028: Golf Gets Funny - Hally Leadbetter on Legacy, Lefties, and Leveling the Playing Field

Hally Leadbetter is shaking up golf with comedy, creativity, and a mission to make the game more human. We dive into her viral rise—from growing up in a golf dynasty to becoming one of the sport’s freshest media voices and most recognizable golf influencers. With on-course interviews alongside stars like Tom Holland and DJ Khaled, and a social media presence that blends humor with heart, Hally is redefining who golf is for. We unpack how she’s challenging golf’s stereotypes, spotlighting women in golf, and bringing fresh energy to PGA coverage, golf content creation, and sports media at large. From lefty struggles and viral golf skits to women’s representation in the sport, this episode explores how Hally is helping golf evolve—in culture, content, and character. 

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Chapters:

Introduction to Almost Fans Podcast - 00:00

Top Three Travel Destinations - 02:30

• 10:45 - Interview with Hallie Leadbetter
• 15:20 - Growing Up in a Golf Family
• 25:00 - Transition to Media Career
• 35:15 - Memorable Media Moments
• 45:00 - Humor and Inclusivity in Golf
• 55:30 - Mental Health Advocacy

Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00.728)
We all have, you know, at one time or another struggled with our mental health and felt like we've not been in a good place and need to have resources to be able to manage our emotions and be able to express our feelings in a healthy way. And that's something that I've done like a ton of work on in therapy over the last couple of years. And, you know, golf has been a really, really big part of that for me. mean, golf.

is the ultimate way to sort of peel back the layers and see kind of like the parts of you that you maybe don't like or need to work on or struggle with.

Have you ever wondered why people get so hyped about their favorite sports teams? Well, it turns out it's not just about the game. It's about the community. My name is Teryn.

And I'm Ambre. Welcome to Almost Fans, the sports podcast that's fun, a little bit educational, and will give you plenty to say when you're trying to keep up with those diehard sports fans in your life.

Speaker 1 (01:08.504)
Welcome back to almost fans where we make sports feel a little less intimidating. Even if your idea of golf involves windmills and a putt putt scorecard. Today's episode is a real treat. We're chatting with golf personality and expert Hallie Ledbetter. She's funny. She's smart. And she seriously knows her stuff when it comes to the game.

We're talking about everything from what it's like growing up in a golf obsessed family to the state of golf and her own journey in the sport. You do not want to miss this one, but first we're starting things off with our hat trick, our weekly top three segment. And today we're keeping it travel themed with the top three best places we've ever been, whether it's tropical touristy or totally random. These are our favorite spots. So Ambre, what's your number?

Okay, I'm going to start with a place that actually is really, really close to where I live because one of my top three places I've ever been to is Willow Bay on Lake Mendota if I'm wearing water skis. It's so boring, but it's like my favorite place because I love water skiing and I hope to be at this favorite place at least once a weekend.

Okay.

Speaker 2 (02:28.824)
for all of the summer, which is actually not that long because we live in Wisconsin, but it is one of my happy places is being on the boat, water skiing in Willow Bay.

That's funny that you said it's kind of boring because I was thinking about this. I'm like, I'm kind of boring because I just haven't traveled that much. Unfortunately. Yet. But my number three place that I thought was amazing, shockingly so, was Seattle. It's like rainy, a little bit moody. They have these really super tall pine trees that I thought were like magical. And it's so much coffee. You don't even know what to do with yourself.

Obviously that's the original place of the original Starbucks, is highly underwhelming when you see it in real life. But anyways, it's cool place. Yeah, just all the cool different things you can do in Seattle.

What's that?

Speaker 2 (03:23.414)
Yeah. Sticking with the rainy and moody theme, my next favorite place is Butter Tubbs Pass, which is a hill, mountain. I don't know. It felt like a mountain that day in Yorkshire, England, especially when it's really foggy. It was that day, especially when you encounter sheep in the middle of the road. Like you see in all of the postcards and they were that day. It was a really hard climb.

for everybody else because I was on an e-bike. anyway, yeah, that part.

You went there on a truck travel trip where you ride bikes in this video.

Oh, yes. I was on a cycling vacation with Trek Travel and this was, I think, day number two of the vacation and it was just a magical day. It was just a little bit misty, not raining, and it was just everything that in my mind should be England. yeah, Yorkshire, England, specifically at the top of this foggy, sheep-populated mountain.

Love that. Okay. My number two best place I have ever been. And again, kind of boring, but I love it. is Northern Michigan and specifically Western Northern Michigan, where they have the sand dunes and I just grew up going to vacation there with my family. Like all of them, you know, the 4th of July, Memorial day. It's like Lake day, sand dunes, cherries everywhere, small town vibes, bonfires, long nights. It's so cozy. I just love it. And

Speaker 1 (04:57.666)
Yeah, that's one of my favorite places to ever be.

As you're talking, cozy is exactly the word I had in my brain. Okay, my third and final favorite location is in Ireland. It's the cliffs of Moher. Just Google that if you are not sure of what this is. It is a stunning landscape. It's like these cliffs that drop straight down. I'm terrified of heights, so I watched one person on a ladder in a movie up

two stories and my palms get clammy. They were clammy the whole time I was at these cliffs, but it's so worth it. They are absolutely stunning. You just can't believe that something like that is real life. was there when I was backpacking with a friend back, back in my twenties. Feels like a long time ago. We're going to go again for my husband and I are doing a 10 year anniversary in Scotland, Ireland. This is a place we must visit, but it is amazing and beautiful.

That's great. My number one place that I've ever been, best place is a place that I just came back from and it's Guatemala. I just came back from a mission trip there and I know it's probably people are like, what? You know, developing country. It is beautiful. They have lakes, they have volcanoes. It's like the beautiful culture of like the really bright colors, like sewn, woven, everything like everywhere you look, even like the really

Now this sounds bad, but like even the really poor areas, they just have this like the colors and the idea that people are living in a community together. It just is so beautiful to me. like I hadn't been back there in like nine years since I went on a bunch of admission trips in high school and college. And it was just so wonderful being back. So yeah, I'll go back again very soon for sure.

