Deer Valley Golf Club is one of the first facilities in Saskatchewan to tee up the Operation 36 golf program to build the game at the grassroot level.
Operation 36 is a program operated by golf software company Golf Genius. Working with a “curriculum” platform for all levels and ages of players, Deer Valley Head Professional John Greenough said he’s been eying the program for several years.
“They have great marketing materials; they have five or six PGA professionals on staff building content and running the program. Really there is a high-end professional feel to the whole platform. They thought of everything, it’s fantastic,” Greenough said following the first week of sessions at Deer Valley just outside Regina.
The program focuses on several aspects of skill from social golfer to elite college players, Greenough added that piqued his interest in Operation 36.
Deer Valley has sessions for both junior golfers and women golfers. Greenough said with the help of Head Teaching Professional Kevin Dietz and Assistant Professional Shawn Smith the first week went well.
“We have multiple PGA guys working with lots of gals and juniors,” he said. “Everyone has gotten on the app, they are posting their progress, you are able to track your practice sessions and things like that. Everyone seems really excited about a different way to learn.”
The ‘first semester’ junior program will be eight weeks in May and June. The program will be cut down to four weeks during the busier summer months of July and August. The adult programming is also a four-week semester.
The program is comparable to grades in school with tests in place to advance to a new level with a total of six ranks.
Jeff Chambers has launched Operation 36 programming through his academy at Elmwood Golf Club in Swift Current, Garrett McMillan is also using the program at facilities in Regina and Moose Jaw beginning next week.
For more details on the locations in Saskatchewan conducting Operation 36 programs click here.
You can hear more from Greenough below in his interview with Golf Saskatchewan’s Clark Stork.
