We Illinois golf fanatics had best disregard the state line boundaries. Our neighbor to the north, Wisconsin, isn’t far away – no matter where you live in Illinois – and that’s where the action is these days. It’d be a shame not to enjoy it to the fullest.

For whatever reason, golf progress in Illinois hasn’t kept up with that in Wisconsin. For that matter, no state can match the golf developments in the Badger State over the last few years.

This year the most exciting project is in Stevens Point, where the SentryWorld course has undergone a Robert Trent Jones Jr. renovation. It’ll be unveiled in late summer because ownership wants to show off the new course and its accompanying Sports Center, which also underwent a major upgrading, at the same time.

SentryWorld’s original course was also designed by Robert Trent Jones Jr. It opened in 1982, and may have been the first golf destination resort in Wisconsin. The lure then was its Flower Hole, my all-time favorite anywhere and – arguably at least – the most famous golf hole in the Midwest. Adorned with 42,000 flowers, SentryWorld’s Flower Hole was certainly the most colorful anywhere.

Last summer, when I first got wind of the renovation, I was quick to ask Jones about the Flower Hole’s future. He was quick to assure me that it would remain part of the rotation. It remains as No. 16 – a par-3 known more for its beauty than its challenging aspects in the past – and the new scorecard still lists it at 176 yards from the back tee.

In the spring Pete McPartland, president and chief executive officer of Sentry Insurance, unveiled a new logo that brightened the colors of the iconic Flower Hole. That required checking in with Brian Dumler, the head golf professional, on what the hole will look like after the snow melts and the renovation is completed.

“The Flower Hole will be enhanced,’’ he said. “There’ll be more flowers, but I can’t tell how many yet., and the green will be re-shaped.’’

The waiting period for the re-opening will be a long one. The course was closed in April, 2012, and remained closed throughout 2013. Arizona architect John Sather created a dramatic new look for the Sports Center, part of which includes the pro shop for the golf course, while Jones was making his changes.

Dumler revealed that the course has been re-routed with parts of the property not used in the original layout being brought into play. While the famous Flower Hole won’t be altered much, two of the other par-3s – Nos. 3 and 12 – will be. The original course measured 6,950 yards. The new card lists it at 7,237 with a par of 72, rating of 75.1 and slope of 139.

“It was always known as a tough course,’’ said Stephanie Smith, Sentry’s director of corporate communications, “and we want to preserve that challenge. But for the more casual player we wanted a course that was more playable and we’ve done that.’’

Dumler, in his 16th season at SentryWorld, has a unique connection to the famed architect. He began his golf career at Hilldale, in Hoffman Estates, which was designed by Robert Trent Jones Sr. – the father of the SentryWorld designer. Jones Jr. still considers the original SentryWorld layout “ my Mona Lisa.’’

As intriguing as SentryWorld’s renovation is, bigger developments are on the way in Wisconsin. None are bigger than Sand Valley, the latest project of Chicago’s Mike Keiser. Keiser turned Bandon Dunes into the most popular new golf destination in the country with its array of courses, the number of which is still growing.

The only trouble with Bandon Dunes is that it’s far away – in Oregon. Sand Valley won’t require nearly as much travel. It’s 250 miles from Chicago’s borders. The nearest town to Sand Valley is Rome, but — more specifically, the project is 18 miles from the biggest community, Wisconsin Rapids, and 54 miles from Wisconsin Dells. Focal point of the property is Lake Petenwell.

While it’s exciting to think about, Sand Valley’s opening is down the road a bit. Keiser purchased 1,400 acres on Dec. 17 and hired the architectural team of Ben Crenshaw and Bill Coore in January. They’ll begin work on the first course as soon as possible, but it won’t open until 2016.

As was the case at Bandon Dunes, more courses will be added if the first one is successful – and there’s no doubt that it will be. Eventually Sand Valley is projected to have at least four courses.

Want more proof of Wisconsin’s explosion on the world golf scene? Let me remind you that the 2017 U.S. Open will be at Erin Hills, on the outskirts of Milwaukee, and Whistling Straits, in Kohler, will host the PGA Championship (for the third time, no less) in 2015 and the Ryder Cup in 2020.