Speaker 2 (06:52.393)
I love thinking about travel. We need to go somewhere. We need to plan a trip together. For sure. Europe. What was it? Amsterdam? Is that where we're Yeah. Manifesting 2026. All right. Amsterdam.

Yeah, we do. need a trip. Yeah, we're going to Amsterdam.

Speaker 1 (07:03.534)
Sounds good.

Speaker 2 (07:08.49)
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Today's guest grew up surrounded by golf. But instead of just following tradition, she's found her own hilarious creative way to shake it up. Hallie Ledbetter played college golf at a high level and now brings a fresh, funny, and totally approachable vibe to the sport through digital content, skits, and on-course interviews. And whether she's teeing it up with celebrities or poking fun at golf's unwritten rules,

She's helping redefine who the game is for, shining a spotlight on women in golf and making the sport feel more human, more welcoming, and way more fun. We are thrilled to welcome Hallie Ledbetter to the show. Welcome, Hallie.

Thank you guys. Thank you so much. Wow. That made me feel so good about myself. I'm have to go back and listen to that every morning.

Speaker 2 (08:56.238)
The people love a good introduction, you know?

Yeah, that is so kind. Yeah, thank you guys so much for having me. This is is this is awesome.

We're so thrilled to chat with you and we know that our listeners are gonna love hearing about your story, but I have a quick personal question before we dive in. So I just began golf lessons this year. I'm totally addicted, like 100%. I've also learned the hard fact that I am a lefty and I know that you are as well, so can commiserate. I've been told by more than one person.

That'll happen.

Speaker 2 (09:28.962)
Defining women's lefty golf clubs is like searching for a unicorn. That was the exact term. But on a totally personal and selfish note, as a lefty lady in golf, what sort of good and bad things do I have to look forward to or maybe not look forward to?

Let's see, as a lefty lady, would say one, first of all, just in general, being a lefty, there's two types of people in the world, lefties and those that wish they were. So we're a very special breed. when it comes to golf, let's see, pros and cons. The cons being most people will always drive the cart up on the wrong side, even fellow lefties, because they're not used to playing with other lefties. My little brother and I are both left-handed and we do it to each other.

funny. but you know, some of the good things could be like, you know, generally, we always have a nice patch of grass on the range, which is great. Normally, and in the divots and hit from the grass where everybody else is kind of scrambling for the last piece of grass. So that's something that we have to look forward to, which is always nice. So, you know, sometimes whole different holes can play different for us. For example, like, I love a dogleg, right? A lot of righties don't love a dogleg, right?

Dogleg lefts, a lot of righties like, not necessarily my favorite. So yeah, it's just funny how we kind of see things differently. I remember one time Paul Aizinger, very well-known golfer once told me, you know, if there's not a lot of golfers for you to watch as a left-hander, what you should do is watch golf on TV, but watch it in a mirror and all the golfers become left-handed.

That was funny.

Speaker 1 (11:10.666)
Yeah. So there's all kinds of little tips and tricks, no life like life as a lefty is good for sure. Yeah. I feel like most athletes want to be left-handed just in general. Yeah. It kind of throws people off sometimes. Like, don't know, to be completely honest, I don't know much about any other sport besides golf, but I have, think you're right, Teryn. I, when people that does seem to be like a thing, at least when it comes to like baseball or tennis to mention like, that person is left-handed because as a righty you're used to playing.

That's awesome.

Speaker 2 (11:20.974)
I'll take Yeah, I'll take it.

Speaker 1 (11:40.238)
against other righties. And so when you're playing, lot of the audience is going to be like, what? Too bad you don't have that. You don't have that one-on-one like advantage. No, golf, you're very rarely, if you're sparring against someone, then something has gone terribly wrong. Yeah.

Too many beers.

Yeah, exactly. Okay. So Hallie, you grew up in what can only be described as a golf dynasty household. Your father is David Ledbetter, a famous golf instructor. All of your family plays golf. So what is the most golf household in quotes moment from your childhood? Like did your family talk strategy over cereal? Did you talk about it all day in and out? What's life like? Yeah. You know, it's so funny. I, I always joke that like,

I love golf like I love my parents. Like it's literally given me everything. I don't know life without it. It's the lens through which I see the world. And when I came, you when I moved to New York city and moved to Los Angeles and I realized that like golf was not the be all and end all. I was like, my gosh, okay. That's, this is crazy. But it, know, growing up, it was definitely interesting. You know, we'd

in the mornings when we would eat breakfast, where we went to school, like golf channel was always on. Like I thought the golf channel, like morning show was like the daily news. Like that's what I thought. was like, okay, that's not everybody starts their day. Uh, but that is not true. Um, but no. yeah, you know, whether it was watching the golf channel in the mornings or it was, you know, for Thanksgiving, we would have, you know, family matches to see who would have to do the dishes.

Speaker 1 (13:20.562)
you know, before Thanksgiving dinner, which is always really fun. we had a, know, at my house, we had a short game area that was lit up at night. So that was a lot of the evenings were like family short game practice sessions. So yeah, a lot of golf was definitely a really big part of, you know, my childhood and my brother's a very good players. My mom is actually the best golfer in the family. My mom played on the LPGA. It's how my parents met my mom.

So, yeah, so everybody in my family plays and I tried for a very, very long time. I don't think it was until it was like 13 was when I personally really got into golf, but it was just always there. And I just thought like, oh, that's something that my brothers do. I have a set of clubs, I don't like it. And then ultimately when I was like 13 was when I was like, okay, what's everybody, they seem to like really enjoy this thing. Let me try to get into it.

I just want to go back. your mom and dad, your mom was taking lessons from your dad. Was it like love at first sight? Was it like, let me fix your swing and then, you know, fell in love after that?

