Archived Golf News

2014 Encompass Championship Update

The Encompass Championship presented by CareerBuilder will be celebrating its second year at North Shore Country Club June 16-22. The tournament once again is already attracting one of the strongest fields on the Champions Tour schedule. Joining defending champion Craig Stadler will be World Golf Hall of Fame members Hale Irwin, Bernhard Langer, Larry Nelson and Sandy Lyle. Langer recently won his 20th career title on the Champions Tour, becoming the 10th player to accomplish the feat. (more…)

Course Review: Scenic Seven Bridges Provides Stern Challenge

By Jim Zuccarelli Seven Bridges 2nd HoleMy relationship with Seven Bridges Golf Club in Woodridge is similar to the one I have with a Snickers bar.  One is bad for my waist line and the other isn't good for my golf score, but I still indulge in both every so often.  Architect Dick Nugent razed the property of the old 36 hole Woodridge Golf Course and created a menacing monster of woods and water that will test the low handicapper and scare the heck out of the average golfer.  The par 72 layout stretches to 7,100 yards from the back set of 5 tees, and the 74.6 rating / 144 slope ranks it in the top 5 metro Chicago public courses in terms of difficulty, a clear indication that this is not a course for the easily intimidated.  On my last visit this past fall, I played the 6,300 yard white (middle) tees, and the 70.7 / 135 was all I could handle as I scrambled to stay in double digits. (more…)

Simple Steps Can Minimize Early Season Golf Injuries

By Jim Zuccarelli Although no one will ever equate the athleticism needed to play golf with, say, football, there is still a certain level of preparedness required to maximize potential and avoid injuries.  Since I’ve qualified for my AARP card a few years ago, my 20 handicap golf swing has degraded further, the aches and pains are a bit more pronounced and several close friends and golf buddies have seen their annual rounds curtailed by chronic back problems.  As we transition into the 2014 golf season, I consulted with a trio of fitness experts to discuss the steps that golfers can take to reduce the risk of injuries at the start of, and throughout the season. (more…)

India’s 61 in U.S. Open qualifying precedes Malm’s bid for a three-peat

Len Ziehm on GolfBy Len Ziehm

Deerfield product Vince India has been struggling as a rookie on the PGA's satellite Web.com Tour this year, but he didn't struggle on Monday in a local qualifier for the U.S. Open.

The former University of Iowa golfer shot a 10-under-par 61 to earn medalist honors in a local qualifier at Waterlefe, in Sarasota, FL. India played there because it was close to his new residence in Lakewood Ranch, FL. India moved there after obtaining playing privileges at the Concession Club, the site of the annual Big Ten Match Play Championship.

Concession is also the home course for former PGA champion Paul Azinger and Tony Jacklin, the former U.S. and British Open champion. The name of the course was inspired by Jacklin, in honor of a memorable Ryder Cup moment when Jack Nicklaus conceded him a short putt that led to the competition between the U.S. and Europe ending in a tie in 1969. Last month Concession hosted a new team event, the Concession Cup, which pitted amateur teams from the U.S. and Europe against each other. (more…)

Ticket Sales For 2014 Senior PGA Championship

Ticket sales for the 2014 Senior PGA Championship presented by KitchenAid at Harbor Shores in Benton Harbor, Mich., began on Nov. 12, 2013.

On Jan. 1, 2014, tickets to the 75th Senior PGA Championship presented by KitchenAid were released to the general public and prices increased.

Ticket registration will take place on the Championship website, SPGA2014.com. The 75th Senior PGA Championship presented by KitchenAid will be held May 20-25, 2014, with the Championship concluding on Memorial Day Weekend. (more…)

Ravisloe Country Club Hosts Golf Leagues

Ravilsoe Country Club was ranked 6th in courses you can play in the State of Illinois for 2014 in GolfWeek Magazine. Come experience the difference now with leagues for men, women and couples. Men's Club: A weekly league which runs from the week of April 30 thru Sept. 28, 2014. League players have from Wednesday - Sunday each week to post an 18 hole score. This format should fit everyone’s busy schedule. There is a different format each week and League Members can play in as many or as few as their schedule permits. Entry for the year and Prize Pool is $40. (more…)

Golf Tip – Get Your Putting Touch Back After Winter

Tony Tinetti Bonnie BrookBy Tony Tinetti, PGA Professional, Bonnie Brook Golf Course After a long winter like the one that we just suffered through, it is very difficult to get your golf game back in shape. The hardest thing to get back may be your putting touch. Here is a quick drill to help you with that. Take 3 balls and put them on the putting surface about 20 feet from the fringe. Your goal is to putt the ball so to make it stop right at the edge of the fringe. Make a couple of practice swings and then step up to the ball, put your putter behind it and just before you take your putter back, close your eyes. (more…)

It Ziehms To Me: Georgia’s Summer Grove Course Could Be Called Jemsek South

Len Ziehm on GolfBy Len Ziehm

NEWNAN, Ga. - It's no secret that the Jemseks are the first family of golf in Chicago. In fact, it's been that way for a long time.

It all started when Joe Jemsek purchased St. Andrews, in West Chicago in the 1930s. He later bought Cog Hill, in Lemont, and expanded it from 36 to its present 72 holes. [caption id="attachment_1835" align="alignright" width="251"] A cheery welcome greets golfers when they arrive at Summer Grove.[/caption] The Jemseks are now three generations deep in Chicago golf. For years the family operated Glenwoodie, in Glenwood, and - in addition to Cog Hill and St. Andrews -the Jemseks also operate Pine Meadow, in Mundelein. But the family's golf involvement isn't limited to the Chicago area. Though it's not widely known, the Jemseks also have a course in Georgia – and it’s one that in some ways has more family involvement than the Chicago layouts. (more…)

Springtime = Discounts At Top Area Courses

By Jim Zuccarelli April is one of my favorite times of the year to golf, as the lengthy Chicago winters always have me anxious to dust off the clubs, and I love taking advantage of the spring discounts offered by many of the top courses, a great way to play some of the best the area has to offer at an excellent price.  With a few notable exceptions (ThunderHawk 4/23 and Mistwood 4/25), most every course in the Windy City area has opened for play, but the historically severe winter of 2014 has taken its toll on the turf and several facilities have extended the spring rates to the end of the month and into early May to account for the conditions. (more…)

Why Am I Not Getting Better?

Jay casalettoBy Jay Casaletto, PGA Director - Golf Channel Am Tour-Chicago How many of you have heard these phrases before: "I don't understand why I didn't score better, I was hitting the ball so well at the range" or "The way you practice is the way you play in the game".  If the latter is true, it is no wonder why most of us don't get any better at golf. (more…)