The Cart Barn Podcast

Chris Lemley (00:00)
Welcome back to this week's edition of the Cart Barn Podcast. We are stoked to bring have ⁓ Carter Goodwin joining us in the cart barn. ⁓ Carter, welcome and and and glad to have you.

Carter (00:15)
I'm so happy to be here. this is something that that I've I'm I'm really excited about since since y'all reached out again to talk a little golf, ⁓ talk a little bit of state of Alabama. Just ⁓ I'm I'm super thrilled to be here. So thank y'all for having me.

Gregg Dewalt (00:31)
We'll just ⁓ for our listeners, since since you're not quite a household name yet, ⁓ we'll just give a little bit of background. You're from Hoover, played at Spain Park, went to Wallace State for a couple of years, went to University of North Alabama, which Chris and I are very familiar with since we both played there. And ⁓ you're having a great summer, as it goes into fall. So welcome to the cart barn. Have you ever spent any much time in a cart barn?

Carter (01:00)
ton of time in the cart barn. I I started so actually the day I turned 16 years old. So when I could first start working, I worked ⁓ I I started working in the cart barn at Shoal Creek. And I worked as a I worked as a bag boy ⁓ at Shoal Creek, did that for seven and a half years. So when I got to college, I'd come back home on break and I'd work ⁓ work in Caddy ⁓ in the cart barn at Shoal Creek and then ⁓

When I graduated college, I actually started working in the cart barn out at Turtle Point and I was managing kind of the outside services there and managing the guys. So I have ⁓ I have definitely spent my fair share of time in the cart barn.

Gregg Dewalt (01:44)
So ⁓ we've had Stuart Sink on. He started in the cart barn with Chad Parker. He told us a couple of good stories about stuff he probably shouldn't have been doing in the cart barn. What did you do at Shoal Creek in the cart barn that ⁓ you shouldn't have been doing?

Carter (02:01)
Ooh. You know, well, you know, being at Shoal Creek is a little bit different because you know, the the cart barn shared with the caddy house. And ⁓ you know, being being being around the caddy house is always an experience no matter no matter where you are. I mean, I I I always just remember ⁓ the the caddy master there. He said I was 16, 17 years old when I started caddying, I was more 17.

Chris Lemley (02:02)
Yeah.

Gregg Dewalt (02:02)
What what didn't you do?

Carter (02:31)
He he pulled me aside. He said, Carter, the number one thing I can tell you about being in the caddy hustle said, don't believe a single word that you hear in here. He and so I so I took that to heart. But I mean, you know, we used to we used to you know, we used to chip some golf balls and stuff around the around the ⁓ off the off the concrete there. ⁓ you know, probably ⁓ maybe accidentally bumped into a bumped into a couple things, but

Nothing nothing too crazy.

Chris Lemley (02:59)
Mm-hmm.

Well, I know a few of the guys that caddy there and that's a there's there's some characters for sure.

Carter (03:07)
Absolutely.

Chris Lemley (03:08)
Yeah.

Gregg Dewalt (03:09)
Yeah, there's some good times in the cart barn. ⁓ yeah, just doing stuff, talking, telling stories. And the caddy master was right. Don't believe anything you hear or don't repeat anything you hear in in the caddy book. Yeah. So you're you're an assistant now out at Turtle Point. ⁓ how did that come about? And you know, you're still playing very well competitively, so just take us through that a little bit.

Carter (03:22)
Yeah one of the two. Yeah.

Chris Lemley (03:25)
Yeah.

Carter (03:39)
Yeah. So, you know, kind of kind of my backstory as far as getting getting to Turtle Point. The the the now head pro at Turtle Point, Nate Overman, he came from a club up in Nashville. Well, when he when he left Nashville, the guy that took his job there was actually one of the former assistants at Shoal Creek that was one of my bosses. So we got in touch. ⁓ I ended up Nate called me, was like, Hey, you know, like I I I'd love to come have you come come meet with you.

And ⁓ at the time when he when he wanted to meet with me, I was working as the I was going into I just graduated in May of twenty three. I was about to ⁓ I was about to be the graduate assistant coach for UNA. So I spent a year as the grad assistant. I said, look, you know, I said this coaching is gonna be my main priority, but you know, I would still love to come work a few shifts, start developing some connections, and of course earn a few extra bucks. And

That kind of led into I was working two, three shifts a week out there. And then once the season got finished, it was time for me to turn pro and ⁓ I needed to start working a little bit more to make a little bit more money. So ⁓ I would work I I would work outside services in the morning and then they would they would let me practice and play in the afternoon. But I did that for about eight months and then ⁓ our lead assistant job came open.

And ⁓ I had just gotten married in December of 2024 and the the lead assistant job came open in February of 2025. And I I liked, I was like, hey, I need I need a little bit need a little bit more money. And ⁓ so they were like, come on, come on up, come give it a try. I got into the PGA, PGA associates program and

That's where that's that's kind of how I got started. So since March of twenty-five, I've been working as the lead assistant at a turtle point. I absolutely love it. ⁓ it's a it it's it's an awesome job. And everybody at Turtle Point is extremely supportive of me playing, from my from my bosses, my management to the membership, they they they are very encouraging of me. They love seeing me out practicing and playing, which is ⁓ you know, if if for anybody else in the industry.

You can understand it. That's that's not always the case where you are. So that's why I'm so blessed ⁓ to to be out there. And that's how, you know, that's what I credit being able to keep my my competitive level, you know, keep my competitive golf at a high level is because ⁓ you know, they are so supportive and I get to, you know, practice pretty much every single day. But that's that that's kind of the story as to how I got into that. And ⁓ I absolutely love it.

Gregg Dewalt (06:31)
Backing up just a little bit, when when did you have the most fun playing golf? Was it in h you high school, the the summer circuit, the in college at JUCO? You know, when were your best times?