And these courses aren’t all that old. Erin Hills landed a U.S. Golf Assn. championship before it was even opened to the public. It hosted the 2008 U.S. Women’s Amateur and also was the venue for the 2011 U.S. Amateur. In 2017 it’ll become the first Wisconsin course to host a U.S. Open.

Over in Kohler, a two-hour drive from the Illinois line, the story isn’t much different. Herb Kohler entered the golf world with the creation of Blackwolf Run in 1988. Kohler liked that Pete Dye design so much he added 18 more holes, creating the River and Meadow Valleys 18-holers. Then Kohler had Dye create Whistling Straits and the Irish Course in Haven, about 15 miles away. Whistling Straits opened in 1998 and Irish in 2000.

All gained world recognition almost instantly. Blackwolf Run opened in 1998, hosted the men’s Andersen Consulting World Championship in 1995, 1996 and 1997 and the U.S. Women’s Open in 1998 and 2012. Whistling Straits has already been the site of PGA Championships in 2004 and 2010 and the U.S. Senior Open in 2007.

There’s a downside to having all these high-profile courses in the same state. It takes attention away from some other very good locations that have withstood the tests of time.

Grand Geneva Resort, in Lake Geneva, has two quality 18-holers. The Brute, with its 68 bunkers and huge, rolling greens, has long been considered one of the most challenging layouts in the Midwest. The accompanying Highlands course has just as interesting a history. It started as a project in which Jack Nicklaus and Dye were to work together. Bob Cupp transformed the original course in 1996 and it was updated 10 years later by Bob Lohman.

Geneva National, in Delavan, has three 18 holers with designers who are even more famous – Gary Player, Arnold Palmer and Lee Trevino.

There’s some other very fine layouts around the state – Trappers Turn and Wild Rock in the Wisconsin Dells, The Bull at Pinehurst Farms in Sheboygan Falls, The Bog in Saukville, Lawsonia in Green Lake, University Ridge in Madison, Castle Course at Northern Bay in Arkdale, Big Fish in Hayward.

The list goes on. Michigan has long been the Midwestern state with the biggest abundance of golf riches. Now may, just maybe, it’s Wisconsin.

Still, the circuit has a glaring absence on the slate for its 14th season. The Legends – with players like Nancy Lopez, Joanne Carner, Jan Stephenson, Rosie Jones, Pat Bradley and Beth Daniel who have done so much for the growth of women’s golf throughout their careers — still don’t have a U.S. Open.

The U.S. Golf Assn. has a women’s equivalent for all its other individual national championships – Open, Amateur, Junior, Mid-Amateur, Senior Amateur – but there’s no U.S. Senior Women’s Open. The men’s U.S. Senior Open made its debut in 1980.

Hopefully the women’s version is just a year away, because the USGA has the money now, thanks to a new 12-year TV contract that will increase annual revenues from $37 million to $93 million. Money may have been a problem in the past, and so may have been a shortage of qualified women players in the 45-plus age group.

That’s no longer the case, and among the early proponents for U.S. Senior Women’s Open is David Fay, the for USGA executive director. He suggested a 2015 U.S. Senior Women’s Open to debut in May, 2015. It’d have the best of the Legends Tour competing against the best amateurs.

As for the Legends of 2014, their tournament schedule calls for a return to six venues from 2013 and visits to two new ones. Plus, the biggest event, the Legends Championship presented by Humana, is moving into prime August dates after making its debut in late September last year.

The Legends Championship, again the only 54-hole stop on the schedule, got off to a rousing start at French Lick in Indiana, with the Alice Dye Invitational for amateur starting off a big week to celebrate women’s golf. Last year a Legends Hall of Fame was created at French Lick, and it’ll be formally unveiled during this year’s Aug. 13-17 event. The Legends Championship will again have the biggest purse ($500,000) and most players (60), with Canadian Lorie Kane going in as the defending champion.

The return of the Legends comes after a monumental 2013 season for French Lick. U.S. News and World Report ranked its West Baden Springs Hotel as the best hotel in Indiana, among the top 10 in the Midwest and in the Top 50 Hotel Spas in the U.S. Conde Nast Travelers tabbed West Baden No. 31 among its Top 50 Hotel Spas and GolfWeek ranked French Lick’s Pete Dye Course No. 27 and its Donald Ross layout No. 48 among its Top 100 Best Resort Courses.

