Jason Deegan of Golf Pass joins The Cart Barn to break down the Golfers Choice rankings for Alabama’s best public golf courses. The conversation covers how the list is built from real golfer reviews, why Alabama continues to offer exceptional value, and how the RTJ Trail remains the foundation of golf in the state while other courses continue to gain recognition.

This week in the Cart Barn, Chris and Gregg welcome Jason Deegan of Golf Pass to discuss the Golfers Choice rankings for Alabama’s top public golf courses.

Unlike traditional rankings, these lists are built from reviews by everyday golfers, offering a different perspective on course quality, value, and overall experience.

But this episode goes beyond a list.

It highlights something bigger: the depth of golf across Alabama.

While the Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail remains the backbone and premier golf experience in the state, this conversation explores how a number of other public courses are earning strong reviews and creating great experiences for players across all skill levels.

In this episode:

• How Golf Pass builds the Golfers Choice rankings
• Why player-reviewed lists differ from expert rankings
• What golfers actually value: greens, service, pace, and overall experience
• Why Alabama is one of the best value golf destinations in the country
• Hidden gem public courses across the state
• How accessibility and affordability are shaping golf travel decisions

The takeaway is clear:
Alabama golf is not just strong—it’s deep, accessible, and built for real golfers.

alabama golf, golf pass, jason deegan, public golf, golf rankings, golfers choice, rtj trail, robert trent jones golf trail, golf travel, value golf, golf podcast, cart barn podcast

Kim Evans shares her journey from Decatur, Alabama to building Auburn Women’s Golf into a national powerhouse — and the life-changing moment that put everything into perspective.

What does golf really give you?

For Kim Evans, it was more than championships, coaching success, or building one of the most respected programs in college golf. It was relationships, resilience… and ultimately, a moment that changed everything.

In this episode, we sit down with Kim Evans — Decatur native, former Auburn Women’s Golf Head Coach, and one of the most influential figures in college golf — to talk about her journey from small-town Alabama to building an SEC powerhouse.

We cover:

• Growing up in Decatur and learning the game at Decatur Country Club
• Her path through Auburn and into the golf business
• Coaching at Georgia Tech and working with players like Stewart Cink
• Building Auburn into a national contender
• The realities of coaching, recruiting, and leading at a high level
• And the moment a simple conversation led to a decision that saved her life

This is a story about golf — but more importantly, it’s about people, perspective, and what really matters when it’s all said and done.

golf, college golf, auburn, sec, coaching, leadership, golf stories, podcast

Joy Green shares what it was like working inside a startup television network before it became The Golf Channel—and the unexpected moments that surrounded the early days of Tiger Woods.

Joy Green takes us inside a moment in golf history that most people never saw—the early days of The Golf Channel before it became what it is today.

From walking into a completely unstructured startup environment to witnessing the habits of a young Tiger Woods before the world knew his name, Joy’s story gives a rare, behind-the-scenes look at how both a network and a legend were taking shape at the same time.

This conversation isn’t about polished success—it’s about uncertainty, figuring things out in real time, and being close enough to something special before anyone realized what it would become.

If you’ve ever wondered what it actually looked like behind the curtain in those early days, this episode delivers.

golf podcast, golf channel history, tiger woods early career, golf stories, behind the scenes golf, sports media, golf industry, cart barn podcast

In this episode of The Cart Barn, Chris Lemley and Gregg Dewalt sit down with Mike Beverly, President and CEO of Sunbelt Golf Corporation, the company that operates the Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail.

Mike shares the inside story behind one of the most ambitious golf development projects ever created. With 26 championship courses across Alabama, the Trail attracts golfers from all 50 states and more than a dozen countries each year.

They discuss the vision of Dr. David Bronner, how the Trail continues to grow, the operational challenges of managing hundreds of holes of championship golf, and why the RTJ Golf Trail remains one of the greatest values in golf travel today.

The Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail is widely considered one of the most unique golf destinations in the world. Built across the state of Alabama, the Trail features 26 championship golf courses at 11 different sites, drawing golfers from across the United States and around the world.

In this episode of The Cart Barn, Chris Lemley and Gregg Dewalt sit down with Mike Beverly, President and CEO of Sunbelt Golf Corporation and the 2025 PGA Professional of the Year for the Dixie Section.

Mike has spent nearly two decades helping guide the Trail’s growth and operations. Today, the Trail plays hundreds of thousands of rounds each year and continues to expand its influence in golf tourism.

