🎙️⛳ Episode 22 — Johnny Hogan | Golf, Grit & the Hidden Magic of the Alisal Ranch Course 🌄🏌️‍♂️

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Nov 28

Written By Keith Saarloos

Chopping It Up with Keith Saarloos · Released November 29, 2025 · Santa Ynez Valley, California

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About this conversation

This week on Chopping It Up, Keith sits down with local legend Johnny Hogan — the guy who didn’t just grow up at the Alisal, he shot 60 out there and holds the course record at the Ranch Course.

They get into what makes that quiet little strip of fairways and oaks one of the most underrated classic tracks in the country — from its 1950s “dude ranch” roots to ice-block racing down 16, avocado toast and milkshake games, and the kind of staff that has known you since you were seven and still remembers your order.

Johnny walks us through his journey from Valley kid to top-250 junior in the nation, breaking his wrist right when it mattered most, grinding his way back, qualifying for the U.S. Amateur at Olympia Fields, and earning a full ride to Long Beach State. You’ll hear about teeing it up alongside names like Bryson DeChambeau, JT, Jon Rahm, and how chasing that dream led him into mini-tour life on the Dakotas Tour — living out of a suitcase, learning real golf on the road.

But the heartbeat of this episode is what Johnny’s doing now:

Mentoring the next generation of Valley “range rats” like Vaughn Gordon
Taking kids who’ve never stepped on a private course and unlocking the “superpower” of that first perfect strike
Using golf as a classroom for discipline, humility, and community
Choosing to go 100 days without alcohol just to see what’s possible for his game and his life

If you’ve ever flushed one and felt that “oh no… I’m gonna do this for the rest of my life” tingle through your whole body, if you’ve ever wondered what makes the Alisal Ranch Course feel like a secret society of good people and good swings, or if you’re just looking for a reason to finally book that first lesson — this one’s for you.

Tune in to Chopping It Up with Keith Saarloos on Krazy Country 105.9, and if you’re ready to start your own journey, you can find Johnny on Instagram @johnnyhogangolf or catch him out at the Ranch Course, turning nerves, bad lies, and big dreams into something beautiful.