Stewart Cink joins The Cart Barn Podcast to discuss his recent success on PGA Tour Champions, the mindset changes that helped him start winning again, and how modern analytics and AI are shaping the way he practices and competes.

Episode Description:
Friend of the podcast Stewart Cink returns to The Cart Barn Podcast after an incredible stretch of golf that has already produced multiple wins on PGA Tour Champions.

In this episode, Stewart sits down with J Chris Lemley and Gregg Dewalt at the Regions Tradition to discuss:

• Why he believes most golfers practice the wrong things
• The mindset shift that changed his performance
• How AI and analytics now influence his game
• Why “strengthening your strengths” matters
• The differences between PGA Tour and Champions Tour competition
• Preparing for the PGA Championship at Aronimink
• Playing alongside longtime friends like Zach Johnson and Ben Crane
• Balancing competition, family, travel, and life after 50

Stewart also shares insights into how elite players evaluate performance, how expectations can sabotage results, and why the Champions Tour is far more competitive than most fans realize.

This is one of the most in-depth golf performance conversations we’ve had on the show.

Recorded on-site at the Regions Tradition in Birmingham, Alabama.

Stewart Cink, PGA Tour Champions, PGA Tour, golf podcast, golf analytics, golf mindset, golf instruction, Champions Tour, Regions Tradition, Alabama golf, J Chris Lemley, Gregg Dewalt, golf performance, golf practice, golf strategy, Zach Johnson, Ben Crane, professional golf, golf stories, Cart Barn Podcast

Wes Tuck joins the Cart Barn Podcast to tell the story of a life spent inside the game — from growing up around Alabama junior golf, winning the Future Masters, playing at Troy and Auburn, competing in the 1988 U.S. Amateur, chasing professional golf, and eventually finding a second career on the course maintenance side of the game.

Wes Tuck has lived almost every version of a golf life.

He grew up around the game in Alabama, learned under influential pros like Billy Eastep and Chris Rigdon, won the Future Masters, played college golf at Troy and Auburn, and made a strong run in the 1988 U.S. Amateur — including a match against defending champion Billy Mayfair.

In this episode, Wes talks about junior golf before the modern travel-tour era, what he learned from great players, his years chasing professional golf, and how his career eventually shifted into golf course maintenance and turf management.

It is a conversation about practice, perspective, parents, pressure, persistence, and why affordable public golf still matters.

Episode Summary

Legendary college golf coach Mike Griffin shares stories from Troy and Auburn, including coaching elite players, building championship programs, and the lessons that shaped his career.

Full Show Notes

Coach Mike Griffin is one of the most respected names in college golf, with a career spanning decades at Troy and Auburn. In this episode, he shares the stories, decisions, and lessons that defined his journey—from small-town beginnings to building nationally competitive programs.

We get into what it takes to develop players at the highest level, the evolution of college golf, and behind-the-scenes stories involving players like Jason Duffner and Paul Azinger.

Coach Griffin also shares one of the most impactful moments of his career—winning a tournament but not being selected to advance—and how that experience shaped his philosophy as a coach.

This is a conversation about leadership, development, and what it really takes to build champions.

Chapters

• 00:00 Cold Open: “You weren’t supposed to win”
• 01:05 Introduction to Coach Mike Griffin
• 02:00 Early life and learning the game
• 07:30 College golf at Troy
• 12:45 The moment that shaped his coaching philosophy
• 17:00 From player to coach
• 21:00 Building a winning program at Troy
• 26:30 Recruiting and developing players
• 29:15 The Jason Duffner story
• 32:00 The Paul Azinger story
• 42:20 How college golf has changed
• 54:00 Auburn years and legacy

Tags (Transistor)

golf podcast, college golf, Auburn golf, Troy golf, Jason Duffner, Paul Azinger, golf coaching, sports leadership, golf stories, Cart Barn Podcast

Lawrence Auer shares lessons from playing 500+ golf courses worldwide, his journey from Australia to Alabama, and why small-town golf still defines the game.

Show Notes

• Lawrence’s start in Australia and early golf influences
• Journey to the U.S. and career in Mobile
• Differences between public and private golf environments
• The significance of municipal golf courses
• Playing 500+ courses across 8 countries
• Favorite golf destinations and future trips
• Hidden gem courses vs “name brand” golf
• Why golf is one of the most accessible lifetime sports

Travis Key joins Chris and Gregg to talk about growing up around golf, falling in love with competitive golf later in life, and how a frightening dehydration incident on the course led to the launch of Strokes Gained. Travis shares the origin of the brand, how they developed the product, what makes it different, and what it has been like building a golf business while raising a son who is now deep into junior golf. This is a conversation about golf, fatherhood, entrepreneurship, and the realities of trying to build something in the game.

Show notes

This week in the Cart Barn, Chris and Gregg welcome Travis Key, co-founder of Strokes Gained, for a conversation that goes far beyond hydration.

Travis talks about:

• how his dad introduced him to the game
• why competitive golf hooked him later in life
• what he has learned from watching and caddying for his son in junior golf
• the frightening on-course dehydration incident that sparked the idea for Strokes Gained
• how he and his partner built the brand, developed the formula, and secured the trademark
• what it has been like scaling from a startup idea to placement in clubs around the country

This episode is part golf story, part founder story, and part reminder that the game has a way of teaching lessons well beyond the scorecard.

Short episode description

A dehydration scare on the golf course led Travis Key to build Strokes Gained. He joins Chris and Gregg to talk golf, fatherhood, competitive golf, and what it takes to build a brand in the industry.

Keywords

Cart Barn Podcast, Travis Key, Strokes Gained, golf hydration, junior golf, golf business, golf entrepreneurship, competitive golf, Alabama golf, PGA Show, golf founder story, hydration for golfers, golf lifestyle, golf stories

Chris and Gregg spend a few minutes talking Masters Week, why Augusta still feels different from every other tournament, the traditions that make the event special, favorite memories, and Gregg’s firsthand stories from covering the Masters during Stewart Cink’s early career.

Full show notes

Masters Week hits different, and this episode is a quick conversation about why.

Chris and Gregg talk about what separates the Masters from every other event in golf: the familiarity of Augusta National, the traditions, the music, the visuals, Amen Corner, the Par 3 Contest, and the way the week feels like the true start of golf season.

They also get into some favorite Masters moments, memorable shots, favorite holes at Augusta, and Gregg shares stories from covering the tournament early in Stewart Cink’s career — including the “pink badge of shame.”

If you love the Masters, this one will feel like a conversation you’d have sitting around the clubhouse or watching coverage with a cup of coffee.

What’s covered in this episode

• Why the Masters feels different from every other major
• Augusta traditions that still stand out
• The food, atmosphere, and no-cell-phone experience
• Why the Par 3 Contest is such a unique part of the week
• Gregg’s credential story from covering the Masters
• Favorite Masters moments from Jack, Tiger, Phil, Bubba and more
• Favorite holes at Augusta National
• Quick picks for who could contend this year

Keywords

Masters Week, Masters Tournament, Augusta National, golf podcast, Cart Barn Podcast, golf traditions, Amen Corner, Par 3 Contest, Masters memories, Augusta stories, Jack Nicklaus 1986, Tiger Woods 1997, Phil Mickelson Masters, Bubba Watson Masters, Stewart Cink, golf in Alabama, major championship golf

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