Off the Deck
Golf is so much more than the scorecard and those birdies that are rarely made. It's about the people you meet along the way. From lifelong bonds to unexpected fast friends, Off the Deck highlights the lives and stories built through the game of golf.
Off the Deck
Building BestBall with Robby Woodard & Jonathan Hill
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In this episode of Off the Deck, Josh Decker sits down with Robby and Jonathan of BestBall to unpack the story behind their golf media brand, their friendship, and how a side idea turned into a growing podcast network centered on golf, people, and relationships.
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Driver off the deck for Corey Connor. Here's driver off the deck. They're hoblin. The driver off the deck. I knew you would try this, right?
SPEAKER_00Oh my gosh.
SPEAKER_02To be able to hit it off the deck and get that thing down and fly it in and running.
SPEAKER_00You have to put your foot on the gas. You pull out the driver off the deck and you put it on the drain all the way up the hill.
SPEAKER_03Welcome back to another episode of Off the Deck. I am your host, Josh Decker. Off the deck is brought to you by Idaca Golf. I'm wearing one of the striped capri polos that they just came out with. Love the feel of this shirt. Uh make sure you use promo code OTD25 at IdacaGolf. That's Id a K A.gov. Make sure to check out their golf glove too. It's it's pre-legit. Uh joining me today are Robbie and Jonathan of Best Ball. Uh what's up, guys? How are we doing today? I feel like we just saw you. We did, we did just chat. Um, so you guys uh are the brains and brawn behind the best ball family of podcasts. Um and I want to dive into that here in a little bit. But first, I want to learn more about both of you guys. Uh, I like to tell people that these podcasts are basically first dates. And this is certainly not a first date for us because we've known each other now a little over two years. Uh, Jonathan, you so affectionately pointed out that it was the two-year anniversary since we had met uh just a week or so ago. But want to start with Jonathan and let's hear, because now you're full-time doing this or quasi-retired, doing some contract work, got that kind of thing. But I want to hear kind of your story, if you can. Quick overview where's home, what are you doing these days, uh, and then we'll go from there. We'll we'll pivot over to Robbie.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, I'm in Augusta, Georgia. Uh, we've been in Augusta since 2009. Uh, moved to the Southeast. My daughter's 21, so 19 years ago now, and initially moved to Columbia, South Carolina. Shout out to his other kids too, not just his daughter. No, that was just the that was just the math of how long we've been in the Southeast, because she was a year and a half, I think, whenever we came. But we moved to South Carolina for sales stuff, and uh I was working like ATT, uh just selling cell phones. I actually was there whenever the first iPhone came out, and I thought, this is the dumbest thing ever. You have to have a keyboard. How are you ever gonna type without a keyboard? And I wish at that moment I'd been smart enough to invest in Apple because that would have been a good idea. Um found my way actually to uh selling copiers with Robbie. Robbie was my boss. That's whenever we first met. I'd gone to church with his brother-in-law and got past, got my resume passed on. And quickly, Robbie, Andrew, and I, uh one of our other buddies there at the copier world became best friends and have stayed friends even whenever I moved away. And so I guess it's been three or four years now when Robbie's like, hey, I got this idea for best ball, telling golf stories. What do you think? I'm like, yeah, let's do it. Uh I'm I'm typically a yes guy for most like I'm I'm more interested in saying yes than no uh for most ideas because I think okay. I I think you should say yes. I people say no too often for things, just especially when there's almost little to no risk. Sometimes there's no risk at all. And they're just like, well, I don't know. It's like, yeah, but you don't know what you're missing on the other end, like sitting down now. Here we are three years on your podcast, which we produce for some crazy reason. Right. And like this whole journey of all the people we've met and the things that we've done. Um, and so yeah, hanging out in Augusta, doing some best ball. I do some consulting on the side for a software company, and uh but spend time good a lot of time with my kids and try to get out on the golf course as much as I can. What took you from Columbia to Augusta? Uh, ministry. So my degrees in preaching. I've been preaching since I was 14, and I had been preaching part-time at a church, small church in Augusta, uh, for about a year at that time. And they it was a small church, about 20 folks. They said they wanted to do a restart. I was like, let's do it. We moved over. I was making $400, $300 a week full-time. Um and yeah. Uh it was a it was quite the journey to come over, but they literally they they they quit before I made my first house payment. They're like, oh, you meant like grow and do things. No, we don't want to do that. And so found my way into more sales and more ministry along the way, and have done that ever since.
SPEAKER_03So Okay. Nice. Robbie?
SPEAKER_02Yeah, so I've been in South Carolina. I'm in Columbia. I've been in South Carolina my whole life, and I, you know, grew up and went to South Carolina, got married right after school to Emily, and we have two kids that are 21 and 19 now, both in college. Um, I I went to Carolina for sports business, and so I thought that's what I wanted to do. And every job coming out of college was going to be nights and weekends and holidays, and didn't want to start family life like that. And so I just got a regular job in the business world and did 20 plus years in sales. Um I I jokingly said I used my sports business degree to help plan our church golf tournament or some charity golf tournaments and stuff. And um, but in actually Best Ball, uh, the LLC was filed in 2012 because I worked with some guys and we developed uh a software or an app for doing live scores for charity golf tournaments and did that as a side hustle for a couple years, but just ran out of time and money and so shelved that project. Uh, kept doing sales in the in the tech world. You know, like Jonathan said, we worked together at an office equipment company back. I started there in 2005, hired Jonathan in 2007, but left there I think in late 2010 and did some other stuff in the tech world. Um, and then yeah, just kept in touch with Jonathan, had the idea of wanting to restart best ball, and then wanted to do it telling golf stories. And so 2023, we we launched it and didn't know what we were gonna do at first, how we were gonna tell it. We had some ideas. Podcasting was gonna be one of those things. And first podcast, first episode of the whole story, uh launched March 30th of 2023. And yeah, I figured out that because we were both uh sales guys, we we felt like we were better at asking questions than doing anything else. And for some reason, people kept saying yes when we asked if they wanted to come on a podcast like yourself. And uh yeah, we we love asking questions, meeting people, and that's kind of developed what best ball is now. It's it's a a storytelling platform, it's a media company, it's it's how do we highlight the best part of golf, which for us is the people and relationships. So that's uh that's what I do full time now, best ball.
