From the Editor: Five Years and Counting...

This is the fifth season-ending editor’s note I’ve written for Chicagoland Golf, and it’s making me feel somewhat reflective.

Back when I wrote my first one in 2010, this publication wasn’t even called Chicagoland Golf—it was Chicago Area Golf. What’s more, I had no idea whether we’d still be around the next year. Those were, as you’ll recall, the darkest days of the recession—not exactly an ideal time to start a new publication, particularly one about golf, which was hit hard by the economic downturn.

But alas, there was a year two…and a year three…and a year four…and a year five. And year six is, believe it or not, just around the corner.

The staying power of Chicagoland Golf conveys a message about the industry as a whole: Despite some rough patches, golf in these parts remains relatively healthy. 

In fact, there’s every reason to believe that the sport is on an upswing. Although the course-building boom of the 1990s is a distant memory, the local scene is being revitalized with several renovations. Mistwood Golf Club in Romeoville completed an overhaul that has garnered widespread plaudits, and several other facilities, such as Mt. Prospect Golf Club, are currently being redone. Our cover story this month focuses on the renovation of Wilmette Golf Club, which seems to have transformed a facility that was already good into one that is outstanding. Yes, rumors of golf’s demise have been greatly exaggerated.

If you read through this issue, it will become clear that there’s a lot happening right now in local golf—and almost all of it is positive. In particular, youth golf—literally the future of the game—is flourishing. Our preview of the high school state championships is a veritable who’s who of the top young golfers in the area. These are kids we’re sure you’ll hear a lot more about as the years pass.

Women’s golf is also exploding, as Len Ziehm notes in his column this month. First, the Phil Kosin Illinois Women’s Open seems to get more prestigious every year, with an increasing number of elite players competing in it. Second, Jerry Rich, the owner of Rich Harvest Farms in Sugar Grove, has helped to create the International Crown, which can best be described as a Ryder Cup for women. The event will be held at Rich Harvest Farms in 2016.

About the only fly in the ointment this year was a paucity of big-time pro tournaments in the area. The BMW Championship, which was played last year at Conway Farms Golf Club in Lake Forest, took off for Colorado, leaving Chicagoland without a PGA Tour tournament. But the good news is the BMW Championship will be back at Conway Farms next year. Furthermore, the lack of a PGA event helped to raise the profile of the Encompass Championship, an event on the senior Champions Tour. After two years at North Shore Country Club in Glenview, the tournament seems to have carved out a niche in the local market.

Admittedly, everyone who works for this publication loves golf and has a vested interest in promoting the sport. But luckily, our job seems to be getting easier every year. In other words, there are more and more positives to report.