What does it actually take to write someone else's story in their own voice?
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 New Club Chicago's 2026 captain (and reigning club champ) Zander Nethercutt to trace an unlikely path: a 2017 essay about the Apple Store, a Facebook message six years later, and three years of near-daily phone calls that turned into Shop Different: How Retail Revealed Apple's Genius — the book he ghostwrote with Apple Store founder Ron Johnson. It's a conversation about writing as thinking, the discipline of changing your mind, and why the best clubs (and the best stores) are built around people, not product.
The conversation dives into:
- What a rainy monthly medal at Oak Brook tells you everything about a club: consistency, ritual, and showing up for guys you actually care about
- How Zander beat Ron Johnson in their first round together — and why that round became a book
- The decision to stop writing about Ron and start writing as Ron, and the dinner-party question that flipped the whole project
- Ron's first memory — and the unconditional love that shaped a career
- The green-vs-blue text myth, and why Zander now thinks his viral take got Apple exactly wrong
- Launch, deepen, restore: how the Apple Store was designed from the customer backward, and what golf retail could steal from it
Connect with our guest
Zander Nethercutt
📖 Amazon Book Pre-order: https://bit.ly/4esvV8Q
💼 Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/zander-nethercutt-0583b683/
📝 Substack: https://substack.com/@zander/notes
📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/zandercutt/|
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Additional Links:
✍️ Zander's 2017 Essay "The Luxury Network": https://zandercutt.com/2017/11/15/the-luxury-network/
📖 Preorder "Shop Different: How Retail Revealed Apple's Genius": https://bit.ly/4esvV8Q
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/
Chapters
00:00 Introduction
03:11 The Role of Competition in Golf
05:50 Understanding the Role of a Club Captain
08:32 Xander's Journey to Becoming a Writer
11:18 The Impact of Writing on Personal Growth
14:05 The Story Behind 'Shop Different' Book
17:08 Lessons Learned from Ron Johnson
19:47 The Personal Journey of Xander Nethercutt
34:45 The Call to Retail: A Personal Journey
38:48 The Shift: From Writer to Ghostwriter
42:55 Revisiting Perspectives: Apple as a Luxury Brand
47:26 The Evolution of Apple: From Humble Beginnings to Iconic Stores
51:09 The Pressure of Leadership: Balancing Speed and Strategy
56:43 The Role of Action: How Doing Shapes Thinking
01:01:27 The Power of Kindness in Leadership
01:04:59 Cutting Stories: The Art of Editing and Its Impact
01:09:37 Lessons from High Performers
01:16:08 Self-Actualization through Golf
01:21:17 Redefining the Golf Experience
01:27:29 Finding Passion in Golf
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.
