Chicago District Golfer Aug. 2010

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n

GUEST ESSAY

By Ty McClellan and Dr. Derek Settle

Uncontrollable The health of a golf course’s turfgrass is dependent upon one element that cannot be dictated: the weather

S

ummer arrived early and with a bang. Given the number of complaints from golfers regarding course conditions in recent weeks, it is obvious everyone really enjoyed the mild summers of 2008 and 2009, when little turf stress was observed. It seems as though the short-term memories are working to our disadvantage, however, as most golfers have forgotten typical summer conditions.

In 2008 and ‘09, hot summer days above 90 degrees totaled nine and six, whereas the seasonal average is 18 days. In early July alone, we saw four consecutive days, July 4-7, in which the mercury topped 90 degrees.

Cooler temperatures, overcast skies and frequent rainfall in 2008 and 2009 provided environmental conditions mirroring those of the Pacific Northwest, where Poa annua (annual bluegrass) thrives. Cool temperatures kept the above-ground vegetation appearing healthy at a time when the turfgrass root systems were compromised. With plenty of moisture and the absence of intense heat, Poa annua increased on many courses.

Unfortunately, Poa annua declines much faster than bentgrass during weather extremes, which is why it fell prey to winterkill damage this winter and why it fades during summer heat.

The 2010 season has been trouble for area superintendents. The season began in December when more than an inch of rain fell. This allowed a significant ice layer to freeze, followed by consistently cold conditions—97 days of temperatures below 50 degrees (only four other winters could match that stretch). That made conditions ripe for winterkill.

When the snow and ice melted, we began assessing turfgrass health and having discussions with turfgrass

managers about our concerns for the preparedness of the turfgrass should we return to typical summer conditions. By April, a group of superintendents on the North Shore completed a survey documenting moderate to extensive winter turf injury. A large percentage of Chicago District courses were likely affected.

Then it was spring, a time for recovery. For most highly-manicured turf, it was a given, but for others, golf green and fairway injury went beyond thinning and that meant reestablishment of bare patches by bentgrass seed. The warmer-than-usual spring appeared to contribute to the golfer perception that summer arrived early and ideal course conditions would quickly follow suit.

Sometimes, as was the case in 2010, it is not in the averages. Hard frost events into May delayed turf establishment even with our best efforts to use golf green covers to harness solar radiation and warm the soil. In June and early July, we experienced violent thunderstorms and frequent rainfall, which meant course conditions remained overly wet. Those saturated conditions hindered root development and compromised plant health.

In response to stressful summer conditions, turfgrass managers must err on the side of caution and preserve turfgrass health. Every golf surface is dynamic and living, so temperature extremes will test the physiological limits needed for its survival year in and year out. Agronomically speaking, we always hope for a dry summer, since water can be added when and if needed. But, when it rains too much or all at once and the temperatures climb, waterlogged soils and prolonged heat create the perfect storm for turfgrass decline. This is when turfgrass encounters health issues as well as high incidence of disease, some of

Ty McClellan

Dr. Derek Settle

which can neither be controlled nor completely prevented.

At times like these, expectations should be tempered and we, as golfers, must be patient. Playability must temporarily take a back seat to turf health preservation. Pushing the turf with extra grooming, mowing or rolling to achieve elevated green speeds at such times is risky.

Course superintendents and grounds staff are logging long hours to do everything possible to preserve turfgrass health. However, a slight decrease in green speed and expectations for playability, along with some turf discoloration, are normal and to be expected given the conditions we have endured so far this season.

Ty McClellan is an agronomist with the United States Golf Association. Dr. Derek Settle is the CDGA Director of Turfgrass Programs.

Comments are solely the opinion of the author and not neccessarily those of the CDGA. Letters and opinions are welcome at info@cdga.org.

AUGUST 2010

CHICAGO DISTRICT GOLFER | 3

CHICAGO DISTRICT GOLF ASSOCIATION F O R E V E RYO N E W H O P L AYS T H E G A M E Midwest Golf House | 11855 Archer Ave. | Lemont, IL 60439 | 630-257-2005 | Fax 630-257-2088 | www.cdga.org

OFFICERS

VO L U M E 21, N U M B E R 4

PRESIDENT Matthew L. Pekarek, Village Links of Glen Ellyn

VICE PRESIDENT AT LARGE James B. Madison, M.D., Illini CC

TREASURER Michael J. Grandinetti, Calumet CC

DIRECTOR OF COMMUNICATIONS

FIRST VICE PRESIDENT Keith Frankland, Village Greens of Woodridge

VICE PRESIDENT AT LARGE Christine L. Stevens, Cress Creek CC

GENERAL COUNSEL Sheldon Solow, Briarwood CC

DIRECTOR OF CORPORATE PARTNERSHIPS

SECOND VICE PRESIDENT David Haverick, Glen Flora CC

SECRETARY Alan J. Hunken, Bob O’Link GC

EX-OFFICIO Jerry Williams, Olympia Fields CC

Matt Baylor Andrew Louthain MANAGER OF COMMUNICATIONS

Alli Ferguson EDITOR

GOVERNORS Thomas Allison . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Beverly CC

Thomas H. Roth . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Inverness GC

Steven S. Birky . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Harrison Park GC

Don Schwarz . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Prestwick CC

William R. Buecking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .At Large

Lawrence W. Schweik . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Bartlett Hills GC

C. Daniel Cochran . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Biltmore CC

Lorraine Scodro . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Midlothian CC

Frank D’Ambra, Jr. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Biltmore CC

Philip Shannabarger . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .The Den at Fox Creek

David A. Esler . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Black Sheep GC

Gerald Skoning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Cog Hill G & CC

Charles E. Hodgson . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Arrowhead CC

Rebecca A. Smith . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Chalet Hills GC

Gerald R. Hodgson . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Pekin CC

A. Glenn Stith . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Arrowhead GC

Nick Mokelke . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Cog Hill G & CC

Robert J. Stracks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Northmoor CC

Mike Nass . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Cantigny Golf

Marianne Zito . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Stonebridge CC

Dennis A. Reed . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Pekin CC

DIRECTORS Robert E. Allgyer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Shoreacres

Jack Kieckhefer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Mauh-Nah-Tee-See CC

Richard Andre . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Ridge CC

William Kingore . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Beverly CC

Thomas R. Artz . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Sportsman’s CC

Gary B. Koch . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .At Large

Guy Arvia . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Exmoor CC

Bill Koeneman . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .At Large

Randy Becker . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Winnetka CC

Daniel R. Krpan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Boulder Ridge CC

Daniel M. Blouin . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Village Greens of Woodridge

Laurence J. LaBoda . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Kemper Lakes CC

Andrew Boling . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Chicago GC

Josh Lesnik . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .The Glen Club

Mary Burgland . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Soangetaha CC

Gregory Liebovich . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Big Foot CC

Michael Camino . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Conway Farms GC

R. Scott Malmgren . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Glen Oak CC

Gordon L. Campbell . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Ruth Lake CC

Christopher R. McClear . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .At Large

Frank Charhut . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Wilmette GC

Richard McCombs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Oak Park CC

Steven L. Cherveny . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Foxford Hills GC

Elston Mitchell . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Pontiac Elks CC

John A. Childers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Elgin CC

David Mortell . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Balmoral Woods CC

Michael J. Choate . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .North Shore CC

Thomas E. Mott . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Rockford CC

Michael E. Clark, D.P.M. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .CC of Decatur

Edward Mulcahy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Midlothian CC

Edward Clissold . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Westmoreland CC

Rudolph E. Nelson . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Schaumburg GC

Henry Close . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Aldeen GC

H. Steven Nichols . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Champaign CC

David Crockett . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .At Large

Clay Nicolsen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Mistwood GC

Guy Crucil . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Medinah CC

Lawrence Oakford . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Woodstock CC

Robert J. Cunningham . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Indian Hill Club

James J. O’Hagan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Park Ridge CC

Ronald Davidson . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Makray Memorial GC

John Ozag . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Rolling Green CC

Anthony DeMarco . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Olympia Fields CC

John Paladino . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Forest Hills CC

Michael J. Dickman . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Calumet CC

Arthur W. Peters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Ruth Lake CC

Robert Dutton . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Timber Creek CC

Roger L. Peterson . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Lincolnshire Fields CC

Jeffrey D. Echt . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Lake Shore CC

Ronald Potter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .White Eagle GC

Richard Estlin . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Terrace Hill GC

D. William Robertson . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .PrairieView GC

William Finn, M.D. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Riverside GC

John Rolfe . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Northmoor CC

Michael Forde . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Butler National GC

Michael Rooney . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Butler National GC

Larry Fulgenzi . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Old Wayne GC

James F. Rudwall . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Ivanhoe Club

Mary Garrison . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Winnetka GC

Samuel M.Sallerson . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Bryn Mawr CC

Thomas A. Gilley . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Flossmoor CC

Michael J. Scheer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .LaGrange CC

Kevin Gratkowski . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Lost Dunes

Richard J. Skrodzki . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .LaGrange CC

Roger D. Greer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Skokie CC

Laura Spring . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .St. Charles CC

Michael Griem . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Exmoor CC

Darryl Stock . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Red Tail Run GC

Howard Haberkorn . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Boulder Ridge CC

C. Nelson Strom . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Stonewall Orchard GC

James J. Hager . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Lake Barrington Shores GC

Mike Sullivan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Bloomington CC

Thomas J. Haggerty . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Butterfield CC

Nancy L. Sullivan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Westmoreland CC

J. Loren Hall . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Blackstone GC

James Troy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Crystal Tree G & CC

Eugene N. Halladay . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Hinsdale GC

Kenneth Urbaszewski . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Deerfield GC

John L. Hammond, II . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Evanston GC

David A. Usiak . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Crestwicke CC

John Henderson, M.D. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .CC of Peoria

Anthony M. Viola . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Old Orchard CC

Robert Hinton . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Panther Creek CC

Timothy Vola . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Harborside International

Edward J. Hockfield . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Hillcrest CC

Ben Waldie . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .St. Charles CC

John C. Hoelscher . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .WeaverRidge GC

David A. Walters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Crystal Lake CC

Betty Kaufmann . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Knollwood Club

Joe Williamson . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Briar Ridge CC

Peter Keffer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Aldeen GC

James E. Winslow . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Inverness GC

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Insurance and Risk Management Solutions for Golf and Country Clubs

August 2010 | Vol. 21 No. 4

Features 16 STORIED GROUND

32 REWRITING HISTORY

By Len Ziehm

By Ed Sherman

The Illinois State Amateur will grace Chicago for Wilson Golf has a storied past, but now it’s the first time when it visits Beverly Country Club, attempting to make new inroads in an a venue as rich in history as the event itself. ever-competitive marketplace.

