ELMSFORD, N.Y. (October 9, 2025) – What started out as a casual idea during a round of golf between Mike Puorro and Ryan Kulat, The DROP has become a consistent and engaging podcast centered around golf in New Jersey. The DROP – which stands for Driver Off the Parkway – celebrates three years this fall, marking an impressive 159 consecutive episodes to date without missing a single week.
“Every Tuesday, an episode has come out – no matter what life threw our way,” says Puorro. “Vacations, sickness, full-time jobs – we’ve made it happen.”
Puorro and Kulat are both teachers and coaches in New Jersey and only casually knew each other from coaching against each other’s schools before they teamed up as co-hosts of the podcast. During a round at Hominy Hill Golf Course, Kulat first floated the idea of starting a podcast focused on golf in New Jersey. “I kind of had the idea that I coach golf, I love golf – I was craving more golf and a place for it,” Kulat says. “We have such great golf here in New Jersey and it was missing in the podcast space.”
Puorro called Kulat the next day to tell him he was on board.
From there, the two jumped into the project, doing their research and eventually getting started. “The idea at the very early onset was, let’s play, talk and experience all things golfing in the Garden State,” Puorro says. “Those first episodes were amateurish,” Kulat says. After getting those early episodes published and investing in mics, cameras, and headphones, the podcast took off.
A full three years later, the production quality and audience have grown dramatically. In addition to local professionals, amateurs, and golf administrators who have joined the podcast for interviews, some notable guests include Jim Nantz and Michelle Wie-West, who made a lasting impression on Puorro and Kulat during an interview at Liberty National Golf Club. “I can’t tell you how many times her phone dinged, buzzed, beeped, whatever you want to call it,” Puorro says. “And not once did she ever pick it up, respond to a text, respond to answer a phone call. She was beyond respectful to us.”
Episodes of The DROP feature relatable conversations between Puorro and Kulat on local events, course reviews, clubhouse stories, and interviews. The hosts bring complementary perspectives to the table and remain true to the podcast’s original premise, even through the growth they’ve experienced over the past three years. “I think now as we’ve done this as consistently as we have, people are realizing ‘They’re really trying to highlight and showcase all the amazing things we have here,’” Puorro says. “Not only golf courses, but indoor locations, whether it’s a simulator, whether it’s a bar, whether it’s a golf course, nine holes, 18 holes, private, public, whatever it is – that’s ultimately the goal for us.”
Recent guests on the show include familiar Met Area competitors Christian Cavaliere, Matt Lowe (Public Links champion), Dean Greyserman (Met Amateur champion), and Mark Costanza. An episode with 2025 Met Open Champion David Pastore is set to be released later this month. (You can watch these interviews and more on YouTube.)
The podcast is a labor of love for the hosts, who find time to record on weekends among their busy schedules. Puorro handles most of the booking and coordination, while both hosts contribute to research and pre-show planning. “For me, it’s constantly networking and communicating with people because I like to be as informed as I can and I’d rather over-communicate than under-communicate,” Puorro says. “Everybody knows that when they come on, the idea is just to have a fun conversation. Let’s talk about your background. Let’s talk about you. If I’m able to find a little funny story that kind of breaks the ice to let them know that, ‘Hey, I can have some fun on here. I don’t have to be so serious.’”
Looking ahead, Puorro and Kulat are excited for what’s to come, including more interviews and stories to tell. As the hosts celebrate three years of success, they plan to continue to grow episode by episode, sharing their passion with other golfers in New Jersey and beyond.
“The whole thing has just been a whirlwind that I never, ever thought would happen,” says Puorro.
You can listen to The Drop on all major podcast platforms and watch full episodes on YouTube.