So my mom went to go see my dad for a lesson because she heard about this like hot shot new instructor that was supposed to be the be all and end all. And so my mom went to go get lessons with my dad. And I think, you know, they started out as like really good friends. And then my dad picked my mom up from the airport after a tournament and he showed up with flowers. And that's when my mom told me she was like, brother.

you

Speaker 1 (14:52.526)
And so she tried to like pawn him off on her friends. was like, no, like you're my friend. Like you're just like really good friend. And so she tried for a very long time to keep my dad at bay, but my dad is. Yeah. She friendzoned him hard. Um, and you know, tried to, tried to keep it, I guess, professional, which is like the, the funny thing is, is like a friend of mine a couple of years ago, who was also a golfer.

Friends zoned him.

Speaker 1 (15:17.582)
started dating her golf instructor. And I told her, I like, that's a terrible idea. Like, why would you do that? And then she's like, hello, look at your parents. And I was like, oh yeah, true. Like I literally would not be here on this planet. Like I really wouldn't be on this planet if it wasn't for the game of golf, to be honest. So, but yeah, so yeah, my parents have been married 30 years now, which is really amazing. But yeah, so my parents, you know, dated and then got married and

My mom played on the LPGA for a while when she was pregnant with my older brother and ultimately retired when I was coming along. So yeah, we are a golf family through and through. Wow, it's magical. Yeah, and I will say like golf family through and through, there's been a lot of family fights. My little brother and I, we grew up on a golf course. We had a golf cart, my brother and I would go play.

I would get mad at my little brother for having a bad attitude, throw his golf clubs off the cart and drive home and leave him like a mile away. So, you know, there's been a lot of drama on the golf course over the years with the family, all kinds of stuff.

If the drama is not going be in the golf course, it would have been, you know, in the basement or in the backyard or in the, you know, it's going to happen somewhere. It's just that yours involved clubs.

You can get a little dangerous when you're dealing with like 11, 12, 13 year old brother and sisters. Teenagers. Yeah, exactly. When did you feel like golf became your game and not just your family, something that you associated with just being part of your family? Yeah, I'd say probably when I took a like a very large personal interest in it. I, I for better for worse than a very like all or nothing person. So

Speaker 1 (17:07.886)
around that age of 13, 14. At that time I was really into horseback riding. I was an equestrian as they call them. So my cousins, I grew up with two brothers. My cousins were the, these two wonderful show jumpers. So they live in England and I just wanted to be like my cousins. I thought they were amazing. And so that's what I did. But then when I took a real personal interest in golf, it was a very...

quick switch, you know, like you said, everyone, get the bug, you got it. So for me, I got the bug and I probably in the span of like a week and a half went from like not liking golf at all to being like, you know what, I'm going to put in the LPGA. Like that's what I'm going to do. So I very quickly went from zero to a hundred. And I think probably like 13, 14 was when I started really taking ownership of like, this is what I want to do with my life. I'm going to practice every single day after school.

I'm gonna try and get really good, play in college, play professionally. Golf, was always kind of around and I knew that's what my family did, but until I didn't really take a grasp of it, and personally, until I was around probably 13, 14, and decided like, hey, I wanna do this. Yeah, because you really can't get good at something if it's your parents' choice. You had to want to Oh my God, oh my God. I have so many friends that parents,

forced them into golf and now they don't even want to touch a club. They're so over it. And I'm really, really fortunate and or feel very fortunate that my parents kind of did the opposite. You know, like there's always a set of clubs there. If you're when you're ready, if you're if you don't ever want to do it, that's fine. We just want you to be happy and pursue what you're passionate about. And so were they thrilled when I decided to pick up golf? Yes. But they by no means.

ever, I don't think ever once told me like to go practice or anything like that. They were just like, we're a resource for you. We're supportive. I had a lot of friends whose parents, you know, never, never themselves had even like touched a club with any kind of, know, maybe never played in a tournament or played anything, but they'd be so hard on their kids when their kids would be struggling. And, and I always felt really grateful that my parents, cause my dad had played professionally as well before he taught.

Speaker 1 (19:27.194)
and my mom having played, they both were like, been there, you know, like keep a good attitude. And that's all we really care about. So I felt very, very lucky to have parents that really understood the game as well as they did and never put like any extra pressure on me to play or to play well actually, which was good.

Okay. So, teenager Halle gets into golf, like really, really into golf. You go on to crush it, playing golf in college, a national championship under your belt, and then after college, you totally pivot again. So, from horse riding to golf, and now golf, mean, you love a pivot. Now into a hardcore pivot, now into media. So, from golf digest

intern to on-air host and senior producer, Holy Canoli, did you always know that you would end up on camera or did the media bug kind of sneak up on you?

You know, it's funny, because I think when I was really young, like before I even did like the horse-duck riding stuff, I loved acting and dancing and all that kind of stuff. And then that went away, was replaced by horses and then golf. And then, so it kind of came back around, I guess, the performing aspect of things. When I, because I was at University of Arkansas for a couple of years, ended up transferring to Rollins College. And when I was at Rollins,

my college coach there really encouraged me to pursue and just really explore any other interests that I had outside of golf. So that's when I started doing a radio show on the college radio station, started interviewing my fellow playing partners. And in my mind, when I was at Arkansas, I was a double major in marketing and broadcast journalism because I thought, hey, it would be really cool to sort of segue a golf career.

Speaker 1 (21:26.666)
into the media side of things. So that was kind of always in the back of my mind as I started my college experience. But when I was at Rawlins is when I really started diving into what it was like to interview people and what made a good interview. And I started doing all that. And then after college, I did turn pro for a very short time, but ultimately a job opened up.

at Golf Digest as a social media coordinator. And when I found myself more excited about the prospect of moving to New York City and diving into the media side of things, as opposed to continuing to play, that's when I knew that I needed to really go all in on more of the media side of things.

What years were you at University of Arkansas?

Yeah, I was there from 2011 to 2013 and then ultimately transferred to Rawlins and finished out college there.

I did my grad school, Wupigzui, at University of Arkansas. Oh, nice. 2009 to 2011.