20 GETTING OVER THE HUMP

36 GRAND OPENING

By Jim Owczarski

By Len Ziehm

Saddled by previous tournaments he had a chance to win but didn’t, Tommy Bliefnick closed the deal at the CDGA Amateur.

These are difficult times for many clubs and courses, but that did not stop the owners of Chicago Highlands from persevering and opening the new private facility.

22

22 HOMECOMING KING

By Len Ziehm

No University of Illinois alumni stood taller at the John Deere Classic than champ Steve Stricker.

27 COMING OF AGE

By Tim Cronin

Despite their advancing years, a number of area players still are able to keep up with players that are much younger.

14

24

Departments GUEST ESSAY Ty McClellan and Derek Settle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3

AROUND THE CDGA Fit for Golf . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 Ask the Docs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 Aces in the Crowd . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 Tournament Update . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11 Club Corner . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12

FACILITY FOCUS PrairieView Golf Club . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14

DESTINATION Kohler/Milwaukee . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24

GEMS OF THE CDGA The 10th hole at Panther Creek Country Club . . 38

RULES OF THE GAME Water hazards are tricky, but there are options . . . 40

COVER: Tommy Bliefnick (Frank Polich/CDGA) CONTENTS: (from top) Steve Stricker (Getty Images); PrairieView Golf Club (photo courtesy Prairieview GC); bronze statue of The Fonz (photo courtesy the Greater Milwaukee Convention and Visitors Bureau).

AUGUST

CHICAGO DISTRICT GOLFER | 7

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» FIT FOR GOLF Keep your swing in check to keep injury at bay is one of the most dynamic sport skills as it pertains to the demands it places on the body. Each part of the body is involved in one way or another during the brief moment it takes to complete a full swing.

Here are two quick tests to determine what parts of the body could be limiting performance or putting a player at risk for injury.

• Toe Touch Test: Standing with feet together and knees straight, bend forward at the waist and try to touch your toes with your hands. If it is somewhat difficult, there may be tightness in the hamstrings or lower back. However, those may not be the only factors that are limiting the ability to touch your toes. To see if the hips might be the culprit, stand with both feet together and place one foot on top THE GOLF SWING

of a large phonebook or small box.

Keeping the knee of the foot on the ground straight, attempt to touch the foot that is placed on the floor with both hands. Repeat on the other side. If one side is more limited than the other, that hip may be preventing the ability to touch the toes, which will limit the ability to get into a good set-up position and maintain posture throughout a golf swing.

• Deep Squat Test: Standing with feet shoulder-width apart and toes pointing forward, grab a club with both hands and hold it directly above the head with arms extended. Squat down as far as possible (without pain), to get your thighs below parallel and focus on keeping your heels on the ground, arms straight in the air and torso upright. Should you not be able to keep

your heels on the ground or your toes end up pointing outward, ankle mobility should be the focus. If you cannot get your thighs below parallel or find that your knees end up pointing outward or collapsing inward, your hips and knees should be the focus.

For a player who cannot keep the torso upright and arms straight up, above the head, core stability and shoulder strength/flexibility should be the focus.

These are just two of many tests used to assess physical make-up in order to develop a specific golf conditioning program tailored to a player’s needs.

For additional information on AthletiCo’s Golf Performance Center, visit www.athleticogolfcenter.com or call 630-572-9700.

—Tom Asuma

» ASK THE DOCS Walking the golf course doesn’t need to be a pain Question: After

playing 18 holes of golf, I can hardly walk the next day because of an intense pain on the top of both of my feet. Any ideas as to what is causing the pain?

Answer from Dr. Johnny L. Lin: Pain

on the top of the foot after a long period of walking is most commonly the result of mild arthritis in the middle of the foot. This injury is appropriately called Midfoot Arthritis.

Midfoot Arthritis injuries can be caused by two unique and differing situations. The first cause is a traumatic event or sprain to the midfoot. This trauma causes a partial dislocation of the midfoot, which turns into arthritis over time.

The second cause, which sounds like your injury, is the degeneration or loss of cartilage in the midfoot due to abnormal amounts of wear and tear.

This wear and tear usually is emphasized by chronic and abnormal range of motion in the midfoot, which leads to arthritis. This form of Midfoot Arthritis also can be accompanied with a burning or tingling sensation over the top of the foot, which radiates toward the toes. This is due to irritation of the nerves that normally supply the sensation to the top of the foot. Swelling is also a common symptom.

As far as treatment options are concerned, an orthopaedic

8 | CHICAGO DISTRICT GOLFER

specialist usually verifies the diagnosis of Midfoot Arthritis with an examination and X-ray.

After that, initial treatment consists of over-the-counter antiinflammatories for the pain and swelling, purchasing shoes with good arch support (this includes inserts and custom orthotics) for the abnormal midfoot motion, and maintaining good flexibility of the ankle by stretching the Achilles tendon.

Another possible cause for the pain is a stress fracture. A stress fracture can also be diagnosed with an X-ray and treatment usually consists of casting and rest. Due to the pain existence on both feet, this seems unlikely, however.

Overall, in order to stay active during the golf season while taking the next steps to heal or improve the arthritis, I recommend using a cart instead of walking the course.

Editor’s note: This information is intended only for general public education and is not intended to serve as a substitute for direct medical advice. It should not replace necessary medical consultations with a qualified orthopaedic physician.

For more information about Dr. Lin and the sports medicine physicians of Midwest Orthopaedics at Rush, call 877-632-6637 or go online at www.rushortho.com.

W W W. C D G A . O R G

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»

Small enters the record books at PNC

Bennett Blakeman

hadn’t shouted it before, now it should be abundantly clear: Mike Small is forging a career that is going to be very difficult to match.

Within the state, he entered the 2010 season with four Illinois Opens in a span of five years, which actually pales in comparison to seven straight Illinois PGA titles and eight overall.

But on a national scale, the 43-year-old Small, the head coach of the men’s golf team at the University of Illinois, his alma mater, also is in rarefied air.

At the 43rd Professional National Championship in late June at French Lick (Ind.) Resort, Small successfully defended his title and captured his third career victory.

By shooting an 8-under-par 278 over the renovated Donald Ross Course and the 15-monthold Pete Dye Course to finish three shots ahead of Georgia’s Sonny Skinner, Small joined the late Larry Gilbert atop the list of most career PNC titles.

With the exception of a 41st-place finish two years ago, Small’s efforts at the Professional National Championship are stunning. In order, they read as follows: 2-1-4-2-1-1.

Although Gilbert had seven career top-five finishes to Small’s six, Small has had approximately one-third the number of starts (seven) as did Gilbert (20).

Small entered the final round at French Lick with a comfortable fourstroke lead but lost all of it.

“It feels good to finish it off,” Small said. “I was leaking oil for a good part of the day. But that’s why they have 18 holes; you never know until the end. I was disappointed the way I started. But luckily, the course was set up so difficult, almost brutal, no one was making a run at me. I didn’t have control of my golf swing all day.”

Blakeman, a 2009 Illinois Wesleyan University graduate, played in the U.S. Open at Pebble Beach in June.

He posted an 81-85—166 two-day total and missed the cut, which was at 7-over 149. Blakeman qualified after finishing first in sectional qualifying at Bull Valley Golf Club in Woodstock, Ill., with a 67-71—138. He was a 2009 first team AllAmerican at IWU, and tied for eighth at the 2009 NCAA Division III Championship. He also was the medalist of the 2009 College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin championships after finishing third in the 2008 tournament.

Burr Ridge

IF HIS PLAYING RÉSUMÉ

David Paeglow DeKalb

Mike Small

The decisive moments came when Small made short birdie putts at the 16th and 17th to take a three-shot lead to the last hole.

“I made some adjustments to my golf swing after the first round and it really felt good for three days,” said Small. “But when something comes that quickly, it tends to leave quickly, too. On 12 tee I just said, ‘Forget it. Just play from strength. Hit at some targets and don’t worry about your golf swing so much.’ ” The top 20 finishers from French Lick earned spots in the PGA Championship, the sixth for Small.

“Last year I played poorly at Hazeltine, wasn’t competitive at all, so I want to make up for that this year,” he said. “I want to go back, make the cut and prove to myself that I can play with those guys.”

—Rich Skyzinski

MONTANA PRITCHARD/THE PGA OF AMERICA

AUGUST 2010

ACES IN THE CROWD

Paeglow, the head professional at Kishwaukee Country Club, was the first-round leader at the 43rd Professional National Championship at French Lick (Ind.) Resort. Paeglow, 43, eventually finished in a tie for 66th place in his fifth PNC, shooting 65-78-77-79—299. In the first round over the Donald Ross Course, Paeglow holed a gap wedge at the par-4 eighth hole for an eagle en route to a 5-under-par 65 and a two-stroke lead. There were 16 Illinois players in the 312-man field and three made the 36hole cut.

Sarah Lynn Sargent St. Charles Sargent played in the U.S. Women’s Open for the second time in her career. An Illinois native who now lives in Greer, S.C., she was one of five who qualified at the sectional qualifier at White Columns Country Club in Alpharetta, Ga., with scores of 74-72—146. At the Women’s Open at Oakmont (Pa.) Country Club, she missed the cut by one shot and finished in a tie for 69th place. She had played in the 2007 U.S. Women’s Open and missed the cut. Sargent currently is the assistant women’s golf coach at Furman University.

