Fairway and Friends Pawdscast

HISTORY MAKER — Dr. James Cash Jr.A barrier-breaking athlete. An accomplished educator. A visionary leader. A lifetime devoted to opening doors for others.In this extraordinary episode of *Fairways & Friends Pawdscast, PGA Master Professional Courtney Connell welcomes Dr. James Cash Jr., whose remarkable journey from Fort Worth, Texas, to the national stage is a story of courage, perseverance, leadership, and purpose.In 1966, Dr. Cash made history as the first Black basketball player in the Southwest Conference while representing Texas Christian University. His accomplishments on the basketball court were only the beginning.He would go on to become the first Black tenured professor at Harvard Business School, serve in influential corporate and community leadership roles, and dedicate much of his life to education, mentorship, and creating opportunities for others.But behind those extraordinary achievements is an even more meaningful story—the people who shaped his journey, the challenges he encountered, and the values that continue to guide his life.Our conversation explores the intersection of sports, education, relationships, leadership, and the game of golf.We also celebrate the importance of giving back and creating opportunities for future generations, including the inspiring mission of the CitySwing Foundation.Dr. Cash reminds us that making history is an accomplishment, but using that history to make life better for others is a legacy.This is more than an interview. It's an opportunity to learn from a remarkable individual whose life continues to inspire.Fairways & Friends Pawdscast — More Than Golf. It's Connection.On Purpose, For Purpose.Hosted by Courtney Connell, PGA Master Professional.Visit: https://fairwaysfriendspodcast.com/🏆 EPISODE 18 — HISTORY MAKERDr. James Cash Jr. didn't simply witness history. He helped make it.From breaking barriers in college athletics to becoming a distinguished Harvard Business School professor, his extraordinary journey is filled with courage, wisdom, leadership, and purpose.Join Courtney Connell for an inspiring conversation about the people, turning points, and relationships that shaped a remarkable life.Because making history is an accomplishment. Making life better for others is a legacy.🎙️ *Fairways & Friends Pawdscast*▶️ Available on YouTube, Spotify, and Apple Podcasts.🌐 fairwaysfriendspodcast.com#FairwaysAndFriends #HistoryMaker #JamesCashJr #TCU #Golf #Leadership #Inspiration

Building a Major Legacy — Jason MengelThe historic 2027 PGA Championship runs through Frisco, Texas, and Jason Mengel leads that journey.In this special edition of Fairways & Friends Pawdscast, PGA Master Professional Courtney Connell welcomes Jason Mengel, Championship Director of the 2027 PGA Championship at PGA Frisco.Before exploring the enormous responsibility of staging one of golf's four men's major championships, Jason takes us behind the résumé and into his personal journey—his introduction to golf, the experiences that shaped his career, and the people and relationships that helped prepare him for this remarkable opportunity.The conversation then turns to the historic 2027 PGA Championship at Fields Ranch East, designed by Gil Hanse, and what this extraordinary event means for the PGA of America, North Texas, and the future of the game.Joining the conversation is respected golf writer Art Stricklin, offering additional perspective on Texas golf's extraordinary championship heritage.From the challenges of championship preparation to the lasting impact this event could have on the game, this conversation celebrates the people, vision, and purpose behind a major championship.Because at Fairways & Friends, it's more than golf...It's connection.-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------BUILDING A MAJOR LEGACY | JASON MENGEL | FAIRWAYS & FRIENDS PAWDSCASTWhat does it take to bring one of golf's most prestigious championships to life?Join PGA Master Professional Courtney Connell for a special conversation with Jason Mengel, Championship Director of the 2027 PGA Championship at PGA Frisco.Discover Jason's personal golf journey, the relationships and experiences that shaped his career, and the extraordinary preparation required to welcome the world's finest players to Fields Ranch East.Special guest Art Stricklin, respected Texas golf writer, joins the conversation as we explore the rich heritage of Texas golf and the significance of the 2027 PGA Championship.In this episode:Jason Mengel's golf journey and career with the PGA of AmericaThe people and mentors who influenced his professional developmentThe vision behind the 2027 PGA ChampionshipThe significance of Fields Ranch East at PGA FriscoTexas golf's remarkable championship historyThe people and partnerships behind a major championshipThe lasting legacy this championship can createFairways & Friends Pawdscast celebrates the stories, relationships, and experiences that make golf such an extraordinary game.More Than Golf. It's Connection.Visit: https://fairwaysfriendspodcast.com/Subscribe to the channel and join Pawds Nation!Stay inspired and keep inspiring!#FairwaysAndFriends #Pawdscast #JasonMengel #PGAChampionship #PGAFrisco #PGAAmerica #TexasGolf #GolfPodcast #FieldsRanchEast