Speaker 1 (22:29.446)
in the night, Fayetteville, go blogs. Yeah, no, because I find that, you know, I've had friends that have had to transfer and look back on their years wherever they first started college and just absolutely hate their time there. That was not the case for me at all. Like I do not regret my initial decision going to Arkansas. Like my, at the time when I graduated high school, that was the place for me to go, a hundred percent. And I think I almost like wish I could

I want to say like normalized transferring because as a kid, when you're 18, 19, 20 years old, there is so much change going on. And you might realize that, where you're at and what you're learning about yourself and your passions and ultimately what path you want to take that you might need to make a change. like when I was at Arkansas, I made so many great friends. got way better at golf. And at the time when I went to Arkansas, I thought that I wanted to play on the LPGA. So.

that was the place for me to be. know, lo and behold, two years in, that is no longer my stance. And I decide that I want to go somewhere else to pursue this new potential dream of mine. So I like coach Shana at Arkansas and coach Mike, they were incredible. And again, like I said, I got so much better at golf while I was there and met some amazing friends that I still have to this day.

but just being like flexible and allowing myself to be like, okay, what am I feeling right now? What is the best decision for me to make was kind of like, and it was a really hard decision, know, like I, like, transparently my parents at the time were a little bit like, wait, what do you mean you want to leave a full ride scholarship to an SCC school? Like, wait, what? And that was really hard because your parents don't want anything but what's best for you. So I, that was kind of like, say like my first,

real big adult decision that I had to make and be like, hmm, this is really, really tough. There are people that I respected and admired that don't think I'm doing the right thing, but I'm going to have to trust my gut here and do what I think it's right. And turned out to be the best decision I ever made in my life. Then I went to Rollins, got to explore my other interests while I was there. Still got to play a little professional golf, but really felt like I made that

Speaker 1 (24:52.694)
I guess that switch and then felt like I was on the right path again. So the initial decision to go to Arkansas was the right decision. And the decision to transfer was the right decision. Like both of those things can be true at the same. Yeah. It seems like your parents, like good testament to your parents that they may like grew you to be a confident person. Like I'm confident that I'm making the right choice for me and you trust me. And you know, that makes like, that's so impressive. Cause like you said, I think.

Yeah.

Speaker 1 (25:20.398)
I completely agree. think the transfer portal in college right now is such a good thing for students. Cause you're right. Like you go, you pick a place as a 18 year old, maybe, you know, sometimes 17, you have to commit to that for four years and a lot of other things. Yeah. Four years is a long time to especially when you're in that phase of your life. And, and I always say like, how lucky am I that I got the experience to go to an SCC school, know, play sports as an SCC school.

and then go to like a small over arts college. Like you could not have had two more like different college experiences and I got to have both, which is really neat. That's cool.

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Speaker 1 (26:41.432)
So what's been the most surreal moment in your media journey? Definitely feel free to name drop. It's highly encouraged here. man. I've had so many like, in the last couple of years with our, with the Gulf digest show on the tee. Like I would say, you know, getting to interview Tom Holland was really cool. He was such a kind person. And honestly, it was funny because the interview is only three. It's just three holes. So we played three holes. I asked them about.

how they got into golf, why they like golf, all that kind of stuff. And he kept asking me questions and I was like, stop asking me questions. Like I don't only have a certain amount of time with you sir, and I need to, this is not about me, this is about you with all due respect. So that, but that was really cool just to hear how passionate he was about golf and how he's so good. So that was really neat. I'd say Tom Holland was really cool. DJ Khaled, that was probably the most surreal one because he just has such like an iconic

voice and you're just like, is this a real person? And then I got to play golf with him off camera a couple of weeks after and he was like, you got to build Halle Enterprises. And I was like, this is the funniest thing.

I can hear his voice when you say

There's been a lot of surreal moments and just like really cool people that I've got to spend time with that I actually like, I really have no business spending time with, but golf has sort of led me to them. and then again, like a Tom Holland, they then take it like, you know, they find me interesting because I play golf. So it's all, just like a funny combination of things that lead you to have like something in common with someone that you would normally have nothing in common with. And you could talk for hours about.

Speaker 1 (28:27.288)
which is really fun. Who made you laugh the hardest? Nate Ragazzi. I love that man. We love him. We're big fans. is the best. He is so funny. That on the T episode was like a three hole standup set. He was, I was just crying the whole time and he made an eagle on the last hole. Just no mulligan, straight up eagle, which was amazing. So I'd say that was a really memorable episode.

Thanks.

Speaker 1 (28:56.374)
I got to do interview Jim Nance while playing Pebble Beach, which was pretty wild. So really, really enjoyed that. He's probably the, mean, just the most kind man on the planet, you know, went back and played a, like called a couple of shots for the group behind us because he was just concerned that we maybe had held them up at all. Like he's just such a nice man and really, really enjoyed my time with him as well. So yeah, it's been, it's been, it's pretty crazy. Like sometimes

I get, and I guess everybody gets so caught up in the day to day and always chasing, chasing, chasing, and not taking a second to look back and be like, wow, that's really cool that I got to do that. So I'm trying to do a better job of that and just sort of really savor these really amazing opportunities that I've gotten because of golf.

You know, and these interviews that you're doing with these folks are so unique because you, I watched a couple of them. I watched the DJ Khaled, I watched the Tom Holland, Spider-Man. That's how I have to phrase him. Spider-Man. But there's like some chitter chatter about, you're like, which club? An iron or, you know, cause you're like on the, or like, what's your, you know, driver? I don't know. There's like some golf chit chat. And then as you're walking, there's like life chit chat. And then there's more golf chit chat. And then it's such a,

just a totally different take on interviews. I think it does yield just a different lens on these people who we see in the media all the time.

Yeah, for sure. think it's, mean, golf is, and that's why I think golf is such a unique game and sort of lends itself to this interview format because what you couldn't do that tennis, you know, like you're going to shout over this, okay, like 30 love, you know, what's your, yeah, yeah, yeah. It just doesn't, I don't think there's really any other game that lends itself to that. So it's really, really, it's such a unique.

Speaker 2 (30:39.288)
Favorite movie!

