The John Deere Classic just wrapped, the PGA Tour’s 2028 shake-up is looming, and this week we dug into all of it — plus the short-game secrets that actually drop your handicap and what it really costs to buy a home on a golf course. PGA Tour caddie Mike Hicks joined us for a double Caddie Corner, and Tampa loan officer Ritchie Lyons broke down golf-course real estate.
Here’s what went down on Episode 20.
Caddie Corner: The John Deere Classic & the PGA Tour Shake-Up
The John Deere Classic wrapped up with a leaderboard full of newer names — great for the game, a little unfamiliar for the purists. But the bigger story is where the tournament lands in the PGA Tour’s 2028 restructuring, when events get sorted into “Championship” and “Challenger” tiers.
Mike, who’s played the course, painted the picture: a long track — around 7,300 yards — but soft, which is why it plays to scores in the neighborhood of 20 under. That’s a world away from the firm, fast setup he saw at the NCAA championship, and it’s a big part of why the pros go so low here.
So does the John Deere become a “Championship” event? It has the history and a loyal sponsor, but Moline, Illinois brings logistical challenges, and the financial bar is steep — the guys put the number somewhere around $20 million. Their honest take: the new tiers will ultimately be decided by which corporations write the biggest checks.
The teaching moment — playing under pressure. The crew broke down Ben Kohls’ costly double bogey on 18, where a pulled iron found the water and, by their estimate, cost him roughly $300,000. Mike’s diagnosis: Kohls tried to “take something off” the shot, and when you do that, the body slows down while the arms stay fast — and you pull it. His rule for the big moments: commit fully to the swing. Trying to steer or decelerate under pressure is how good players make expensive mistakes.
Caddie Corner: How Amateurs Actually Shave Strokes
Want to shoot lower without rebuilding your swing? This segment is a cheat sheet. Mike laid out where regular golfers really save shots — and almost none of it costs money.
- Practice the lesson — don’t just play. After a lesson, put in reps on that one thing instead of running back out for 18 holes. The swing is built in stages; expecting a single lesson to transform your game is unrealistic.
- Warm up right: putt and stretch, don’t grind range balls. Spend ~15 minutes on the putting green before a round. That’s where you build feel and speed — and speed control is where amateurs bleed strokes.
- Aim for the fat of the green. Even pros don’t stick every pin. Quit flag-hunting and play to the safe, big part of the green.
- Take your medicine. Jeff shared laying up with an 8-iron on a par 5 to a comfortable wedge number — a safer, more repeatable path to a good score than forcing the hero shot.
- Live on the chipping and putting green. Most strokes are saved around the green, and most amateurs don’t have time to master ball-striking. Chipping is a “mini swing” driven by the torso — not all hands and arms — and putting is a skill anyone can improve with a little coaching.
Mike also mentioned that he offers remote coaching via video analysis — watching your stroke from behind to fix aim and alignment — and he’s a fan of using the alignment line on modern golf balls to set up square before every putt.
Guest Segment: Buying a Home on a Golf Course, with Ritchie Lyons
What does it actually cost to live on a golf course? Tampa loan officer Ritchie Lyons joined us to compare two of the area’s best-known golf communities:
- Westchase — family-friendly with higher liquidity (homes move faster). Roughly $550K–$1.1M.
- Cheval — luxury and semi-private, at the higher end. Roughly $1.3M–$2.5M.
The headline: a course-side lot carries a real six-figure premium over a comparable home a street back — and yes, we got into the trade-offs, including the occasional stray shot and a cracked truck window that comes with the territory.
Ritchie also previewed the Tamarack Resort creator event coming September 25, plus a 2027 creator invitational on the horizon — more on those soon.
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