SPEAKER_03So uh, what was your introduction to the game of golf? Let's let's go back a little bit more and and learn more there about each of you guys. Robbie, you go first. When did you first put a club in your hand?
SPEAKER_02Yeah, I'll start there because yeah, my my journey started well before Jonathan's, but probably since like the day I was born. Um, my dad cut down some old golf clubs for me. And so I had those when I was a kid and would just, you know, go with him whenever I could, you know, hit the ball, run after it, and hit it again, and loved playing. Never did it seriously as far as on a team. Uh played everything else, football, basketball, baseball. And um, you know, baseball and and golf, uh, their swings do not like each other as much. Um, and so it wasn't until college again when um I was there. Uh one of my internships was with Myrtle Beach Golf Holiday. So spent the summer at the beach um planning and running golf tournaments and got to play a lot more. And that's really where uh I think I tried to start getting rid of the giant slice that I had and really tried to start getting better. But yeah, it's been a lifelong journey for me. Something I'll never uh be good at, whatever your definition of good is, but uh I love it.
SPEAKER_01Jonathan? Yeah, my first time playing golf was Robbie cut down his clubs and gave them to me. Uh no, I mean, so I I never golf wasn't accessible in my hometown unless you were part of the country club, and my dad, there was no way he was gonna let us join the country club. So I played baseball all the way through college, and when I finally got done, I remember there was probably a semester where we went and rigged the machine at the driving range in town. So like you could put the little slot quarter in just far enough and push the button and it would, and then we could pull it back out. So I apologize to Lincoln, Illinois driving range that we stole a significant number. I would always leave it at the end of the night because I felt bad, but uh we we we abused that machine quite a bit when it comes to stealing golf balls. But then I didn't literally, I don't think I even picked up or swung or did anything with the golf club until I started working with Robbie. And you're in sales, and everyone tells you that's what you do, right? You go. So my introduction was my seven iron. Um it was and Josh, you we've played together years ago and I still couldn't hit drivers. So I get at a seven iron like two twenty-five when we first started playing golf.
SPEAKER_03Holy smokes.
SPEAKER_01That's crush. As Robbie says, I hooded it over and I I I didn't wasn't swinging right, but it went 225 and straight. So I would play like seven iron, nine iron on every par four.
SPEAKER_02Um yeah, he'd deal off to seven iron to about a three or four iron.
SPEAKER_01Oh, yeah, a hundred percent. Yeah, it was like completely turned over. But I I would just I played there. Uh, I don't know if I was any good. I couldn't tell you a single score or anything else that I've done. I do remember I got to go with Robbie once to a tournament, and there was one hole where we used all of my shots. And other than that, that's the only thing I remember other than embarrassing myself at Robbie's country club. Uh, and I I always felt bad whenever Robbie asked me to go play golf.
SPEAKER_02You say Robbie's country club. Robbie got the family junior membership for one summer because the the kids really wanted to go to the pool. And so it was almost uh it I am I'm also not a country club uh guy, never grew up being involved with one, but that that was one magical year where I got to play a lot of golf uh at Spring Valley.
SPEAKER_01So but then when I moved to Augusta, I mean I probably played one round of golf from 2009 until at least maybe one a year at most, from 2009 until probably when we started the podcast, like 2023. Um that was it. Uh I Robbie would generously invite me back to his uh Sunday schools uh uh group in January down at Myrtle Beach. So I guess three rounds technically since they were all on the same weekend. But other than that, there was no golf, there was nothing else. I started a business. I think I went to one CEO event and had to hit a ball. Um and I could get around, like I always tell people I I play fast and I play bad, and I'm I'm a I'm a decent guy to have on a golf course. Yeah, I'm not very good, uh, but I have a lot of fun and I'll pick up when it's appropriate. Uh every once in a while I'll hit a good shot, and everyone's like, Well, I didn't know you had that. I'm like, neither did I. And so, but until 2023, really honestly, I didn't have anything really involved or to do with golf. A lot of this, if you talk about golf as people, this all exists because Robbie and I are friends, not because I'm I'm so seriously into golf. Um, and through it, I've learned to really enjoy golf, but more enjoy the fact that every single round might be, like they say in Fight Club, a single serving friend, right? Of where you get you might get in a cart with somebody you've never met before, and by the end they could be best friends, or by the end you take your hat off, you shake their hand and say, Hey, hope you have a good rest of your day.
SPEAKER_04Yeah.
SPEAKER_03Yeah, and and I can vouch for uh your relative newness to the game because not too long ago we were chatting and I used the phrase dogfight, and you look like you looked at me like I had three heads. Which is that a gambling thing? I still is that a gambling thing? It's a it's just a format of it's a point space system, uh, given your handicap and you've got a quota to hit, and it's a lot of fun. It's an easy way. It's it's very popular in the southeast. I did not know that it was more popular in the southeast than it is up north. I thought that was kind of a nationwide thing. Uh, but a friend of mine here locally, he was like, Yeah, he's like, I'm trying to destroy the dogfight at our club because it they just drag down the rest of the tea times and kind of clog up the tea sheet. So I want to talk about best ball now. Uh Robbie, you mentioned that you had the LLC since 2012. There's a leaping point here, right? Like, there's like, okay, we're doing this. What did what did those conversations look like between the two of you, your significant others, when you're like, hey, yeah, I'm I'm now gonna start a media company called Best Ball and we're gonna podcast? Because there's a there's a world where your spouses look at you and they're like, yeah, no, you're not. Like that that's not that's not what we're doing. What what did those conversations look like?