Samantha Sloan Lansing Sloan, a junior at the University of Illinois, played in the Tate & Lyle Players Championship, a Futures Tour event, at Hickory Point Golf Course in Decatur in June. Sloan was tied for second after posting back-to-back 67s during the first two rounds and eventually finished tied for 18th with scores of 67-67-72-70—276. The Tate & Lyle Players Championship is the longest running and only major championship on the Futures Tour. Earlier this spring, Sloan tied for third at the UC Spring Invitational in Florida.

Aces In The Crowd recognizes noteworthy accomplishments by people in the CDGA coverage area. Prospective candidates for Aces In The Crowd may be submitted via e-mail to info@cdga.org or aparker@golfweek.com.

CHICAGO DISTRICT GOLFER | 9

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FOUNDATION FOCUS

Going the distance to benefit foundation a pair of individuals will be going the distance for the Sunshine Through Golf Foundation, logging Miles For Sunshine.

Miles For Sunshine is a program that will track miles run while training for October’s Chicago Marathon to raise funds through donors who pledge on a per-mile basis or a one-time donation.

“We’re very excited to have a pair of athletes willing to do this for the Foundation,” assistant executive director Brittany Ottolini said. “Completing 26.2 miles requires hard work and dedication and we’re proud they would choose to do that to help bring joy to people with special needs through golf.”

Each week, through a blog, the program’s runners, Matt Baylor and Alli Ferguson, will keep readers up to date with the trials and tribulations of marathon training, as well as share weekly updates about the athletes, volunteers and programs they are raising funds for through this journey.

Over the course of the 18-week training program, culminating with the Chicago Marathon on Oct. 10, it is estimated the pair will complete some 1,275 miles.

To follow the marathon journey or to make a donation, please visit milesforsunshine.blogspot.com.

THIS SUMMER AND FALL,

AP PHOTO

The Sunshine Through Golf Foundation will benefit from the efforts of runners in the 2010 Chicago Marathon.

»

IN THE NEWS

BMW Championship ticket offer

10 | C H I C A G O D I S T R I C T G O L F E R

champion complete 72 holes at 5 under par, tickets will be discounted by $10. A minimum discount of $5 will be applied regardless of the winning score, with the maximum amount of discount set at $15.

The final opportunity to see the top 70 in the PGA Tour playoffs at Cog Hill Golf & Country Club’s accalimed Dubsdread Course at a discounted rate will be valid only on Aug. 16, and is not valid with any other promotion or offer.

For more information or to order tickets, call 847-724-4600 or visit www.bmwchampionshipusa.com.

GETTY IMAGES

will have one final opportunity to purchase 2010 BMW Championship single-day tickets at a discounted rate on Monday, Aug. 16.

The amount of the discount will be based upon the winning score at this year’s final major at Whistling Straits in Kohler, Wis. For every stroke under par by the winner at the end of 72 holes, the Western Golf Association will reduce the regular ticket price of $45 by doubling that amount.

So, as an example, should the

CHICAGO-AREA GOLF FANS

Tiger Woods is the defending champion at the BMW Championship.

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TOURNAMENT UPDATE

FEATURED PLAYER

FEATURED COURSE

Steve Sawtell, Northfield

Calumet Country Club

• Dream foursome: Ben Hogan, Jack Nicklaus and Rich Dukelow.

• First played the game at: Age 8, and my first tournament was the 10-year-old championship at George Williams College Golf Course in Lake Geneva.

• If you could play a round anywhere, it would be: Augusta (Ga.) National Golf Club.

• Favorite moment on a golf course: It would have to be a toss-up between either of my two CDGA Amateur victories (2004, 2009).

• Why do you play tournament golf?: I play for the challenge. Win or Steve Sawtell lose, the fact that you know you can compete is great. It’s also about the people you meet.

CDGA TOURNAMENT

Husband and Wife Championship open accepted for the 39th Husband and Wife Championship, conducted by the Chicago District Golf Association. The event will be played Sept. 23 at Boulder Ridge Country Club and it is limited to 64 couples.

The Husband and Wife is a unique championship, utilizing a combined stableford scoring system using each player’s current Handicap Index. Play is conducted in both gross and net divisions.

Last year, Timothy and Sue Hennessy of Midlothian Country Club won the gross division, while John and Jamie Schoch of Naperville Country Club took home the net title at Biltmore Country Club.

To enter the event, go online at www.cdga.org/tournaments.

ENTRIES ARE NOW BEING

AUGUST 2010

CALUMET

COUNTRY

Club traces its roots to 1901, with the original course at the corner of 95th Street and Cottage Grove— the present day site of Chicago State University.

In 1922, the current Donald Ross layout was opened for play in Homewood. Since then the course has been the host club of several events, including the 1924 Western Open and the 1945 Chicago Victory Open (the unofficial replacement for the U.S. Open during World War II), which was Byron Nelson’s eighth consecutive win on tour, en route to a legendary 11-tournament win streak.

Despite stretching to only 6,559 from the back tees, this par-71 layout is no pushover with its five challenging par-3s. The length of the course should not fool a player, as several holes on the front nine will test a players’ course management skills, while on the back

nine, water hazards and forced carries are thrown the golfers’ way.

Any conversation about Calumet must include the 14th hole—one of the par 3s. From the forward tees it spans 155 yards, reaching 213 from the tips with an uphill tee shot that must carry a pond on to an extremely challenging green. The green, which was redesigned in 2005, slopes more than 20 degrees back to front. While the redesign may have softened some of the challenge of the green—in the past only about 20 percent of it was usable—when Nelson visited the club in 2001 for its centennial, he still remembered the test that is the 14th green.

TOURNAMENT RESULTS

2010 Champions conducts nearly 60 events, with 40 local (non-USGA) events in 2010. Here is a list of the 2010 championship winners (through July 13):

EACH YEAR, THE CHICAGO DISTRICT GOLF ASSOCIATION

COURSE

NAME

CDGA Better Ball #1 at Kankakee CC Illinois State Public Links Championship at Mistwood GC CDGA Better Ball #2 at Point O’Woods G&CC Illinois State Mid-Amateur Championship at White Eagle GC CDGA Senior Amateur Championship at Crystal Lake CC CDGA Public Links Championship at Glencoe GC CDGA Better Ball #3 at St. Charles CC CDGA Better Ball #4 at George Dunne National CDGA Senior Better Ball at Idlewild CC CDGA Net Championship at Oak Meadows GC CDGA Amateur Championship at Bull Valley GC CDGA Better Ball #5 at Kenosha CC CDGA Better Ball #6 at Briar Ridge CC

Jerry Maatman, Jr., and Brian Coffman John Ehrgott Aaron Kessler and Eric Grams Todd Mitchell Tom Miler Jonathan Hauter Kevin Webber and Edward Frey Mark Esposito and John Finnin Brad Barker and Dan Roan Larry Vaughan Tommy Bliefnick Kevin Gratkowski and John Smollen John Wright and John Finnin

C H I C A G O D I S T R I C T G O L F E R | 11

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» CLUB CORNER Properly fitted clubs allow for better play golf club can be difficult and costly, and often, players purchase equipment that never delivers the results the player is after.

As a consequence, two things inevitably occur. Either the player continues to needlessly purchase more equipment that doesn’t work any better than their previous clubs, or they continue to struggle with poorly-fitted equipment and stays frustrated for an extended period of time.

Equipment referrals from friends rarely pan out. Ad campaigns promising longer and straighter drives lure players in, only to leave them with equipment that, at best, works well some of the time. It’s like buying new shoes year after year without being properly fit by a knowledgeable salesperson as to size and comfort. Eventually a player might hit on a pair that fits, but this is more CHOOSING THE CORRECT

luck than anything else.

All correctly fitted equipment shares common characteristics. Lies, lengths and lofts are correctly spaced throughout the set and are appropriate for the player being fitted. Shaft weight is correctly staggered throughout the set and calibrated for the player as well. In fact, shaft weight is arguably the most important component of a properly fit set of clubs. It is the weight of the shaft that determines the weight of the club more so than the weight of the head, as most iron heads are very similar in weight.

A properly constructed set of clubs should have five different shaft weights: driver, fairway, hybrid, irons and wedges. The longest club, the driver, has the lightest shaft, while the shortest wedge has the heaviest. Fairway wood shafts should be heavier than the driver

shaft and hybrid shafts heavier than the fairway woods. Iron shafts should be heavier than the hybrid shafts while the wedge shafts are heavier still.

Here is a good example of a properly staggered set: • Driver shaft: 62 grams • Fairway shaft: 72 grams • Hybrid shaft: 85 grams • Iron shafts: 100 grams • Wedge shafts: 120 grams Regardless of the model or manufacturer of the equipment, if the shaft weights are not properly staggered, surely there will be problems on the golf course with some or all of your clubs.

Because most players purchase woods, hybrids and wedges separately, they unknowingly purchase clubs that have shafts that are either too light or too heavy as they relate to the rest of the set.

So, check your set. If the driver has a 70-gram shaft and the 3-wood has a 60-gram shaft, chances are one of them doesn’t work for you, if not both.

For more information on getting your full set checked or to get properly fitted for your swing, call Club Champion at 630-654-8887 or visit online at www.clubchampiongolf.com.

—Joseph Jung

» NEWS AND NOTES Olympia Fields awarded 2011 U.S. Girls’ Junior The United States Golf Association has selected the South Course at Olympia Fields Country Club for the site of the 2011 U.S. Girls’ Junior Championship.

It is the fourth top-flight championship scheduled at Olympia Fields in the span of four years. Following this year’s Illinois PGA Championship and next year’s U.S. Girls’ Junior, the 2012 Junior Ryder Cup and the ’13 Western Amateur also will be played there.

The club’s North Course has been the site of two U.S. Opens (1928 and 2003) and two PGA Championships (1925 and ’61).