Carter (06:47)
So that's a great question. I would say so as far as like from a pure like on the course competitive ⁓ perspective, playing at UNA was awesome because we we are in a really great state. You know, we were playing with playing against Auburn, playing against Alabama, UAB, you know, ⁓ so we were playing really good courses, a really good schedule against a really good field. as far as though, you know, like

off the course kind of ⁓ my team at Wallace State my my sophomore year we were super super close we we all we we were all about the same things and you know for y'all that know know handsful there's not really much to do except you know hang out together and go to the golf course and that is that that's all that we did and we were you know we we were all such close friends and so I would say I I would say Wallace

you know, Wallace has such a special place for me because we were such a close team and we had such a great time. Like we were truly, you know, brothers together there. And then, you know, UNA provided the the the D1 on course fun competitive ⁓ golf aspect.

Chris Lemley (08:04)
That's that's good. So you you played you you had two coaches at UNA went during your your your tenure. ⁓ who wh w who else was on the team with you at U and A?

Carter (08:19)
So my the my junior year when I came in, it was ⁓ you know, me, ⁓ Thomas Regan, who who who's from the Shoals area, him, ⁓ you know, another another guy from Alabama, Dawson Garrett, ⁓ Rob Richards, and then we had some more ⁓ we had a couple other foreigners that were on the team. Well, really, really, really good golfers. ⁓

that was that was my first year. And then the second and then my senior year, the the next year, ⁓ when Coach Calcaterra came in, he brought a lot of his team. He came from Arkansas Tech and they had won a division two national championship a couple of years prior. He brought a lot of his team from there. So it was a lot of those guys. There was a there there there was a pretty big turnover from year one to year two. But two two very, very different teams as far as like personnel wise, but still like really

Chris Lemley (09:13)
Mm-hmm.

Carter (09:15)
Really great times and really great guys.

Chris Lemley (09:17)
Yeah.

Gregg Dewalt (09:19)
was it was it totally different experience or was it hard for the team to mesh when that many new players like you were you were the veteran at that point, ⁓ in your second year, for a team to to really kind of mesh and and be cohesive?

Carter (09:35)
Absolutely. you know, my my when when we got to it my senior year, I was coming off of I I'd had a really good summer and a really good end to my junior year. I had finished second in the conference championship in the A Sun conference championship. And ⁓ I think I had a top ten in the state amateur that that year too and and was was playing some really good golf. And then ⁓ you know, the the starting five for for for the start of my senior year.

I was the only person that was from Alabama in the starting five and that had even been at UNA for any time previous. And I had only been there for one year. So it was definitely different. And, you know, those guys those guys had been together and won a national championship. And, you know, me, ⁓ you know, it did feel, you know, like like I was a little bit on the outside, but Coach Calcatera did a great job of you know, bringing us all together.

and kind of focusing on what our mission was. And you know, up in I I I think that played out in our results because ⁓ that year was was was the best year that we had had D1 up until that point at UNA. So ⁓ you know, I I I I really credit Coach Calpatera for that.

Chris Lemley (10:53)
Well, after ⁓ after finishing you you've already alluded to you did some grad grad assistant and ⁓ but you in twenty four you had a ⁓ a win at the spirit at Burning Tree here in Decatur. So talk a little bit about that. You I think you won by a pretty good margin.

Carter (11:14)
Yes. I you know, I I don't remember exactly what it was, but that that was one of the most fun weeks of golf that I have ever played. ⁓ first off, like I loved that golf tournament. The I had played in it. That was either my sixth or seventh time playing in it when I won. you know, I had played in it right before I started at Wallace State all the way through college until then. ⁓

I think the community and the club does such a great job of supporting that event. And the in, you know, like as a player, you can definitely feel it. And then I like still might that still might be like the best week that like of putting that I've ever had, which is which was phenomenal. And ⁓ that ⁓ you know, playing with all those guys locally that you know, we all grew up playing against each other.

And being able to to get that win for a tournament that I had played in so many times and was so special. And you know, they do such a great job of, you know, really highlighting the importance of that event. ⁓ you know, the the the the media's there, the club, the membership does such a just such a phenomenal job of welcoming us, helping us throughout the week. And it was it it it was just so special to win that tournament. And that was definitely like I see that as like a turning point.

in my career as far as like, hey, like, I'm gonna be all right. You know, I was I was turning pro a couple weeks after that, playing my first professional event a couple weeks after that. And I, you know, funny story about that event, I was I I I almost wasn't going to play in it that week. I had been scheduled to actually make my first pro start on a mini tour at that same time.

And ⁓ I was gonna go down to this mini tour event and play, get that started. And ⁓ that that tournament actually got canceled. And I was like, Well, I'm I'm still an amateur spirit's going on, like, like let's go over there. And then I I was fortunate enough to get the win and ⁓ it was it it it it it was just a win that meant a lot because like it was so special because like the history that I had had there and and and how big that event is for not only North Alabama but the state and

you know, really like the southeast as a whole. ⁓ that was that was one of the most fun weeks of golf I've ever had.

Chris Lemley (13:43)
Well good.

Gregg Dewalt (13:43)
I think l in research I think you shot fifteen under or something like that, which that's that's pretty stout on I think it's an Burning Tree's an underrated golf course, ⁓ around the state.

Carter (13:54)
Absolutely.

Absolutely. Those greens are so difficult when they get going. I mean, like like like there's there's a lot of like sneaky undulation in those. And then I I think it's a course that, you know, it's a tail of two nines, the way I look at it. The front nine to me is like, hey, like buckle up, like, you know, par is a good score on a lot of holes. And then the back nine, it's like, all right, it's a it's a little bit wider, par fives are more reachable, like, like, like go get after it. So

Chris Lemley (13:57)
Mm.

They can be, sure can, explained.

Carter (14:26)
I think it's a course to really test your patience. I think that's why it's such a good tournament golf course.