SPEAKER_02I mean, for me, it was it was something doing on the side at first, right? So it was it was a thing that um, you know, nights, weekends, holidays, back the things that you didn't want to do, but because my kids were older at that point, like I had a little more time. I wasn't uh, you know, in 2023, our son just graduated or was about to graduate high school. And so um, you know, going to track meets and all these other things were becoming less and less. And so had a little more free time, you know. Again, if I would have started it uh uh well, I I guess the example of of starting it in 2012, like trying to do it then, like the nights and weekends were were less because you had so much other family stuff that you wanted to do. Um, so yeah, it was hey, let's try it out and let's do it. And then I think the confidence that, um, at least for from my family's standpoint, that Jonathan was willing to to jump in and do this thing with me um was probably what helped make it uh feasible. And so again, I I told somebody the other day, like, best ball wouldn't be here without Jonathan. So um, yeah, I I can't ever, and I'll again publicly say it, can't ever thank him enough for uh his friendship of what he means to to best ball.
SPEAKER_01It wouldn't be here without him. Yeah, and I can reciprocate that entire conversation because like we wouldn't one, we wouldn't be doing a podcast as when we started if it weren't for Robbie's wife. Um we can talk about it. Talk a story there.
SPEAKER_02Well, we still with Yeah, it was on the roadmap, right? Like again, best ball didn't start out as a kind of a podcast company platform, whatever, a media company. It was how do we help tell golf stories? And we're like, you know, on our on our whiteboard, it was like podcast, right? We would do a podcast at some point. And she finally said, my wife Emily finally is like, you know, if you're gonna do it, you need to go and start it. And so I think we hit record and uh we off we went. Like it we looked back at it.
SPEAKER_01Yeah. We started at probably the worst time possible. I had just had surgery for an uh a sleep apnea implant. So I've got this open, I mean, I was like a week and a half. I'm talking like this, the right side of my mouth doesn't, my tongue doesn't work. I I took off my bandage and like hid a three-quarter collar up here so you couldn't see like it wasn't blood seeping out, but there was definitely like a big gauze thing here still. And I'm like talking like this for the first one. We had zero lighting, we had zero anything, we didn't have we didn't have equipment. It was like literally just we opened up our our laptops and just clicked record, and then we told, in my case, the most embarrassing golf story that I have uh when it comes to my my most memorable golf shot. And but you know, my wife's comment on our end though was why wouldn't you do this? At the very least, you and Robbie get to hang out for an hour every week, and that you that'll be fun. And so, and and Robbie and I both from the very beginning, I don't know, I still don't quite know what our expectations are, where it goes long term, but it's always been from the very beginning, we will keep doing this as long as we're having fun. And that mentality has allowed us to continue for now going on three years, we're in our fourth season, we've added three additional shows. Um and and and and we get to go places and meet people that we never would have. I mean, the conversations that we get involved in now, and we're just like, what in the world is going on? Like, why are the two of us in this room at this moment? Um, do I I honestly every once in a while I feel like at some point they're gonna realize who I am related to golf and be like, never mind. Jonathan, let's let's let's let's quit this thing. We don't really want to be affiliated with these guys.
SPEAKER_03So in the early days, what challenges did you guys experience just from uh the the perspective of starting a podcast? You mentioned just turning on your laptop and running.
SPEAKER_04All of them. Well, expand on that.
SPEAKER_01I would say the first one was uh no, my my degrees in preaching, and one of the things we always taught is that a Sunday happens every Sunday, whether you want it or not, like you gotta come up with a sermon. If you're in a past if you're in a church, you gotta prepare, you gotta do all these things, because every single Sunday it will happen. And that quickly, in my mind, became our mantra. Every Thursday there's a podcast that has to go out. And there were some weeks where it was like Wednesday at 9 a.m. and we're texting back and forth going, any idea who we could find to talk tonight to maybe get on our show so it could be re released tomorrow? Uh and then, you know, going back to our sales, right? You just ask and you ask a lot of people. And fortunately, uh, I I don't know if your experience has been this way too. The golf world is so accommodating and so kind and so generous to offer their time and what they're tell their stories and things like that. That I I I mean, how many no's have we got in two years? Like actual hard, I don't want to do this. Not many. Two or three, maybe? Maybe. Maybe. And so we've hit a much better rhythm in the sense of, you know, we might record four or five in a week or be able to plan in advance. We're even re-releasing shows that, you know, from a thematic perspective on Mondays, uh, from from content that we've had over the years. And so that from my side was always the oh man, we've got to come up with somebody this week. Robbie has learned all the technical side, so that might be where he can speak into how do you actually do this?
SPEAKER_02Yeah, no, technically. Um yeah, I feel like that's been a blessing to to have to figure that out myself and then be able to offer it up as a service to others. I'd say the big lesson, one of the big lessons even prior to hitting record on our first podcast, is again, we were like, how do we help tell golf stories? And we had this idea for uh a concept, and we said, you know what, let's let's test this out. Let's go, let's go see Jonathan's family out in Arizona. And we printed up, we ordered and printed up 6,000 koozies. Got one right here. Got one because I got a box here. Jonathan's got like five boxes of his house. So we printed up six thousand, and our goal was we went to the waste management open and we on Sun uh flew out on Sunday we played golf, but Monday and Tuesday mornings, uh, we stood in the parking lot because again, we we hadn't gone to enough golf tournaments to know that you know you aren't parking parking right next to the course. So we're in a remote parking lot uh before we're the first car there because we're like, you know what, we're gonna hand one out to everybody. So we handed out, we probably handed out 3,000 koozies in the parking lot as people were leaving their cars to get on the shuttle. And and so lesson learned there, don't print that many koozies. No.