French Lick’s second Legends Championship competition will conclude a two-week stay for the circuit in the Midwest. The Wendy’s Charity Challenge will be played at Michigan’s Country Club of Jackson the previous week.

The season, which begins with the May 1-4 Walgreen’s Charity Classic in Arizona, will include two major site changes. The Handa Cup team event will move from Hermitage, in Nashville, Tenn., to Old Waverly, in Mississippi. Old Waverly was the site of the 1999 U.S. Women’s Open, won by Juli Inkster.

In another site change, the Walgreen’s Charity Championship will switch Florida venues on Nov. 6-9, being played this time at Seagate at The Hamlet in Delray Beach. It was held WHERE in 2013.

The Legends Tour played for over $11 million in prize money in its first 13 seasons and raised over $14 million for charity.

By Len Ziehm

The Chicago area will have three new players competing on a major pro golf tour in 2014. Carlos Sainz Jr., Andy Pope and Vince India all advanced through the rigorous Web.com Tour qualifying school this week.

With the PGA Tour revamping its qualifying procedure, its satellite Web.com circuit claimed the survivors of the three-tiered Q-School for its 2014 season. Sainz, from Elgin; Pope (Glen Ellyn) and India (Deerfield) advanced through two 72-hole fall preliminary competitions and then got through the toughest of test them all – a 90-hole marathon at PGA West in LaQuinta, Calif.

Sainz did the best of the trio, finishing in 10th place among the 152 starters after a sizzling 63 in the final round that included five straight birdies on the back nine. The former Mississippi State player was 20 under par for the 90 holes, 11 strokes behind winner Zack Fischer.

The strong Q-School showing culminated an encouraging second half of 2013 for Sainz. He won The Players Cup on the PGA’s Canadian Tour a week before tying for second in the Illinois Open at The Glen Club in Glenview.

Sainz lost the Illinois Open title in a playoff to Joe Kinney but rebounded with a victory in the revived Chicago Open at Cantigny, in Wheaton, in October.

Pope, who played collegiately at Xavier, finished a stroke behind Sainz at Q-School and that will make his Web.com Tour start more difficult. The top 10 carry exempt status through the 12th tournament, those finishing 11-45 are exempt only through eight. Their playing status is adjusted based on their results.

India, who played collegiately at Iowa, tied for 42nd at Q-School with – among others – Sam Saunders, Arnold Palmer’s grandson. The Web.com Tour, formerly known as the Ben Hogan, Nike and Nationwide circuits, had an annual stop at The Glen Club for seven years but it was discontinued after the 2007 event. The 2014-15 Web.com seasons begins Feb. 6 in Panama.

Affrunti, Meierdierks in limbo

Crystal Lake’s Joe Affrunti and Wilmette’s Eric Meierdierks began 2013 with playing status on the PGA Tour. After failing to meeting money-winner requirements both may have trouble getting into the big money tournaments in 2014.

Affrunti, recovering from major shoulder surgery, made the cut in three of five PGA Tour events and six of 12 Web.com events, losing a playoff for the title in the United Leasing Championship – an Indiana stop on the satellite tour. He’ll begin 2014 with limited Web.com status thanks to the terms of a medical exemption.

Meierdierks made the cut in four of 19 PGA Tour appearances and didn’t survive the second stage of the Q-School. Both Affrunti and Meierdierks were champions of both the Chicago District Amateur and Illinois Open before testing themselves as tour players.

Did you know?

The BMW Championship, staged for the first time at Conway Farms in Lake Forest in September, was named the PGA Tour’s Tournament of the Year for the second straight season.

Mistwood, a Ray Hearn-designed public course in Romeoville, was selected as Renovation of the Year by Golf Magazine. Hearn also won that award for his work at Flossmoor Country Club in 2009.

Brad Hisel has been named general manager at Bull Valley in Woodstock, and Scott Rowe has been named to the Northwestern Sports Hall of Fame. He starred for the Wildcats’ golf team from 1993-97.

BRADENTON, FL. – The Ryder Cup matches have produced plenty of drama over the years, but one of the most memorable events in the competition didn’t involve anyone hitting a shot.

It came in 1969 at England’s Royal Birkdale, in the final singles match between American Jack Nicklaus and England’s Tony Jacklin. Nicklaus conceded a two-foot putt to Jacklin, which resulted in their match being halved and the competition ending in a tie for the first time.

