Out of town attraction
PENN TWP — Buffalo is not all that far from Butler and that suits Pat McCullor just fine.
The Depew, N.Y. resident, who makes the three-hour trip to Conley's Resort Inn, has recruited about 15 other golfers through the years to do the same.
“We heard of this place more than 13 years ago,” McCullor said about he and his friend Jeff Goodridge. “I've come down 16 times, even before the fire, before all this was built.
“We've been talking about going out of town for golfing. My wife's cousin had come down here and we got a bunch of guys from work,” McCullor added.
McCullor, 42, had seen the growth of Conley's through the years, making it more accommodating to its golfers.
“It used to be a lot smaller,” said McCullor. “The fire prompted them to build. It's a great course, great people. We spread by word of mouth and they've gotten a lot of business.”
While McCullor enjoys his golfing weekend, Goodridge goes full-bore, trying to squeeze in about 54 holes a day. He usually gets in about 90 for the weekend.
“I can get in three rounds easy here,” said Goodridge, 40, who owns his own video production business, Custom Video Memories. “I only come down once a year.”
“That's what I like here,” McCullor, a pharmacist, interjects. “You can go round and round. It's nice to golf and have a beer. You park right out there, the hotel door's right there, the first tee's right there.”
McCullor does hit another golf weekend about 45 minutes from his home, but it's not the same.
“There's a place, Byrncliff, but it's not even close to this. We come down early enough (in the spring). It's a great price. We've played in 80 degrees in shorts, played in snow, the pouring rain.”
The duo, friends for 30 years, have very understanding wives, who over time have accepted their husbands' get away. McCullor has been married 11 years, Goodridge for nine. Both have two children.
“We used to live in the same duplex,” Goodridge said, “and you used to hear the yelling from both sides. They had a hard time at first. It's just getting away from daily life, nothing to worry about except which club to use.”
And when the kids get older, the family can come and enjoy the swimming pool and slides.
“If we keep coming here long enough, our kids will come,” Goodridge quipped.
Tim Talbot, Steve Maxwell and Mike Yaskulski, all 36 and from Rochester, N.Y., grew up together and are three examples of McCullor's friends who have made the trip to Conley's.
“I found out through Mike, who's known Pat for many years and said he loved coming here,” Maxwell said.
“It's not far from Rochester (4 to 4 1/2 hours) and it's a chance to hang out with the guys you know,” said Maxwell. “Resorts like this let you do what you want. It's very relaxed, laid back.”
And you can't beat the location, according to Yaskulski.
“We come down once a year. We're not like Pat, who comes back down in September for the fall rates,” Yaskulski said. “We stay and eat and golf and it's nice because we're only 45 minutes from Pittsburgh. One night we usually go there.”
However, you can't beat the golf.
