Extremely Interesting Golf News: LIV Will Host It's 2024 Individual Championship At A Local Municipal Course That Only Costs $50 To Play

Announcement in the golf world today that's downright awesome for the regular joe golfer in Chicago. That's my first perspective I'd like to get into. There's other considerations but I want to start local and expand outwards internationally. One thing at a time beginning with Chicago considerations. 

1. LIV could have moved its event from Chicago to other locations. There's some chatter they'd leave Chicago. Even if you didn't go to Rich Harvest the last two years, you'd be missing out on the long-term vision. Fortunately that's still in play with a pivot to Bolingbrook Golf Club. 

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2. Bolingbrook Golf Club is not private. In fact it's very public in all respects: accessible, affordable, respectable and serves a great dog. I've attended approximately 30 outings over the last decade there ranging from local congressmen to Bo Jackson's charity to your textbook bullshit village manager outing on a Monday with soft, cold Quiznos at the check in. I've seen it often and can firmly attest it strokes my heartstrings to know it will soon host some of the world's best golfers. 

3. Bolingbrook is going to piss a lot of people off so let's talk about it. Negatives: it's not a championship course right now, you can easily say it's not hard enough right now, and it's not a fancy place that's hard to play. Some of you care about that, which is weird. But I'll respect the preference enough to be acknowledged right here: there's nothing special about Bolingbrook. Fine. Let me win you over. 

4. It's north of 55, which makes it more convenient than Cog Hill, which turned out tens of thousands year-after-year for the Western/Cialis/BMW open. The location is better than Dubsdread for everyone in the Chicago metro area, which is significantly more convenient than literally every other venue that can host. Glen Club would be a good argument but I don't have to expertise for it. Let's just agree that Bolingbrook's positioned perfectly for the expressways. You can come south off 90/294/355/. You can go east/west on 88 and 80. You can go northwest/southwest on 55. You can take Harlem if you don't like tolls. There's obviously 290 for West Loopers to Oak Park. Quite literally, you are a textbook Chicago 30 minutes from almost anywhere on the map. 

5. Bolingbrook has an airport that can take jet traffic. Not that any of you are touching down in that air space any time soon. I just think it's important from an infrastructure standpoint. 

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6. The property is gigantic. Sprawling, really. You wouldn't believe me unless you played it. So the room for improvements and to grandstand and build out an already functional public track is appealing. The investment, notoriety, etc. could easily help Bolingbrook GC climb the ranks and invest more money into the facility. More groundscrew. More equipment. More outside consulting. All that shit could mean a better experience for all the golfers in Chicago. 

Comparatively (staying on the same point) money into a private club is used to benefits the members of that private club. Which makes sense and is great and a fundamental principle of America. I am not saying that's a bad thing. I'm saying that in my position, I benefit more from the public development of Bolingbrook and I think that's outstanding for most of us. The staunch and serious opposition to this point can suck rocks. 

7. Once upon a time, talking about LIV would render you a treasonous traitor of the highest degree. Now the inevitability has marinated and most reasonable people can see it's an individual decision made by professional individuals that are, like you and me and nearly every conscious human, motivated by a dollar. Primarily? I didn't say that. But there's enough to dwarf other motivations to the extent this tour exists. So take it up with them when you get a chance, but for now I'm just here to talk about the golf course that will host the professionals and its broader considerations for average people. 

8. You got a big dump in your pants buddy. I can smell it. Clean your shorts for chrissakes. 

9. Attendance should smash that weekend. The convenience of Bolingbrook makes it much easier to access than bufu Sugar Grove. Bunch of hillbillies out west if you ask me. Bolingbrook has that Chicago suburb smell that should bring out everybody's uncles/cousins/those kinda guys. That's a guarantee. The crowd will both show and grow.

10. Island green on 15 means big signage. Big sponsorships. Big speakers. And you basically get to reconstruct the golf course improvements around the layout for the LIV championship. Obviously there's going to be some rerouting, extensions, new tee boxes. There's gonna be some thicker kentucky blue grass in places we don't know. And I imagine there's a whole list of pin positions we've never even seen because Bolingbrook Golf Club wants you coming back for more. At $60/round, all of it makes sense. But now we look ahead and see an island green, then I see opportunity. I see potential. I see scores of busty hookers on floaty devices surrounding the green. The jugs are big and it's very nice. 

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11. Broader considerations - I think there's a common thread amongst professional sports in that we all want to be closer. We want to know more about the clubhouse, more about the roster, more about the players. Tickets are better when they're closer, mostly. We love a pass that allows for more access. Anything VIP is absolutely fucking sweet. And there's nothing better than meeting your favorite player from your favorite team. We can all agree that as regular sports fans, I suppose. We want to be closer.

12. Then continuing that, it's fuckin sweet that they'll play a course everyone reading this right now can access at an extremely affordable rate. It's not a dog track bullshit course. And it's not fancy pants McGee charging $450 to get a view of some water. Instead it's just a plain old fashioned, solid muni with a busy tee sheet and full pro shop. These things are everywhere yet we still need more. It's a win for Bolingbrook, sure. But it's a massive win for Bolingbrooks everywhere, if that makes sense. 

13. Again, the dump in your pants fuckin reeks buddy. Go wipe your ass before you start talking international politics. 

14. I usually get tired on the 14th hole so we'll call it quits here and go hit the putting green. I think there's obviously a non-zero chance this is a horrible idea that falls apart for a number of basic criticisms. I'm not gassing up Bolingbrook without being realistic. Obviously you could blow this. You're Bolingbrook. Don't take it personally. 

What I'm betting on is that you already know this and that this deal was made knowing it's going to be awesome based on the potential. That's where my heads at right now. LIV wanted to stay in Chicago and they're going after Bolingbrook. Probably had to schedule it around a wedding reception and a Mike Madigan fundraiser. Pardon my language but go ahead and eat your fuckin heart out if you like public golf. 

Anyways. 

Last thing. 

I don't think anyone who sincerely complains about LIV knows how to properly shallow a golf club. Maybe 1 out of 500, max. Just a hunch but not the point I want you guys walking away with. 

So let's circle back and agree that it's good for Chicago to keep a professional golf event on the calendar. Good that we get all these international superstars on oaur turf. And good for business that we can all get there within a reasonable amount of time, no Jane Byrne exchange necessary. Package all that shit up and I say it's not too shabby.