Will Doctor | A Spirit for the Game | Fairways & Friends PawdscastGolf has a remarkable way of bringing people together, creating lifelong friendships, and opening doors to opportunities far beyond the fairways.This week on the Fairways & Friends Pawdscast, PGA Master Professional Courtney Connell welcomes Will Doctor, a respected voice in golf broadcasting and an individual whose passion for the game extends well beyond the scorecard.From his collegiate golf days at Texas Wesleyan University to his involvement with The Spirit Golf Association and his role as host of The Golf Hour on ESPN Houston, Will has built a journey around golf, relationships, and storytelling.Throughout this conversation, Will reflects on the people who influenced his journey, including renowned PGA Professional Charlie Epps, and shares his perspectives on mentorship, broadcasting, service, and the relationships that make golf such a special game.It's a conversation about much more than golf. It's about the people we meet, the lessons we learn, and the lasting impact we can have on others.More Than Golf. It's Connection.Explore more episodes and connect with the Pawdscast:https://fairwaysfriendspodcast.com/homeLearn more about The Spirit Golf Association:https://www.thespiritgolf.com

Josh Weathers — More Than a SongFairways & Friends Pawdscast | More Than Golf. It's Connection.Some voices have the power to entertain. Others have the power to move us. Andevery once in a while, a voice comes along that does both.Country and soul singer Josh Weathers joins PGA Professional Courtney Connellfor a heartfelt conversation about music, faith, family, friendship, and findingpurpose beyond the spotlight.Known for his powerful vocals, electrifying performances, and unmistakablepassion, Josh has built a career connecting with audiences through the gift ofmusic. But behind the cowboy hat, the guitar, and that extraordinary voice is astory that reaches far beyond the stage.In this episode, Courtney and Josh explore the experiences, relationships, andpersonal convictions that have shaped his journey. From the joys and challenges ofthe music business to the importance of gratitude, generosity, and stayinggrounded, Josh reminds us that life's greatest accomplishments aren't alwaysmeasured by applause.And, of course, there's golf! Because on Fairways & Friends, the game we love hasa wonderful way of bringing people together, creating friendships, and opening thedoor to conversations that truly matter.It's more than a song. It's a story of connection, gratitude, and purpose.Join us for another meaningful conversation on the Fairways & Friends Pawdscast,where we celebrate the people, relationships, and experiences that make thisbeautiful game about so much more than golf.More Than Golf. It's Connection.🎙 Fairways & Friends PawdscastHosted by PGA Master Professional Courtney Connell🌐 www.fairwaysfriendspodcast.comAvailable on YouTube, Spotify, and Apple Podcasts.

