Love and golf collide at the Tinley Park Golf Expo

Writing from Chicago

Tuesday, February 9, 2016

    Valentine’s Day and golf. Is there a better combination?
    Perhaps there is, but for those who love the game, the final day of the Tinley Park Golf Expo – Sunday – coincides with the ultimate hearts-and-flowers-and-candy wooing day.
    Five years in, the Expo is now a fixture in Chicago’s winter golf calendar. This year’s edition runs from Friday through Sunday at the Tinley Park Convention Center, at Harlem Ave. and Interstate 80 in Tinley Park.
    “We cannot think of a better way for couples to bond than through the game of golf,” said Gregg Tengerstrom, the co-owner of the Expo and longtime head professional at Silver Lake Country Club in Orland Park.
    Tengerstrom and co-owner Joe Copeland expect about 10,000 golf fans to attend over three days. Those who make the trek can investigate the booths of about 120 exhibitors, ranging from equipment manufacturers to area courses to resorts signed up, as well as a sales area where clubs old and new will be available. Looking for a left-handed 1-iron? You may find it, along with all the more modern implements of the game, at the Expo.
    Admission is $5 Friday, $10 Saturday or Sunday. Children under 12 are free with a paying adult. The hours: Friday, noon-7 p.m.; Saturday, 9 a.m.-7 p.m.; Sunday: 9 a.m.-4 p.m.
    Beyond the booths, here’s what you’ll find inside the Expo:
    • The Demo area will have new clubs and putters from a dozen manufacturers across three days. Adams, Callaway and Taylor Made will be on hand all three days. Cobra, Mizuno and Tour Edge will be there Friday and Saturday, while Wilson will be represented on Saturday and Sunday. Nike and Ping are Friday-only, while Cleveland, Fourteen Golf and RIFE Putters are Sunday-only participants.
    • An expanded lesson area will feature professionals from Billy Casper Golf’s many area courses, as well as Greg Kaumeyer of Golf Fitness 4 You. Additionally, the First Tee of Greater Chicago will host lessons and a skills challenge area for children, and the Freedom Golf Association will have complimentary lessons for the disabled.
    • A dollar enters you in the skills contests – long drive, long putt, and a closest to the pin contest via a golf simulator – with Callaway clubs and Odyssey putters to be won each day. There are also raffles other attractions in the aisles.

– Tim Cronin