The Bag Drop: Untold Stories in Golf

What happens when the thing you’ve built your entire identity around suddenly stops being your job?This week, Matt and The Professor sit down with a friend and former PGA Tour player and Korn Ferry Tour winner, Chris Wilson, for one of the most honest conversations we’ve had about professional golf, pressure, performance, and life after competition. What starts as a conversation about Q-School, Northwestern, and surviving on Tour slowly becomes something much deeper: how the elite performers learn to let go, reinvent themselves, and figure out who they are when the score no longer defines them.Along the way, Chris explains why bad weather can free your golf swing, why “be aggressive” is terrible putting advice, how Tour players spiral after missed cuts, and why the best skill he carried from golf into finance had nothing to do with golf at all.What the conversation dives into: Why miserable weather sometimes produces the best golf  The hidden psychological pressure of Tour reshuffles and missed cuts  What winning on the Korn Ferry Tour actually changes - and what it doesn’t  The difference between linear and nonlinear putters  Why Chris says he “never thought about pace” while putting  The challenge of separating your identity from your golf game  What elite golf teaches you about business, communication, and relationships  How learning to “care less” can actually improve performance Connect with our guest💼 https://www.linkedin.com/in/chris-wilson-98b112127/Follow The Bag Drop📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thebagdrop 🐦 X/Twitter: https://x.com/thebagdropgolf 📺 YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TheBagDropGolfListen to The Bag Drop🎧 Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-bag-drop-untold-stories-in-golf/id1430328006🎧 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2xRWtUBJH8RazdLw14oaGH🎧 Transistor: https://thebagdrop.transistor.fm/Join the NewClub community🌍 Website: https://www.newclub.golf📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/newclubgolf/🐦 X/Twitter: https://twitter.com/newclubgolf📺 YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@newclubgolf💼 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/newclubSupport our Partners🐝 NewClub: https://www.newclub.golf🏌️ Titleist: https://www.titleist.com🌐 Golf Blueprint: https://www.golfblueprint.com Connect with Matt & The Professor🎙️ Matt Considine — 🐦 X/Twitter: https://x.com/consequential85 | 📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/consequence18/ | 💼 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/matt-considine-103bb21/📚 Dr. Kevin Moore ("The Professor") — 🐦 X/Twitter: https://x.com/kevcmoore | 📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kevcmoore | 💼 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kevin-moore-177b30b3/Chapters00:00 - Intro07:57 - Chris Wilson joins the show13:08 - Northwestern vs Ohio State17:06 - The jump from college golf to professional golf21:51 - PGA Tour reshuffles and surviving missed cuts31:21 - Winning on the Korn Ferry Tour35:29 - Leaving professional golf behind42:53 - The philosophy of putting49:18 - Why Chris “never thought about pace”What is The Bag Drop?The Bag Drop features weekly stories from the culture, community, and characters shaping golf today. Produced by NewClub Golf Society, each episode blends authenticity and expert insights for passionate golfers at all levels. Special guests from clubs, courses and every corner of the changing landscape join us for thoughtful, in-depth discussions on all things golf.What is NewClub?Founded in 2017, NewClub is the premier private golf society in the United States. It blends the community and access of a private club with the variety and affordability of public golf. Members enjoy thousands of reserved tee times, competitions and events at exceptional partner courses across our local chapters, as well as signature trips and exclusive perks. NewClub is revolutionizing golf membership, making the game more meaningful for those who love it.