Nicklaus’ gesture was considered great sportsmanship in some quarters, but not in keeping with the competitive aspect of the event according to others – among them some of his U.S. teammates. The debate has raged on as the Ryder Cup – staged last September at Medinah with Europe winning in dramatic fashion – taking its place among the most popular team competitions in all of sports.

Fast forward over 40 years. Jacklin settled in this Florida community between Tampa and Sarasota and Nicklaus went on to do great things as a course architect while his playing career was winding down. That’s when their paths crossed again, for the building of The Concession – a dazzling but challenging course that will soon host an event of its own to further rekindle that Nicklaus-Jacklin moment from the past.

This time it was Jacklin making the gesture, an effort to boost the image of a course that he designed in collaboration with Nicklaus. The new event is The Concession Cup, which is certain to become a nice addition to the world golf calendar. It’s in keeping with how the club was created in the first place.

“Jack was being courted to build a golf course, and I approached him with this idea,’’ said Jacklin. “His conceding that putt was a big relief to me, and it’s become a famous moment. It’s brought up at all the Ryder Cups.’’

Jacklin suggested a course named in honor of Nicklaus’ famous concession. Nicklaus liked the idea and eight years ago The Concession was built with the two playing an exhibition match that drew several thousand spectators in January, 2006, as the highlight of its grand opening.

While the layout is a “Nicklaus Signature’’ course, its scorecard notes that it was designed “in association with Tony Jacklin.’’ That was a concession on Nicklaus’ part, too. Jacklin found the land and would have been content if that was the end of his role in the course’s creation but Nicklaus didn’t want that. Jacklin (left in photo above) and Nicklaus made it a collaborative effort.

“Jack has done thousands of golf courses and I’ve done several,’’ said Jacklin, “but we did this one together.’’

The club has embraced the concession of ‘69 by using silhouettes of Nicklaus and Jacklin in its logo – one of the most striking in golf (pictured above) – and the two will be honorary captains at this spring’s Concession Cup, a new team event that will bring together the top mid-amateur, senior and super senior players from the U.S. and Great Britain/Ireland.

Nicklaus’ courses are all super challenging, and The Concession is one of only 12 courses in the U.S. with a slope over 150. The 7,474-yard (from the back tees) layout has a slope of 155. It was built over 540 acres, an extremely large land usage for an 18-hole course.

The course will complete a three-year agreement to host the men’s Big Ten Match Play Championship this winter and will host the NCAA men’s and women’s championships in 2015. It tried to land the LPGA’s Solheim Cup but was unsuccessful. The creation of the Concession Cup, though, will elevate the club’s profile and create a competition that might eventually be incorporated into the U.S.Golf Assn. schedule.

“We’ve been striving through the years to attract attention to our place through tournaments,’’ said Jacklin. “That’s not an easy thing to do, but we’re all very excited about this one. It’ll be a massive event.’’

The biennial match play competition will bring together the best mid-amateur, senior and super senior players from the U.S. and Great Britain/Ireland two weeks after the next Masters. There’ll be a practice round and opening celebration gala on April 29, a charity amateur event on April 30, nine foursome matches on May 1, nine fourball matches on May 2 and 18 singles matches on May 3.

While the competitors on both teams won’t be announced for a few weeks, the U.S. team will include Nicklaus’ son Gary along with top amateurs Nathan Smith and Vinny Giles. Paul Azinger, former U.S. Ryder Cup captain and a Concession member, will be honorary chairman of the event and ex-PGA Tour player turned golf commentator Gary Koch will emcee the banquet. He’s a Concession member, too.

Still seeking members, The Concession was named the Best New Private Course in the U.S. by Golf Digest in 2006 and its practice facility is one of the best in the world. Tour players Brittany Lincicome, Hollis Stacy, Sandra Gal, Dicky Pride, Scott Hoch and Andy Bean use it regularly and famed instructor David Leadbetter has declared The Concession his “home away from home.’’ He’s worked with his top players and given lessons there.

In late January Concession Cup officials made their first player announcement. Vinny Giles (U.S.) and Garth McGimpsey (Great Britain-Ireland) will be playing captains.

