It's here, the John Deere Classic at TPC Deere Run!

The John Deere Classic at TPC Deere Run is here! This DA Weibring course design certainly has the memorable holes with dramatic views, just as they strived for! I have had the opportunity to play this course several times, with it being "in my own backyard" per se. The course is a Par 71 and plays 7,157 yards. The purse this week is $4.5 million. Steve Stricker is the defending "back to back" Champion of this great tourney. Can he make history and make it a 3rd? He loves the course and can drive down from his home in Wisconsin with his family for a great week of golf; which suits him well as the past 2 years have shown.

You can find the Field List via this link; JDClassic Field List . You can also download the John Deere Classic App, which is fantastic and will take you to each and every hole! This is available to both iPhone users and Android-based users. Of course for those Twitter fans, follow @JDClassic . The headquarters of John Deere is located in the adjoining city of Moline, IL. Also known to many as the "Quad Cities".

 One great thing that the John Deere Classic has done, is the Birdies for Charity Program. You can make a pledge for each birdie made during the tournament. The winning guess will win a green 2011 Chevy Camaro. Of course there is a tie-breaker should more than one person guess correctly. Last year $4.34 million was raised for participating non-profit organizations. Last year, 2,010 birdies were made at the 2010 JDClassic. That in itself is unbelievable given the 2010/2,010! 163 people made the correct choice, who then participated in a drawing for the win.

A bit of History: There are several adjoining cities that make this area a place to be enjoyed by all. The mighty Mississippi River separates IL from Iowa here in the Quad Cities. So, a couple minute drive across the Interstate 74 bridge and you're in Davenport, IA home of the Bix 7 race that has runners from across the world. Also, known in the area is RAGBRAI which stands for Register's annual great bicycle ride across Iowa. Lance Armstrong has participated in at least one leg of this historical bicycle ride for the past several years. This year, Davenport Iowa will be the final arrival for the riders, where they will dip their tires in the Mississippi River to signify completion of the challenge.

Whether or not Steve Stricker makes history, is unknown. But what is known, is that great golf will be enjoyed by thousands! Televised coverage will be via the Golf Channel from 2:00-5:00 PM CST for the first 2 rounds, followed by CBS coverage for rounds 3 & 4 from 2:00-5:00 PM CST. You can follow Live Scoring  if you're away from a t.v. or just want to watch the whole field while away from a scoreboard this week.

Hydrate yourselves if heading out into the July heat, with plenty of water. Keep in mind that Alcohol dehydrates you and could make heat induced illnesses hit you harder and faster. There is alot of shade on the course with the trees, so grab yourself a spot to regroup when needed. Sunblock and fluids (preferably water), will be the key to having a safe and enjoyable time this week if on the grounds!

Now, Go Hit Some Balls............