by Jack Nicklaus. It is — from this perspective of a golfer who has traveled widely in search of playing opportunities for 60 years and been a scribe on the sport since 1968 – the most scenic course in America.

Arnie’s Barn is a pro shop and restaurant with roots dating back 150 years.

Nicklaus began building the course in 1996, and the work took awhile – over seven years, to be exact. By 2014, however, it became the first par-3 layout included in a PGA Tour-sanctioned competition. The oldest event on the Champions Tour – the Legends of Golf – is partially played there.

Top of the Rock also includes a one-acre putting green called “the Himalayan,’’ which was designed by Tom Watson and has an elevation change of 20 feet from top to bottom.

The overall practice facility was designed by Arnold Palmer and features 16 fully lit target greens. It also, unfortunately, includes five sink-holes that emerged last May. Geologists are trying to deal with them, but they are more of a photo opportunity now. They don’t impact play on the course and the range is still in use.

A picturesque chapel adorns the right slide of the No. 1 hole at Top of the Rock.

Palmer’s influence is more evident in the “Barn,’’ which houses the pro shop and an upscale Mexican restaurant. The wooden Barn has a history; it was built 150 years ago in Palmer’s hometown of Latrobe, Pa., and was transported piece by piece and reconstructed at Top of the Rock. Included in its bar area is the mounted 1,358-pound black marlin that Nicklaus caught in Australia in 1978.

The course is filled with breath-taking views of Table Rock Lake, waterfalls and fascinating rock formations. After a round golfers have the option of taking a cave tour on their carts and/or visiting the Ancient Ozarks Natural History Museum. Obviously, a nine-hole round there isn’t you’re ordinary breeze around a par-3 course.

Fascinating rock formations abound throughout a round at Top of the Rock.

And that’s not all.

More recently the high-quality Branson Creek course, a Tom Fazio design built in 1999, was taken over by Morris. It was renamed Buffalo Ridge Springs, updated by Fazio and now includes free-ranging buffalo. Morris brought them over from his nearby Dogwood Canyon Nature Park. Buffalo Ridge Springs’ 18-holer is the companion course for Top of the Rock in hosting the Legends of Golf.

And that’s not all.

Murder Rock, which had been highly-promoted as a John Daly design, is no more. It will soon be two courses. Gary Player is building a 12-hole family-friendly course there, scheduled to open sometime in 2015, and the well-regarded architectural team of Bill Coore and Ben Crenshaw are creating The Ridge Course at Buffalo Ridge, an 18-holer that will open sometime in 2017.

The Buffalo Ridge Springs course lives up to its name, with buffalo roaming nearby.

And that’s not all.

The Payne Stewart Golf Club, which had been a Branson attraction with lots of memorabilia from the late two-time U.S. Open and former PGA champion, just parted ways with Stewart’s foundation. The course is now called Branson Hills. Apparently a museum in Stewart’s honor is in the planning stages. He grew up in Springfield.

Those aren’t the only courses in the Branson area, by any means. Holiday Hills, established in 1938, was the area’s original course and its short (5,798 yards from the tips) layout is still going strong. So is Pointe Royale, which is more of a championship layout with its 6,501 yards from the back tees and eight water holes.

A round at LedgeStone concludes with a fountain view at the 18th green.

LedgeStone, a one-time private facility, rivals the higher-profile Buffalo Ridge Springs and Top of the Rock layouts for attracting serious players and Thousand Hills Golf Resort has a funky (one par-5, eight par-4s and nine par-3s) layout that is loads of fun. Thousand Hills was an especially nice place to stay for us, since it was so close to the evening entertainment venues.

One thing to remember about Branson when you plan a trip there. There’s much more to do in addition to the golf. Our stay included three shows, all high quality but very different. Violinist Shoji Tabuchi is an Ozark entertainment legend who has his own, high-tech theater. “Six’’ features some very musically-talented brothers with a unique story to tell through the course of their performance and “Liverpool Legends’’ is a tribute to The Beatles that had the crowd dancing in the aisles.