Chris Lemley (14:30)
It is. And you've nailed it. The front nine is is ⁓ yeah. Buckle up and strap on 'cause it's tough. ⁓ before we get into your your professional career and take us back a little bit. who did who was ⁓ the first person that you started working with and ⁓ ha have have you continued with that person or you know, and and who are you working with now and and from a professional standpoint?

Carter (15:01)
So from from like a swing perspective, correct? So I I started when I was about, I think it was 10 years old, with with with a guy in Birmingham. I I grew up playing at ⁓ some some of the Birmingham people might know is a little public golf course called Eagle Point, just off of two eight. It it very unfortunately it is no longer there.

Chris Lemley (15:03)
Yes. Mm-hmm.

Yeah. Which is no longer there.

Carter (15:25)
i that that's where i was introduced to the game there they had a phenomenal junior program where they pay where my parents would pay a very reasonable fee and you would get you know discounted free range balls ⁓ you know discounted walking rates and ⁓ you know that was that was what really you know getting in that junior program with friends helped me you know develop the love

of the game. And then while I was there, I started working with a guy. His name was John Oliver. He was a he he was a swing coach of mine. I worked with him up until right when I graduated high school. And then he got out of the industry. And then I started working with ⁓ I kind of spent my first semester at Wallace State, ⁓ you know, not really knowing what to do. swing got really off. And then ⁓

A couple of the guys on the team had taken from Steven Debore, who works out at ⁓ he he splits time between Coleman, Cross Creek and then Gunner's Landing. A few guys on the team had taken him, he came highly recommended. ⁓ I went and started working with him and like instantly him and I like we we just gelled. And I still work with him on my swing to this I mean, to this day. you know, I I

I try to go see him, you know, every at least every other month, go spend, you know, spend a morning, spend a few hours with him. But, you know, it's it's it's really fortunate we're him and I are to the point where, you know, I can shoot him some video. You know, we've worked together for I mean, in February it'll be going on eight years now. He knows a lot of my tendencies. He knows he knows when things start going one way or the other, typically what it takes to fix it. And ⁓ I mean, he's he

He's just I mean, he's my guy when it comes to my when it comes to my swing. And w him him him and I are just such such good friends. And I think that that's a thing that's part of what makes it successful is like we are like more friends. Like rather than like a coach student relationship. It's like we're friends who just like, you know, I mean, whenever we whenever I go up to see him go up for a lesson, you know, we'll spend the first hour just talking life and then, you know, we'll

We'll spend the next hour just talking how's how are things going in the industry because, you know, he he of course is a full PGA member and I'm working to get there. And then, you know, we'll get into the swing and then it's, you know, we're just talking shop at that point. You know, and as I have matured, ⁓ as far as like understanding ⁓ for my understanding of the golf swing, you know, it's it's it's so nice to have somebody like that that we can just like bounce things off of each other and have, you know, really, really detailed, in depth conversations that

you know, I I speak for him, you know, I think it makes both of us better, you know, like ⁓ and so that's that's that's very valuable to have.

Chris Lemley (18:21)
Mm-hmm.

Gregg Dewalt (18:27)
When when you say you you guys hit it off immediately, was it the language he used in dissecting your swing? Was it personality? Was it com combination of both?

Carter (18:40)
Yeah, I would definitely say both. you know, as a as as a teacher student relations as far as teacher student relationship goes, you know, how do you communicate what needs to be communicated, the information to someone is the most important. I am quickly learning that, you know, being on being on the teaching side of the industry as well. And ⁓ just his his knowledge and

Exactly like you said, the way that he communicated that information to me instantly clicked. You know, it was it was exactly what I needed at the time to where it wasn't too overly technical. You know, he was really able to kind of take what needed to be done, kind of understand what I feel, and then, you know, kind of match my feels to what needed to be done. And ⁓ that's that's that's what it's all about.

Chris Lemley (19:37)
Cool. What would what what are some of your tendencies that that that he's he's worked with you on?

Carter (19:44)
So my main tendency that every morning when I wake up I fight is is my is is I get a little lateral slide going with my hips. And you know, in in instead of more of a turn into my left side, it's more of a lateral slide. So it's like at times I feel like have to sit back on the ball a little bit more. But when when I get sliding to my lead side.

Chris Lemley (20:07)
Mm.

Carter (20:11)
The angle of attack gets really, really steep. The ball comes off the bottom of the face. And I'm a player that likes to see a draw pretty much throughout the bag. ⁓ you know, when when when you're sliding that far forward and even getting on your, you know, your your front toe a little bit, it's really hard to make the ball go go the other way. It comes out low and to the right. So that's that's something that I really don't like to see. But ⁓ you know, I would say that's the number one tendency that I have is just

hip slide. And and and I think it's a pretty common issue, but you know, it's it's it's one of those things that at least I'm at the point now where I can recognize when it happens.

Gregg Dewalt (20:54)
At what point ⁓ did you start thinking about, you know, I can maybe make a little money playing professionally? Because we all you know, when you're growing up, you know, we're we're all gonna be on the PJ tour and then some of us end up doing podcasts and ⁓ don't ⁓ don't don't reach that point and some of us ⁓ as you do, you you know, you're you're making some money playing professionally and you've

Chris Lemley (21:10)
Yeah.

Gregg Dewalt (21:21)
got aspirations beyond what you're doing right now. So was there a point when you maybe that at the spirit went in the spirit by five shots or so? Or you know, when was that point?