During the conversation, Mike discusses:

• The original vision behind the Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail
• How the Trail transformed golf tourism in Alabama
• Managing more than a thousand employees across multiple golf sites
• Renovating and maintaining championship golf courses at scale
• The impact of the Trail on Alabama’s economy and tourism
• Why the Trail continues to be one of the best values in golf travel
• The future of golf and continued growth of the Trail

If you love golf architecture, golf travel, or the stories behind great golf destinations, this episode provides a fascinating look behind the scenes of one of the most successful golf projects ever created.

Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail
RTJ Golf Trail
Alabama golf
golf tourism
golf travel
golf podcast
golf courses Alabama
golf course architecture
Sunbelt Golf Corporation
Mike Beverly
golf industry
golf operations
golf destination
golf trip planning
golf in the south

The Golf Channel was founded in Birmingham, Alabama — and nearly collapsed before it ever became profitable.

In this episode, Del Woods, founding CFO of The Golf Channel, shares the inside story of building the first 24-hour golf network, bringing Arnold Palmer into the deal, raising startup capital, and surviving the financial pressure that nearly ended the company.

You’ll hear:
• How the idea for a 24-hour golf network began
• How Arnold Palmer became involved
• The capital raise that made it possible
• The near-bankruptcy moment in 1996
• What it was like playing Bay Hill during that stretch

This is a golf history episode — and a sports media startup story.

Follow the Cart Barn Podcast for more conversations documenting Alabama’s impact on the game of golf.

Golf Channel history
Arnold Palmer
Sports business
Golf media
Sports television
Media startup
Birmingham Alabama
Golf history
Bay Hill

Patton Kizzire opens up about the six-year gap between PGA Tour wins — what went wrong, what changed, and how discipline and mental preparation brought him back.

This isn’t just tour life. It’s a conversation about doubt, drift, habits, and rebuilding at the highest level of professional golf.

📄 FULL SHOW NOTES

Two-time PGA Tour winner Patton Kizzire joins The Cart Barn for a candid conversation about the six-year stretch between victories — and what it really took to win again.

After winning twice early in his PGA Tour career, Patton entered a long drought that forced him to confront his preparation, mindset, and discipline. In this episode, he explains:

• What happens mentally during a winless stretch
• Why preparation — not swing changes — became the focus
• The habits he rebuilt to regain control
• What winning in Napa meant after six years
• Life behind the scenes on the PGA Tour
• Competing against Rickie Fowler
• Growing up in Alabama and choosing Auburn

If you care about performance, discipline, and competing at a high level — in golf or anywhere else — this episode delivers real insight.

Hosted by Chris Lemley and Gregg Dewalt.

Patton Kizzire
PGA Tour
PGA Tour comeback
Golf mental game
Professional golf mindset
Korn Ferry Tour
PGA Tour win drought
Golf discipline
Tour life
Golf podcast

00:00 – Cold open: “I wasn’t in control…”
03:10 – Growing up in Alabama
12:45 – Auburn and SEC golf
18:50 – Korn Ferry breakout season
26:00 – First PGA Tour win
33:00 – The six-year drought
41:30 – Mental reset and discipline
48:00 – Life on tour
58:00 – Quick fire

Florida State Head Coach Trey Jones shares his recruiting philosophy, non-negotiables, NIL perspective, and what separates elite players from the rest in today’s college golf landscape.

This conversation with Florida State Head Coach Trey Jones was recorded before recent recruiting news surrounding the program.

Listening back now, his perspective on culture, recruiting, and player development offers timely insight into what attracts elite talent to Tallahassee.

In this episode:

• The “non-negotiables” inside the FSU program
• What separates elite 18–20 year olds from good players
• How NIL is reshaping recruiting
• Why inner confidence matters more than rankings
• The Brooks Koepka recruiting story
• PGA Tour U and the evolving path to the PGA Tour
• The facilities arms race in college golf

For over two decades, Trey Jones has built Florida State into one of the most consistent programs in college golf. This episode focuses on the blueprint behind that success.

Gary Williams is one of the most recognizable voices in modern golf media, best known for his long run on Morning Drive and now as the host of Five Clubs on SiriusXM and Golf Channel.

In this episode of The Cart Barn, Gary joins Chris Lemley and Gregg Dewalt for a wide-ranging, story-driven conversation that goes far beyond television golf. Gary reflects on his journey into the game, the relationships that shaped his career, and the moments behind the scenes that most fans never see.

We talk about:

• The origin and rise of Morning Drive
• Arnold Palmer, Joe Gibbs, and the early days of Golf Channel
• Golf as a participatory game, not just a televised sport
• Father-son golf memories and why they matter
• The philosophy behind Five Clubs and “it’s the time, not the score”
• Dogs on the course, Sweetens Cove, Landmand, and the future of golf gatherings

This is a thoughtful, personal conversation about golf, legacy, curiosity, and why the game continues to connect people across generations.