How do you become one of the oldest and now largest predominantly black golf clubs in the world without owning a golf course? By building around people and purpose. In this episode of The Bag Drop: Untold Stories in Golf, host Matt Considine and cohost Dr. Kevin Moore sit down with Ralph N. Paulk, president of Tire Town Golf Club in Akron, Ohio, to talk about one of the most meaningful golf stories hiding in plain sight.Founded in 1950, Tire Town began at a time when few local clubs allowed Black golfers to play. Today, it is known as the largest predominantly Black golf club in America — but Ralph is quick to make clear that size is not the point. The real story is what the club has become: a community built through golf, service, youth development, scholarships, volunteerism, and a stubborn belief that the game can open doors when people are willing to do the work.The conversation dives into:Tire Town’s origins at Good Park and Ridge Top, and why those courses matter in Akron golf historyWhat it means to be a club without a course — and why that idea resonates so deeply with NewClubRalph’s life in the Marine Corps, sports journalism, boxing, and covering legends like Arnold PalmerHow Tire Town grew from a golf group into a broader civic force with junior programs, scholarships, and community partnershipsWhy representation at places like Firestone Country Club matters, and how Tire Town members are changing who feels present in golfThe intentional growth of women’s leadership, junior involvement, volunteerism, and racial diversity inside the clubGolf as a foundation — not the whole house — for helping young people build confidence, discipline, opportunity, and a larger sense of what is possibleConnect with our guest🏌️ Ralph N. Paulk — Tire Town Golf Club: https://tiretowngolfclub.net/ — 🐦 X/Twitter: https://x.com/ralphpaulk_trib | 💼 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ralph-n-paulk-0834817/Follow The Bag Drop📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thebagdrop 🐦 X/Twitter: https://x.com/thebagdropgolf 📺 YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TheBagDropGolfListen to The Bag Drop🎧 Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-bag-drop-untold-stories-in-golf/id1430328006🎧 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2xRWtUBJH8RazdLw14oaGH🎧 Transistor: https://thebagdrop.transistor.fm/Join the NewClub community🌍 Website: https://www.newclub.golf📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/newclubgolf/🐦 X/Twitter: https://twitter.com/newclubgolf📺 YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@newclubgolf💼 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/newclubSupport our Partners🐝 NewClub: https://www.newclub.golf🏌️ Titleist: https://www.titleist.com🌐 Golf Blueprint: https://www.golfblueprint.comChapters00:00 Introduction, spring golf energy, and Sweetens Cove03:11 Introducing Ralph N. Paulk and Tire Town Golf Club10:41 Ralph joins the show12:12 Ralph’s first introduction to Tire Town14:40 Growing Tire Town beyond golf17:31 Women’s leadership, diversity, and intentional growth20:23 Ralph’s path from the Marine Corps to sports journalism24:54 Arnold Palmer, Akron golf, and stories beyond the scoreboard29:23 Tire Town’s 1950 origins and golf access in Akron36:58 Tire Town colors, Goodyear roots, and the Akron identity40:20 From golf club to community service engine42:19 Firestone, volunteering, and changing who feels present46:14 Why golf works as a foundation for young people50:06 Opening the doors without losing the legacy57:19 Service, family, and the Marine Corps01:00:04 Ralph’s writing, Charles Follis, and untold sports history01:03:31 What Tire Town hopes to be in 203601:09:01 Closing thoughtsWhat is The Bag Drop?The Bag Drop features weekly stories from the culture, community, and characters shaping golf today. Produced by NewClub Golf Society, each episode blends authenticity and expert insights for passionate golfers at all levels. Special guests from clubs, courses and every corner of the changing landscape join us for thoughtful, in-depth discussions on all things golf.What is NewClub?Founded in 2017, NewClub is the premier private golf society in the United States. It blends the community and access of a private club with the variety and affordability of public golf. Members enjoy thousands of reserved tee times, competitions and events at exceptional partner courses across our local chapters, as well as signature trips and exclusive perks. NewClub is revolutionizing golf membership, making the game more meaningful for those who love it.

Joe Hancock may be the most-mentioned, least-seen name in modern golf course architecture.In this episode of The Bag Drop: Untold Stories in Golf, host Matt Considine and cohost Dr. Kevin Moore sit down with Joe (@joeytheknows on Twitter), golf course shaper, designer, superintendent, operator, and longtime DeVries Design collaborator.Joe has one of those golf lives that seem to run beneath the surface of the game and the grounds we play on. He grew up around golf in Michigan, worked as a superintendent, owned and operated a family golf course, helped build The Mines with Mike DeVries, and has since shaped and collaborated on projects with some of the most respected architects in the modern game.The conversation dives into:Joe’s friendship and working relationship with Mike DeVries, from childhood summers on Crystal Lake to shaping The Mines in Grand RapidsWhy being a former superintendent and golf course operator changed the way Joe thinks about clients, budgets, maintenance, and the people who actually play the courseThe quiet art of shaping, including how a shaper learns when to execute, when to suggest, and when to let the land do most of the workBroomsedge, Candy Root, and the design decisions that create charm, confusion, restraint, half-par holes, and shots that stay with you after the roundThe case for more accessible, affordable, interesting public golf — and why the future of the game needs more than expensive destination architectureConnect with our guest🚜 Joe Hancock — https://devriesdesigns.com/joe-hancock — 🐦 X/Twitter: https://x.com/JoeytheKnowsFollow The Bag Drop📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thebagdrop 🐦 X/Twitter: https://x.com/thebagdropgolf 📺 YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TheBagDropGolfListen to The Bag Drop🎧 Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-bag-drop-untold-stories-in-golf/id1430328006🎧 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2xRWtUBJH8RazdLw14oaGH🎧 Transistor: https://thebagdrop.transistor.fm/Join the NewClub community🌍 Website: https://www.newclub.golf📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/newclubgolf/🐦 X/Twitter: https://twitter.com/newclubgolf📺 YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@newclubgolf💼 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/newclubSupport