Carter (21:34)
Yeah, and ⁓ to your point about the spirit, I think that, you know, as I alluded to, why that was such a big turning point, you know, like in my golf was because I was about to turn pro that week. And ⁓ you know, what's w what I have tried to forget or you know what what people won't understand is, you know, two or three weeks before the spirit was the state amateur at Shoal Creek. It was an event that I had been

Man, I had it circled on the calendar for years, ever since they had it. And ⁓ you know, I I straight up missed the cut in the state amateur at the course that I had worked at, practiced there, played there, and that was like a major blow. Like it was it was really tough. ⁓ I mean, I got done with that and I was like,

I mean, like if I can't make the cut in the state amateur, like am I going to be able to, you know, you know, in a month start trying to start trying to make make money doing this? How how am I gonna do that? But you know, I think that that was exactly what I needed. I mean, like, like I like I hate saying, you know, it's only it's only a negative, you know, bad results are only a negative if you don't learn from them. And

I learned I learned more from those two rounds of missing the cut than you know, probably any other tournament. You know, you you learn why why was it that you didn't execute the way you wanted to? Was it the way that you were feeling? Was your swing technique off? Was it a combination of both? And you know, the week before the spirit, I had had a ⁓

I I had and and I still remember it. ⁓ my first coach here at UNA, Coach Karstens, I had I had asked him, I was like, hey coach, and he's now the associate head coach at Kansas State. I was like, you know, I was like, can I was like, can we just have a can we just have a phone call? Like, you know, like I I I I need to talk about a few things, like and he he he really helped me out, you know, putting things in perspective to where, you know, in short, he's like,

Go go look at the guys that are playing on tour every week. They're making bogies. They're missing cuts. It happens. You know, but you know, the way that we the way that not only, you know, you define yourself as a golfer, but also like look, you know, on a deeper level, like as a person is like, you know, how do you bounce back from that? You know, this it he was like, you know, obviously this is a goal of yours, you know, are you just going to let, you know, one bad result kind of

you know, change your confidence or change the way that, you know, you look look at yourself as a golfer. You know, that was something that that that I I really needed. I I went on one won that next week at the Spirit, went and played in my first professional event a couple weeks later, finished second in a little mini tour event, cashed a check. I was I I I netted positive on my first ever mini tour event. And I was like, okay, you know, like I was I I I held the lead at one point during that tournament.

And I was like, you know, like, like I'll I'll be okay. I'll keep grinding. And then ⁓ you know, I didn't know what to expect at all a as a professional. and went to Q school my my first that first fall, got through pre-qualifying stage because you know, you have to go through pre-q your first time, and then went down to Magnoia Grove and went to first stage there and

played fourteen p ⁓ played four rounds of golf, shot fourteen under par and needed fifteen to get through. And ⁓ it was just another one of those things that was like, man, you know, I I played really well, but it's like how how how are you going to you know again, I learned more from that week is is missing the cut by that close or or missing advancing by that by that, you know, one shot. I learned more from that week than

than I have at any other time in my professional in my professional career. I played with I played with, you know, ⁓ I played with two guys that week that were that had played on the Corn Ferry tour the year before. I had seen what they were doing. I got paired with Ben Carr in a round. ⁓ you know, he he was coming off of playing in the Masters, you know, US US amateur semifinalist, I believe. And so like

watching the way that he was going about his business, watching the way that those guys were, and, you know, just kind of in bits and pieces realizing like, hey, like, you know, there's a couple of things I need to clean up, but like I'm I can I can hold my own out here.

Chris Lemley (26:37)
Good stuff.

Gregg Dewalt (26:38)
That's what was it what was it like cashing that first check, ⁓ as a professional?

Carter (26:45)
Absolutely incredible. It was like it it was like the best walk into the bank because it was like they gave me like a physical check and like I walked into the bank and I've I cashed it and I was sitting there just like waiting with my phone like for the notification to come up like for the deposit in my account. And but you know that it that though th those are the type of things that you know like you know

People hear about like the grind of like being a young professional on the mini tours and stuff like that, but that's that stuff is gold. It's and you know, it is it is hard to make money on the mini tours. Like you have to play really, really good golf on the mini tours. And ⁓ so, you know, in my first week for me to get second and cash a check, I was like, This is the best.

Chris Lemley (27:21)
Yeah.

Yeah.

Gregg Dewalt (27:37)
I think and and of course then you you you know, you go from that high of cashing that first check and then at Q school missing by a shot. I mean that that's kind of the essence of professional golf in in a nutshell.

Carter (27:51)
That's golf.

Chris Lemley (27:53)
That is golf. Well, this year has this summer has been a really good roller coaster ride for ya. ⁓ hoping that that continues. You you won the Alabama Open. ⁓ t t tell us a little bit about that week and what was what made it so special.

Carter (28:15)
So the Alabama Open, they we we played at the ⁓ the Robert Trent Jones ⁓ trail course at Capitol Hill, the legislator course. And that course has been the the greens have been newly renovated. They've been redone. They changed the slope on a few greens you know to make them make some more pinnable locations, but ⁓ brand new Bermuda grass. So ⁓ that means firm, that means hard.

That means fast. So ⁓ you know, I I we we we had to play the 2025 open on the Senator course because they they were redoing or they were redoing the legislature that year. I played in 2024 on the legislature ⁓ as well. But you know, we got there and met like all the players, ⁓ really good field and for the Alabama Open. And you know, that's that was the that's the talk of the tournament. It's like, hey, like Greens are firm. I mean like

you know, we've got wedges that are bouncing, you know. ⁓ and then so round one, ⁓ I get going and I you know, my the the start of twenty si twenty six that I had had was I would just describe it as like really, really close. And I know that it's cliche, but it's like I was hitting the ball really well. I was pleased with the way that I was hitting the ball and I I was not putting for anything. I mean like I my my putting had really

Chris Lemley (29:16)
Mm.

Carter (29:43)
⁓

It needed some work. And so ⁓ I went to the first round and I was like, no, like eventually all of this is going to to click. And I was I was really excited to play in that LM open on that hard of a course because ⁓ with with with it being that I was struggling a little bit more my putting and how firm the greens were, it was honestly hard to hit it close. So I was like

Chris Lemley (29:47)
⁓

Carter (30:15)
It's not like I'm gonna have to make like, you know, a bunch of birdie putts, like like I knew it wasn't gonna be just like a point and shoot birdie fest. So that was something that I was like, you know, like I think if I can really just manage my way around this golf course, you know, really stay out of trouble. And ⁓ you know, I was like, I think I'll be all right. And ⁓ I went out and shot sixty-five in the first round.

