Issue No. 154 | February 8, 2025

One of my favorite parts of running Normal Sport — that I thought was going to be among my least favorite parts — has been meeting other people who are also trying to figure out how to make a business work within the golf world.

In my head, I thought all I wanted to do was sit in my little office and type type type away. And while I still enjoy this, it has been genuinely life-giving to talk on the phone or on video calls or (most of all) in person with other entrepreneurs.

One of those who has been gracious with his time is Matt Considine, who co-founded NewClub. His company is essentially the American version of an idea that is prevalent in Scotland and Ireland, which is that multiple golf clubs should be able to share the same golf courses (you can read more about how this works here).

There are a ton of difficulties with trying to figure out how to make all of this work in the U.S. (we do love to privatize and commercialize everything!), and I have loved talking to Matt about how he’s working through those and how he’s trying to grow his business. I asked him to do a Q&A to explain what NewClub is and how he thinks about running it.

I hope you enjoy.

But first!

Thank you to Meridian for presenting today’s newsletter.

Meridian recently earned gold from the 2025 Golf Digest hot list on both its blade series and mallet series. Part of the reason? They’re obsessed with detail.

It’s a quality I respect about them and one that I think makes them as successful as they are. Example: At the PGA Show in January, we bumped into a handful of their folks, and Meridian’s founder, Ryan, pulled a putter head out of his bag and started showing me the different directions the grooves on the face of the putter run and what that does to the golf ball. I haven’t stopped thinking about that. I’m talking about these guys.

This is perhaps not a big deal in putter world, but I — as someone who is not a gearhead — was amazed at the intricacy and level of detail that went into each putter face.

And as Meridian's founder Ryan Duffey recently pointed out, the average Hot List blade gold putter this year is $410. Meridian putters start at $249. It’s just one more reason, among many, why we love having them as a partner.

You can check them out right here.

OK, onto the Q&A.

KP: Who had the biggest influence on your golf life when you were growing up?

Matt: There are too many people to mention, but I must credit my pal Robbie. While our other friends were the "real athletes" and often made fun of golf, Robbie and I supported each other. We would meet every afternoon, regardless of the season or the weather, and play until dark.

He’s still a great friend today, and I believe we're both still chasing that feeling we had as kids.

KP: Give me the NewClub concept in four sentences or less.

Matt: Three things: 1. High-quality golf, the highest character community, and the best possible value. Members have access to thousands of playing opportunities each year in our local chapters, including private clubs, public courses, and top destinations.

You'll receive exclusive invitations to private clubs and the best available rates for premier tee times at your favorite public courses. Like most private clubs, we have an application and vetting process for membership — but all we’ll ever care about is the conduct of your character and your sincere interest in golf.

KP: I’m so compelled by the idea behind why you created NewClub. Can you tell the story you told me about where you were and why you named it NewClub?

Matt: Sure! I was initially introduced to golf societies while living in Ireland in 2005, but it wasn’t until 10 years later, on a trip to Scotland, that everything clicked for me. 

The place was The New Golf Club of St. Andrews. We were welcomed inside as guests and given a tour of the clubhouse and its history.

While enjoying lunch, we watched as NGC members filed through, four at a time, to turn in scorecards, have a bite to eat, and reminisce about their match on one of the seven links courses available to them through the St. Andrews Links Trust.

All of these courses are shared with visitors and the other seven clubs in town.

I met teachers, bankers, architects, bartenders, police officers, accountants and a fish merchant. What fascinated me most was how much of their town was represented in that room. The sun was setting on the horizon and casting the most incredible ripples across The Old Course. The breathtaking site made way for the most memorable silence (it still gives me goosebumps to think about today). My rational disbelief in magic was suspended before giving everyone that breath back and again filling the room with stories and laughter. 

I knew then I would quit my job and start a golf society. I named it NewClub because of that moment, and I often joke that it took me 10 years to come up with it and only 10 seconds to name it. 