SPEAKER_01Right? We even hired a buddy of mine to go back the last two days because he lived in Arizona, and he handed out koozies for another couple days. And then my sister calls me or texts me with a picture of like four boxes going, how do I get these out of my garage?
SPEAKER_02Like, oh no. So I, you know, I think I think the the challenge and lesson learned there was being willing and able to pivot, right? Like figuring out we have a good idea, but how what what are our skill sets? What what have we learned over the years doing other stuff that would put us in the best position for hopefully success? Uh and I think again, it comes back to we're pretty highly trained sales professionals and we're good at asking questions and um and learning about people. And we're just one one rule we always go by is be interested instead of interesting. And so talking to people about golf, like I tell people all the time, like you know, reaching out to somebody to say, hey, let's talk about refreshing your wireless infrastructure. Like that was tough. Yeah. But hey, do you want to come on a podcast to tell golf stories? Oh yeah. Like that's a fun question to reach out.
SPEAKER_03Yeah. So you already mentioned that one of the nice things is how eager people are to come on the show and record. What other surprises good have you experienced over the years?
SPEAKER_01I think for me, uh well, I'm always interested in business. So anytime we can start to someone that's a new entrepreneur and hear their story and what they're trying to do. I've fallen in love with architectural stories. I still don't know if I care that much about who the architect is when it comes to the golf course design and like what it looks like. Like, but I love listening to golf course builders um and how their mind works when it comes to developing and creating what we all love to play. Um, and I I'd I'd say that's it more than anything. Like that, like you literally, I mean, we at this point now we've had 15 plus people stay at my house during the masters. Like, it's amazing how quickly over a 45-minute hour show of just chatting about someone's life, you can become such good, quick, easy friends. Um, and so yeah, I mean, and and Robbie and I talk about all the time, the stories are endless. I mean, and even I mean, from your show, going back to some of the people that we've had on our show, even hearing almost like almost like looking through a diamond or a facet of some kind, like the light shines different whenever it's pointed from a different direction. And so to hear, you would think if you listen to uh who's the guy you just had on that does the woods, the wood signs behind his own. Yeah, Jason Kamara. Right. Yeah. So like you think about if you've listened to his him on a podcast, you've heard him on a podcast, and then you listen to your show versus our show, and it's like, wait a minute, even though it's the same person and the same concept, the same everything, there's still so much more that can be sort of drug out or pulled out. And so that has been just phenomenal. Just so much fun.
SPEAKER_03Robbie, what's been a pleasant surprise for you?
SPEAKER_02I I think just through relationships. Right. Um, my wife says, you know, we need to go back and we should probably start this before it gets as crazy as it is now. But the the spider web, right? Like plan out or map out like how you met this person or that person, what connection it was. And um, like Jonathan said, like I think one thing we say to pretty much all our guests when we're done recording is like, hey, when when can we get together and hang out? Like we feel like we've become friends with everybody. I think there's maybe one one guest, and it's not you because we've already played golf with you. Um, but one one guest that we were just like, yeah, that that was fine, but you know, probably not gonna hang out uh with them. And but I I think just the relationships and um the opportunities that have come from it. Um, you know, been invited to go to places that again, when when like Jonathan said, if they realize that we're not, you know, we're outsiders from the golf industry, the golf media, like having opportunities to do stuff um and go different places has been unbelievable. Even I mean, even today, you know, uh, hey, we need to talk Friday about an opportunity, like it that just that bl still blows my mind uh as far as what uh what has come and what will come.
SPEAKER_03So in terms of when you first launched in 2023, where do you think the show has improved the most? Well we got better lighting.
SPEAKER_02Kind of. Kind of. We we can always we can always improve that.
SPEAKER_01We can always Yeah, I mean there's technical things. I I'd say let's talk about technical things, right? Like we switched from I think we were doing Zoom at the time. Yeah. Okay. Switched to Riverside at some point in that process. And I think we used someone in between, didn't we?
SPEAKER_02No, I think it was uh Was it straight to Riverside? Yeah. Um because I remember that first episode of season two, it was Matt Janela, and we were in and I was so nervous because I you know I get anxious a little bit because of these people that are well known in the golf world. I'm like, oh man, this is gonna be crazy. I can't believe they said yes to this, and we're gonna try out a new system, right? And it thankfully worked. But it works. Yeah. So what Jonathan.
SPEAKER_04Did you have more? No. Okay.
SPEAKER_02What I was gonna say, Josh, hold on. Uh I was gonna say uh I think the technical piece, but I think we've also gotten better, except for this right here where I interrupted you. I think we've gotten better uh with our own cadence. I mean, Jonathan and I did tons of sales calls even prior, and so we we had a good balance of who was gonna ask the next question or we can kind of feed off each other. And so I think we've gotten better at at doing that. At first, someone asked the other day, like, do you guys script your your podcast? And at first, like, I think we had a list of questions we wanted to go down, and then we realize then we realized, you know what? We want to know who they are and what they've done, and then what they're doing. And then we've got some fun, random questions at the end. But but you know, besides that, it's like, you know what, let's just continue to improve and and just use the skills that that we've developed. And I think that's where we've gotten better. Hopefully the conversations have been better. Uh again, like Jonathan said, we're re re-releasing some. Uh, I just re uh just posted one from uh September of 23, where we were on site at Caledonia uh in True Blue and talking with uh their director of golf. And I look at that and I'm like, oh my gosh, we were so bad. But that episode, if we hadn't done that episode, we probably wouldn't be sitting here doing this episode because every rep counts, right?