And like it just felt like everything was going right that round. ⁓ you know, I I I made, you know, like made made a long putt for Birdie, played the par fives really well, and then I and then I hit one bad tee shot all day and it was on the final hole. And I hit a bad T shot. I've got a really weird lie side hill on the side of a bunker, and I put it in a greenside bunker. Like, well, you know, like I'll

I'll I'll just try to get this up and down. And ⁓ and I ended up holding it for to to finish the day. And I was and I was just like, you know what? Like for sure. And you know, I think it it it was one of those moments to where like when I got done, I got off the golf course and I was talking to my wife because she was she was able to be down there with me that week and and she helped me out. She she caddied for me.

Chris Lemley (31:23)
It looked like Birdie all the way.

Carter (31:43)
And I mean she really helped keep my head on straight, mainly, which is hard to do. But ⁓ I was just talking and I'm like, you know, so often in golf it feels like things just never go our way, you know. And I said, I'm gonna be a hundred percent honest, like I'm not gonna fight it. Things went right, things went my way today. And I'm going to enjoy that and I'm gonna savor that. And I'm like, you what? If that's what the rest of this week has to hold.

I'm not gonna fight it. I'm not going to, you know, I'm I'm I'm gonna lean into it and I'm gonna keep giving my best effort. And I mean, the next two rounds, they weren't as easy as that. But, you know, I had I had set myself in a really good position after round one on that golf course with how hard it was. It was really hard to, you know, take it really low and come from behind. So I knew that if I just kept kind of doing my job and, you know, managing my way the way I needed to, that I was gonna get the results I wanted.

And ultimately I was fortunate enough to get the win. ⁓ really nice paycheck for that event. And then, you know, just being able to ⁓ have the title of like being the Alabama Open champion is something that is is so cool to me because of how many great golfers we have in this state, how many great golfers have won that tournament. I mean, when you go back and look at the list of names of guys that have won that tournament, like, you know.

very similar to like the list of guys who had won the spirit of America. Like to have my name on that same list is just something that is like is so cool for me. And, you know, I I I absolutely love it.

Chris Lemley (33:22)
Yeah. And you should. There's been

Gregg Dewalt (33:23)
Yeah, I mean it it's one of those things they can never take it away from you. Your name's on there f for forever.

Chris Lemley (33:26)
Yeah.

Carter (33:27)
That's right.

Gregg Dewalt (33:31)
so y you won the Rolex ⁓ points champion this year. Chris asked me earlier, do you think you get a Rolex for that?

Carter (33:44)
Not to my knowledge, ⁓ unless unless that's some secret that they've been keeping f from me. But ⁓ you know, that was that was my goal ⁓ going into the year. ⁓ you know, and and I love our PGA section. I know that y'all had Wade on before. Wade is Wade's awesome and you know, their their their their whole team, you know, the you know, the the few of them that they have down there, they do such a great job with our section.

Chris Lemley (33:46)
Ha ha.

Carter (34:12)
making it awesome for us to be members. And ⁓ that that that was a massive goal of mine was, you know, as as as an assistant pro in this section, like, you know, I want to I want to, you know, I want to be the the the best out of our out of our cohort. And ⁓ you know, I I I kind of caught fire from from from the end of from after the Alabama open

And I won I won like four section tournaments in a row that I played in. And ⁓ so that was like that that was really awesome. And you know, I I have I have learned how how ⁓ how important it is and how beneficial it is, you know, being in the industry to have a good section like like like we do. And you know, I

I I take great pride in being a member of our section. I think we have a r a lot of really good players in our section. ⁓ I mean, Paul McClure from our section played in the PGA championship this year, you know. I've gotten to play I've I I got to play a couple of rounds with him this past ⁓ at two tournaments ago. But ⁓ you know, like it's it's it's something that ⁓ was was a major goal of mine and ⁓ I'm

Chris Lemley (35:13)
Mm.

Carter (35:37)
I'm I'm very happy that ⁓ that I was able to kind of ⁓ wrap it all up towards the towards the end of the year as as as you know, it felt so close during the beginning. so yeah, that's that that's definitely something that that that I take great pride in.

Gregg Dewalt (35:55)
Speaking of Paul McClure, another UNA guy.

Chris Lemley (35:58)
Yeah. Yeah.

Carter (35:58)
Exactly right. Yep.

Gregg Dewalt (36:01)
A bunch of us out there.

Carter (36:04)
You know, there are there are so many more, you know, UNA golfers than, you know, I'm embarrassed to say even even I realized and you know how how how how deep our ties are. I think we have, I mean, you know, the the the support that we have for for UNA golf and you know, the the golfers that we have all throughout the state and in the golf industry is is incredible. And I'm learning more and more people that

that went to UNA and played golf there ⁓ by the day. You know, I think ⁓ I think Coach Terry has done a great job of kind of, you know, kind of trying to rekindle all the relationships with all of with with all the former golfers and kind of, you know, ⁓ I've I've talked with him a lot. My my hope and my dream would be, you know, one day in the near future we're able to have, you know, s some type of

alumni tournament or something or you know some type of get together to where we can all you know play golf together share stories because ⁓ the the it seems every time that I'm at a new tournament or you know I I turn around or I'm walking through town I meet somebody else that has some connection to UNA golf and you know I that's that's what makes our our university and our program so special.

Chris Lemley (37:21)
Mm-hmm.

Carter (37:28)
is you know, those those those deep ties that we all have together.

Chris Lemley (37:32)
I couldn't agree more as a as an alum. I I appreciate you saying that. Have you had a chance to get to know many of the guys on this year's team? ⁓ I know that they they have some some privileges out at Turtle Point, so I'm assuming you've seen a little bit maybe.