Those shows are just a small offering of the available night-life. The Branson area has 41 theaters offering about 100 shows, depending on the time of the year. There’s also a wide variety of lodging and dining options. And, soon there will be a youth baseball complex that will have replica versions of Wrigley Field and Busch Stadium.

But, if you still need at least a taste of golf after nightfall, you could try the wide range of miniature courses. They seem to be everywhere and some are of a very elaborate nature.

If the course views aren’t enough, stay on your cart to see the waterfalls on the cave tour.

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 in Scotland, and four places in the year’s third major were on the line at Hartford. Donald, the former Northwestern star who spent 56 weeks as the world’s No. 1-ranked golfer before Rory McIlroy took over in 2012, needed to finish in the top 12 and be among the top four players at Hartford who were not otherwise qualified for the British to earn his spot in this year’s field.

After rounds of 68, 68, 67 and 66 Donald stood in a tie for seventh place overall – but four players not qualified for the British were still on the course. One of them was Wilson, who established a home in Elmhurst several years ago.

A bogey on the last hole had Donald fearing he’d be left out, but Wilson also made bogey on the last hole. In the end Donald, though five strokes behind champion Bubba Watson, landed in a tie for seventh with Bo Van Pelt and Wilson. Among those finishing ahead of them were Brian Harman, who will defend his John Deere Classic title next week; Graham DeLaet and Carl Petterson.

Those three got the first three British Open spots offered at Hartford and Donald got the fourth and final one thanks to having a higher world ranking (68) than either Van Pelt (248) or Wilson (441).

“The Claret Jug brings up a lot of great memories, watching the Open as a kid and obviously some memories playing it as a professional,’’ said Donald. “It’s the major I’d love to win the most, coming from the U.K.’’

Now he’ll get another chance with his game on the upswing again. Donald had two top-five finishes in the British since 2009 and tied for 11th the last time it was played at St. Andrews in 2010. He’ll next play at the Scottish Open, the European PGA Tour stop opposite the John Deere Classic.

Bill Murray in JDC Pro-Am

Actor/ comedian Bill Murray, the best pro-am attraction on the PGA Tour, will play in the John Deere Classic’s Wednesday Pro-Am on July 8. He’ll be paired with D.A. Points, a former University of Illinois golfer from Pekin.

Points and Murray were the sensation of the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am, which was formerly the Bing Crosby Pro-Am in California. They won the team title in the two-man event and Points captured the individual crown.

Murray, who grew up in Wilmette and was a caddie at Indian Hill Club, starred in the movie hit CaddieShack – a role that triggered his popularity in the entertainment world.

Illini star Campbell turns pro

Brian Campbell won’t be a factor in the Western Amateur, U.S. Amateur or Walker Cup matches this year. A stalwart on Illinois’ team that won the stroke play portion of the NCAA tournament, Campbell has opted to turn professional. He’ll make his pro debut at the John Deere Classic thanks to a sponsor’s exemption.

One of his Illini teammates, redshirt senior Alex Burge, captured the 96th Chicago District Amateur title last week at Knollwood in Lake Forest. Burge did it by beating Medinah’s Tee-K Kelly, an Ohio State player who won the Illinois State Amateur in 2013.

Burge, from Bloomington, became the first golfer to become both medalist and champion at the CDGA Amateur since Joe Affrunti in 2001. Affrunti also attended Illinois and posted his CDGA sweep at Knollwood.

Maggert is coming to Encompass

Jeff Maggert, who won the U.S. Senior Open on Sunday and won another Champions Tour major at the Regions Tradition earlier in the year, will be in the field at the Encompass Championship at North Shore in Glenview beginning July 10. Other recent commitments include Hale Irwin and Steve Elkington, and former Bears’ center Patrick Mannelly will compete in the two-day, two-man team competition.

Pre-qualifying for the Encompass Championship will be Thursday and the final qualifying round is Monday at Deerfield golf course.

Here and there

The last day for public play at Oak Meadows in Addison is Monday. Then the course will be closed for nearly two years as Aurora architect Greg Martin conducts a massive renovation project.

