TINLEY PARK, IL. – At first it seemed a walk down memory lane. I hadn’t been back to the Odyssey Country Club in Chicago’s south suburbs since 1997 – the third and final year the course was used as the site of the Illinois Women’s Open championship. Odyssey got that tournament, the state’s most prestigious…
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Another partner joins LZOG: Hacker’s Central
Len Ziehm on Golf is today announcing a fourth partnership agreement, this one with the website Hacker’s Central. Based in Minneapolis, this site provides information and rates courses in Minnesota, North and South Dakota, Iowa, Nebraska, Wisconsin, Nevada and Illinois. For starters, LZOG will contribute Travel Destination blog-type pieces as well as occasional news items…
PGA MERCHANDISE SHOW: Nicklaus says golf is “at a crossroads”
ORLANDO, FL. — The biggest show in golf started on a sobering note Thursday, and it was offered by the game’s greatest player. Jack Nicklaus gave the keynote address as the 59th PGA Merchandise Show opened its three-day run at the Orange County Convention Center. In it he voiced concerns about the game’s future, then…
PGA MERCHANDISE SHOW: Demo Day delights
ORLANDO, FL. — Getting to the Demo Day kickoff of the 59th PGA Merchandise Show wasn’t easy. There were traffic jams and long lines at the check-in points — even when the gates opened at the Orange County National Golf Center. The Demo Day was closed to the public and required a 45-minute shuttle bus…
PGA MERCHANDISE SHOW PREVIEW: Wilson is going belly-up
ORLANDO, FL. — Chicago-based Wilson Sporting Goods may have the richest heritage in golf. More major championships have been won by players using the company’s irons than any other, the majors number won now at 62 and counting. Still, Wilson won’t be stuck in its past at this week’s 59th annual PGA Merchandise Show. Among…
THIS `Big Three’ is ready for action
This “Big Three” may not be anything like Arnold Palmer, Jack Nicklaus and Gary Player, but we feel we can make a positive impact on golf — especially in the Chicago area. We are three golf reporters with a combined 102 years of experience covering the sport we love. We’re kicking off 2012 by announcing…
JUST MY OPINION: Luke Donald has topped them all
On Sunday Luke Donald finished third in the Dubai World Championship and became the first golfer to win money titles on both the U.S. and European PIA Tours while holding membership in both. This is something for the history books, and the feat hasn’t gotten the attention it should have from the sports media both…
Tourney sites are intriguing for CDGA, WGA
The Chicago District Golf Assn. and Western Golf Assn. have made major announcements in their tournament sites just a few days apart. In announcing its tournament slate for 2012 the CDGA revealed that Cantigny, the 27-hole public layout in Wheaton, will host the concluding four-day match play portion of the CDGA Amateur. That’s significant because…
Ryder Cup enthusiasm builds
Sure, Medinah’s week to host the 39th Ryder Cup is still a year away. Still, the task of getting ready for the biggest team event in golf is a major undertaking. Michael Belot, the tournament director, and five staffers have been working feverishly from Medinah and report making great progress. Belot should know, becuase he…
WGA: Why BMW Is Moving
The Western Golf Association’s decision to move the BMW Championship out of Chicago again wasn’t a surprise. After all, the event did very well at Bellerive in St. Louis in 2008 and the PGA Tour players’ response to Cog Hill’s Dubsdread course during the 2010 tournament was less than enthusiastic. Still, going to Cherry Hills…