12 | C H I C A G O D I S T R I C T G O L F E R

W W W. C D G A . O R G

The world’s best amateurs will golf here in 2011, the world’s best professionals in 2017. erin hills short history – long future

Site of Ó䣣 U.S. Amateur Championship august 22-28, 2011

2017 U.S. Open Championship june 15 – 18, 2017

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FACILITY FOCUS

PrairieView Golf Club

OFF

THE BEATEN PATH

Despite its rural location, PrairieView is a popular destination for both locals and city dwellers

By Tim Cronin

U

ntil around 30 years ago, the connection of golf to Byron, a town of about 3,900 on the Rock River and just far enough from Rockford to be considered rural, was extremely tenuous. It depended almost entirely on being the birthplace of A.G. Spalding, the baseball pioneer whose sporting goods company featured golf equipment as a key component for more than a century.

14 | C H I C A G O D I S T R I C T G O L F E R

Spalding survives only as a brand name now, but Byron is very closely connected to golf, thanks to PrairieView Golf Course, which opened in 1981.

A design of William James Spear, the veteran St. Charles-based architect, PrairieView is far more than a golf course plunked down on a former cornfield. The holes rise and fall across a hillside, some of them in an alreadyforested enclave on the south end.

Spear took advantage of the elevation

changes, uncharacteristic for much of the state but typical of the scenic Rock River Valley, and he added an important touch: greens that move like ocean waves.

“When the greens are running 12 for a tournament, it’s pretty difficult to break par,” said PrairieView regular Brian Silvers, who has done just that, carding a 3-under-par 69 when it counted. “It’s the course knowledge, knowing the subtle breaks, that makes W W W. C D G A . O R G

PHOTO COURTESY PRAIRIEVIEW GC

the difference. Some people say every green breaks toward the Rock River (to the north), but then a putt breaks to the south and you say, ‘But the river’s over there!’ ” Located about a quartermile from the river and three miles north-northeast of the Byron nuclear power plant, whose twin 495-foot cooling towers both loom over the landscape and create steam clouds that often float over the golf course, PrairieView draws its players from a wider area than most courses. It’s a popular stop with Rockfordians, those another hour north in Madison, serious players from the Quad Cities and surburban golfers.

“Once we get people to come out here, they like it,” said assistant professional Jim Marinelli. “For the price and the condition, you can’t beat it.”

Marinelli may sound like a salesman, but he speaks the truth. PrairieView gets a large number of groups of eight to 40 people who make the trek once or twice a year, finding the value well worth the excursion. The weekend non-resident fee, cart included, is $63 in the prime hours, though you can walk at twilight during the week for only $17. If PrairieView were closer to Chicago, playing it might cost twice as much.

PrairieView exists because of the enlightened view of the Byron Forest Preserve District board a generation ago. Established in 1980, it took ownership of several hundred acres.

With the nearest golf courses in Rockford to the northeast and Oregon to the southwest, it decided that, along with prairie restoration, recreation would be part of its mission, and PrairieView was commissioned, with Spear heading up the project.

AUGUST 2010

The following year’s result was a 7,135-yard, par-72 course that, even before the trees on the former farmland grew in, was a lively routing.

A rolling first green offering a hellacious hole location on the left side is only the beginning. The fairway falls away on the par-5 second, a dogleg left. The fifth hole rolls downhill to a seemingly generous fairway, unless a player blows it out to the right and finds a pond. And don’t stray left because the second shot is over a grove of trees.

The back nine runs in and out of the forested part of the land and includes the postcard 11th. It’s a fetching par 5 that curls to the left, first downhill and then back up, offering a 517-yard challenge from the back markers, which stand not five paces from cornstalks. A perfect tee shot should stop on the right side of the fairway. From there, the only question is whether to bend the approach shot to the tabletop green atop the hill to the left or to the right of the five trees standing in the middle of the fairway, some 40 yards in front of the green.

“You can get home,” Silvers insists.

“But watch out on the 12th hole. Looks wide open, but push it right and you’re looking at bogey.”

PrairieView is a regular host of CDGA qualifiers and junior tournaments, but why not something bigger?

Shields has the reason. “No hotels,” he says.

There are a handful, such as the Paddle Wheel Inn down Route 2 in Oregon, and Blackhawk’s Trail Lodge, a six-room bed and breakfast a few miles north of Byron, but none in the city itself, and none of any great size.

Rockford, with its major chain hotels, is 18 miles distant. That leaves PrairieView likely to host single-day tournaments, along with its far-flung cast of regulars, for the foreseeable future.

“A lot of people don’t know this place exists,” Shields said.

Until now.

Tim Cronin is the golf writer for the Southtown Star.

FACTS AND FIGURES: ADDRESS: Illinois 72 and German Church Road, Byron, Ill. PHONE: 815-234-4653 WEB SITE: www.prairieviewgolf.com GREEN FEE: $27-$33 for 18 holes, lower

for 9-hole and twilight CDGA TOURNAMENT: Illinois State

Amateur qualifier, July 15

WHAT YOU SHOULD KNOW: SIGNATURE HOLE: The par-5 11th, 517 yards from the back tees, 485 from the more commonly used whites. Along with the sweeping fairway and the second shot around the trees, the green is an adventure, subtly slanting to the back right.

WHERE A BOGEY PLAYER CAN MAKE BIRDIE: The uphill par-4 third,

301 yards from the white tees, is only a driver and wedge for most players.

WHERE A SCRATCH PLAYER FIGHTS FOR PAR: The par-5 15th is a

550-yard test from the back tees. It scoots uphill—the crest of the hill is 302 yards away—then down through a narrow canyon of trees to a plateau green tucked away to the right.

EXTRA BALL INDEX (ON A 1-10 SCALE): 2, tops. Unusual for a modern

course, there’s water on only five holes, and none after the eighth.

MUSEUM SETTING: The course is

adjacent to the Jarrett Prairie Center and J. Weiskopf Observatory to the south, and the Heritage Farm Museum to the north.

THE MARINELLI RULE: PrairieView

assistant professional Jim Marinelli was a junior at Byron High School in the fall of 2000, when he equaled the low individual score in the state Class A Championship.

However, he didn’t force a playoff because he qualified with his fellow Tigers only in the team category, and his score didn’t count in the individual tournament.

The inequity, and howls from coaches across the state, convinced the Illinois High School Association to enact “The Marinelli Rule,” allowing all players at the state tournament to have a chance at the individual title. (The Tigers finished third as a team in 2000, and Marinelli won an individual state title in the spring of 2002, as a 140-pound wrestler.)

C H I C A G O D I S T R I C T G O L F E R | 15

ILLINOIS

State Amateur

Storied GROUND

The Illinois State Amateur will grace Chicago for the first time when it visits Beverly Country Club, a venue as rich in history as the event itself

By Len Ziehm

AT A GLANCE

for play in 1908 with a layout designed

by George O’Neil, the club’s first professional, with the help of the prolific Tom Bendelow. Bendelow’s name is on tons of courses nationwide, with Medinah No. 3 his most notable in the Chicago area.

Just two years after its opening, Beverly hosted its first big tournament, with legendary amateur Chick Evans winning the Western Open there. Back then, Beverly measured just 6,754 yards.

A time-consuming renovation that was overseen by Donald Ross, the best known architect of that era, was started in 1914 and Beverly’s reputation grew from there.

ELIGIBILITY:

FORMAT:

Open to amateurs who are Illinois residents with a Handicap Index not exceeding 7.4.

72 holes stroke play (18 holes each on Aug. 10 and 11, and 36 holes on Aug. 12). If there is a tie for the lead after 72 holes, a three-hole playoff will follow. If, after this playoff, there is a tie for the lead, play will continue on a hole-by-hole basis.

WHAT:

80th Illinois State Amateur Championship WHEN:

Aug. 10-12 WHERE:

Beverly Country Club 8700 S. Western Ave., Chicago ADMISSION:

Free FIELD:

QUALIFYING SITES:

Oak Grove GC, Harvard Kankakee Elks CC, St. Anne PrairieView GC, Byron Schaumburg GC Franklin County CC, West Frankfort Sanctuary GC, New Lenox Weibring GC at ISU, Normal Winnetka GC Maple Meadows GC, Wood Dale Panther Creek CC, Springfield

Approximately 132

16 | C H I C A G O D I S T R I C T G O L F E R

CUT:

After 36 holes, to the low 30 and ties, plus anyone within 10 strokes of the lead.

FUTURE SITES:

2011, Glen Oak CC, Glen Ellyn 2012, Kokopelli GC, Marion 2013, Aldeen GC, Rockford 2014, Cantigny Golf, Wheaton

The second hole at Beverly Country Club ROB PERRY

R

arely do the state’s best amateurs get to decide their champion on a venue like Beverly Country Club. The 80th staging of the Illinois State Amateur Championship will be contested over 72 holes at the stately layout at 87th and Western from Aug. 10-12.

“I think they’ll love it,” said head professional John Varner. “It’s a traditional parkland-style golf course, and the place has so much history.”

Indeed. Few Chicago clubs come even close to Beverly when it comes to history, and the pictures on the clubhouse walls include some classics.

Beverly, the site of the State Amateur’s first visit to Chicago, opened

W W W. C D G A . O R G

AUGUST 2010

C H I C A G O D I S T R I C T G O L F E R | 17

PLAYERS TO WATCH LUKE GUTHRIE

Quincy The defending Illinois State Am champion recently completed his sophomore season at the University of Illinois with eight top-20 finishes, including a fourth-place at the Big Ten Championship, helping the Illini capture back-to-back Big Ten titles for the first time since 1940-41.

BENNETT BLAKEMAN

Burr Ridge Blakeman became the second amateur from the Chicago District in as many years to qualify for the U.S. Open, earning medalist honors at the Open sectional qualifier at Bull Valley. He also advanced to the semifinals of the CDGA Amateur Championship.

TOMMY BLIEFNICK

Decatur After leading Illinois State University to a third-place finish in the Missouri Valley Conference Championship in his senior season, Bliefnick posted a dramatic win in the CDGA Amateur. He needed to survive a three-man playoff to reach match play, then won every match at Bull Valley.

JOHN EHRGOTT

Peoria Another veteran competitor, Ehrgott won the Illinois State Public Links title at Mistwood with a 2-under-par 142.