Speaker 1 (30:48.564)
unique thing that you can simultaneously play slash compete against someone and get to know someone. I mean, I always, I think there's so many people that like I've played a round of golf with and now I consider them a friend. You've only hung out with them one time, but it's over five hours and you've seen them at the highest of highs and the lowest of lows. And you feel like you've really been through it with someone. So it's such a, it's such a cool thing that you can spend

a day with someone and feel like you really know them and you know their character just because you played around a golf. So it's such a special game. And so I think that's why it really lends itself to a really neat interview format. true highs and lows of golf. Yeah. You've seen me at my worst and my best.

You know, and thinking about how special this game is and how unique it is, I think that's why you fit in so well here because it is this place where you can socialize, you can do business, you can build a relationship, you can have some really personal moments because that guy's freaking out because he missed that putt or, whatever. But you take it the extra mile because not everybody feels like they can be part of this special game.

So your lens on it, you seem to have cracked the code basically on balancing the hilarious with the heartfelt, with the building and the relationships with these really amazing and meaningful interviews. How do you balance it? How do you bring humor so that people can be able to see themselves in this game if they haven't been playing it all their lives like you have?

That's a great question. know, I find that I've been around this game for a very long time. as I happen, I think, how do I say this? Like I, when people don't know of my dad or my family and they're like, you work in golf. long you been in the golf industry? I'm like, well, I'm 32 years old. So 32 years. Like I've been around, I've been around this game for a very long time. Most.

Speaker 1 (32:54.478)
probably just as long as the majority of the old white men in this game. But simultaneously, I am also, happen to be the same exact age as the largest growing demographic in golf, which is young women. So I find that I compare my, because I'm like, nobody, and like, don't even feel, like, nobody knows this game as well as me. Like nobody. And I, and so I feel like I have earned the right to poke fun at it.

because you're not going to tell me that you know a better than me. Cause I do. I've been around it forever. I've sat on the back of the driving range. have, I, but simultaneously I go out of my way to surround myself with people that are very new to the game. I have an example that, you know, I think about one time I was in New York city a couple of years ago and I went to like a golf influencer trip.

And I came back and my friend was like, how was your trip? And I was like, oh, it was great. Like it was so fun. I was hanging around, you know, and she's like, yeah, it looked really great, Allie, but I'll be completely honest with you. Like seeing all those girls that are really good at golf, it didn't really make me want to play it. It makes it kind of intimidating. And I got kind of offensive because I was like, no, no, you don't understand. it's, it's aspirational, like to see women that are really good at golf, which it is, but simultaneously, then I sat with it for a while and I was like,

if I was trying to pick up, we talked about tennis, let's say, if I was trying to pick up tennis or pickleball or whatever, I actually would enjoy seeing people that are like new to the journey and making it feel more relatable and being able to say, like, like you said, like see myself in that. So I've, I've really tried to go out of my way by surrounding myself with people that are really new to the game as well. So I can see like, okay, how are they seeing it? What kind of problems are they having?

What are they, you know, not, what are they seeing that I'm not seeing? Because I have been in it for such a long time. So I think honestly, that's for me, what I've tried to do is pair what I know about golf and the relationships that I have and with this sort of new perspective on it that I get from my peers. And so I try to balance those two things. And so I think that's kind of,

Speaker 1 (35:09.762)
where the secret sauce is, especially when we write our sketches, we crowdsource a lot. We're like, okay, what problems are people having in the golf course? We bring in new perspectives and then pairing that with this knowledge that myself, my brother, my other writing partners have about the game and sort of blended up into one idea is kind of where it all comes together.

Yeah, I think from my perspective, it's working because I look at your Instagram and I don't know much about golf. I was a beer cart girl for a couple of summers. That does not mean you know anything about golf. That means you know things about beer and men, most of all that. But I look at your Instagram and I get it. I get the references, even some of the golf.

terminology, I at least know enough to like, that's funny. I get that. That's kind of ironic. So I think what you're doing is work. I know what you're doing is working because I can get it.

Thank you, appreciate that. I appreciate that. No, it's like, I mean, our sketches, a lot of the stuff that we make, it's like I was thinking the other day, I do try to balance it. Like I'm not like, I identify as a feminist. Like I am very much like go women, but at the same time, like it is funny. Like it's meant to make people laugh. And so I try to balance it out with like just regular golf comedy as well. And then the odd like zz zz zinger that can make people think.

But I honestly think that's when it comes to like, whether it's, you know, other folk country club or men's girl room. Like that's honestly, at least I found the best way to start a conversation because a lot of times if you go finger wagging or like pointing your finger and saying like, hey, you know, this is kind of like messed up, right? Or like, you realize this is a bit like sexist.

Speaker 1 (37:08.814)
then people immediately assume that you're calling them like a bad person or that you're calling them sexist. And so what I have found, if you can just use comedy to start a conversation, they can then have that dialogue with themselves internally and sort of come to that conclusion themselves as opposed to, so you can sort of subvert feeling like, you know, them feeling attacked.

and you can make them laugh and entertain while simultaneously they're able to sort of come to terms with like, yeah, that is kind of weird, isn't that? That would be strange if I was in that situation. As opposed to, I just felt like it's so much more effective and like so much more fun to like provide some sort of like, you know, a teachable moment or like via comedy than being like, guys, I just think it's like really messed up that.

X, Z, because then guys just go stop complaining. know, like they're just going to immediately. say guys, women too, but like, know, immediately just going to shut off. but if you can say it in a funny way and entertain people and then let them do the work and their own minds, I found is much more effective. Yeah, that's amazing.

It's almost like I think about like with my husband, know, like make them feel like it was their own idea to do the dishes or to like whatever. Yeah, yeah, yeah. You're just planting it, you know, we're just having like a casual conversation. And then if they mull over it later, like, oh, you don't have that realization then. Yeah, it's a little bit safer for them. Halle.

Yeah, yeah, no, but we have so much fun with it. And that's like, at the end of the day, like, we're just trying to make people laugh. And, you know, if we can get some eyes to open up in the process, then great, too. Like, I think some of my favorite is like, I'll get a message from like a dude who's like, that video was funny. It wasn't like really funny, but it was funny. Just a little bit funny.