First players on the U.S. squad are Doug Hanzel, Savannah, Ga.; Chip Lutz, Reading, Pa.; John “Spider” Miller, Bloomington, Ind.; Pat Tallent, Vienna, Va.; Paul Simpson, Raleigh, N.C.; Danny Yates, Atlanta; and George Zahringer, New York. First GB-I players named were Ian Brotherston, Maurise Kelly, Adrian Morrow, Arthur Pierse and Andrew Stracey.

The best player in the Illinois section of the PGA is moving.

Curtis Malm, the IPGA Player-of-the-Year in 2012 and 2013 while an assistant professional at St. Charles Country Club, has moved to White Eagle in Naperville as the head professional.

Malm, who spent five seasons at St. Charles, won the Illinois Open as an amateur in 2000 and blossomed in the IPGA ranks with back-to-back victories in the section’s Match Play Championship at Kemper Lakes in 2012 and 2013. He was the first player in 25 years to win that title in back-to-back years.

The 2013 season also saw Malm match the Elgin Country Club course record when he shot a 9-under-par 63 in an IPGA stroke play event.

Hinsdale is focus of CDGA centennial

The Chicago District Golf Assn. announced its tournament schedule for its 100th season on Tuesday with Hinsdale Golf Club appropriately in the spotlight during the organization’s centennial campaign.

Hinsdale was the home club of Francis S. Peabody, the first CDGA president and the man credited with getting 25 area clubs together for the purpose of organizing in 1914. Hinsdale will host the CDGA’s oldest event, the Chicago District Amateur, from June 23-26, and also the newest one – the season-ended Centennial Founders Club Championship on Oct. 16. The Founders Club event is a team competition.

The other most notable addition to the expanded 60-event schedule is the CDGA Par-3 Championship, to be held Sept. 8 at Lost Dunes in Bridgman, Mich. The event was held twice as a CDGA Foundation event but is now part of the tournament calendar.

Former IWO champion is retiring

Allison Fouch-Duncan, the Michigan golfer who won the 2010 Illinois Women’s Open at Mistwood, in Romeoville, before moving on to the LPGA Tour, is retiring from the circuit.

She declared herself retired after a press conference to announce that her hometown of Grand Rapids had landed an LPGA tournament. The $1.5 million Meijer LPGA Classic will be played at Blythefield Country Club from Aug. 7-10, 2014. Fouch-Duncan is a member of the LPGA Executive Committee.

Did you know?

The Women’s Western Golf Assn. has set sites for its 2014 championships. The 114th Women’s Western Amateur will be June 23-24 at Lancaster (Pa.) Country Club and the 88th Women’s Western Junior will be at Knollwood, in Granger, Ind., from July 28-Aug. 1. Knollwood will host the event for the fifth time. Lancaster, one of the nation’s oldest clubs, was designed by William Flynn. His credits include former U.S. Open venues Merion, Shinnecock Hills and Cherry Hills as well as the Glen View Club, home base of WWGA president Kimberly Shriver and several WWGA directors.

Dan Tully, superintendent at Kemper Lakes the past 14 years, is moving to nearby Twin Orchard in Long Grove and Randy Wahler, the superintendent at Knollwood, in Lake Forest, for 33 years, has announced his retirement.

Emily Fletcher, the Big Ten women’s coach of the year in 2013, has landed two prize recruits from California. Sarah Cho and Hannah Kim are both ranked in the top 10 nationally on the Junior Golf Scoreboard. Cho is also ranked No. 1 in California and Kim is No. 3.

Jeff Perdew, general manager at Chicago Highlands, and two head professionals – Wade Gurysh of Knollwood and Nick Papadakes of Old Elm – have been elected to the IPGA board of directors.

Pat Goss and Jeff Mory, both long prominent in Chicago golf, are busy guys.

Goss is director of golf at Northwestern, head coach of the NU men’s team and the swing coach of Luke Donald. Mory is director of golf at Conway Farms, the Lake Forest course that includes Donald among its members. It will host the PGA Tour’s BMW Championship in September.

Mory’s pupils include University of Iowa golfers Vince India and Brad Hopfinger – the Illinois State Amateur champions of 2010 and 2011, respectively.

In one way or another Goss and Mory have worked together for over 20 years, and now they’re collaborating again – with a relatively new program that isn’t yet as high-profile as Goss’ NU golf program or Mory’s world-class golf club.