Playing out of WeaverRidge, Ehrgott also tied for fourth in the Illinois State Mid-Amateur.

VINCE INDIA

Deerfield This University of Iowa golfer tied for eighth in the Southeast Amateur, then made a great run to the final of the CDGA Amateur. Along the way he beat Sheppard as well as Blakeman before his 4-and-3 loss to Bliefnick.

TODD MITCHELL

Bloomington Always a serious contender in state-wide competition, this insurance executive who plays out of Crestwicke Country Club has won the State Amateur twice previously. His highlight of the 2010 season is a victory in the Illinois State Mid-Amateur at White Eagle.

DAVE RYAN

Taylorville The 2009 CDGA Senior Player of the Year is off to a fast start in 2010, finishing second at the Illinois State Public Links Championship, tying for 10th at the Illinois State Mid-Am and earning medalist honors at the CDGA Amateur.

TIM SHEPPARD

East Peoria Playing out of Lick Creek, Sheppard, 49, may have been Illinois’ most consistent player this season. He was a medalist in U.S. Amateur Public Links qualifying, won the 54-hole Ron Ghidina Memorial Classic in Peoria and finished fourth in the Illinois State Public Links. He was second in the Illinois State Mid-Am (losing the title in a playoff) and qualified for match play at the CDGA Amateur.

18 | C H I C A G O D I S T R I C T G O L F E R

W W W. C D G A . O R G

“That’s probably the best four finishing holes in Illinois.� —John Varner Francis Quimet won the 1931 U.S. Amateur at Beverly, and the club was the site of the Chicago Victory Open of 1943—a war-time substitute for the U.S. Open, which wasn’t contested in that time period. Beverly got even more into tournament mode when it hosted three more Western Opens as well as three Women’s Western Opens.

With the course stretched to 6,923 yards, Beverly produced two of the most famous champions in golf history when Arnold Palmer took the 1963 Western and Jack Nicklaus won the 1967 staging. It was during the ‘67 staging that Tom Weiskopf posted the best round on the premises, a 64. The previous mark of 65 was posted by another golfing legend, Tommy Armour, in 1928.

Relatively unknown Hugh Royer won the Western in 1970 before Beverly’s membership took a break as a big-tournament venue.

During that period the Ten Broeck brothers carried the Beverly banner well. Jim and Rick Ten Broeck finished one-two in the 1968 Illinois State Amateur and Rick and younger brother Lance would also go on to win the Illinois Open in 1981 and 1984, respectively. Lance continued on to a journeyman’s career on the PGA Tour and is now the caddie for Sweden’s Jesper Parnevik.

Beverly’s break from hosting tournaments came to a halt in 1999, when the club began a three-year run as the site of the Chicago Open. Luke Donald, then a Northwestern student, won the 2000 title as an amateur. Don Berry was victorious in 2001 in the immediate aftermath of the 9/11 tragedy, when most sports events nationwide were either AUGUST 2010

postponed or cancelled.

After only a short lull from tournaments, Beverly underwent another renovation, this one supervised by Ron Pritchard—an expert at restoring Ross courses. All the bunkers— about 70 of them—were redone and nearly 600 trees were removed.

Length was added wherever possible, so the course can now play as long as 7,011 yards. It’s more wide open than it had been, but certainly not easier.

While Pritchard completely changed only one green (the eighth), he did restore the others to the size Ross created in his original design.

The bunkers were deepened, and conditioning improvements led to more healthy rough. That’s what this year’s Illinois State Amateur finalists will be facing in the championship.

Varner believes the fifth hole, with its green elevated 20 feet above the fairway, will be the toughest challenge on the front nine and the stretch from 15-18 will be critical in determining the eventual champion. “That’s probably the best four finishing holes in Illinois,� said Varner. “The two par-4s (the 15th and 16th) are around 450 yards, the 17th is a 200-yard par-3 with a big, sloping green and the 18th is a 600-yard par-5. The tournament will probably be won or lost in that stretch.�

Len Ziehm is a recently retired golf writer for the Chicago Sun-Times.

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C H I C A G O D I S T R I C T G O L F E R | 19

Tommy Bliefnick outlasted Vince India to claim the CDGA Amateur title FRANK POLICH/CDGA

20 | C H I C A G O D I S T R I C T G O L F E R

W W W. C D G A . O R G

Getting over the hump Saddled by previous tournaments he had a chance to win but didn’t, Tommy Bliefnick closed the deal at the CDGA Amateur

By Jim Owczarski

T

ommy Bliefnick rolled his head back and wiped the hat off his head with a slight smile. It looked like the weight of the world had been lifted off his shoulders the moment his birdie putt on the par-5 15th at Bull Valley Golf Club crept into the hole.

The putt clinched the 91st CDGA Amateur Championship, 4 and 3, over Deerfield native Vince India for Bliefnick, a 22-year-old from Decatur who finished his college eligibility at Illinois State University last season.

Calling it the most significant victory of his career, Bliefnick looked so relieved because the sting of several near-misses was finally erased.

“This would have to be my biggest win, with the caliber of players that are here,” he said. “It’s very satisfying.”

He was in the final group at the 2008 Illinois State Amateur—he finished fifth— and held the lead entering the back nine at the 2009 Illinois Open (tied for 13th).

In four years at Illinois State, Bliefnick recorded 20 top-25 finishes, including seven top-5s, but he could never seal the deal and bring home a victory.

This time, Bliefnick tried a different approach as his match with India came down to its final holes.

“I did a great job of not allowing myself to think about winning,” Bliefnick said. “In the past I’ve been caught up in, ‘You’re right there. You can win this,’ and I’d start thinking about it. This time I tried to stay focused on one hole, one shot at a time, to execute the best shot that I possibly could at each point.

“I’ve been so close,” he said. “I’ve been right there and haven’t been able to close the deal. It definitely was a sigh of relief.”

India, 21, a senior at the University of Iowa this fall, can relate. Having led “plenty” of times over the course of his college career, he, like Bliefnick, has struggled when it mattered most.

“I’m not sure what I need to do to get better at that,” he said. “I don’t play AUGUST 2010

Vince India

bad down the stretch. I just don’t do enough things to seal the deal, to keep stretching the lead and securing it. It’s something I’ve got to figure out on my own, I guess. Experience will help me, so this was a good tournament for me.”

The 36-hole match play final looked like a roller coaster on the scorecard, but felt like stroke play. Both players remained measured throughout the first 18 holes and the final 15 without taking big risks.

That included India’s decision on the match-deciding 15th, a brute of a par 5.

“I thought about hitting driver and 3-wood and cutting the corner, but I made birdie with a wedge (in the semifinals) and I didn’t want to take myself out of it with a bad tee shot,” he said.

Both players reached the green in regulation, but India’s gamble on his wedge came up short, about 18 feet from the cup. His birdie attempt slid past the hole.

India, scheduled to play in the Western Amateur, had early control of the match after going 3 up after six holes.

But Bliefnick was never worried, considering he entered match play as the 16th seed following a two-hole playoff.

He then overcame a three-hole deficit with three holes to play to win another playoff in the semifinals against

Ryan Dorner.

Bliefnick began his comeback in the finals by taking advantage of the par 3s, erasing India’s three-hole lead with birdies on 8, 13 and 16. Bliefnick stayed hot, winning 17 and 18 and suddenly found himself 2 up heading into the final 18.

Bliefnick then won the first hole to move 3 up. “I felt in control the whole time and was very pleased with the way I played,” he said.

The match turned yet again when India recorded birdies at the third and sixth to cut the lead to one.

The wheels momentarily came off for India on the par-5 seventh, however. In the fairway after a solid tee shot, India decided on a hybrid for his second. The ball continued to fade, and carry, eventually landing on the cart path and bouncing into the woods behind the green.

“I caught it perfect and I don’t know why it went right,” he said. “It was going at the right side of the green and it started floating and just kept going and going.”

India found his ball but had to take an unplayable en route to a double bogey that put Bliefnick 2 up. Bliefnick followed that up with a tricky 14-foot downhill birdie putt on the eighth to once again go 3 up.

Bliefnick now knew he had an opportunity to close out the match, especially after a birdie on No. 12 put him 4 up with six to play. “I was trying to finish it as soon as I could,’” he said. “Over every putt I told myself, ‘Do not give him too many opportunities. He’s too good of a player and he’ll take advantage.’ ” Bliefnick will head to the Illinois State Amateur at Beverly and will try to qualify for the U.S. Amateur. Having finally cracked the winner’s circle, he hopes the lessons learned over four days will help him going forward.

“I’ve always believed that I could do this, that I could get the wins,” he said. “I always had the confidence in myself, but now this gives me something to draw back on. It’s huge, especially in the future, knowing and having done it before.”

Jim Owczarski is a sports writer for the Beacon News in Aurora.

C H I C A G O D I S T R I C T G O L F E R | 21

Homecoming king No University of Illinois alumni stood taller at the John Deere Classic than champ Steve Stricker

By Len Ziehm

T

22 | C H I C A G O D I S T R I C T G O L F E R

come out to watch,’’ he said. “It’s what golf should be.”

Points did his part to swell the gallery, handing out some 60 passes to family and friends. They responded with Illini cheers while he was on the course.

“Every week I might hear one or two,” said Points, “but this week it was every hole.”

None got bigger cheers than Stricker, especially when he strolled down the 18th fairway during the second round.

“It was cool to see all the orange and blue out there,” he said. “I tried to do my part and show my colors.”

While he didn’t disappoint, the other Illini golfers came up short. The 36-hole cut came at a tournament record 4-underpar. Points and Affrunti missed by one.

“I love this course, but I never seem to make anything,” said Points, who joined Stricker on the chartered jet to the British Open after Sunday’s last putt dropped.

Affrunti wasn’t downtrodden. “This was going to be a week off from the Nationwide Tour, so making it in (to the field) was a bonus,” he said.

