MEDINAH, IL. – The first golf tournament I ever attended was on Medinah’s No. 3 course. My mother took me to the 1962 Western Open in hopes of stimulating my interest in the sport. She succeeded. I returned to Medinah many times though nearly 60 years of writing about golf for various news outlets. …
Features
Bridgeman, Koivun show they’re ready for the Presidents Cup
The Chicago area was an annual PGA Tour site for decades, but not so recently. This week’s Presidents Cup at Medinah is the circuit’s first visit since Olympia Fields hosted the BMW Championship in 2023. While the area hosted big team events in the 2009 Solheim Cup at Rich Harvest Farms and the 2012 Ryder…
If ever there was a “Dream” baseball game, this is it
DYERSVILLE, Iowa — The “Field of Dreams” hit the theaters in 1989 with Kevin Costner starring in a movie that underscored the beauty of baseball. Joy and I watched the movie on television and loved it. That led to us squeezing in a trip to the “Field of Dreams” complex during our golf/travel writing trip…
One review — but for two worthwhile, though very different, books
It’s been a while since our last Book Review, and this time I’ll be trying something new. You get two reviews for the price of one this time, and the common thread between the two is….me. These two are fine contributions on two of my very favorite topics – journalism and golf. I read…
Golf needs more facilities like Michigan’s Wee Course
BENTON HARBOR, MI. – There’s been no shortage of projects, equipment or promotional efforts designed to create more golfers, but I’ve seen none better than the Wee Course — a facility built beside the Harbor Shores Resort in the Southwestern Michigan community. In this case Wee means a short course, but one that encourages play…
Local tournament performances made up for a tough U.S. Open
Last week’s erf Open was a rousing success for champion Wyndham Clark, but not for Illinois-connected players. Only Adrien Dumont deChassart, who attended the University of Illinois, and Dylan Wu, a Northwestern alum, survived the 36-hole cut at Shinnecock Hills and neither was among the top 50 finishers. Amateur competition within the Chicago area was…
The Landings will wow golfers with its numbers in Savannah
SAVANNAH, Ga. – The International Network of Golf scheduled its Spring Forum at The Landings Golf & Athletic Club. While it was a much different venue than the ones used in the past, the decision to go to The Landings was a good one for lots of reasons. A key word in describing…
The Landings makes this ING event even more special
SAVANNAH, GA. — Spring Forums were a fixture on the yearly calendar for the International Network of Golf starting in 1991. The first three were held in Hilton Head, S.C., and that’s not far from this week’s version in Savannah, Ga. This Spring Forum is different from all the others, though. The ING contingent…
JDC’s defending champion is playing through some pain
Brian Campbell is a month away from defending his title in the John Deere Classic, but a lot has happened to the University of Illinois alum since his playoff win over Emiliano Grillo last year at TPC Deere Run in downstate Silvis. The win there was his first on the PGA Tour, at the 2025…
BOOK REPORT: An All-Star contribution to baseball history
Randall Sullivan’s “The First All-Star Game’’ (Atlantic Monthly Press) is aptly named. It is the story of the first baseball game between the stars of the National and American leagues that was played in 1933 at Chicago’s Comiskey Park. (As you might guess we’re venturing away from golf again to spotlight some outstanding writing…