# A Club Without a Course, A Community With Purpose

Page: https://stenobird.com/podcast/the-bag-drop-untold-stories-in-golf-1147207/a-club-without-a-course-a-community-with-purpose
Text version: https://stenobird.com/podcast/the-bag-drop-untold-stories-in-golf-1147207/a-club-without-a-course-a-community-with-purpose.md
Podcast: [The Bag Drop: Untold Stories in Golf](https://stenobird.com/podcast/the-bag-drop-untold-stories-in-golf-1147207)
Published: 2026-05-04T10:00:00+00:00
Episode link: https://share.transistor.fm/s/b8ea035c
Audio file: https://prfx.byspotify.com/e/media.transistor.fm/b8ea035c/3581062c.mp3
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JSON: https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/the-bag-drop-untold-stories-in-golf-1147207/episodes/a-club-without-a-course-a-community-with-purpose
Duration seconds: 3835

## Resource

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 history What it means to be a club without a course — and why that idea resonates so deeply with NewClub Ralph’s life in the Marine Corps, sports journalism, boxing, and covering legends like Arnold Palmer How Tire Town grew from a golf group into a broader civic force with junior programs, scholarships, and community partnerships Why representation at places like Firestone Country Club matters, and how Tire Town members are changing who feels present in golf The intentional growth of women’s leadership, junior involvement, volunteerism, and racial diversity inside the club Golf as a foundation — not the whole house — for helping young people build confidence, discipline, opportunity, and a larger sense of what is possible Connect with our guest 🏌️ Ralph N. Paulk — Tire Town Golf Club:…

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## Transcript

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