SPEAKER_03Right. Right, right. So you had the idea for best ball. Um, and then okay, wife's like, no, do the podcast. What prompted you guys to then start reaching out to others to produce and or uh I guess house their podcasts on your own platform? Was that something that was always the plan, or did that evolve naturally over time?
SPEAKER_01Plan's a very dangerous word. Like that's a big word. Planned, I don't know. But I do think we quickly realized that Robbie had a skill set from a technical side that could provide opportunities, not only for stuff that we're doing with Invest Ball, but also some of the other people that he's producing podcasts for outside of the golf world. And then it came down to the people that we've met, and you are the perfect example because you were the one of the very first names that came up going, Josh Decker has to get a podcast. He's you're you're I you're intriguing in almost every way when it comes to the golf world. You know so many people, you go to so many places, you've got such a natural style. Like whenever we met up there at Landman, like not only like but like making us feel welcome, but literally bringing together the group. Like you're the connecting piece. I think you said what you had you played a 16 some yeah, right? And and you've got this sort of tier-free attitude also when it comes to that, when it comes to like how can we make golf fun? How is it engaging? And we're like, this is a guy that needs to have a voice in the golf world. How can we provide the easiest on-ramp for that by allowing what our skill set that's already been created to create to let you have that voice? Um, because I think we hounded you for a a while before you finally said, okay, I think now's the time to do it.
SPEAKER_03Yeah, it was probably four or five months. I mean, and that was kind of the cool thing about this whole story anyway, right? And which pun intended or unintended there um is you guys reached out, you saw my social media content uh from being at Landman and reached out to come on the whole story podcast to talk about Landman, and that conversation kind of evolved into talking about Sweeten's Cove and how much I cherish that place. And then, yeah, we continue to have conversations. I think I was maybe on your one one of the round tables, um, maybe a writer cup round table. And then Robbie's like, hey, you want to do your own show? And I was like, Whoa, hold on. What what does that mean? Um, and and you kind of touched on it already. There's something fun is an overused word, but everyone loves talking about golf. Yeah. And especially like creators, they love showcasing and talking about their processes because these are things that they have obsessed over for months and years to perfect. So just like we've both had Jason Calamaro on our shows, those stories were different because we're gonna ask different questions. So that's been a lot of fun for me, especially if it's guests that you guys have already had on, uh, and just how different those stories and episodes can be. Um, so I guess thank you for reaching out and thinking that I had the chops to do this because it's been it's been a lot of fun. It's been a lot of fun.
SPEAKER_02Yeah. Well, I I think going back to when we reached out to you, like I had the opportunity again because of a guest um uh, you know, that first year that invited me to go to the cooler to go to landman. And so I had I had already been. So landman, you know, still fresh in the mind, like love everything about that place. And then I, you know, I had been following you for a while, uh, obviously Sweeten's Cove uh and your love for that, and then saw that you did the landman thing, and I'm like, you know what? Here's a guest. Maybe it was a like Jonathan said, maybe we were scrambling at the last minute. We're like, let's see if this guy will come on, but um probably not. Um but you know, it was an it was an honor and you know, just to get to to chat with you, and I think we finished, and it was like, we need to hang out with this guy. And kind of spinning off or kind of answering your question of of what then led us to want to produce for others, is there are people that are you know, golf media, they grew up, they did the journalism school, they did, you know, whatever they've done, worked at Digest and you know, the golf channel and all this other stuff. And so they've been lifelong media people. And then there are people that that we find, um, I I don't know if we qualify for that, but have good takes, like Jonathan was saying, good takes in the golf world. And we could provide a service. We, again, being in the business world, we're like there are there are businesses out there to provide services for people that don't have the time or the skill set, or not the skill set, but the knowledge or the knowledge and time to figure it out. And so how can we provide that for the right people, right? Like we're not gonna do it for everybody. Um, but if we feel comfortable saying, reaching out to somebody saying, hey, we think you would be a good fit to do your own podcast and be a part of the best ball because the rising tide lifts all ships, right? So if if the whole story is doing well, that can help off the deck, it can help the others, and vice versa, right? Off the deck goes well, it helps all the others as well. So that's I think what we look for. We want to find the right people. Um, not everybody, um, because there's people out there that would be like, nah, we're good, but the right people, folks like yourself that that love the game, um, are just good people. That's that's who we want to work with.
SPEAKER_03So for the listeners, why don't you do a quick overview of the entire portfolio of best ball shows?
SPEAKER_02Yeah, so it started with the whole story. Um, and that again is similar to this, where we've been interviewing people. I think I should probably do a count because we are probably getting close to 200 episodes. And if we don't, we'll sail past it and not even think of it. But yeah, we're on season four for that one. And then yours, of course, off the deck, which uh has been extremely popular. Uh and again, if and like Jonathan said, like you're connected to such a different uh group, you know, a lot of folks in the Alabama area, you know, tied to Sweetens or whatever else. And I've been uh loving it because it it fits right into what we do as far as meeting people that are doing cool stuff in golf. So uh we've got your podcast. We've got Southern State of Golf, uh, a buddy of mine who I I knew him. He had kids at the same uh school as my kids, and uh he's athletic director, and he just got back into golf after about a 20, 30 year absence, but he loves it. And he said, I kind of want to start a podcast and and talk about golf in the south. And so John Combs is doing that one. Uh I've got uh guy named Nate Oxman, who is uh assistant caddy master, author, school teacher, all the things up in the uh Philadelphia area. And he started a podcast. John Morton has recently joined with him, but he's got one and this sorry, Josh, this one might have the best name of all our podcasts. It's called That's Good, Pick It Up. Yeah, uh, talking mostly about golf books. And so, yeah, we've got that. And then I've got pictures on the scorecard that I'm about to relaunch. Uh, it started it with Seth McQuerter, uh, as many people will know, McWarter Creative, who does uh amazing golf logos, but he and I started one just to talk about creativity and golf, but relaunching it with his blessing, I will say, uh, to talk just more specifically about golf logos uh in different different parts of the world. So yeah, that's uh that's what we're getting right now.