The Keeper of the TraditionDale Morgan, PGA — Leadership, Legacy & a Life inGolfThis is a conversation about golf—but even more, it's aboutstewardship, relationships and legacy.Dale Morgan — The Keeper of the Tradition.Fairways & FriendsMore Than Golf. It's Connection.YouTube TitleDale Morgan, PGA | The Keeper of the Tradition | Fairways & FriendsWebsite DescriptionSome people work in the golf business.Others spend a lifetime helping carry the game forward.In this episode of Fairways & Friends, Courtney Connell sits downwith longtime PGA Professional Dale Morgan for a conversationabout a remarkable life in golf—one shaped by relationships,mentorship, leadership, tradition and service.Dale's journey has placed him at the heart of one of the game'smost storied golf communities: Austin Country Club.It is a place where the fingerprints of legendary teacher HarveyPenick remain unmistakable, and where names such as Ben Crenshawand Tom Kite are woven into the club's history. But Dale's storyisn't simply about being around great players and historic names.It's about what he learned from them—and what he has tried topass along.Throughout the conversation, Dale takes us behind the résumé andshares the people and experiences that shaped his journey as a PGAProfessional. He reflects on mentorship, developing youngprofessionals, the responsibilities that come with leadership, andwhat it means to preserve the traditions of the game whilecontinuing to move it forward.Dale's influence also extends far beyond Austin Country Club. Hisyears of service and leadership within the Southern Texas PGA andhis role as a PGA of America District 12 Director reflect a careerdevoted not simply to the golf business, but to the PGAProfessionals who serve the game every day.And in 2026, another chapter was added to that journey with Dale'sselection to the Texas Golf Hall of Fame.But as we like to do on Fairways & Friends, this conversation isn'treally about titles, awards or accomplishments.It's about the people behind them.Who opened doors for Dale Morgan?What did he learn from the people who came before him?What responsibility comes with becoming the person who now opensthose doors for someone else?And after a lifetime around this wonderful game, what does Dalehope will remain when the titles and business cards are eventuallyput away?

What happens when the hands behind some of golf’s greatest equipment finally get to tell their story?On this episode of Fairways & Friends, Courtney Connell sits down with master clubmaker Mike Taylor of Artisan Golf for a conversation about craftsmanship, mentorship, relationships and legacy.Mike’s remarkable journey runs through some of the most important chapters in modern golf equipment—from the Ben Hogan Golf Equipment Company and the influence of legendary clubmaker Gene Sheeley, to Nike Golf’s famed Oven in Fort Worth, where Mike helped create equipment for Tiger Woods and many of the game’s greatest players.But this conversation is about much more than golf clubs.Mike shares what Gene Sheeley taught him about the craft, what it was like building equipment for players with extraordinary feel, the emotions surrounding Nike’s decision to leave the golf-equipment business, and how that ending eventually helped lead to a new beginning with Artisan Golf.We also explore the fascinating people who have crossed Mike’s path—from Tour champions to legendary athletes and entertainers—and the young golfer named Scottie Scheffler who was walking through the shop long before the rest of the world knew his name.And then we go somewhere deeper.What does a craftsman feel while watching a player win a major championship with a club his own hands helped create?Who will carry this increasingly rare craft into the next generation?And when Mike Taylor’s days at the grinding wheel eventually come to an end, what does he hope his fingerprints will have touched beyond golf clubs?From Ben Hogan and Gene Sheeley to Tiger Woods and the next generation, this is the story of knowledge passed from one set of hands to another.There are no shortcuts to craftsmanship.Mike Taylor — The Ultimate Artisan.Welcome to Fairways & Friends.More Than Golf. It’s Connection.

Stewards of the LegacyMike Wright & Lindy Miller Remember Ben HoganThe world knew Ben Hogan.Mike Wright and Lindy Miller knew Mr. Hogan.In this special edition of Fairways & Friends, Courtney Connell travelsto historic Shady Oaks Country Club in Fort Worth, Texas, for aconversation surrounded by the photographs, clubs, memorabilia—andmemories—of one of the most important figures in the history of golf.Mike Wright and Lindy Miller didn't learn about Ben Hogan from booksor highlight reels. They knew him personally.Lindy's relationship with Mr. Hogan reaches back to his younger days,when he had the remarkable opportunity to shag practice balls for Hogan and witness, up close, the precision and discipline behind one of golf's most admired swings.Mike arrived at Shady Oaks as a young PGA Professional and developedhis own special relationship with Hogan. Over the decades thatfollowed, Mike became not only one of Shady Oaks' most respectedprofessionals, but also someone entrusted with helping preserve Hogan's history, equipment, stories and legacy.Together, Mike and Lindy take us beyond the championships, thefamous swing and the public image of “The Hawk.” They sharememories of the man they encountered at Shady Oaks—his personality,humor, standards, loyalty, practice habits, friendships and the quietermoments that rarely found their way into the history books.This conversation is also about stewardship.What responsibility comes with personally knowing a legend? How doyou preserve stories that otherwise disappear with time? And whatshould future generations understand about Ben Hogan that can't befound on a trophy, a scorecard or a Google search?Some stories belong to history.Others live in the people who were there.Mike Wright and Lindy Miller were there.Stewards of the Legacy: Mike Wright & Lindy Miller Remember BenHogan.Fairways & Friends — More Than Golf. It's Connection.