Speaker 1 (39:06.338)
Shopping in store at Target is like pulling your driver when you probably just needed a seven iron. Tempting, but risky. If I walk into Target, I'll leave with like five candles, a pair of shoes for my son, and somehow, I don't know, a blender or something. But online, I stick to the plan. And Rakuten makes it even better. I sign up for a free account, added the browser extension, and now I earn cash back just for shopping. Rakuten automatically pops up at stores like target.com, and the cash back adds up.

sent to me via PayPal or check. Want cash back on the things you're going to buy anyway? Hit the link in our show notes and start earning.

If you could retire one stereotype that there is about women in golf. kind of reverse the roles here instead of those stereotypes on men, but what a risk, a stereotype about women in golf. What would you retire people thinking about that? I'd have two, probably one. One is like the slow golfer thing. Cause I play golf with so many men that are so slow, so slow. so that'd be one. And the other one would be.

like that women are just, this is gonna sound like women are just out there to like hit and giggle, which is totally fine if you are out there to hit and giggle, but a lot of guys are out there to hit and giggle too. But you know, I was like some presentation the other day and they were talking about how like, know, guys are out there like to compete and like play money games. The women are out there just to like, ha ha and like bop it around. And I'm like, I'll.

kick your butt, you know, like I like to compete. So, and again, and I just don't think it's like a gender thing, you know, like there are guys that are out there just to whack it around and there are women out there just to have a good time. And there are also women and men out there that like want to throw some money down and like play for some cash and gamble. And so I think, I don't think it's like a gender thing, you know, I think it's just dependent on your skill level and what you're trying to get out of the day. So I'd say probably those two things.

Speaker 2 (41:10.722)
So Hallie, who is in your dream foursome and where would you play if you could choose any course? Dead or alive, anybody could be in your foursome.

Okay. I would probably have to go with, I go with Tina Fey, but she doesn't play golf as far as I know, but I still, you'd get five hours of Tina Fey. she could like, just walk. She drive the car. Yeah. Just have some drinks. So I'd go with Tina Fey. I'd probably go with like Tina Fey and Amy Poehler. Yeah. think they're fantastic. And then I'd also go with, probably like.

I don't know if any of these women play golf, but I still would just want the time with them and I want them to play golf. So I'm trying to manifest this. Probably Katie Couric because he, think she's brilliant and I love the business model that she's made for herself. So all of these women, like very selfishly, I just want to pick their brains and like talk to them about their careers and like the decisions that they've made throughout their lives. So it wouldn't even be, it could just be like five hours in a room versus, but it would be really fun if five hours outside on a beautiful day.

And if they happen to like play golf, that'd be great. I'll teach them. I volunteer if anybody is listening to them. That is such a great, like that was a great strategy around that question. Not like, I want to golf with you walk with for five hours?

I feel like you would emerge from that experience with three solid business plans and having fallen on the ground from dying from laughing. Tina Fey and Amy Poehler in one space together, I think would be just amazing.

Speaker 1 (42:38.434)
and some good comedy.

Speaker 1 (42:50.296)
For sure. For sure. So at the heart of all of this is your ability to make golf human. We've talked about that quite a bit. What's one issue in golf you think we could all laugh about and learn a little bit more? So for the people who maybe haven't seen your sketches, we've watched them and we think they're hilarious, but what's like one of the main things, one of the main issues in golf that you think we could all learn a little bit about? I mean, the one thing that I, that I talk probably a lot about in

the the sketches and like I mentioned before, I try not to hit people over the head too much with it, but it is funny. So, and it's very ripe for comedy is like the sexism that's in our game. And it's getting so much better. It really is. There are so many more opportunities for women and so many clubs that have opened their doors to women and done away with silly rules. Like they can't tee off before a certain amount of time, but it is.

I think we could all do well to just do away with that at this point. The fact that there are still men's only golf clubs to me is hilarious. It's 2025. I know, I'm like, what? Exactly. And so I was with some of the guys the other day and he's like, have you played Burning a Tree? And I was like, no. And he's like, oh yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. It's so good. I'm like, okay. It's a men's only club, I'd never played there.

But yeah, I just think it's- believe that. I know, I know it's crazy. yeah, I mean, I think that's just something to like keep an eye on. And again, see it has gotten so much better and there's so many incredible opportunities for women in the game. know, there's amazing mid-amateur events that really prestigious golf courses and there's a Guston National Men's Amateur and the USGA is, and the PGA of America are hosting.

women's professional events at some really iconic venues, which is really, really great for people that maybe are fans traditionally of men's golf, but then they're able to see women compete at these venues is huge to be able to, you know, sort of bring fans from men's golf over to women's golf as well. But yeah, I just think that's something to like keep an eye on and just, you know, even the other day I was, someone asked me, they're like, does your dad coach you?

Speaker 1 (45:12.694)
Or did he coach you as a kid? And I was like, yeah. And he's like, man, did you guys ever get any arguments? Like, did he say like, you swim like a girl? And I was like, no, my father didn't say that to me. but like, like, was like, you know, at that point, I just kind of like laugh it off, but I'm not going to sit there and like, you know, try to correct the man. But, but it's just like, it's interesting to see how the game is changing. And I think it's good.

to, like, and there's so many men in this space that are like very, very, you know, staunch advocates for women in golf and women's golf. Like you look at like a Craig Kessler, the new commissioner of the LPGA. Like I'm so, so excited to see the work that he's gonna do. And I think that's definitely something to keep an eye on too, because I think he is gonna be a huge, huge game changer for women's professional golf.

That's exciting. Yeah. We're excited to watch that. So Hallie, a lot of people, ourselves included, I'm sure ask you questions about what you do in media and your time as a golfer and part of golfing legacy family. Rightfully so. Those are all really awesome topics to learn about you. But what are some things you wish people would ask you about?

Ooh, that's a great question. Well, something that I just, I have been trying to be more open about lately is like my struggles with mental health. That's something that I just launched a golf glove with Astra Golf and part of the proceeds are going towards a company called the Busy Head Project, which is an organization that helps with various mental health initiatives. So.