SPEAKER_03That's that's really exciting. So uh if you could think like five years down the road, four years down the road, maybe it needs to be sooner than that. What what is next for best ball?
SPEAKER_01Jonathan, what you got? I mean, how big are we dreaming five years down the road? As big as you want to, brother. Um I mean, I don't know if the if the content is the same, but barstool sports isn't a bad look in terms of how big can you get, right? Like where could it actually go? Um I I will say without fighting barstool sports. Right. Right, no, no, no, not not in the same context, but in a sense of like irreverent. Right. Now what's your scale and scope of impact and and and opportunities and things like that? Um, you know, fried egg golf.
SPEAKER_02Um I I think, yeah, like like he's going down the fried eggs, the no-laying up. Like we're not copying those guys, and you know, we've gotten to know the fried egg guys a little bit, um, just through our connections with Summit Golf brands. And it's awesome guys. Love what they do. And I I would say like people ask, like, hey, who you compete with? And I'm like, nobody. Like, yeah, uh, we tell golf stories and we're and like Jonathan said, we're gonna do it as long as we're having fun, and there's plenty of golf stories around. Um, but yeah, something like that, something like the golfers journal. Uh, we just had Casey Bannon on. We've interviewed Tom Coyne. Love what they do, right? They tell golf stories, and that's that's what we're gonna keep doing. I don't, I don't know what the answer is, Josh. I I, you know, we keep getting new things. Uh Kyle Porter, uh, we had him on the show once, and he he had the phrase, I think his wife came up with it or kept reminding him that you're in the mix, right? And so every little thing that kind of blows our mind, we're like, this is this is an in-the-mix moment. And so we would just love to keep getting in the mix. Now, one big goal is we've applied, you know, we don't, besides our round tables that you were uh so gracious to join us on, we don't really cover a ton of cor uh current events, but we do love talking majors, and I think what we like talking about is the stories around it. So we have applied for two years now and have two rejection letters of uh media credentials uh for the masters. That would be that would be a fun one.
SPEAKER_03That would be pretty cool. That'd be a okay, we've made it. Like that's that's a big deal.
SPEAKER_02I don't even know if that's a we made it moment. That would just be another in the mix. Like, holy cow, I can't believe we're getting to do that. I mean, I I think little little wins like getting to go to some some media days, right? Some like courses that aren't open yet that uh uh we've uh again through connections of different experiences, we've gotten to go do some incredible stuff. And um that's a that's an honor and something that we won't ever uh won't ever I don't know take for granted because you know we're just two sales guys that love golf.
SPEAKER_03Well, and you you kind of touched on it there, and that was one of my next questions is what's been the coolest experience that both of you, individually or collectively, have had since you've been doing this?
SPEAKER_01I I I've gotta say the old course reverse, and from this perspective, I wasn't involved in golf at all. It would have never been on my radar or even thought to submit to the Instagram thing that I thought was a complete scam and fake for at least the first four or five days when I saw it. And then when I got the reply back saying this is real, like I literally called the old course. I'm like, is this real? Like my name's on and they're like, Yeah, this is real. I was like, Well, I put it on a credit card in case it's a scam, but okay. And then one, we've made lifelong friends with the two guys that we paired against. And then the most random aspect of sitting on the first T at the old course, Robbie, I'll let you tell that story because like these connections of like Robbie said, being in the mix have it's amazing the spider web that gets created.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, yeah. I I will say, like, the the old course reversed experience as as much as we would love to go back under a hey, we invite best ball to come do this. Like, this was a we were we were patrons, we were participants. Like uh, we we paid and did all this stuff after Jonathan entered the ballot and was selected. Um, but yeah, we on the putting green, we met a guy, he was wearing a uh Rodeo Dunes uh shirt and hat. And this is spring of 25. And so it was yeah, and and so I walk up to him knowing because I knew what it was. I'm saying, that's impressive. You're wearing something that's not even open yet. And he's like, Well, I'm I I I I work for Dream Golf, and it's Tom Farrell, the VP of Media and Communications. And so, you know, the the Lord's providence of, you know, one getting us there, but two, meeting someone like him. And I've gotten to do a couple media day things. I've got another one coming up where uh I've gotten to go see some some Dream Golf for now Sanborn properties, and Jonathan got to go with us to Rodeo Dunes uh a couple months ago. And so yeah, just little moments like that where it's like, holy cow, I can't believe we're doing some of this stuff.
SPEAKER_03That's exciting. That's yeah, it's it's it's a big world, but it's also a very small world, it feels like. I mean, there are a lot of, and you've already said it, Jonathan, the the spider web of everybody that kind of knows everybody. Um, that's been an interesting evolution for me over the past what, I guess, nine months now that I've been doing this show, I think, is is correct. Um but yeah, it's it's wild when you start mentioning names and who knows who and who knows who and and that kind of thing. Um, one of the the fun parts about this uh side gig hustle, whatever we want to refer to it as for me, because I still have a nine to five and uh have to produce in that sales role, is the interesting things that uh I will receive in the mail because of doing this show. So I'm curious for you two, what is the most interesting or coolest uh item that you have received because of your role within best ball? Jonathan?
