Can Every City Build a Place Like The Park?

Can a golf facility be fun, affordable, and welcoming for the local community while maintaining an elite course and golf experience that attracts committed golfers from around the globe? Brian Conley knows it can; he sees it every day, and he believes it starts long before any of them hit their first tee shot.As the General Manager of The Park in West Palm Beach, Brian has helped build one of the most celebrated public golf experiences in the country. But this conversation goes well beyond architecture or rankings. It's about creating a place where people feel welcome, where every decision serves a mission, and where golf becomes a vehicle for community rather than exclusivity.In this episode of The Bag Drop: Untold Stories in Golf, host Matt Considine and co‑host Dr. Kevin Moore (a.k.a. “The Professor”) sit down with Brian Conley (GM at The Park) to discuss why "fun" became the north star for The Park, what public golf can learn from private clubs (and vice versa), how to think about pricing without compromising accessibility, why walking matters, and whether this model can realistically spread to more cities.If you've ever wondered why certain golf courses become gathering places while others remain just another tee sheet, this one's for you.The conversation dives into:• Why every successful golf project needs a clear "why"• The philosophy behind The Park's "Open Golf" approach• Stripping away unnecessary traditions without losing what makes golf special• The balance between accessibility, sustainability, and premium public golf• Building community through programming, leagues, events, and local ownership• Why walking-first golf creates a better experience for players and operators• Lessons learned from Bobby Jones Golf Course and bringing those ideas to West Palm Beach• Whether The Park is a one-of-one or a blueprint for the future of public golfThe Parkhttps://theparkwestpalm.comFollow 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 The why comes first01:07 Back in love with golf: swing video, flow state09:00 Professor's time fact: plants can tell time11:25 Partner break — Titleist AIM golf balls13:13 Brian Conley joins the show15:11 The only non-negotiable: fun16:31 Stripping out the norms — what "open golf" actually means19:19 Coming up in golf, and learning to be different22:42 Why golf is so afraid t