our Partners🐝 NewClub: https://www.newclub.golf🏌️ Titleist: https://www.titleist.com🌐 Golf Blueprint: https://www.golfblueprint.comConnect with Matt & The Professor🎙️ Matt Considine — 🐦 X/Twitter: https://x.com/consequential85 | 📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/consequence18/ | 💼 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/matt-considine-103bb21/📚 Dr. Kevin Moore ("The Professor") — 🐦 X/Twitter: https://x.com/kevcmoore | 📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kevcmoore | 💼 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kevin-moore-177b30b3/Chapters00:00 Allergies, handkerchiefs, putting woes, and intentional practice10:02 Titleist fitting, descent angle, and getting on to the show12:08 Joe Hancock joins The Bag Drop14:16 Growing up with Mike DeVries and finding golf course work22:17 Building The Mines and discovering a life in shaping26:45 What owning and operating a golf course taught Joe about service32:13 Collaboration, humility, and getting inside an architect’s head42:15 What the best architects have in common44:25 Broom Sedge, challenge, charm, and half-par golf47:39 How Joe ended up at Broom Sedge56:04 The mystery and strategy of Broom Sedge’s 18th hole01:06:38 Firm golf, color, turf, restraint, and maintenance expectations01:13:06 Candy Root and doing less to the land01:20:29 Public versus private golf and the future of access01:31:26 What’s next for Joe HancockWhat is The Bag Drop?The Bag Drop features weekly stories from the culture, community, and characters shaping golf today. Produced by NewClub Golf Society, each episode blends authenticity and expert insights for passionate golfers at all levels. Special guests from clubs, courses and every corner of the changing landscape join us for thoughtful, in-depth discussions on all things golf.What is NewClub?Founded in 2017, NewClub is the premier private golf society in the United States. It blends the community and access of a private club with the variety and affordability of public golf. Members enjoy thousands of reserved tee times, competitions and events at exceptional partner courses across our local chapters, as well as signature trips and exclusive perks. NewClub is revolutionizing golf membership, making the game more meaningful for those who love it.

What if the places we romanticize most in golf aren’t perfect at all, just alive in a way we rarely get at home?In this episode of The Bag Drop, host Matt Considine and cohost Dr. Kevin Moore (a.k.a. “The Professor”) sit down with Joshua Ralston, professor at the University of Edinburgh, North Berwick member, and the voice behind Golfing Scotland on Instagram, to explore what makes a place feel real even when the postcard version wears off.From East Lothian to Melbourne’s sandbelt, this is a conversation about club culture, architecture, competition, travel, and the difference between famous golf and golf that still feels lived in. If you’ve ever wondered why some places stay in your head long after the trip is over, this one gets at the answer.The conversation dives into:How Josh fell in love with North Berwick, and why Scottish golf changed the way he thinks about score, competition, and what a round is supposed to feel likeWhy Melbourne sandbelt golf hit him so hard, from Royal Melbourne and Kingston Heath to the broader feeling of finding “his Scotland” somewhere newWhat actually separates Scottish links from Australian sandbelt golf: firmer greens, strategic bunkering, subtler landforms, and approach shots that matter after the ball landsWhy club culture feels different in Scotland and Australia than it often does in the U.S., from bounce games and Stableford to honour boards and rounds that actually mean somethingThe hidden-gem conversation every golf obsessive eventually has: Dunbar, Panmure, Woodlands, Barwon Heads, St Andrews Beach, and where the magic still lives once the famous names get crowdedSupport our Partners🏌️ Titleist: https://www.titleist.com🌐 Golf Blueprint: https://www.golfblueprint.com🐝 NewClub: https://www.newclub.golfConnect with our guests⛳ Joshua Ralston —  📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/golfing_scotland/ | https://edwebprofiles.ed.ac.uk/profile/dr-joshua-ralstonSubscribe to the show:🎧 Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-bag-drop-untold-stories-in-golf/id1430328006🎧 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2xRWtUBJH8RazdLw14oaGH🎧 Transistor: https://thebagdrop.transistor.fm/Follow The Bag Drop📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thebagdrop 🐦 X/Twitter: https://x.com/thebagdropgolf 📺 YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TheBagDropGolfJoin the NewClub community🌍 Website: https://www.newclub.golf📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/newclubgolf/🐦 X/Twitter: https://twitter.com/newclubgolf📺 YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@newclubgolf💼 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/newclubConnect with Matt & The Professor🎙️ Matt Considine — 🐦 X/Twitter: https://x.com/consequential85 | 📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/consequence18/ | 💼 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/matt-considine-103bb21/📚 Dr. Kevin Moore ("The Professor") — 🐦 X/Twitter: https://x.com/kevcmoore | 📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kevcmoore | 💼 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kevin-moore-177b30b3/Chapters00:00 Introduction 06:59 Joshua Ralston returns 11:25 The Profontication on ego, comparison, and what actually gives golf meaning 17:16 How Josh ended up at North Berwick 27:53 How Melbourne happened 32:50 Why Melbourne felt different 36:01 Competition culture, Stableford, and rounds that count 43:00 Sandbelt golf vs. Scottish links 58:56 St Andrews Beach and Australia’s next tier 01:08:51 What Melbourne costs and where the value is 01:14:43 Five courses in Scotland 01:19:07 Five courses in Melbourne 01:24:08 Can American golf recreate real club culture?What is The Bag Drop?The Bag Drop features weekly stories from the culture, community, and characters shaping golf today. Produced by NewClub Golf Society, each episode blends authenticity and expert insights for passionate golfers at all levels. Special guests from clubs, courses, and every corner of the changing landscape join us for thoughtful, in-depth discussions on all things golf.What is NewClub?Founded in 2017, NewClub is the premier private golf society in the United States. It blends the community and access of a private club with the variety and affordability of public golf. Members enjoy thousands of reserved tee times, competitions and events at exceptional partner courses across our local chapters, as well as signature trips and exclusive perks. NewClub is revolutionizing golf membership, making the game more meaningful for those who love it.