KP: What is the biggest reason America has not adopted what I think of as the European model of a golf course for every town (no matter how big or small) with multiple clubs sharing that course?

Matt: I’m only an amateur historian, but I’ve often contemplated this question and discussed it on my podcast with those that know much more than me. I believe the answer lies in the migration of golf from Scotland to England, and a trend that accelerated when it reached America.

During this period, golf courses and country clubs began to be perceived as status symbols, akin to having a beautifully maintained front yard. As a result, these clubs shifted their focus from enjoyment of the game to exclusivity, making membership more about one's net worth than a genuine passion for golf.

KP: I know your vision is to take NewClub to a lot of different cities. What is the ideal order of operations for how that works in, say, well … Dallas?

Matt: Our growth so far has been entirely organic. We started in Chicago because our co-founder, Mark, and I were there. We kept meeting self-proclaimed golfers who weren't playing much golf and began to explore the reasons behind that and creating NewClub as a remedy. Our expansion to Atlanta was driven by a dedicated group of national members who wanted a local chapter. 

Our next chapter will be in Cleveland, following the same approach, and we will likely expand further into the southeast to continue benefiting from regional momentum.

Looking ahead, we plan to use more data, especially concerning the supply side of our equation (the golf). For a market like Dallas, we will closely monitor whether we are gaining national memberships in that area and may introduce an official “waitlist” for the local chapter. There are many excellent golf towns across the country, and we believe that NewClub offers value in all of them.

KP: What is your favorite and least favorite thing about being in the golf entrepreneurial space?

Matt: Maybe my favorite part of being in this space is meeting fellow entrepreneurs like you who share a genuine care for golf. Many of them are committed to leaving the game in a better place than they found it. I think this dedication mostly stems from personal experience and stories where golf has changed their life for the better.

While we may not be tackling global issues like curing cancer or colonizing Mars, there's a shared belief that golf and its benefits for others are worth our focus and effort, even if the financial rewards aren't as lucrative as in other industries.

As for my least favorite thing about our space, there are two types of companies: those that work hard to make things more expensive for their customers and those that work hard to make things less expensive. Unfortunately, the golf industry has more companies in the former category than the latter.

KP: What entrepreneurs or business people do you look at and steal processes or ideas from? Whether from up close or afar?

Matt: My co-founder, Mark, is exceptional at this, examining other industries and extracting technology or processes that can be applied to our niche in golf. AI is one example of an incredible inflection point that many don't know what to do within golf.

I also have tried to make a habit of studying successful companies, both new and old. One resource I frequently recommend is a popular long-form podcast called "Acquired."

The show explores the history of the world's most successful and influential companies and attempts to reveal their playbooks. I've adopted several processes and ideas from its episodes, taking valuable lessons from companies like Meta, Costco, AirB&B, and Standard Oil.

KP: What would you tell someone like me who is just starting out? Go back to yourself seven years ago and tell that person what you know now that would save him a lot of time/energy/frustration.

Matt: This might be too deep a cut, but when I lived in Chicago, I briefly got into improv comedy while also dreaming up NewClub.

A quote by Amy Poehler has been in my office ever since: “As you navigate through the rest of your life, be open to collaboration. Other people and other people's ideas are often better than your own. Find a group of people who challenge and inspire you, spend a lot of time with them, and it will change your life.” 

I genuinely believe in the truth of this quote, but I would add a word of caution: collaboration can be the silent killer in a new business. In other words, when two people share accountability, it can result in no one being truly accountable.

Seek out those who challenge and inspire you, but instead of focusing solely on collaboration and feeling the need to voice your opinion on every little thing, trust others to do great work.

Good ideas don’t change the world; execution does.

Thank you for reading until the end.

You’re a sicko for reading a golf newsletter that’s 1,780 words long.

I’m grateful for it.

And thank you to Matt for letting us hear the story of his venture. Go follow his excellent podcast.