Some of my most interesting golf trips have come in off-the-radar places in the Midwest most people would never think to visit. These are all the reasons I love golf in the midsection of America. In my experiences, Midwestern sensibilities trump Southern hospitality every time. Green fees feel like a steal when compared to more high-profile golf destinations. And the weather, while it can get sticky and rainy, is certainly better than the searing heat in California, Arizona and Florida. There's nothing like putting on pure bentgrass. Downtowns spring to life with festivals and beer gardens. I played Highland Meadows at an LPGA Tour media day years ago, and it's one of dozens of strong country clubs in northern and central Ohio. Yet TPC Deere Run, the celebrated host of the John Deere Classic, is higher on my bucket list than a place like Augusta National, where I know I'll never get on. ![]() I have the chance to play all over the world as one of the perks of my job. Nebraska and the Quad Cities aren't all cornfields. The stereotypes you see on the national news are never true, especially when it comes to golf. You might scoff that I consider Nebraska or Ohio "paradise", but don't judge until you've been there. Their energy make watching - both live and on TV - more entertaining. The fans appreciate that the players choose to tee it up in their little slice of paradise. When the best players in the world show up in Sylvania or the Quad Cities, they are treated like rock stars. When pro golfers show up in Las Vegas, Scottsdale or California (where I live now), they are merely a blip on the radar. This is real America, more than the glamorous destinations on the coasts or the big cities these tours too often frequent. You could say it pulls on my heartstrings. Raised in a small town in the Midwest - Port Huron, Michigan - I have a soft spot for golf in the heartland. I don't think I've ever seen a more obscure collection of small-town America being showcased for a weekend of golf quite like this. ![]() What do these three places all have in common? And answering they all have a McDonald's doesn't count.Īll three are taking center stage in the golf world this weekend: the PGA Tour's John Deere Classic in Illinois, the LPGA Tour's Marathon LPGA Classic in Ohio and the U.S.
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