What has The Masters mastered—what might it be losing along the way?In this episode of The Bag Drop: Untold Stories in Golf, host Matt Considine and cohost Dr. Kevin Moore ("The Professor") take a loving but honest look at Augusta National. No guest this week—just Matt and Kevin in full golf-sicko form, unpacking why The Masters still feels like the best executed tournament in golf: the beauty, intimacy, reverence, memorable recovery shots, and the no-phone policy that makes the patron experience feel almost sacred in a distracted world.But they also ask the harder question most golf coverage avoids. As merch culture grows, premium access expands, and the tournament’s narrative becomes more curated, is some of Augusta’s old magic being chipped away? From Magnolia Lane and Rory’s recovery shots to pimento cheese, boredom, agronomy, and a sneaky Athens, Georgia lodging tip, this is a soulful, sharp, and affectionate conversation about spectacle, stewardship, and what makes Masters week unforgettable.The conversation dives into:🌺 Why Augusta still feels beautiful, intimate, and deeply reverent⛳ Why recovery, contour, trees, and strategy create golf’s most memorable shots📵 How the no-phone policy changes attention, memory, and the patron experience🧠 Why Augusta gets inside players’ heads and produces a different kind of pressure🛍️ Whether merch culture and consumerism are starting to crowd out the old magic🎟️ How hospitality tiers, access, and control may be changing Masters week🌱 Why Augusta sets a seductive but unrealistic agronomy standard for everyday golf🏡 A sneaky Masters-week lodging idea for golfers: Athens, Georgia🏌️ A quick detour on Titleist SM11 wedges, fittings, and why turf interaction mattersFollow The Bag DropInstagram/Facebook/Threads: https://www.instagram.com/thebagdropX/Twitter: https://x.com/thebagdropgolfYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TheBagDropGolfListen to The Bag DropApple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-bag-drop-untold-stories-in-golf/id1430328006Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2xRWtUBJH8RazdLw14oaGHTransistor: https://thebagdrop.transistor.fm/Join the NewClub communityWebsite: https://www.newclub.golfInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/newclubgolf/X/Twitter: https://twitter.com/newclubgolfYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@newclubgolfLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/newclubSupport our PartnersNewClub: https://www.newclub.golfTitleist: https://www.titleist.comGolf Blueprint: https://www.golfblueprint.comConnect with Matt & The ProfessorMatt Considine - X/Twitter: https://x.com/consequential85 | Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/consequence18/ | LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/matt-considine-103bb21/Dr. Kevin Moore ("The Professor") - X/Twitter: https://x.com/kevcmoore | Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kevcmoore | LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kevin-moore-177b30b3/Chapters00:00 Jim Nantz, Augusta trips, and Masters week logistics07:56 What has The Masters really mastered?08:19 Titleist wedge fitting and why turf interaction matters11:36 Beauty, class, intimacy, and reverence at Augusta17:41 Why Augusta produces unforgettable golf shots24:12 The course as the crown jewel28:40 No phones and the patron experience32:56 Boredom, presence, and conversation on the grounds35:15 What Augusta may no longer master39:31 Merch lines, consumerism, and the changing crowd45:56 "Skip it," contrivance, and the loss of spontaneity51:47 Magnolia Lane, hospitality tiers, and access57:26 Power brokers, secrecy, and corporate influence62:56 The agronomy standard Augusta sets for the rest of golf65:06 Augusta's impact on the local economy66:21 Rahm vs. XanderWhat is The Bag Drop?The Bag Drop features weekly stories from the culture, community, and characters shaping golf today. Produced by NewClub Golf Society, each episode blends authenticity and expert insight for passionate golfers at every level.What is NewClub?Founded in 2017, NewClub blends the community and access of a private club with the variety and affordability of public golf, bringing to life the first premier golf society in the U.S. with local chapters in Chicago, Atlanta, and Northeast Ohio and others coming soon.