Carter (37:50)
Yeah, absolutely. I've had a I've had a chance to definitely meet all of them. Haven't I I haven't unfortunately got to play much golf. ⁓ that's that's that that's more of a me and my schedule thing, ⁓ unfortunately. But you know, during during the offseason, I'm I'm definitely looking forward to playing with them. ⁓ you know, I think ⁓ I think it's important to

to have and and another reason why I I think it's so important for all the alumni to be involved is, you know, to have people that you can ask questions and have people that, you know, you can ⁓ you know, for lack of a word, kind of like look up to and kind of see the way that they did things. And I've I've had a chance to meet with all the guys and talk to ⁓ and you know, that's that's that's my goal for that that I expressed to them was hey, you know, I'm here, ⁓

Text me, call me, you know, whenever you see me, please ask me questions because ⁓ you know, that's something that I I I really wish that I had while I was at UNA, you know, was was being able to to have that connection with the guys that have come before and done it. You know, guys that have been to Q school, guys that have won tournaments, guys whose names, you know, I've I've I've seen in the record book. I I would love to hear their stories in the way that

Chris Lemley (38:58)
Mm-hmm.

Carter (39:14)
and you know, the way that things went for them at UNA. And so, you know, if if I can do just a small piece, you know, to help ⁓ to help the team out, to help Coach Terry out, I'm all for it because, you know, I I am I I I truly love, you know, the university. I was here for I was here for two years playing and coached for one. And during that time I had three different coaches.

So, you know, I've I've been very clear, you know, I've loved every coach that I've played for and worked for, but you know, my allegiance lies to the university and to the to the city of Florence. And, you know, that's what ⁓ that's what I, you know, I want to be, I I just want to be the best steward of UNA that I can and, you know, help the guys that are there now because I know I know how valuable ⁓ it can be and how much I would have liked to have had somebody like that.

Chris Lemley (40:07)
Yeah. Yes, sir.

Gregg Dewalt (40:11)
Well said. so looking forward the rest of this year, are are you gearing up for a Q school run?

Carter (40:21)
That's absolutely first stage ⁓ first stage of of Q school, first week of November in Madison, Mississippi at Lake Caroline Golf Club. so that is that's that that that's where I'm going this year. and everything leads to that. I mean, you know, that's that's that's that that's how it is for us, but ⁓ you know, I'm I'm I'm super excited.

Chris Lemley (40:34)
Mm.

Carter (40:49)
⁓ I I I hope and and I trust that I've put in, you know, the work during this year that ⁓ you know, I'll be in a good spot come Q school. and I'm I'm really looking forward to it. It's it's it it's always so much fun to get out there four rounds ⁓ you know, with guys that, you know, you probably were checking their scorecard on the Corn Ferry on the Corn Ferry tour this year.

You know, and and you're out there playing with And I mean, that's that's as as golfers, that's all we can ask for. That's the great thing about golf is we all play the same course, you know. We we we all have the same opportunity to get the ball in the hole. And ⁓ hopefully I can just do it quicker than some other people.

Chris Lemley (41:39)
Yeah, absolutely.

Gregg Dewalt (41:40)
Have you scouted ⁓ Lake Caroline yet?

Chris Lemley (41:42)
Yeah, I was about to ask that.

Carter (41:44)
Yeah, I haven't been there in person. ⁓ I mean I've done I've I've I've done a lot of prep work as far as like, you know, ⁓ yardage book, Google Earth mapping things out. ⁓ I my I I have my yardage book, it's it's somewhere it's it's in my living room actually. I have it sitting on like my living room nightstand. Like I'll should be I'll be like watching T V, you know, commercial comes through and I'll start start looking at a few holes and

You know, just kind of try them, you know, before I get on site to kind of paint a picture and kind of understand, you know, what do I really need to practice? Kind of, you know, if I hit the exact shot that I want to off the tee, how far is that gonna leave me? You know, kind of adding up. Am I gonna have more mid wedges or am I gonna have more mid irons? You know, and then that's that's I we're three and a half weeks out now, four weeks out. four weeks out, yeah. We're four weeks out. So it's like the preparation.

is starting to ramp up. ⁓ you know, I mean, and I think that's so important. If if I'm mapping it out and I'm maybe only gonna hit my four iron three times for the week, you know, I don't need to spend, you know, ten percent of my practice hitting hitting four irons, you know. So just anything that I can do to try to just help myself out and and give myself just a little bit more of an edge. So that way, you know, coming in, I feel as prepared as I can. That's that's the goal.

Chris Lemley (43:08)
was Yeah, what Carter, what was the reasoning for picking that that course as your for first stage?

Carter (43:16)
So a couple things. ⁓ number one, ⁓ the the time, the the scheduling aspect. So like the the the dates work best with my schedule. you know, working we we have a couple of ⁓ tournaments out out at Turtle Point that you know, you know, between now and then that ⁓ you know I I've I I I want to be at as as far as work.

Chris Lemley (43:45)
Yeah.

Carter (43:46)
So ⁓ that, but also, you know, ⁓ I went to Mobile the the first year as I alluded to, chopped 14 under, didn't get through. ⁓ you know, I think I was rather naive that that that first year. ⁓ I just chose that site in Mobile because it was close and I had known that golf course before. you know, kind of in my post you know, post Q school kind of debrief.

I kind of looked at it and I'm like, you know, I think there's golf courses out there that fit my game better as far as ⁓ you know, for for four rounds in Magnolia Grove, there's it's it's pretty it's pretty wide open off the T. And ⁓ if there are fairway bunkers on the hole, the the cover of the fairway bunker is anywhere between two ninety five to three five. Well

My average carry is two ninety-five of my driver. The guys that I were playing against that played a lot better than me that week, ⁓ they were carrying it 310. You know, so it's like little things like that to where ⁓ and then also the course isn't very long. So there were a lot of wedges and guys were hitting it to a lot of the same spots and it was, you know, you're putting from ten to fifteen feet all day long. that

Chris Lemley (45:11)
Mm-hmm.

