BMW Championship back in Chicago…..
Sources say that it is a done deal. If that is correct the BMW Championship will return to Chicago in 2013, and Conway Farms Golf Club looks to be the host. Conway Farms is a private, links style club in Lake Forest and holds a strong reputation amongst Chicagoans. It is also a favorite of golf’s current #1 player in the world Luke Donald. Luke Donald attended Northwestern and considers Conway Farms as his home course in the area. I have never played Conway, but have heard nothing but great things. I really hope this is going to happen because Chicago hands down deserves a PGA Tour event every year.
After the PGA decided not to return to Cog Hill for the BMW, golfers and fans were disappointed because Chicago was a staple each year for the tour. Chicago has some of the greatest golf courses in the country and all within a convenient distance from the city. Tour players also love coming to Chicago, I can’t blame them…it is the best city in the world, right….
I know the PGA was also considering The Glen Club, which I think has the caliber to host a PGA event, but would definitely need some work to toughen up the course. Length is not an issue, but I feel the fairways would need to be tightened for the pros.
Chicago has the Ryder Cup coming to Medinah in September, which I personally can’t wait for, but I really want to see the BMW back here as well. I hope these “sources” are correct……we shall see.
Tee it Up!!
Golfology
- A two-foot putt counts the same as a two-foot drive.
- Never wash your ball on the tee of a water hole.
- There is no such thing as a friendly wager.
- The stages of golf are Sudden Collapse, Radical Change, Complete Frustration, Slow Improvement, Brief Mastery, and Sudden Collapse.
- The only sure way to get a par is to leave a four-foot birdie putt two inches short of the hole.
- Don’t play with anyone who would question a 7.
- It’s as easy to lower your handicap as it is to reduce your hat size.
- If you really want to be better at golf, go back and take it up at a much earlier age.
- If your driver is hot, your putter will be ice-cold; if you can hit your irons, you will top your woods; if you are keeping your right elbow tucked in, your head will come up.
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Stare of the Century
I saw this picture several months ago after the President’s Cup, and not sure why I didn’t post this then. Don’t really have much to say here, this picture speaks for itself. Like the old adage goes, “A picture is worth a thousand words.”
Tee it Up!!
Chicago Golf Show
The Chicago Golf Show is Feb 24th – 26th.
Location: Donald E. Stephens Convention Center 5555 N. River RoadRosemont, IL 60018
If you have not been before I recommend going. It is $5 on Friday and $10 on Saturday/Sunday. Just for going you get a free round of golf at a GolfVisions golf course. $5/$10 for a free round of golf is not a bad deal. There are several booths setup with raffles and prizes, demos, lessons, speakers, discounted equipment and apparel. There is also a long distance putting and driving contest. These were huge hits last year, pun intended. I did the long distance putt contest and won myself 3 free rounds of golf. If you get the ball within a certain range from the hole you get a free round of golf courtesy of GolfVisions, and if you get it in the hole you are put in a raffle for a golf trip. In total for $13 ($3 for the putting contest), I got myself 4 free rounds of golf…..ask any golfer that is a unbelievable bargain.
For more information, go to the link below. If you end up going let me know what you think, maybe one year I will get a booth there!!
http://www.chicagogolfshow.com/home
Tee it Up!!
Is Tiger Woods Back?
Yesterday marked a very important day for the game of golf. Tiger Woods has finally won again. Down by 1 stroke on 17, Tiger poured in a birdie putt to tie it with Zach Johnson. Then on 18, Tiger stood over his 6 foot birdie putt to win, and the rest was history. It was great to see that Tiger roar again, and massive fist pump, that for many would result in a torn or pulled muscle. This victory at the Chevron World Challenge, might be the highlight that everyone will see, but it was not the underlying significance behind the day. For some, they would think it’s no big deal or don’t care at all. For me though, and my other golf enthusiasts, we do care and know that this was a big day for the game we love….for several reasons.
That wasn’t just the day that Tiger broke his 749 day drought of not winning a tour event, which dates back to November 15th, 2009 at the Australian Masters. That wasn’t just the day that Tiger moved from being ranked 52nd in the world to 21st. That wasn’t just his 83 worldwide win, or first win in 26 tournaments. Yesterday was the day that fans, tour players, media, scientists, teachers, lawyers, and dogs all said to each other or themselves…..”Is Tiger back?” So if it was up to me to declare an answer to this question, I would have to go with….it sure looks like it.
After watching his play last week at the Presidents Cup, and then witnessing his obvious success this weekend at the Chevron World Challenge, Tiger looks like he has figured his game out. His putting has improved, he is making solid contact with the golf ball, his swing looks balanced, and the one thing other tour players hate to see….his confidence seems to be back.
Players would admit that they love when Tiger is on top of his game, because it is the competition that drives them, and if they beat Tiger when he is at his best, it says a lot about their game. To be the best you have to beat the best, right? Deep down though, I think some have enjoyed the past two years where Tiger wasn’t the dominant figure in golf. It has allowed players such as Luke Donald, Martin Kaymer, and Lee Westwood to spend some time as the #1 ranked golfer in the world. But then again, it would have meant more if Tiger was #2 behind them.
Tiger has changed the game of golf over the last decade, and in these last two years without him the game has taken a real hit. As I mentioned earlier there are several reasons why this victory marked an important day for golf, and one of them is the competition will be a lot better on the tour. The resurgence in Tiger’s game will result in the rest of the tour having to shift their games into another gear. With the hopes of seeing him back in contention week after week in 2012 the game is only going to benefit, and I think the players will embrace the challenge.
Another major reason, and one of the biggest impacts will be TV ratings. It has been said time and time again, any tournament where Tiger is not in contention come Sunday does not get the greatest ratings. There are not a lot of people who enjoy watching golf on TV, as they think it is boring. I’m am not one of them, but I will say if Tiger is wearing his Sunday red and is on top of the leaderboard people tend to tune in…..even those “golf is boring” people.
Ticket sales and attendance for tournaments in which Tiger enters will also likely increase.
There have been several movements recently with the younger golfers following such players as Dustin Johnson and Rickie Fowler, and now Tiger can be added back into the mix.
Then there is the “will Tiger break Jack’s 18 major championship record.” The past two years, people close to the game argued this point day and night, so will their opinions change now? Is it too early to start this discussion? I guess the jury is out and we will see.
With all that said, I was very happy/relieved to see Tiger win and put an end to this rocky and stressful two years. The game needs him back and I think he is headed in the right direction. I believe it was Mark Rolfing that asked Tiger after the win to describe his emotion, “Joy? Relief? Satisfaction?” Woods responded with, “It just feels awesome whatever it is.” The anticipation for 2012 is already high, and it should be an exciting year for Tiger and the game of golf.
Tee it Up!!
*Sidenote…. I wish they would use the camera view they used on Tiger and Zach’s approach shots on 18 more often.
CHICAGO GOLF CENTRAL 