That's something that not a ton of people like ask me about, but I've been trying to be more open about it. Cause I think it's something that's not talked about a ton and it's definitely getting better. It's something that people are talking about a lot more, but whether you know, you are diagnosed by a doctor with a mental illness or you are perfectly healthy, like we all have some sort of, you know, at one time or another have.

Speaker 1 (47:28.244)
struggled with our mental health and felt like we've not been in a good place and need to have resources to be able to manage our emotions and be able to express our feelings in a healthy way. And that's something that I've done like a ton of work on in therapy over the last couple of years. golf has been a really, really big part of that for me. mean, golf is the ultimate...

It's the ultimate way to sort of peel back the layers and see kind of like the parts of you that you maybe don't like or need to work on or struggle with. for me, like it has shown me like my tendencies under pressure. Like I think it's really funny when I get really nervous on a golf course, I tend to break into a cold sweat and swing really fast. When I get nervous on camera,

I tend to break into a cold sweat and talk really fast. So they're very similar bodily sensations, but golf has taught me a lot about myself and how I can sort of counteract those physical symptoms that are maybe you're gonna get in the way of me performing my best, whether that's on the golf course or whether I'm interviewing someone. So I think there's a lot that go hand in hand. actually...

I'm launching early next year. I can't talk about it just yet, but I am launching a pretty big project around mental health. So I'm really, really excited to share more once that's all said and done. But that's something that I haven't been like too vocal about. Yeah, sure. When it's mental health awareness month, I'll post something about it. But that's something that I really want to do more work in going forward and sort of use, I guess, you know, the platform that I do have.

and looking to expand it in terms of that specifically, think is really, really important to me. Well, we just want to say thank you because you're talking to two people who we bring it up a lot on our podcast. The athlete mental health is so overlooked and I think people, I mean, we think people are a little too critical of the person on that other side of that screen and not realizing that they are human and they struggle with very similar things that you and I struggle with.

Speaker 1 (49:50.638)
Um, and probably a little bit more because they're on such a high scale of people watching them and all those things. thank you for doing that. Oh, you. No, it's my, I, I, I've met so many incredible people. mean, whether it's like a Marty fish who just won this golf tournament that I played in, he has his Netflix special and you know, his struggles with mental health. Um, sports can tend to exacerbate any sort of mental health problems that you have.

so they can be a great, you know, like I said, a great way to be like, man, this really needs to be addressed. And golf really did that for me. mean, I have very severe OCD and golf was the, you know, was very, very difficult to play golf when I, when I got on these, you know, sort of compulsive loops that I would get into my head. but ultimately like it was good that that happened because I had to really learn.

how to manage that and realize that like, hey, this is my brain, this is the way that it works and I need to find tools to kind of be my best self and live a healthy life. I just think that, you know, a lot of people think that they're weird if they have a mental health problem. And for me, it's kind of like a double-edged sword because I don't think that I would.

have done some of the things that I've done if I didn't have the weird brain that I have. So it's kind of like you've got to accept it, but simultaneously work to be your best self and find the things that help you be successful. And golf for me has been such a great tool to do that.

I feel I just what I'm thinking right now is just chalk it up to like one more way that Hallie is out there making a difference for people. I mean, I didn't know what I didn't know anything about that. I hadn't seen anything, you know, about your, you know, advocacy for mental health. I cannot wait to see whatever this mysterious project is.

Speaker 1 (51:50.318)
Yeah, I'm excited. really, I am very excited. We're getting in the final stages here, finalizing everything, but it's really cool. I'm very, very excited about it. I've got some great partners on board and it's going to be really fun. So look out for that in 2026 is when it's going to be coming to life. We also love a woman with 800 jobs. It's a lot of jobs. know you guys know, you guys know, you guys know. I know. I mean,

It's, found that, you know, for this project in particular, I was not going to be able to do it alone. I knew that the, I knew the portion that I could do. And ultimately I was connected with someone who could do the other half very well. And so I was like, listen, I'll take care of my part. You take your, your part and let's, let's do this thing. So kind of like you guys dream team right there. We are a good team in that way. We both have skills that the other does not want to do.

Yeah. Yeah. And that's so important. That is so important. And that's something, you know, for me, I really miss when I left Golf Digest, which was my full-time job. And I still, still there as a, you know, in a contractor capacity, I really missed that, that teamwork element of things. And so for me, this new project is like a really great way to get back to that and, know, make something, make something really, really cool with someone again, who has a very different skillset and knowledge base than I have, but I.

really, really need him in order to make this work. So I'm very, very excited and can't wait to share it with you guys when it's all said and done. Be big advocates for you and that project. thank you. Thank you.

Well, Hallie, we have loved this conversation. I mean, from your hilarious takes on golf and your ability to make this sometimes mysterious and intimidating sport more approachable for people like me who are just getting into it or, you know, maybe just not as serious as some of those other lifers out there like you. Your work is super important and really meaningful. And, you know, just add this other advocacy on top of that. We are so impressed with everything you're doing.

Speaker 2 (53:58.284)
We cannot wait for our listeners to hear this episode. And if they want to learn more about you, will you just tell folks where they can find you?

Speaker 2 (54:17.1)
Check those out. Well, thank you. We know you're so busy with your 800 jobs. We appreciate you taking time. Yeah, thank you.

Speaker 2 (54:31.066)
Alrighty, are on to our final segment of the day. It's time for She's Got Game. Teryn, have you heard of Nellie Korda?

Speaker 2 (54:45.358)
Okay, well you're about to. So Nellie is a female pro golfer. I kind of start out with this. She's 5'10", but she feels way taller than that. She sort of carries herself with this presence that makes her feel like really in charge and tall. I can't explain it. She's known for this signature look. She wears a visor. She's like very Scandinavian, tall, slim.