Carter (45:14)
that that was not the strong suit of my game. And so, you know, I wanted to go somewhere that was ⁓ you know, a little bit more demanding off the tee, you know, favored favored the iron and mid wedge ball striking a little bit more. And ⁓ you know, I I I I did the research, you know, there's a lot of score history of the places that they've been before and I thought that that was a good fit. I had gone down to the country of Ocala.

⁓ last year in twenty twenty five and just didn't execute well. ⁓ I liked the course a lot. I thought it was a good fit for for my game. ⁓ but it it it just didn't fit schedule wise with what I would want ideally leading up to it. you know, I I I wanted to give myself as much practice time as as I could. And so ⁓ you know, those first block of first stage sites start in two weeks.

Chris Lemley (46:12)
Yeah.

Carter (46:12)
So, you know, giving myself an extra two weeks of practice is something that, you know, I kind of discussed with with with my boss Nate. He was like, look, he's like, after the middle of October, you know, like, you know, we'll kind of be on the downhill slide. He's like, those two weeks, you know, you'll be able to prepare. You'll be able to work. ⁓ you know, you'll be able to work on your game. And that was something that I was like, you know what? Like I really like the sound of that. ⁓ I did the research on the course. Like, I think this will be a good fit for me. And so ⁓ that's

that's kind of the things that that that led into that that that decision making process of going to that course.

Chris Lemley (46:47)
Very good.

Gregg Dewalt (46:48)
What I what I've taken away from this is the difference between when I played and I had to walk my yardage off from the Azalea bush at the one fifty, ⁓ one yard at a time. Try you you tried to learn how how to pace one yard, ⁓ so you would get you know, now you can Google earth it, you can figure all that man, we just showed up and ⁓ tried to hit it in a fair way.

Carter (47:04)
Exactly right.

Chris Lemley (47:14)
Yeah.

Carter (47:15)
That's you know, that's that's exactly right. You know, we're we're we're so fortunate now to where, you know, I can go online and go to Stracoline. And you know, they have a detailed, detailed yardage book for pretty much every course that I'm gonna play. You know, you can go on Google Earth and you can map out, you know, yardages, width of fairways. I mean, like, you know, you can

You can do so much prep work before you get there. And, you know, I think that that's I think that that's something important. Just trying to, you know, I think the main goal of being a professional golfer and you see it every week with the guys on tour is, you know, how can I find how can I do a how can I do everything in my power, you know, to try to get either one percent better or give myself a best opportunity to succeed. And that's that is what I'm trying to work on every day.

Chris Lemley (48:11)
Excellent. That's

Gregg Dewalt (48:15)
So what ta take us through a typical day of yours at work at Turtle Point. Come in, fold a few shirts, ⁓ s straighten up the racks and then go hit balls or what?

Carter (48:26)
so you know, my my job, a lot of what I do is ⁓ tournament operations. So I I I manage the golf operation as a whole, you know. I I manage all of our outside services. So, you know, the guys that are, you know, pulling the carts, you know, cleaning the carts, doing the range. ⁓ you know, I

Chris Lemley (48:28)
Mm-hmm.

Carter (48:53)
I I kind of manage that operation underneath Nate. You know, he he he trusts me to do that. And then a lot of tournament prep. ⁓ we have ⁓ we have a merchandiser that that works at our club. You know, she fortunately handles all of the buying ⁓ buying and you know, the the way that the shop looks. ⁓ her name is ⁓ Hannah.

she she actually played at UNA too. She she played on the women's golf team for five years at UNA. She's she's from the area. But she she does a she does a phenomenal job. And ⁓ I mean I will definitely fold some shirts. ⁓ I I don't think that my folding skills are are ⁓ are the same level that that Hannah's are, but you know, I will definitely do ⁓ whatever needs to be done ⁓ in the shop, you know, be sure that all of that is straight.

⁓ and then, you know, during our tournament season, you know, really from April to October, you know, we've got a lot of member events, ⁓ member tournaments, you know, stuff that stuff that I'm in I'm in charge of running. and ⁓ you know, I'll come in, get whatever I need to get done for the day, you know, hopefully have have a lesson or two.

throughout the day that that that I'll be able to give. And then every ⁓ every every spare minute that I have, I'm I'm either out on the practice putting green, out on the range, hitting a few balls or, you know, you know, trying to get out there with my boss and play a few holes and ⁓ just that that that was really my goal of twenty twenty six was I wanted to be as intentional with my time as possible. You know,

being sure that, you know, I I I did my job to the, you know, I I did my job and took care of my responsibilities from Turtle Point to the fullest. But also, you know, my goal was, you know, when I when when when I get home at the end of the day every day and and and I lay my head on the pillow at night was, you know, did I, you know, use my time wisely to to get better at golf today. And ⁓ that's, you know,

I'm a I'm a firm believer in, you know, if we just try every day to just incrementally get better, you know, you're gonna look up in, you know, six months, a year, two years and you'll you'll, you know, hopefully hopefully be be where you want to.

Chris Lemley (51:21)
Yeah.

Yeah, well said. One one percent a day. That's a it's a good good goal. And and spending time on the putting green out at at at Turtle Point, that's that's a pretty good place to to spend some time. Yeah.

Carter (51:32)
That's exactly right.

Gregg Dewalt (51:34)
So

Carter (51:42)
you know, the view like like it it it doesn't get any better, truly. Like I've been, I you know, I tell our membership this all the time. I tell, you know, my family, I've I've been to all the golf courses in the state. You know, the piece of property that that we sit on at Turtle Point is one of one. You know, looking looking across the river, you know, Lake Lake Wilson there.

Like seeing the bluffs on the other side, you know, just, you know, the the the the view that you get coming down the hill into Turtle Point is one of one in the state of Alabama. And, you know, it's it's it's something that that I definitely try not to take for granted because coming in every day, you know, at seven or seven thirty, seeing the sun seeing the sunrise, rise over the river is like you just can't beat it.

Chris Lemley (52:33)
Yeah.

