It's show time in Rosemont

    Writing from Chicago
    Thursday, February 25, 2016    

    More a sign of spring than the sighting of the first robin, the Chicago Golf Show sets up shop for a three-day run in Rosemont beginning at noon on Friday.
    There are nearly 200 exhibitors, most of them golf-related, ready to sing the praises of their course, their clubs, or whatever else they’re selling, in the big hall at the Stephens Convention Center in Rosemont. And some are literally selling their wares. As with the Tinley Park Golf Expo, there will be clubs and all the accessories needed to tee it up for sale.
    The on-stage attraction this year is Peter Longo, the “king of clubs.” Longo’s given thousands of trick-shot shows over the years, but never at the Chicago Golf Show. He’ll make one appearance a day, times to be announced. The show itself is open from noon-7 p.m. Friday, 9:30 a.m.-6 p.m. Saturday, and 9:30 a.m.-4 p.m. Sunday. Admission is $5 on Friday, $10 on the weekend, with kids from 12 to 15 $4, and under 12 free.
    For the nostalgia-oriented, three members of the 1985 Chicago Bears – Super Bowl winners 30 years ago – will be on hand. Emery Moorhead (Friday), Mike Richardson (Saturday)and Jim Morrissey (Sunday) will be taking lessons from Illinois PGA pros. Those same pros will be available to give mini-lessons to you in the Illinois PGA Village, which includes a pair of golf simulators and more hands-on goodies to play with.
    About 17,000 attended last year.

    • The Illinois Open is returning to Royal Fox Country Club in St. Charles for the first time since 2001. The showcase of state golf, expanded to two courses last year, will be played there and at co-owned Royal Hawk Country Club, also in St. Charles, on July 25-27.
    The 258-player field will tackle first two rounds, one on each course, on the first two days. Survivors play the final round at Royal Fox, which will be hosting for the eighth time.
    The move to the royals Fox and Hawk is also a move away from KemperSports-controlled courses. The Illinois Open has been on a Kemper-affiliated course every year since 2002, when The Glen Club hosted for the first of nine times, more than any other course.
    Royal Fox was designed by Dick Nugent, who did a good job squeezing 18 holes into a landscape that crosses over a highway and includes housing. There are a couple of quirky holes – the original tee for the par-4 third hole looked through a space between trees no more than 15 yards wide, while the 18th features an island green – but the leaders had little trouble breaking par.
    Royal Hawk is the former Burr Hill Golf Course, sort of. It was being redesigned even before the Royal group bought it in 2004. By 2006, only four of the original holes remained. As a result, the course meanders in uncertain fashion through a housing development and across the landscape, some holes separated from the previous one by large distances.
    But, at least for 2016, it’s home to the Illinois Open.
    “The golf courses were uniquely designed and built to be true tests of championship golf,” said Royal Group CEO John Weiss in an Illinois PGA news release. “The participants will love the look, layout and feel of both Royal Fox and Royal Hawk, as well as enjoy their experience at the Royal Country Clubs. It’s also a great opportunity for the St. Charles area. The community has a great young fan base and the Illinois PGA's marquee championship will provide great exposure to our many young fans of golf.”

     – Tim Cronin