She wears this visor and then she uses a scrunchie to put her hair in a bun, like on the top part of the visor. Once in a while it's a bubble braid, but mostly it's a scrunchie with a bun. She's super calm and confident. I think that's why I'm talking like this. I'm talking like calm and confident because when I think about her, that's just sort of what comes up for me. She's really dry, humored, chill.

even-tempered matter of fact, I think I could probably come up with a lot of adjectives to describe her. She's really awesome and really good at golf. Just like a lot of, I feel like a lot of athletes we talk about in the She's Got Game segments are from Florida. Am I imagining that? Yeah. Like, Yeah. We just talked about CocoaGolf in our tennis episode and she was from Florida as well. Well, so is Nellie.

Um, she's about 27 and she, just like every one of our, she's got game athletes comes from a super athletic competitive family. Her older sister is an LPGA pro in the ladies pro golf association. Her father is Peter Korda. He is a former grand slam tennis champion. Speaking of tennis, her mother was a professional tennis player. Her parents are both Czech.

So Nellie and her sister Jess are first generation Americans, which is pretty fascinating. Yeah. Her mom and dad moved to the U.S. and then had Nellie and Jess here. So, but all to say Nellie was raised in a super fiercely competitive environment, got a lot of mental toughness from those like backyard skirmishes with sister, you know, or going out and playing some rounds with mom and dad.

Speaker 2 (57:06.422)
She picked up golf when she was six and turned professional about 10 years later, basically. Like that's how good she was. She's known for being a perfectionist for working really hard. Yes, like most pro athletes, but she is a little bit next level. I was really curious about what this means. So I researched a typical day in the life of Nellie Korda and here's what it looks like in season. She says that,

Her dog wakes her up at 7 a.m. I'm sure you can relate to that.

sorry. So her dog wakes her up at 7 a.m. She does some morning prehab and neck exercises. She had some issues with her spine, a disc. So she does morning exercises. She goes to the gym. She warms up and then she does three to four hours of golf practice. Might be actually playing on a course, might be doing some other things. She does lunch and then she does two hours with her trainer.

like kind of strength and conditioning sort of activities. She sees a physio. So I took that to mean like a physical therapist and then has dinner and goes to bed and wakes up and does it all again. I mean, it's just, I know it's fascinating to kind of like picture, you know, this is their job. It's like their job and their life. So we spend eight hours a day doing our job. Well, she spends, you know, a similar amount, a little bit more time than that.

sort of doing her job, which also includes physical therapy. When she's in season, she only takes off one day a week, and season is long. So the golf season basically goes from January through November. So she gets to finish season, eat a turkey, have Santa come down the chimney, see a ball drop in New York City, of course, and then she's like back at it, like rinse and repeat, here we go sort of thing.

Speaker 2 (59:08.78)
Okay, here's something interesting about Nellie's mindset. She was being interviewed about how she handles tough moments in her golf game, you know, just not going her way for whatever reason. And she talks about how here's this will paint a picture for how much of a perfectionist she is. She talks about how she actually loves the lows of the golf game almost more than the highs because she says that those tough moments are where you

learn the most. She says, I quote, when you have nowhere to climb but up, you learn the most about yourself. I love that. And just kind of speaks to like her super calm and mature demeanor. She's pretty famous. Players and coaches talk about it. Really famous for staying level headed on the course. Doesn't mean that there's not a litany of negative thoughts running through her head, but she's not somebody who's going to really show a lot of emotion on the course. Not that there's anything wrong with that.

she's super even-tempered. Here's something that I thought was interesting. She said that even when she's having a good day, she has to stay even-tempered or good golfers. It's valuable for them to stay even-tempered. Picture this. Golf is so focused. Every single shot is very measured and controlled. You hit a great shot, you make a great putt or something, and you get really excited and you pump your fist in the air and your heart rate is up. You're like, yeah, I crushed that putt.

Well, you got to rein that in because your next shot, you have to be able to calm yourself down and focus on wind and focus on all these different elements in order to make a good shot. So her tendency to be level-headed helps her in a ton of different ways. I just hadn't ever thought about the game of golf that way. So a couple of career highlights, she joined the LPGA, so Ladies Pro Golf Association in 2017.

And as of the recording of this podcast, she has 15 tour wins, which is roughly for those of you keeping score at home, that's like two per year that she's been in the LPGA. So, wow, that is not easy to do. Yeah, super impressive. And I mean, no big deal, but she also won the gold medal in women's golf at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. Yeah, brush off your shoulder sort of thing. Okay, Teryn, you know that I'm always really curious.

Speaker 2 (01:01:34.466)
when we talk about these players, what exactly makes them so good? So here's what makes Nellie so good. She combines this really powerful and fluid swing with a lot of precision based on how I'm describing her. That can't be a surprise. She also is very consistent. So her scoring average, you'll look at her stats and for the last 20 rounds of golf, she's been, you know, within just a couple of shots basically.

so she's super, super consistent. She's calm and cool under pressure. She's really strategic and knowledgeable. watched an interview where she was chatting with some guy about her clubs and he asked her one question, like, you know, do you, in this scenario, do you like this club or this club? And she launches on like a four and a half minute explanation about why she likes this club down to like the gram and the technique. And if it's this wind and if it's this temperature, so she's like,

crazy, crazy good at her craft. She's also might feel surprising, might not, but totally humble. mean, just a really relatable, chill, down to earth, very famous and successful golfer. yeah, watching her play is really amazing. There's not going to be a lot of drama around her, but if you want to see what a really good

golfer is good on a lot of different levels on the mental side, on the physical side, on the strategy side, on all the sides, then Nellie is your girl for sure. So it's cool. Yeah. We got to keep an eye on her for sure this summer as she's playing in other tournaments and probably racking up a ton more wins. But for all these reasons and so many more are why we've chosen to highlight Miss Nellie Korda today.

Speaker 2 (01:03:26.37)
Thanks so much for joining us today with Halle Ledbetter, a true original shaking up the golf world with humor, heart, and a fresh perspective. Whether it's sharing insider stories, poking fun at golf's quirks, or shining a spotlight on women in the sport, Halle reminds us that golf can be fun, inclusive, and totally human. So if you're new to golf like me or a longtime fan, we hope that her stories inspired you.

Don't forget to rate and review the show. really helps us get the word out and bring more voices like Hallie's your way. We'll catch you next week for another episode packed with stories, laughs, and love for the game.