SPEAKER_01Man, we've got some cool stuff. Uh we just got sponsored. We just got sponsored by a vote of golf. So we went up to Pittsburgh, did the full custom fitting. So when those clubs came in the mail, it was as exciting as it could be until I realized they sent me Robbie's clubs. Um that was painful. That was so painful. I was ready to go play golf, and Robbie's like, I'll open up mine, but I'm pretty sure I've they're left-handed. And so that but I mean, I'm looking at my desk right now. Um, we've got the stack, we've got Rap Soto, um, and then behind me, and I'll say this might actually be probably my favorite thing that ever came in the mail. This right here, this is the uh old Sam van Gaulder. Sam Van Gauld art. Uh I broke 90 for the first time at the old course.
SPEAKER_03So is that is that for the listeners, he's holding up a painting of a scorecard.
SPEAKER_01Is that the old course? It's the old course. I broke 90 for the first time at the old course in my life. Wow. And this this kind gentleman was so gracious. Literally, we sent him the scorecards and he did an amazing piece of art. That I I've got mine right here. Right. I just like that sponsors are great. Um, you know, like you're wearing a poll, I'm wearing a poll. Like these are all fun things. But this is an individual who obviously has a business and has time and energy that has to be spent in different places, who took the time. This is not a 10-minute piece of art, right? He took the time only because he was on our show. Like I've I'm trying, I don't think I've met him in person. I have to I've met Dave Bazden, like, but like this, I mean the the kindness and the generosity in the golf world, if you think it's not there, you're either maybe you're the problem because it it's there. Like the I mean, even in simple stuff, like how many times have you been out and someone's bought you a drink from the cart? Right? Like it's there every single moment. And so Yeah, I I'm gonna have to say this one for sure.
SPEAKER_04Robbie?
SPEAKER_02I I mean, yeah, I I feel like like Jonathan, I'm surrounded by friends and the awesome things that they do in golf. Um, I mean, you know, I've got Mark Ravarge charcoal art uh right there um from Landman and then Don Plasic uh with Renaissance Golf Design. That's uh Bally Neal. Yeah, he mentioned Sam and I'm pointing over my shoulder. This stuff here, uh Maria Chinkett uh with sometimes draws. Like I I ordered and bought those, but that's just because I love what she was doing. Uh, you know, squid design, we've got flag bags.
SPEAKER_01Barnwell flag for the old barnwill flag that
SPEAKER_02That was a pretty cool thing. Um, introducing old Barnwell and some kind of bringing those guys together. Um, but yeah, I mean, so many, so many connections. Uh one of the one of the latest ones, uh Blue Tross, right here, that little head cover, uh, making awesome leather uh head covers and stuff. So uh there yeah. Anytime uh something shows up, and I'm I'm sorry, I keep looking at my background. Oh, I got uh persimmon clubs over here uh from our buddies uh that put on the proper golf society. So like just fun stuff like that, friends we've met, um opportunities, you know, got the carn flag, got the old course flag, like again, like everything told it it's just it it makes me happy to to sit here and kind of look at in my in the rear view of what's behind me. Um, but it it also makes me excited for what's to come.
SPEAKER_03So and you guys are developing a best ball community. Um, you did the the good company gathering, I think it was at Pinehurst. Are there more of those in the hopper?
SPEAKER_02Yeah, we're working on some more of those. So I I guess a little bit about the best ball community. We, you know, some of these other groups, you know, there's the Brook and T Society, there's the Friday Club, stuff like that. And they are amazing. They do some incredible stuff, they've got trips, um, they they do a lot of stuff. And we we thought, how can we just gather a group of people that in a super inexpensive way? So we created a $5 a month uh online, like in-person golf club basically called the Best Ball Golf Club. And we we opened it up for people that love golf because of people, love their relationships. And so we've we've been growing the thing. We started at first of the year. I think we're close to 50 members now. And you know, we've got a Slack community, we've got uh email blast that goes out uh occasionally, and we've gotten together, like Jonathan and I went down to the Shindig um down in Florida. I went down to the PGA show a different trip, and you know, we're able to connect with some some guys in Jacksonville. And so it's opportunities like that. But yeah, we do these things called um good company trips. And so we've done one at Pauli's Island at the Caledonian True Blue. We did one at Pinehurst, like you're talking about. We're working on one right now for kind of the Aiken, South Carolina area, um, and do some old Barnwell and maybe some other places around there. So yeah, we you know, it's not it's not something that, you know, we're trying to find ways to get people together because that's for us the best part. And so it might not be the top super private courses in the world, but it might be uh it will be uh opportunities to get people together to enjoy for us what the best part of golf is, is the people in relationship. So yeah.
SPEAKER_03Yeah, and that's something I I really grew to understand on this recent trip to Landman because there were three guys that I'd never met before other than Derek Langston because I'd had him on my show. And by the time we left, I mean, everybody was great friends, had I mean, new friends, old friends. I mean, it it was it's really special the way this game brings people together. Um, so I appreciate that you guys do that and and focus on that. Like that is a vital part of the success of all of this, right? And it's just it's cool me kind of sitting on the on the the 18th green uh of our last loop at Landman and seeing guys interact who hadn't met before that weekend, and they've got arms around each other and are looking at the stars over Homer, Nebraska. And it's just like, man, like this this is what it's all about. Um, Derek Langston and I may or may not have shed a few tears just because we were enjoying it so much. Um, but it yeah, there's there's trump, something truly special about it. Um, and I I thank you guys for thinking that, like I said, that I could do this. I've had a blast doing it. It's been uh a joy. Uh the people I've gotten to talk to blow my mind. Um, and Jonathan, you said it, like people say yes, and that's kind of crazy. One of the things that I've enjoyed a lot is I've had a lot of guests who are first timers on a podcast. They've never recorded before in their life on a podcast. And 10 out of 10 times we hang up and they're like, oh my gosh, that was so much fun. And I'm like, yeah, isn't it great to talk about golf? Like it's it's it's so much fun. And then the relationships and all the ancillary things that come with the golf itself make it just a tremendous experience all around. Um thanks for coming to my TED Talk on that.