Olympia Fields is looking for volunteers to help in the staging of the U.S. Amateur next month.

Ruth Lake, in Hinsdale, will host a qualifier for the U.S. Amateur on Monday and the Illinois PGA will conducts its 40th Junior Championship on Monday at Mauh-Nah-Tee- See in Rockford.

One of Chicago’s longest-standing private clubs, Glen Flora in Waukegan, is up for sale. Links Capital Advisors have announced a $2.75 million asking price for the club, which was built in 1911.

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 the Missouri Ozarks, has undergone some major changes that have only made it better – much better, in fact.

Climaxing a series of upgrades initiated by executive director Bob Renken was the completion of the 84-room Lodge at Old Kinderhook, an upscale hotel that also includes a banquet center, indoor swimming pool and fitness center. Its creation also led to some outdoor enhancements that broadened the activity offerings at the facility and impacted one hole of the golf course.

Now adjoining the new lodge — which had its grand opening in April during the last Masters Weekend — are two courts for outdoor volleyball, a saltwater outdoor pool with a waterfall and a cabana and bar.

The new outdoor swimming pool at Old Kinderhook provides plenty of golf course views.

Guests are just starting to enjoy most of those outdoor facilities, but the volleyball area was already a big hit during the winter months. It was transformed into an ice rink that drew an average of 300 skaters per day.

Kenny Morrow, a member of the United States’ gold medal-winning hockey team in the 1980 Olympics, built the rink — the only one in the Ozarks. The closest other ones are in Jefferson City, Springfield and Columbia. Not only did the Old Kinderhook rink attract casual ice skaters to an area that only rarely sees snow, it also became a venue for competitive pond hockey leagues two nights a week.

The outdoor attractions required space and some adjustment in the other buildings on the property, but more notably they necessitated changing a course that really didn’t need any changing. It was popular just the way it was – but there’s a good chance the revised No. 15 hole will make it even better.

Weiskopf’s original design had it as a par-4 that required a layup off the tee. Since the outdoor expansion it’s being played as a temporary par-3, but soon it will be a par-4 again – one that’s 40 yards shorter but more challenging.

The new cabana bar supplements volleyball courts in the summer and a skating rink in the winter.

“We want it to be our signature hole,’’ said Old Kinderhook all-purpose staffer Paul Hannigan. “Now it’ll be a drive-able par-4, and a risk-reward hole for longer hitters.’’

The hole ranges from 344 yards from the back tees down to 291 from the front. When played at full yardage the course is 6,797 yards with a rating of 72.8 and slope of 137.

The change from the current temporary par-3 will take a few weeks, as the fairway is being moved 20 yards to the left, in large part to take some of the golf villas out of play. It was a necessary tweak that promises to enhance an already quality layout, one of the best of all Weiskopf creations.

Old Kinderhook has only one 18-holer, albeit the best one in the Ozarks, but visitors to the area have other golf options. The Ozark Golf Council has 13 courses on its Golf Trail, all within a 30-minute drive of each other. One of them, Lake Valley, is across the street from Old Kinderhook.

A fountain enhances the view for both Kinderhook’s golfers and guests in its new lodge.

The work done at Old Kinderhook over a 16-month period came at a cost in excess of $11 million. The result was a more full-service gated facility that spans over 700 acres. Old Kinderhook’s investment group took an aggressive approach during an economic downturn that particularly impacted the golf industry both in the Ozarks and nation-wide. There were also some positive upgrades made in the town of Camdenton during that period.

“Camdenton and Old Kinderhook were willing to grow during the period,’’ said Hannigan. “We also built 20 (housing) units, and they sold in less that two years. Now we’ll be adding rental boats and jet skis.’’

That bold approach, the ownership expects, will lead to more home sales, lodging rentals and general activity year-around.

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 event, was presented with a good opportunity to compare Erin Hills with a similar facility. Chambers Bay, in Washington, hosted a U.S. Open that wasn’t without controversy a week before Erin opened its doors to about 50 media members from around the Midwest.