Small couldn’t follow up his play from the PNC, shooting 73-73 to miss his second PGA Tour cut in a row. He still has four more exemptions to use, plus he’s in the PGA Championship at Whistling Straits. Mix in the Illinois Open and Illinois PGA Championship, and Small has a lot more playing opportunities.

Stricker and Small were college teammates and stood up at each other’s wedding. Stricker expects Small to continue his success as both a coach and player.

“Mike’s a hard worker with great values,” said Stricker. “He’s a good player himself, and kids see that. He’s out working with them, not overhauling their swings or anything like that—just game management stuff. He’s got a passion for it. It’s fun to see him succeed at what he’s doing. Nothing surprises me about what Mike does.”

What Stricker himself did in this John Deere Classic was surprising, though. He

opened with rounds of 60, 66 and 62 and had birdies on half of his first 54 holes. Despite a finishing 70, he wound up setting tournament scoring records for 36, 54 and 72 holes in earning a twostroke victory over Paul Goydos, who kicked off the low-scoring week with the fourth 59 in PGA Tour history in the opening round. Stricker’s 258 was 26 strokes under par.

Len Ziehm is recently retired after a long career covering golf and other sports for the Chicago Sun-Times.

Steve Stricker

GETTY IMAGES

his has been a year to celebrate the golf success of the University of Illinois and Clair Peterson, tournament director of the John Deere Classic, did just that at the 40th staging of his PGA Tour stop at TPC Deere Run in Silvis.

Working with the Illinois Alumni Foundation, Peterson declared Friday of tournament week “Illini Day” and with good reason. The field had plenty of Illini touches.

Steve Stricker, who played on Illinois’ Big Ten championship team of 1988, won the tournament and became only the second John Deere Classic champion to defend his title.

Mike Small, who coached the Illini to their second straight Big Ten title this season, was coming off his third win in six years in the Professional National Championship, and D.A. Points, another Illini alum who grew up in Pekin (a 90-minute drive from the Quad Cities) was also in the field.

Those three played a practice round together on Tuesday, a day after another former Illinois player, Joe Affrunti, survived Monday’s qualifying round. Now a rookie on the Nationwide Tour, Affrunti’s career highlight came in 2004 when he outdueled Small for the Illinois Open.

Serious consideration also was given to getting Scott Langley, Illinois’ first NCAA champion, into the field on a sponsor’s exemption. That didn’t materialize, but it didn’t detract from a feel-good week for the state’s largest university. And that wasn’t just because Stricker posted spectacular numbers.

“Illini Nation is awesome, with the support they’ve given me and my program,” said Small. “It’s great to see them come out to a golf tournament.”

Just the way it should be, thought Affrunti, who brought his parents to the well-decorated Illini tent behind the No. 7 green after completing play.

“It’s just more fun having people

AUGUST 2010

C H I C A G O D I S T R I C T G O L F E R | 23

DESTINATION

Kohler/Milwaukee

Brown Deer Golf Club is the former site of the PGA Tour’s annual tour stop in Milwaukee

There are plenty of options for those who are taking in this year’s PGA Championship and toting the golf clubs along, too

PHOTO BY GETTY IMAGES

By Mike Dudurich

24 | C H I C A G O D I S T R I C T G O L F E R

W W W. C D G A . O R G

t’s a relatively short jaunt from Chicago to Kohler, Wis., the site of this year’s PGA Championship—so easy, in fact, that it’s virtually made to be turned into a play-on-the-way kind of drive for those who plan on being at Whistling Straits.

There are both must plays and some fun plays in the cheese state that await the traveling golfer. But there are also plenty of things to see and do in and around Milwaukee, located approximately an hour from Kohler and the Straits Course that nestles up against Lake Michigan.

Where else could you visit a world-class art museum, get some of the world’s best frozen custard or pay homage to the Bronze Fonz?

I

Hawk’s View is Lake Geneva's only five-star course, a par 72 that plays a stout 7,048 yards from the back markers. It’s a very good golf course with a very reasonable price tag, $75 during the week, $85 on the weekend.

Web: www.hawksviewgolfclub.com

PHOTO COURTESY THE BOG

Looking for a sweet treat after a fun day at Hawk’s View? Swing by Leon’s Frozen Custard and sample some of the world’s finest frozen custard.

The vintage drivein, upon which the one in “Happy Days” was based, is open yearround.

In the spirit of the once-popular sitcom, a visit through downtown Milwaukee, along the Milwaukee River, presents a bronze statue of Henry Winkler, aka Arthur “Fonzie” Fanzarelli, in his trademark leather jacket, giving the thumbs-up.

DAY 1 Not long after crossing the Wisconsin border, about 35 miles from Milwaukee west on Interstate 94, is the golf-rich area of Lake Geneva. There are half a dozen courses in the area, but the one that most deserves a look is Hawk’s View Golf Club.

No. 13 at The Bog

DAY 2 Any trip to Milwaukee for a golfer with a sense of history has to include a round at Brown Deer Golf Club.

The 76-year-old club played host to the Greater Milwaukee Open from 1994-2009, until it was unable to land a corporate sponsor, and also was the site where Tiger Woods made his professional debut in 1996. Green fees are $81.50 on weekdays, $88.50 on the weekend.

Web: www.browndeergolfclub.org

AUGUST 2010

PHOTO COURTESY KOHLER CO.

Blackwolf Run will be the site of the 2012 U.S. Women’s Open

The Bog, an Arnold Palmer design located in Saukville, about 25 miles north of Milwaukee, is the kind of course that grabs a player’s attention on the first tee and holds it the whole way around. It’s $95 per round, but those prices go up considerably during PGA Championship week.

Web: www.golfthebog.com

For those who like to do the tourist thing, one of the most popular attractions C H I C A G O D I S T R I C T G O L F E R | 25

DESTINATION

Milwaukee has to offer is its world-famous Milwaukee Art Museum. It houses more than 20,000 works from antiquity to present and opens its doors to more than 300,000 visitors a year.

Also incredibly popular is the Harley-Davidson Museum. It’s located in downtown Milwaukee and features a 130,000-square foot tribute to getting out on the open road.

And, naturally, because Milwaukee and beer go together, a tour of the Miller Brewery often draws a sizable number of out-of-town visitors.

Walk outdoors and upstairs to Miller’s packagingcenter balcony. There, a visitor is awed by a blur of cans that roar along conveyor belts that wind through machinery and pack up to 200,000 cases of beer daily.

Then go through the brew house, the mammoth distribution center and to the Bavarian-style Miller Inn for a sample or two.

DAY 3 During any other week of the year, the courses to be considered would include both at Whistling Straits: the Straits or the Irish Course. But Blackwolf Run is only minutes away and it is a thoroughly enjoyable golf experience; it was the site of one U.S. Women’s Open (1998) with another one (2012) on the way. The opportunity to play a course of such high quality does not come cheaply, $230, but it’s well worth it.

Web: www.destinationkohler.com

A nice alternative is The Bull at Pinehurst Farms in Sheboygan Falls, which is just minutes from both Blackwolf Run and Whistling Straits. The Bull is Wisconsin’s only Jack Nicklaus Signature Golf Course.

Each of the holes there is named after a bull bred by Pinehurst Farms, which is what transpired there for more than 90 years. Now it’s a place where great fun and stories are bred at a reasonably-priced $125.

Web: www.golfthebull.com

There aren’t many times when the general public can drive up and play a U.S. Open course, and when it reopens following some renovation work, Erin Hills will offer that opportunity. Located about 20 miles northwest of Milwaukee, it recently landed the 2017 U.S. Open despite the fact that it’s a course only 4 years old.

Web: www.erinhills.com

Don’t think for a minute that Milwaukee doesn’t have a wide variety of options on the culinary front.

Some highlights include: Zarletti, hailed as “the best Italian food being served in Milwaukee these days”; Sanford’s, which features Milwaukee’s finest chef, Sanford D’Amato, and a very intimate setting of a dozen tables; and Mo’s, A Place for Steaks.

26 | C H I C A G O D I S T R I C T G O L F E R

For those who want to pack in as many activities as possible, Saturday of PGA Championship Week offers the chance to take in a unique doubleheader: the third round at Whistling Straits, then a drive up to Green Bay, where the Packers open their 2010 exhibition season against Cleveland at historic Lambeau Field.

So much to do in just one PGA Championship week.

Thank goodness it’s so close.

Mike Dudurich is a former sports writer with The Tribune-Review in Greensburg, Pa. W W W. C D G A . O R G

Coming of

AGE Despite their advancing years, a number of area players still are able to keep up with players that are much younger

By Tim Cronin Steve Sawtell

PHOTOS BY FRANK POLICH/CDGA

AUGUST 2010

C H I C A G O D I S T R I C T G O L F E R | 27

T

om Watson said it during this year’s U.S. Open, recalling the old Greek proverb: “Sometimes old age and treachery can win out over youth and inexperience.”

It happens in corporate board rooms all the time, and often in politics. In team sports, not so much.

Speed is the province of youth.

Then there’s golf, the game played, assuming a basic grasp of the physical principles, mainly between the ears. As Watson proved a year ago at Turnberry during the British Open, the old can play with the young stroke for stroke.

Certainly Watson is not unique in this. In Illinois, one can find examples of the veterans competing with, and often beating, the younger set again and again.

To Chicago legend Joel Hirsch, 69 chronologically but ageless in his mind, the key is to keep trying.

“You can’t sit on the porch,” Hirsch said.

“You’ve got to try. I missed qualifying for the U.S. Senior Open by one shot (this year), and I’m still kicking myself.”

Hirsch’s successes include a pair of Senior British Amateur titles, as well as two Illinois State Amateur and CDGA Amateur crowns. Almost always, he’s had to beat someone younger to secure the championship.

Even today, he’s still a scratch player.

“One has to prepare very, very well as one gets older,” Hirsch said. “As you go from 32 to 33, there’s no difference.

From 64 to 65, 69 to 70, Dave Ryan there’s a big difference.

These are like dog years.

One year is like seven, and some days, I start feeling like a Labrador retriever.”