SPEAKER_02But that was just well, I I as you say that, I I I will, and I I think I've told you this before, but man, it it's an honor to get to produce your show and have you a part of the best ball family. I think you're crushing it. Um, I love every episode that you've done. And um, you know, it's one of those things that uh I like looking back, and Jonathan and I talk about like we uh when we thought, you know, I think Josh could do this, like we were spot on. Like you are crushing this thing. So thanks for thanks for doing it and and trusting us to help get your stories out.
SPEAKER_03I appreciate it. I appreciate the heck out of it. Um I know you guys have more whole story stuff to to do and and need to get back to that kind of thing, but I do have a couple quick questions that are customary with all with every single off the deck podcast. Um Jonathan, we'll start with you. What's your favorite new course in the last year that you've played?
SPEAKER_01My favorite new course. That's a good one.
SPEAKER_03It's like you're looking around at logos. I am.
SPEAKER_01I'm I'm looking at you know what I would say. This is it was a public course in uh in Denver. Okay. Fossil. Fossil Trace. Fossil Trace.
SPEAKER_03Quirky, fun. Is that the one with like the huge rock outcroppings and everything? Yes. Okay, yeah. I've I've seen pictures of that place.
SPEAKER_02It's it's got it's a it's like a tobacco road or tahill farms. Right. That kind of that kind of fun.
SPEAKER_01Only with dinosaur sort of things in the rocks. They I I'm I'm not a I just look at some of these things and go, someone, some little child just made this up. Like, look, don't you see the animal? Like, no, there's no animal. There's like a cloud. Anyway, I had a blast at the course. Uh got to play with uh some fun new people in the middle of it. Uh as always, you know, you're getting paired up with different folks, but incredible value. If you are in Denver area, golden, golden or golden camp, golden. Golden. It's worth it. Like it is.
SPEAKER_02Grab your course and go play uh go play fossil trace.
SPEAKER_01Yeah. Uh that has probably been. I mean, being uh Rodeo Dunes is amazing. That's not an accessible course for everyone. But if you're literally you could go get a pair some rental clubs and go play golf at Fossil. Uh uh bang for the buck, incredible. Just incredible. Robbie?
SPEAKER_02Yeah, I'm gonna say I'm gonna say Rodeo Dunes. Um it if it will be accessible if you sign up for their um for their mailing list because that's how they dish out um tea times. That's how they dish out their tea times. Um so yeah, when it opens up next year, you absolutely should do it. Um I I think for me that one, um, I'm trying to think and kind of look down the list. Oh, I gotta go play the Dormy Club in North Carolina. Dude. And amazing course, but I I got to be with some amazing people. And um yeah, it was uh that experience there. If you get to go to any of the dormy properties, do it. Like if somebody invites you and they say, hey, come on and do this thing, like absolutely do it. And so yeah, the dormy club is pretty cool.
SPEAKER_03Okay. Robbie, what's your favorite club in the bag right now?
SPEAKER_02Um I'm gonna say, and I've been thinking about this, not because I I thought you might ask it, but um I feel like I've I've turned my pitching wedge into a very utility club. Like I'll I'll use it from multiple different yardages, do different kinds of shots. Um, I feel like it's one even around the green that um I I probably should use more, uh, that or seven iron. It's always been the seven iron, but I'm gonna say pitching wedge right now.
unknownOkay.
SPEAKER_01Jonathan? It's gonna shock everybody on the show. My driver.
SPEAKER_03So I didn't see that one coming. Right.
SPEAKER_01So I I shaved down my driver to a 40-inch shaft. Um and it has been incredible. And I have a mini head driver on it. I don't know if that makes a difference because I don't know anything about golf technology. Uh I do need to I do need to go. I have a driver head, like an actual driver. I need to go put that on a 40-inch shaft as well. It's been amazing. I mean, I'm bombing it. I mean, for me, 250, 260, uh controlled, slice-ish. Uh, it's not an awkward, weird-looking swing anymore. I'm not aiming to the right 80 yards to hopefully make it land. And and it still has enough of a turn that you get a little comment from people going, Well, I didn't see that coming. So that's always fun. Whenever you're playing with someone new, and they're like, album's gone, and then it just trails right back into the middle of the fairway.
SPEAKER_03Nice. Uh guys, this has been fun. It's been great to kind of hear the story and background behind everything that is best ball and that best ball will continue to be. Uh, I'm excited for the future. Uh, and and thank you both for allowing me the opportunity to do this and supporting me during all this. Um, but thank you both for for taking time to to come on the show. I really appreciate it.
SPEAKER_01No, thanks for having us. I do have a question.
SPEAKER_03Um yeah, go for it. How many shows are you up to now? I think this might be like 48 or 49. That's what I'm saying. Maybe is that right, Robbie? There's no way that's right. Is that right?
unknownYeah.
SPEAKER_03I don't know. Maybe it's 30. I don't yeah. Who knows? Well, more than 30 percent. Right. Right.
unknownNo.
SPEAKER_02Well, I I would say at the end of the day, right? Like if if uh if we we all stop doing podcasts and uh we go back to just regular lives, like um, it's it's uh it's great to be friends. So that's yeah. That uh that will make it completely worth whatever uh this ends up being is is the fact that we get to say we're we're all friends. So thank you.
SPEAKER_03Right. Agreed. Well, for Robbie Jonathan and Jonathan, I'm Josh Decker, and this has been another episode of Off the Deck.