In 2011 the two co-founded the Wildcat Golf Academy in an effort to fill a need in junior golf. Goss describes the Academy as “the first NCAA-legal sports club for golf.’’ Sports clubs are common in other sports, like volleyball and soccer, but it wasn’t so easy to get similar opportunities for golfers. Lots of paperwork needed to be done, but it was all worthwhile.

“There’s a huge demand for us to work with junior golfers,’’ said Goss, “but it was hard for me because it’s against NCAA rules to give private lessons to a high school boy. This program is NCAA approved. It’s the only program of its kind in the country.’’

Mory, an Illinois high school champion in 1982, was the Northwestern men’s coach from 1990-97. During that period he was the Big Ten coach-of-the-year in 1994. Goss was, at first, one of his NU players.

In 1992 Goss became Mory’s assistant and took over as head coach when Mory moved to Conway Farms. The Wildcats have won four Big Ten titles and 32 tournaments in Goss’ 18 seasons. His players have won seven Big Ten individual titles – Scott Rowe (1995), Jonathan Loosemore (1996), Donald (2000 and 2001), Chris Wilson (2006), Eric Chun (2009) and David Lipsky (2010).

Coinciding with their success in their other jobs, Goss and Mory broadened their scope by creating the Wildcat Golf Academy.

“We felt something was missing for junior golfers,’’ said Goss. “If they’re going to improve this is the direction to go.’’

The Wildcat Golf Academy is a year-around program. Budding golfers don’t need to head to warm weather climates in the winter. They can get what they need to grow their skills in the north suburbs. Academy members work at the Luke Donald Practice Facility at The Glen Club in Glenview in the spring, summer and fall and use either the Gleacher Golf Center, located in the landmark Patten Gymnasium, or the all-purpose Trienens Center on NU’s Evanston campus in the winter.

Patten is famous for being the site of the first NCAA basketball tournament in 1939. The Gleacher Center, which opened as part of a renovation in 1987, is historic as well. It was the first facility of its kind in college golf with its 2,000-square foot pitching and putting green and adjacent sand trap. The Trienens Center can be netted like a dome for golf and has enough room for pitch shots.

Goal of the Academy is to develop highly motivated junior golfers who have the desire to compete at the highest level locally, regionally and nationally. The same teaching principles that Goss and Mory have used on their other jobs are utilized in the Academy, but the staff is much larger than just the two co-founders.

The Academy has three levels. Sam McKenney handles the juniors, youngsters who start at age 10 and must have taken lessons before they enroll. McKenney is an assistant coach for both men’s and women’s teams at Northwestern and also a teaching professional at Knollwood Club in Lake Forest.

Goss and Mory oversee the other two levels – academy and elite — with a staff of well-qualified instructors. They include David Inglis, assistant coach of the NU men’s team; Beth Miller, assist for the NU women’s squad; Conway Farms assistants Harlan Chemers and Jamie Fischer; Dan Massello, assistant professional at Evanston Golf Club; and Daniel Gray, assistant at Skokie.

While the Academy is for “highly motivated’’ players, Goss admits “there are different levels of commitment within the group.’’

The junior level is geared for kids to learn in a fun manner. The academy is for fifth graders and up and the elite is where students work in small groups twice a week directly with Goss and Mory. Fitness training is also included, directed by Cory Puyear – Northwestern’s strength and conditioning specialist who also works with golfers on the pro tours. Participants must live within 50 miles of the Evanston.

The Wildcat Golf Academy has quadrupled in size since its first sessions but the most interesting aspect is the summer-to-winter ratio.

“The offseason (winter) is become a critical time,’’ said Goss. “We do all the things we can’t do when the players are competing. The lowest number of our participants is in the summer, the highest in the winter. That’s the opposite of most teaching programs.’’

The effectiveness of the program is showing in tournament play, particularly in the Illinois Junior Golf Assn. events. Academy members like Bennett Cotton, Chip Savarie John Kryscio, Jason Paek, Blake Yaccino and Ethan Farnam have been among the very best in those competitions.

Remember those names. Could one of them emerge as the “next Luke Donald’’ in a few years? It’ll be interesting to find out.

Registration information is available at www.wildcatgolfacademy.com.