While he’s cut his schedule back to a half-dozen tournaments, Hirsch also ensures that he prepares physically. He’s in the gym every day from November through March, and he stretches every day during the season. He also stays away from caffeine when he’s playing, limits his alcohol intake and watches his diet. “It’s a combination of a bunch of tweaks, but at the end of the day, there’s a tremendous difference,” Hirsch said.

In central and southern Illinois, the mention of Dave Ryan’s name is the announcement of a favorite. Ryan, from Taylorville, captured the 2003 Illinois State Mid-Amateur and, at 52, won the 2006 Illinois State Public Links Championship. Last year, he piled up enough points to collect the CDGA Senior Player of the Year award.

This year, the 56-year-old finished in a tie for 10th in the Illinois State Mid-Amateur and advanced to the match play portion of the CDGA Amateur at Bull Valley Golf Club. He not only was one of the qualifiers into match play, but he shared medalist honors with 20-year-old Michael Sainz, scoring 2-over-par 146 in stroke play. It took long-hitting Tommy Bliefnick, who went on to collect the title, to knock him out of the running.

“Winning breeds confidence,” Ryan said.

“It’s the 15th club in your bag. I still feel like I can compete. It’s fun. And the golf ball doesn’t know how old you are.”

Ryan has used that attitude to compete in both regular and senior amateur competitions, including advancing to the U.S. Senior Open at Whistling Straits in 2007, the same year he held the lead in the CDGA Player of the Year standings at mid-season.

“Technology has helped me keep up,” Ryan said. “Some of these kids can really move it out there. There’s a big advantage hitting an 8-iron into the green instead of a 4-iron.”

But Ryan can boom it as well, and he has company.

Once upon a time, Tim Sheppard of East

“The golf ball doesn’t know how old you are.”

28 | C H I C A G O D I S T R I C T G O L F E R

— Dave Ryan

W W W. C D G A . O R G

At the CDGA Amateur, 39-year-old Steve Sawtell (right) waged battle against a player nearly half his age, Brad Hopfinger, 21.

Peoria used to hit his 8-iron 200 yards. Reconstructive surgery on his left elbow to correct an old baseball injury has limited his length for the moment, but the erstwhile winner of a Strongman competition, the forerunner to today’s Mixed Martial Arts battles, plans to get his length back once he returns to lifting weights. In the meantime, he’s successfully relying on guile.

“If I can read a putt right, I’m dangerous,” said Sheppard, who also possesses a potent short game. “But I wish I had the technology we have now when I was 21 or 22. They never made a 51⁄2-degree left-handed driver back then.”

Sheppard, like Ryan a veteran of public golf, forced a playoff for this year’s Illinois State Mid-Am crown before falling to Bloomington standout Todd Mitchell. Sheppard also qualified for match play at this year’s U.S. Amateur Public Links. At 30 | C H I C A G O D I S T R I C T G O L F E R

age 49, the winner of this year’s Rob Ghidina Memorial tournament in Peoria believes there’s more to come.

“I’m not looking forward to being 50, but there are a couple of perks,” Sheppard said. “I’ll try to qualify for the U.S. Senior Open, and possibly take a look at (Champions Tour) Q School. I’m hoping I have a number of competitive years yet. I’m kind of a bulldog.”

Like Ryan and Sheppard, Steve Sawtell made it to match play at this year’s CDGA Am, and perhaps that wasn’t a surprise considering he was the defending champion and a two-time winner. But at 39, caught between the aforemetioned cagey veterans and the kids, Sawtell is young enough to smash the ball and wise enough to put his play in perspective.

“I love to compete; I always have,” Sawtell said. “But I W W W. C D G A . O R G

Hirsch said. “But I came in in the third group, thought I’d made it, and saw there was already a 65 on the board. They let the non-qualified Tour pros out first to try and improve their position. I thought, ‘I just shot a career round and I don’t know if I’m going to make it or not.’ ” Hirsch, who carried a stunning plus-7 handicap at Lake Shore at the time, qualified easily. To top it off, he nearly made the cut in the Western, missing by a single stroke.

This was nothing new. A few years earlier, Hirsch was the medalist in the first stage of U.S. Open qualifying. His titles in the CDGA Am (the second at age 56) and Illinois State Am came against the younger players as well. But when you can reach a par-5 with a driver and 2-iron, placing the second shot three inches from the hole to clinch a title, as Hirsch memorably did at Kankakee in 1989 to collect his second state amateur as a 47-year-old, age means nothing.

Hirsch still plays in a few events against the kids, though not as often as in the past. Ryan can see himself limiting himself to only senior tournaments as well—eventually.

“How long will I play? Probably until my exemptions run out,” Ryan said.

Of course, with continuing success comes continuing exemptions. Those who can create treachery on the course know that.

Tim Cronin covers golf for the Southtown Star.

don’t get too stressed out playing. I’ve got a job and a family.

Golf means a lot to me, but it’s not the end of the world.”

The easygoing attitude took him to this year’s quarterfinals before Vince India knocked him off with a splurge of five birdies on the front side. Sawtell extended the match to the 16th hole before bowing.

On more than one occasion, the success of the old guard has generated national headlines. Hirsch was 58 in 1999, when he made his fourth appearance in the Western Open, 25 years after his first. It was one thing to be co-medalist in the general qualifier at age 22. It was quite another to make the big show by scoring 65 at Village Links of Glen Ellen to secure one of four spots out of a 175-player qualifying field.

He was the oldest Monday qualifier for a PGA Tour tournament at the time.

“Probably the best round under the gun I’ve ever played,” AUGUST 2010

C H I C A G O D I S T R I C T G O L F E R | 31

PHOTO COURTESY WILSON

Wilson Golf has a storied past, but now it’s attempting to make new inroads in an ever-competitive marketplace

By Ed Sherman

B

ob Thurmond has been at Wilson Golf for 18 years. Now the director of research and design, he says one of his favorite things to do is to look through Wilson’s old catalogs.

Thurmond skips through the pages, seeing pictures of one-time Wilson Staff players such as Payne Stewart, Hale Irwin and Patty Berg. There are the vintage shots of Sam Snead and Arnold Palmer in their heydays, all sporting Wilson bags.

“It brings back a lot of the history of being associated with Wilson,” Thurmond said.

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There isn’t a company that can match Chicago-based Wilson for longevity and heritage. Founded in 1914, Wilson had a 75-year association with its first pro, Gene Sarazen, who invented the sand wedge the company took to market.

That’s some serious history there.

Yet a few years ago, it appeared as if history was about its only asset. During the middle part of the last decade, the iconic golf company ran into hard times.

Lagging revenues forced Wilson to sever ties with several big-name professional golfers, and it cut its overall sales and work force. There were serious questions whether Wilson Golf would eventually shut down.

But like a slumping player who rediscovers his swing, Wilson has

launched a dramatic comeback. A change in approach, coupled with the introduction of several successful new products, revitalized Wilson. Sales could increase as much as 20 percent in the United States this year, and Wilson remains a power in Europe, ranking fourth among manufacturers in golf-crazy Great Britain.

The crescendo occurred when Padraig Harrington, the one big-name player who stayed with Wilson, won three majors in 2007 and ’08.

Harrington boosted Wilson’s win total to 61 in majors, but more importantly, his success affirmed the company was headed in the right direction.

“If you look at where we were in 2005, we’ve come a long way,” said Tim Clarke, Wilson Golf’s general manager. “(Back then), we all sat down and identified our mistakes and examined areas in which we could excel.”

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A WILSON TIMELINE

DAVID CANNON/GETTY IMAGES

The current tour player who has had the most success with Wilson is Ireland’s Padraig Harrington, a winner of three major championships. Opposite page: Wilson’s research and development center.

Said Thurmond: “We went through an identity crisis. We were confused as to what Wilson meant in golf.”

Wilson went back to basics: making better golf clubs. A big step occurred when Wilson Sporting Goods opened a new research and development facility in Schiller Park. The set-up allowed Thurmond and his staff to work and share information with the innovators for Wilson’s popular tennis rackets and baseball bats.

The end result has been the development of Wilson irons, hybrids and drivers that have been cited on the “hot list” by Golf Digest. The Wilson Zip ball also has received favorable reviews.

“We had to figure out a way to make the golf professionals go, ‘Wow,’ ” Clarke said. “Nothing happens without a great AUGUST 2010

product. You can’t fool the consumer.”

Wilson had one player that it definitely needed to impress: Harrington. The company signed Harrington when he was ranked No. 188 in the world and saw him reach the game’s pinnacle. Thurmond, who works closely with Harrington, calls him “a notorious tinkerer.”

“If he can squeeze out a half-yard, he’ll take it,” Thurmond said.

The collaboration helped Harrington become a multiple-major winner. His timing couldn’t have been better. His contract was up with Wilson at the end of the 2008 season.

Everyone pursued Harrington, but at the end of the day, he stayed with Wilson. Clarke said he left money on the table, although Harrington won’t go

1914

The Ashland Manufacturing Company becomes known as the Thomas E. Wilson Co., which became Wilson Sporting Goods.

1922

Gene Sarazen is the first golfer to become a member of the Wilson Advisory Staff. It is the beginning of a 75-year relationship with Wilson, the longest-running contract in sports history.

1933

Sarazen uses his invention, the sand wedge, to win the 1932 British Open. The following year, Wilson takes it to market as the R-90. The company sells 50,000 wedges.

1937

Sam Snead joins Wilson. He eventually is given a lifetime contract.

1940

Patty Berg joins Wilson.

1947

Bob Mendralla joins Wilson.

His first job was sweeping floors in the Chicago office. He becomes a legendary clubmaker.

1954

The company introduces the Wilson Staff ball, the famous “long ball” that springs off the club face.

1983

Wilson begins a run of seven years in which its Staff irons are No. 1 on the PGA Tour.

1997

Wilson introduces the new Fat Shaft irons. They become popular selling clubs.

2008

Padraig Harrington wins the British Open and PGA Championship, giving Wilson 61 major victories.

—Ed Sherman

hungry with a Wilson deal estimated at more than $2 million per year.

Ultimately, it came down to a comfort level for Harrington.

