Illinois Golfer RahmRahm outBarbersoutBarbers JohnsonJohnson atat OlympiaOlympia •• CalumetCalumet CCCC closingclosing IllinoisIllinois GolferGolfer DigitalDigital EditionEdition DecemberDecember 20202020 WhiteWhite EagleEagle winswins EmoryEmory takestakes IllinoisIllinois OpenOpen onon toughenedtoughened coursecourse Page 2 • December 2020 • Illinois Golfer www.illinoisgolfer.net ––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– In This Issue The Buzz –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– News –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– Emory captures Illinois Open 5 $5 million to new Illini course Shocker! Small wins Illinois PGA 8 Sluza takes Illinois Junior 10 There’s something about the Illinois golf program and this gift is just another example of how generous Coody wins Western Amateur 11 that generates unprecedented donations. This sum- and supportive the Illini golf family is,” Illinois men’s Rahm makes his mark at Olympia 13 mer, the university was handed Stone Creek, the pri- coach Mike Small said. Opinion vately-owned public-play layout in Urbana, by the At- The Atkins family opened Stone Creek in 1999 but –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– kins family that developed it in a real estate venture. kept the course shuttered this year and were planning Grill Room: A Masters in an empty room 3 The value, including unsold real estate, was estimated to turn it into a nature preserve, a plan made before Special correspondence from NY 4 at $15 million. the COVID-19 pandemic turned the golf world upside Departments In mid-September, the university received $5 down. Talks with Illinois commenced and the course –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– Around Illinois: Calumet sold 16 million from an anonymous donor to bankroll renova- was saved. The current plan is to reopen the course in IG Summary Sheet 18 tions and other changes to the course, now called the spring 2021, pending the pandemic and when changes The Directory 19 Atkins Golf Club at the University of Illinois, and the can be affected. Tour Guide 28 clubhouse. FIRST TEE TO WAVELAND: About $1.5 million “These funds will allow us to fulfill our vision of in fundraising stands between the First Tee – Greater making the Atkins Golf Club a championship-caliber Chicago and a headquarters facility at Waveland Golf home course for our men’s and women’s golf teams, Course – or Marovitz, as members of Sydney J.’s fam- Illinois Golfer while at the same time providing an inviting environ- ily call it – on Chicago’s lakefront. –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– December 2020 • Digital Edition ment and an entertaining experience for our local com- The capital campaign was launched on Sept. 21, Vol. 6, No. 4 • Issue 47 munity – golfers and non-golfer alike,” Illinois athletic and renovation of the south half of the clubhouse is –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– director Josh Whitman said in a statement. underway, slated for a spring 2021 opening, or as open Published monthly in season, with occasional special issues Plans for course tweaks won’t be made until the as it can be in a pandemic. A specialized outdoor prac- –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– university selects an architect to lead the planning, but tice area, designed in part by Luke Donald, will be Publisher & Editor Tim Cronin basic infrastructure, including irrigation and drainage, ready in spring 2022. Travel Expert Len Ziehm are already high on the punch list. “Investing in our own Chicago home base opens –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– Join us online at www.illinoisgolfer.net The clubhouse will also get a makeover, including the door to even more opportunities and programming Write us at P.O. Box 164, Worth, Illinois 60482 team-specific areas for the Fighting Illini squads and an that impacts these incredible kids,” Chicago CEO Lea E-mail us at [email protected] Illini-themed golf shop. Jesse said. Call us at (708) 638-1164 Follow us on Twitter: @illinoisgolfer “The financial support that Illinois golf has gar- Programs at other golf courses and ranges in the –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– nered over the years continues to humble our program, Chicago area will continue. Display / classified advertising: Call (708) 638-1164 for particulars. Illinois Golfer assumes no responsibility for unsolicited ––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– materials or claims of advertisers. Caveat emptor. The Cover Bryce Emory finishing off the Illinois Open on the final hole at White Eagle Golf Club, where –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– © 2020 Illinois Golfer LLC, a unit of Cronin Multimedia spectators were allowed as the Illinois PGA staged the state championship. / Tim Cronin / Illinois Golfer Page 3 • December 2020 • Illinois Golfer www.illinoisgolfer.net ––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– The Grill Room by Tim Cronin A Masters in an empty room his was a different Masters for as many reasons as there are days between April and November. The season’s first men’s major Tbecame the last. A rite of spring was replaced by fall colors. Bryson DeChambeau probably added 15 yards to his driving average between the seasons. Augusta National Golf Club The toonimint created by Bobby Jones and Two of a kind Cliff Roberts looked different, with the golds Leaving nothing to and browns of autumn replacing the reds and chance, Augusta purples of azaleas and sundry other flowers. National printed a new Even more, it sounded different. When Dustin version (right) of its Johnson pounded big drives and sank critical annual program. The putts to earn the right to wear the green jacket, other majors didn’t he was rewarded by modest applause from those even print programs. working on Sunday. It was a Simon and Garfunkel tournament: Club’s pocketbook. The place could take the bookkeeper probably spells it $ky. The sounds of silence. The players and caddies financial hit, especially because their other fiscal The merchandise angle is less obvious but as needed to look at the big boards, which were in underpinnings – television money, both domestic valuable. Each “patron,” as Augusta so quaintly operation – some things at Augusta are never out and international, and merchandise – remain in terms the swells and great unwashed who traipse of season – to check their status. place. through their gates in a normal April, received Nothing could replace the 40,000-plus The TV deals are obvious, with the effective a passcode to a special merchandise website the who stream in on a daily basis, whether they time-buy on CBS and ESPN – Augusta selects club set up mimicking the massive merchandise make noise or not. Amen Corner looked like a the sponsors and tells the outlets what they’ll center selling everything from shot glasses to ghost town. The 16th hole, vacant. The first tee show and when they’ll show it – continuing. The shirts to hats to belts to shorts that normally are for honorary starters Jack Nicklaus and Gary deals made internationally bring in even more sold only on site and only, with the exception of Player? Fred Ridley twisted the arms of some money. An expanded deal with Sky took place members and lucky guests, during Masters week. members and got a few green jackets out of the in the UK this year, knocking out the BBC after Each customer could go on the website twice to breakfast nook. Hey, at least nobody will have to nearly 60 years of live free-to-air broadcasts. max out their credit card, and maxing out there fight traffic. (Peter Alliss’ last Masters call was made from surely was. Don’t feel sorry for Augusta National Golf home, and seen in the UK on tape.) Augusta’s The rest of us? Well, the Masters site does Page 4 • December 2020 • Illinois Golfer www.illinoisgolfer.net ––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– ––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– have a kiosk for sales of programs, annuals, posters and select photos. That’s open year- Special correspondence from The New York Sun round. Speaking of programs, Augusta remade their program cover between April and now to ILLINOIS GOLFER is pleased to present a vital were no Santa Claus. It would be as dreary as reflect both the date and the seasonal look. The exchange of correspondence originally printed in if there were no VIRGINIAS. There would be no U.S. Open and PGA Championship (and our The New York Sun of Sept. 21, 1897. With it we childlike faith then, no poetry, no romance to own BMW Championship) didn’t even print send to you and yours our best wishes for good make tolerable this existence. We should have no a program, though the two majors had already health and a joyous holiday season. enjoyment, except in sense and sight. The eternal created plenty of merchandise and are peddling _____ light with which childhood fills the world would that on their websites. We take pleasure in answering thus promi- be extinguished. In a normal year, it’s been estimated, the nently the communication below, expressing at the Not believe in Santa Claus! You might as Augusta golf shops – the second one, behind the same time our great gratification that its faithful well not believe in fairies! You might get your fifth green, is usually