What happens when the mentee becomes the mentor?PGA Professional Maulana Dotch shares a remarkable journey of family, opportunity, history and the people who opened doors along the way—and why she's determined to hold those doors open for the next generation.Maulana Dotch — The Legacy of MentorshipSome people find their way into the game of golf. Others help create a pathway for those coming behind them.In this episode of Fairways & Friends, PGA Professional Courtney Connell sits down with his friend Maulana Dotch, PGA, for a conversation about golf, family, opportunity, leadership—and the extraordinary power of mentorship.Maulana's golf journey began with her father, Emanuel, who introduced her to the game as a young girl. From playing on the boys' golf team at Irving High School to competing collegiately at Bethune-Cookman University, Maulana developed into an accomplished player before discovering an even larger purpose within the game.Along the way, mentors including PGA Professional Ira Molayo and PGA Hall of Fame Member Renée Powell helped encourage, challenge and inspire her.Maulana would go on to become the second Black woman to earn PGA Membership, serve as Head PGA Professional at historic Cedar Crest Golf Course in Dallas, and later make history as the first Black woman PGA Member to serve as general manager of a golf facility, leading Hermann Park Golf Course in Houston.But this conversation is about much more than historic firsts.It's about the person behind the résumé.Maulana shares the influence of her father, the people who believed in her, the responsibility that comes with opening doors for others, and what happens when the mentee eventually becomes the mentor.Her story also intersects with the remarkable history of Hermann Park Golf Course—a public golf facility whose own story includes an important chapter in the desegregation of municipal golf in Houston.Today, Maulana is using the experiences and opportunities others poured into her to invest in another generation of young people. It is a beautiful reminder that perhaps one of the greatest measures of mentorship isn't simply what we accomplish ourselves—it's what the people we encourage are able to accomplish after us.Join us for Maulana Dotch: The Legacy of Mentorship—a conversation about golf, history, leadership, friendship, gratitude and leaving the game better than you found it.Fairways & FriendsMore Than Golf. It's Connection.

The Road Less Traveled — A Conversation with Beau Welling!https://fairwaysfriendspodcast.com/In this episode of Fairways & Friends, Courtney Connell sits down with acclaimed golf course architect Beau Welling for a conversation about the road that led him to a life designing places where people gather, compete, connect and create memories.Beau shares the experiences and relationships that helped shape his philosophy—not simply as a golf course architect, but as someone who believes thoughtful design can bring people together. His journey has taken him around the world, working alongside some of the game’s most influential people and helping create golf experiences at the highest level.But as is so often the case on Fairways & Friends, this conversation goes beyond the résumé.“The Road Less Traveled” is about curiosity, relationships, taking chances, finding your own path, and recognizing that some of life’s most meaningful destinations are reached by roads we never expected to travel.It’s a conversation about golf, design, friendship, purpose—and the journey along the way.Fairways & Friends — More Than Golf. It’s Connection.

Today on Fairways & Friends, we have a gentleman who has enjoyed one of the great front-row seats in North Texas golf.For more than two decades, Jon Drago has served as Tournament Director of the Byron Nelson—helping guide one of the PGA TOUR’s most celebrated events through different chapters, different golf courses, and generations of the game’s greatest players.But today, we’re going beyond the ropes.I want to learn about Jon Drago the person—where his love for the game began, the people who influenced him along the way, the lessons he learned from carrying on the extraordinary legacy of Byron Nelson, and what golf has given him in return.I am grateful to have a conversation with someone who loves the game and the people who make it special.