Suburban golf show season tees off this weekend
It may not seem like golf season outside, but the sport will soon be red hot indoors thanks to four consumer shows - three of them in the Chicago area - coming up over the next six weeks.
The first event tees off Friday with the new Northern Illinois Golf Expo at the Lake County Fairgrounds & Event Center in Grayslake. This golf show runs from noon to 7 p.m. on Friday, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Saturday and 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Sunday. Tickets are $5 on Friday and $10 Saturday or Sunday at NorthernIllinoisGolfExpo.com or at the door. Children younger than 12 (with paid adult) and active-duty military are free. Parking is free.
Joe Copeland and Gregg Tengerstrom, co-owners of Tenco Events, have organized this new show to supplement their six-year old Tinley Park Golf Expo. That shows returns to the Tinley Park Convention Center on Feb. 10-12. Tickets are also $5 for the Friday show and $10 on Saturday or Sunday, with free parking.
The biggest of the local events is the 34th annual Chicago Golf Show, which will take over the Stephens Convention Center in Rosemont from Feb. 24-26. Tickets are $5 on Feb. 24, and $11 on Feb. 25 and Feb. 26. Value deals available online at chicagogolfshow.com
While Chicago golfers will a good dose of what's new in their sport at those local shows, the biggest event of them all - the closed-to-the-public PGA Merchandise Show - will be held Jan. 24-27 at the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando, Florida. Big golf news is generally made there, as most of the manufacturers will introduce their new lines of equipment.
Exhibitors at the Northern Illinois and Tinley Park shows will offer special expo-only discounts on equipment and rounds at local courses. Both shows will be loaded with giveaways and skill contests and attendees can receive free one-on-one instruction from local professionals.
Both the Northern Illinois and Tinley Park Expos will be sponsored by the KPMG Women's PGA Championship, a major event on the Ladies PGA Tour. It will be coming to Olympia Fields Country Club from June 29 to July 1 this season and be played at Kemper Lakes in Hawthorn Woods in 2018. Admission to both shows is $5 on Fridays and $10 on Saturdays and Sundays.
The much bigger Chicago Golf Show has a new presenting sponsor in Indiana's French Lick Resort. The LPGA is also bringing its newest major tournament to French Lick this season.
French Lick had hosted the Legends Championship, for the top women pros who have passed their 45th birthday, the past four years. Now the LPGA has taken over that event, dramatically expanded the festivities and prize money, made the unusual decision to schedule all tournament rounds on weekdays (July 10-12) and renamed it the LPGA Senior Championship.
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