“I wanted to stay with what works,” he said. “From the Wilson side, they’ve always given 100 percent. They produce tremendous products and they’re always

Throughout its history, Wilson has been known for its innovations in sports equipment.

prepared to move mountains. It’s been a great relationship.”

Harrington said he always appreciated that Wilson, unlike other manufacturers, never forced him to go with all Wilson clubs in his bag. He

34 | C H I C A G O D I S T R I C T G O L F E R

uses 12 of them.

“They know I’m a Wilson player, and they are confident they will make good enough clubs that I will want to use them,” Harrington said.

Clarke calls Harrington “a great

ambassador” and a huge factor why the company thrives in Europe.

Harrington now adds to Wilson’s legacy. To be sure, the company still revels in the past. Remember Tom Watson’s famous chip-in at Pebble Beach during the 1982 U.S. Open? That was a Wilson wedge he used.

Yet as Wilson learned a few years ago, a strong history isn’t good enough.

Clarke said the company needs to keep taking bold steps if it is going to add more iconic pictures to that catalog.

“The best thing about making mistakes is the opportunity to learn from them,” Clarke said. “We have to make sure we keep our focus. There’s nothing that makes us more proud than to walk into a pro shop and see Wilson (golf equipment) on the shelves. You just didn’t see it a few years ago. Now when you see it, you almost feel like a dad.”

Ed Sherman is a golf writer recently retiried from the Chicago Tribune.

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AUGUST 2010

C H I C A G O D I S T R I C T G O L F E R | 35

These are difficult times for many clubs and courses, but that did not stop the owners of Chicago Highlands from persevering and opening the new private facility

By Len Ziehm

C

hicago has a new golf course and, given these difficult economic times, that’s big news in itself.

Not so long ago, courses were opening almost every month— and that wasn’t just in Chicago.

Now, however, course openings are few and far between, and it took quite awhile for Chicago Highlands to welcome its first players.

The private course in Westchester was eight years in the works, starting with the moment that Toledo, Ohio, architect Arthur Hills was contacted by the Catholic Archdiocese of Chicago about making use of a landfill that had been closed for a quarter of a century.

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Hills, now 80, took the project to his son, Joe, who brought in partners John Baxter and Tom Healy.

After 35 months of construction work, the course was opened for membership play in mid-May amidst little fanfare. That’s the way managing partner Baxter wanted it.

He’s now showing it by playing rounds with friends or prospective members.

Baxter handles all the memberships, and he’s rejected a few candidates on the belief they wouldn’t fit in with the vision he and his partners have for the place. Memberships aren’t cheap, either. They were first offered for a $100,000 initiation fee. Now that fee is up to $125,000. Baxter says the membership currently is in excess of 100, and he says it will be limited to 300.

The course itself is barely visible from the roads that surround it.

From the entrance on 31st Street, only construction work on a swimming pool suggests an elaborate all-purpose family club is being built there. But progress—slowly but surely—is being

made, and the course itself definitely is ready.

Hills, a veteran architect with courses in widespread locations, isn’t new to the Chicago area. He designed two other Chicago courses—Stonewall Orchard in Grayslake and Bolingbrook, both upscale public layouts. Chicago Highlands is much different than both of those. It’s one of Chicago’s few privately owned private clubs, the most notable others being Rich Harvest Farms in Sugar Grove and Merit Club in Libertyville.

“We couldn’t believe the location, the size of the property and the views,” said Baxter. “We wanted to build a fantastic 18-hole course.”

The completed version is more than that, and one oddity is that the 18-hole course has 19 greens. One of two greens can be used for the play of the 15th hole, which provides the grounds crew with the ability to lessen the normal wear and tear that a putting green typically incurs. There also are two chipping greens and a doubleended driving range in operation on the 270-acre grounds.

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BUZZ ORR/CDGA

The 17th green and the second fairway (background) at Chicago Highlands

The swimming pool, complete with water slides, was scheduled to be completed in July. Construction of the clubhouse won’t begin until Baxter has at least 200 members.

Future plans also call for four bowling lanes, an outdoor ice rink, four tennis courts and four platform tennis courts.

As for the course, it’s a links-style layout that has six tee placements on each hole and many great views of the Chicago skyline. It can play as short at 5,049 yards or as long as 7,460 yards from the tips, where the slope is 141 with a rating of 76.3.

The staff is pretty much in place, with three golf professionals—head man Jeff Perdew and assistants Andrew Bourgoine and Patrick Crowe—hired off Medinah’s staff and Michael Heustis took superintendent duties after being an assistant at Chicago Golf Club.

The most notable aspect of the design is the green at the doubledogleg, par-5 seventh hole. Measuring 18,000 square feet and 76 yards in depth, it is without question AUGUST 2010

one of the largest greens in Illinois.

The ninth hole, a driveable par 4, is the most interesting of many thoughtprovoking holes. The uphill tee shot is impacted by a pot bunker in the center of the fairway that is 10 feet deep, and the green itself is at the highest point on the course. It’s 95 feet above the club entrance on 31st Street.

The course is excellent for spectator golf, with its central location on the outskirts of the city and hills lining the fairways and greens. The pro tours and top amateur organizations are sure to take a look at Chicago Highlands when planning their biggest tournaments, but being a tournament venue is far down the road.

“Our primary goal is to have 300 families who love the place,” Baxter said. “Beyond that, everything else is frosting. We’ve talked to the Western Golf Association about building a bigtime caddie program, then whatever happens, happens.”

Len Ziehm is a recently retired golf writer for the Chicago Sun-Times.

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GEMS OF THE CDGA

The 10th at Panther Creek Country Club Springfield, Ill.

T

he 10th hole at Panther Creek Country Club in Springfield isn’t the toughest on the Hale Irwindesigned course, but it might be a player’s most memorable hole—good or bad.

The 526-yard par-5 offers a lot of possibilities.

Trees, sand and water create the potential for a player to make a high score.

“Actually, it’s the easiest hole on the golf course for the better player,” said head professional Matt Ruehling.

“For the average player, it’s an awkward tee shot with the bunkers right and the trees left. If the better player hits a good drive, it’s reachable in two. If you get your tee shot in play, it sets up the entire hole. If you’re in the trees or in the bunker, you’ve got problems.”

The second shot can cause more trouble than the tee shot. The water, which runs along the right side of the hole, comes into play starting from about 150 yards to the green. There is a patch of rough between the water and the green and that’s not a garden spot, either. The green is smallish and runs from back to front.

“It’s not the easiest layup,” Ruehling said. “With the water there, it places a premium on accuracy.”

Panther Creek, opened in 1990, is the host club for the LPGA’s State Farm Classic.

Cristie Kerr, who in June won the LPGA Championship two weeks after she left Springfield, set a tournament record by shooting 22 under par. The nines are flipped for the LPGA event, making the 10th hole an eye-opening starter.

—Reid Hanley

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PAR 5 YARDS

TEE

526 510 500 477 432

Gold Black Blue White Red

FRANK POLICH/CDGA

C H I C A G O D I S T R I C T G O L F E R | 39

RULES OF THE GAME

By Genger Fahleson | Director, Rules Education, USGA

Hazardous duty Failing to get a ball out of a water hazard isn’t reason for despair

W

hile there isn’t a course in the area with as many dramatic waterfront holes as Pebble Beach, a few rulings at the U.S. Open should have reminded players that these kind of things can happen anywhere.

The holes along the ocean/bay/cove were defined by the USGA as lateral water hazards. The USGA implements a Local Rule at all of its championships for lateral water hazards. If a lateral water hazard is marked on only one side, it is deemed to extend to infinity.

The lateral water hazards along the ocean at Pebble Beach were marked on only one side, which made the Pacific Ocean, at least for the purposes of this discussion, the largest lateral water hazard in the world.

When a wayward shot came to rest on the beach, the player’s ball was in the lateral water and, as every golfer knows, a player is entitled to play from within the hazard. In addition to others, Andrew Putnam and Paul Goydos both found themselves on, and played from, the beach during the second round.

Goydos made a stroke from the beach that came to rest in thick fescue on a steep bank, still within the hazard. Now what could he do? The stroke and distance option of Rule 27-1 (Ball Lost or Out of Bounds) would require him to drop a ball and play again from the beach. He had already shown to himself that this option was risky at best. Even if the ball had been found, he could not deem it unplayable because it was still in the lateral water hazard. Rule 28 permits a player to deem his ball

40 | C H I C A G O D I S T R I C T G O L F E R

unplayable any place on the course except when it is in a water hazard or lateral water hazard.

Fortunately for Goydos and all players who faced this situation, they had other options available.

Rule 26-2 (Ball Played Within Water Hazard) articulates those options. This rule permitted Goydos to proceed under any of the lateral water hazard options that were available to him before he made the illconceived decision to play from the beach. Under penalty of one stroke, he could: • Play a ball as nearly as possible at the spot from which his last stroke from outside the lateral water hazard was made.

• Drop a ball behind the lateral water hazard, keeping the spot where the ball last crossed the

hazard margin between the hole and the spot on which a ball is dropped with no limit to how far behind the hazard the ball is dropped. In many of the lateral water hazard rulings at the Open, this option was not available because a straight line from the hole through the spot where the ball last crossed the hazard margin extended into the ocean.

• Drop a ball within two club-lengths of the point, and not nearer the hole, where the original ball last crossed the margin of the hazard before it came to rest on the beach.

• Drop a ball within two club-lengths of a point, and not nearer the hole, on the opposite margin of the hazard, equidistant from the hole. This option was either not available because the opposite margin was out of bounds or not a practical location.

• For lateral water hazard rulings on several holes at Pebble Beach, players had a drop zone available as an additional option. On the 18th hole, because a bunker was contiguous with the lateral water hazard, in many cases, a player would be required to drop a ball in the bunker when proceeding under the third option described above. To prevent such a harsh outcome, the USGA installed a series of drop zones as an additional option to those listed above. Players were entitled to use the nearest drop zone.

So, players should remember this the next time they attempt to hit a ball out of a hazard but fail to do so. There are options within the rules that help keep you in the game.

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