Carter (52:36)
And then exactly like you said, when I get a couple of minutes and I'm going outside and I'm putting on, you know, the most beautiful piece of land in the state, it doesn't get any better than that. It you know, it makes you want to makes you want to hit a few more five footers.

Chris Lemley (52:50)
We said we weren't gonna ask you a hard question. Maybe it's not, but I've got one for ya. Favorite favorite hole at Turtle Point?

Carter (53:02)
I so, you know, I think the obvious answer would be 18 just with the view, but as far as like a combination of view, golf hole, I love hole seventeen, the par five. ⁓ if you hit a good drive off the T, you've you've got a nice risk reward second shot going into the green. And ⁓ you know, now ⁓ you know a

Chris Lemley (53:18)
Yeah.

Carter (53:32)
a few years ago we had a tornado take out some trees in that corner of the golf course. You know, now now that golf course has just as nice of a view as hole eighteen. And ⁓ you know, so I I think I would have to say hole seventeen just because I love that whole I love where it sits in the golf course, you know, I mean if you're playing in a tournament or you're playing a match against your buddies, it's like, you know, trouble to trouble, it's pretty wide, but for some reason, you know

Chris Lemley (53:36)
Yeah.

Carter (54:03)
For some reason the trouble is just in your head and there seems to be a magnet sometimes towards the right and left with with your golf ball. So it's like hit hit the T shot and then, you know, you know, go forward on the second shot and see if you can make a three or a four kind of coming down the stretch. So I I I love that hole and I love where it sits in the routing of the golf course as well.

Chris Lemley (54:26)
Yeah, it's a it's a it's a beautiful girl.

Gregg Dewalt (54:26)
The ⁓ the one tree that the the one tree that didn't get taken out in a tornado, the one up there on the right by the creek that ⁓ always blocks me out.

Chris Lemley (54:31)
Yeah.

Carter (54:35)
Yeah. Always. You know, it's it's it's you're exactly right. That's that but, you know, that that tree gives that hole so much character, you know, as far as like it you know, it really, really makes you commit to what type of shot shape are you gonna hit, what type of trajectory are you gonna hit on that second shot. And, you know, I think that I I think that's part of what makes that hole so great.

Chris Lemley (54:48)
Read.

Yeah, it does it. That's exactly right.

Gregg Dewalt (55:02)
think you know I really like four ⁓ because you you you start out with a a fairly tough stretch of three three holes, three good solid holes and you get to four and you see the yardage and it's a short four and you know the the backright pin is is tough. You know hitting it in a fair way there is is is hard off the T if you're you know trying to hit a driver or whatnot. I really that that's one of my favorite holes.

Carter (55:30)
And, you know, the thing about four is I think it's probably the flattest green on property and and I have the hardest time reading it. I mean, like, you know, I've been out at Turtle Point for three years now, and I'll get on the back section of that green and the ball will still move a different way than I'm thinking, and I'm like, I've seen this a hundred times. Why can't I trust it? But, you know, I think that's just, you know.

That's part of the nuance of Turtle Point that that you know, part of part of what makes it so great.

Chris Lemley (56:03)
Yeah.

Gregg Dewalt (56:04)
think you know, Turtle Point is one of those courses I don't know if I think the older older generation of players in the state respect how good it is. I'm not sure the younger generation knows how good Turtle Point is. ⁓ it's with it's up it's held its t the test of time and it still stands up pretty good.

Carter (56:25)
Absolutely. I mean, you know, it's it's it's one of the courses you know, it's one of my favorites that that that I've ever played. I have such a sentimental attachment to it. But like I I absolutely love the golf course and you know, you know, to your point, it has such a it has such a great tradition as far as, you know, the tournaments that's held. I mean, you know, the SEC Championship was out there for, you know, a long stretch. And you know

Chris Lemley (56:50)
Mm-hmm. Yeah.

Carter (56:56)
it you know, it no longer is. I mean, we've had a couple state amateurs out there, but ⁓ it's definitely somewhere that I think everybody in the state needs to come see. ⁓ just because, you know, it is you can really feel, you know, the old school nature of the golf course out there. And that's what makes our club so special. You know, that's you know, that's my goal every day from a operations side.

you know, speaking specifically to the club, it's like how can I come in every day and just, you know, try to make this club the best that it possibly can because I know how special of a place it is. And I think a lot of people do too. And, you know, I I want, you know, I want our membership to understand how great of a place it is. And, you know, I want the rest of the state to understand how great of a place it is too. And so whatever small part I can do to to make the club and

make Turtle Point as best as it possibly can. I take great pride in that because it is a place that is so special and it has such a history in the, you know, Alabama golf scene as a whole.

Chris Lemley (58:06)
well said. it is a special place. It does have a ⁓ a lot of history and ⁓ I think that's a that's probably a great place to ⁓ to to end this ⁓ this session unless you we've got anything else to go, Greg.

Gregg Dewalt (58:22)
No, I was just curious whether you fold your shirts at home the way you fold them at ⁓ Turtle Point.

Chris Lemley (58:26)
Ha ha.

Carter (58:28)
I don't know

Chris Lemley (58:30)
Yeah.

Carter, thank you thank you so much for ⁓ for carving out some time. I know you played played in the tournament today and and you've got a couple more days to go. Best of luck ⁓ to you in this, but certainly ⁓ as you get prepared for Q school, ⁓ we'll be pulling for you for sure.

Carter (58:53)
Thank you all so much for having me on. This is like, you know, this has been awesome. I I I love golf in the state of Alabama. I'm very passionate about it. I I I love what y'all guys do. So like it is it it it is truly a thrill and and definitely a highlight of my year to be able to come on with you guys and talk for a little bit. So thank you all so much.

Chris Lemley (59:12)
It's nice to have you and very nice for you to say that. Yeah. All right.

Gregg Dewalt (59:13)
Good luck at Q School. Yep. Appreciate appreciate it, Carter.

Carter (59:15)
Thank you.

Thank you.