Reinhart tried hard to steer clearly of controversy in making comparisons.

“Both courses are in new areas that had never hosted a U.S. Open,’’ said Reinhart. “Both have incredible community support. Both areas are naturally beautiful, but Chambers Bay was manufactured on a gravel pit while Erin Hills’ architects took advantage of a more natural area. Both have fescue fairways, and both play long. Erin Hills is not a true links-style course. Chambers Bay is much more a links style. We have eight times as many trees – we have eight!’’

Inevitably, though, the subject of Chambers Bays’ perceived shortcomings came up. Players didn’t like the bumpy greens there and the course wasn’t spectator-friendly.

“You have to put it in perspective. It’s a U.S. Open, and they bitch,’’ Reinhart said of the player complaints, the most notable coming from Billy Horschel and legendary competitor Gary Player. “That’s what the USGA does. It gets into their heads. There was a lot of grumbling out there. We took notice of some of that but, when they get out here in two years, they’ll be blown away.’’

General chairman Jim Reinhart gives his annual update on Erin Hills’ preparations to host the 2017 U.S. Open.

Given the history of the U.S. Open, however, it’s unlikely that players will unanimously be in love with Erin Hills. U.S. Open courses always get tough setups, and Erin Hills will, too.

On the spectator side, though, things should be much, much better than they were at Chambers Bay.

“This golf course, overlooking Holy Hill, will be mind-boggling,’’ said Reinhart. “At first I was a little scared (after the criticisms started to build about Chambers Bay), but then I thought `This is going to be super for us.’ We’ll knock the ball out of the park here.’’

No argument there, especially when you consider the spectator space available throughout the course and especially on the last three holes.

“Nos. 16, 17 and 18 coming down the stretch will be filled with spectators who will have a perfect view of the most important holes of the entire championship,’’ said Reinhart. “It’ll be an absolute home run.’’

As for the facility and tournament update, Reinhart reported that the U.S. Golf Assn. would put staffers on the premises full-time beginning in July. Corporate hospitality sales for 2017 have begun, and are way ahead of schedule. Recruitment of volunteers will begin soon.

Governor Scott Walker, with Reinhart looking on, stresses the value of golf to Wisconsin residents.

Since the previous year’s update outing Erin Hills has changed the green on the No. 3 hole, put in a beautiful short game area, created a new practice putting green near the No. 1 tee and created several new tees. Some of those were built to enhance daily play, but those at Nos. 2 and 15 created reachable par-4s that should appeal to USGA executive director Mike Davis.

Scott Walker, Wisconsin governor and presidential candidate, was also on hand to predict an “incredible’’ U.S. Open and laud the growth of the sport in his state, which has about 500 courses.

“I’m not a golfer,’’ he said. “The reason I’m here is because of the green on the greens.’’

Citing a 2008 report, Walker said golf puts 38,000 people to work in Wisconsin and has a $2.4 billion economic impact. His projections for the 2017 U.S. Open called for an economic impact of between $140 and $170 million.

Here’s an even more interesting stat. Erin Hills’ biggest event so far has been being the main course used for the 2011 U.S. Amateur, won by Kelly Kraft. That was only four years ago, but the contestants since them have accumulated $38,450,796 in prize money as professionals, won eight tournaments, had 75 top-10 finishes and 152 top-25 finishes. Those stunning numbers should indicate the caliber of play coming in August at Olympia Fields, site of this year’s U.S. Amateur.

Jordan Spieth, who won at Chambers Bay, didn’t win at Erin Hills when he was an amateur. He lost in the quarterfinals.

“He’ll have good memories of Erin Hills,’’ predicted Reinhart.

More memories will be built at the course this season on the local level. Erin Hills will host this summer’s Wisconsin State Amateur.

For the record, the course can now play as long as 7,812 yards from the back tees, where is has a 77.9 rating and a slope of 145. Green fee at the walking-only course is $245 for public play. In 2017 there won’t be any public play until after the U.S. Open is over.