(PEBBLE BEACH, Ca.) — Youth on Course — the non-profit organization dedicated to opening doors, supporting dreams and transforming the lives of young people through opportunities on and off the golf course – has partnered with Operation 36, a player development program teaching new golfers how to play, to provide a youth led initiative instilling confidence and gradual growth on the golf course.
Through this partnership, Youth on Course members across North America have the opportunity to become “YOC Guides”, bringing new players with them to the golf course to teach them how to play, utilizing the Operation 36 curriculum and app. New golfers will be offered a temporary Youth on Course membership, including five rounds of golf for $5 without an initiation fee. Additionally, Operation 36 users who currently play in Divisions 3 through 6 will participate in a service project, requiring each golfer to bring a new player to the game, playing 9 holes with them in the first Division at 25 yards.
“We are constantly looking for ways to enhance offerings and provide comprehensive experiences for our members,” says Michael Lowe, vice president of programs for Youth on Course. “Partnering with Operation 36 was a no-brainer; they’ve developed and now implement an effective methodology allowing novice players not to be intimidated their first time out on the golf course, ultimately making golf more enjoyable.”
Used by over 40,000 golfers around the world, Operation 36 provides a less intimidating alternative to learn golf, starting new players at 25-yard holes and allowing them to graduate to the next Division by beating a score of 36 (even par) through nine holes. Along with the on-course advancement, Operation 36 offers classes taught by professionals, private lessons and more.
“More often than not, those that start playing golf are guided into the game by someone else. Why? Getting started with golf can feel a bit overwhelming and even intimidating at first,” says Ryan Dailey, Operation 36 Co-Founder. “Having someone by your side to help you can be a big relief to someone new to the game. We are delighted to partner with Youth on Course to bring to life a service project for players that helps them give back to the game. We look forward to measuring the impact of this program in years to come.”
Committed to making the game more appealing, inclusive and accessible to nurture the next generation of lifelong players and lovers of the game, Youth on Course helps 100,000 young people across North America succeed. The organization offers its members access to play golf at more than 1,400 courses across the U.S. and Canada for $5 or less. Member lives are put on a different trajectory, benefiting from personal and professional growth learning opportunities including paid internships, a scholarship program and caddying jobs.
Fueling the golf industry, Youth on Course subsidizes rounds for members and puts money back into the state organizations and courses. The organization’s structure helps golf courses fill typically unused tee times and garner additional revenue with more than 40% of members playing with paying adults. The amount reimbursed back to participating courses has almost doubled in the past year reaching close to $400,000 this year alone and totaling nearly $8 million dating back to 2005.
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More information: 831.625.4653.
About Youth on Course
The core purpose of Youth on Course is to help young people grow and succeed both on and off the course by providing opportunities to play, learn, grow, and build relationships through affordable, inclusive access to play. Members play thousands of courses for $5 or less, benefit from career opportunities through the caddie and internship program and receive college scholarships. Headquartered in Pebble Beach, Youth on Course is a 501(c)3 organization that began as the charitable arm of the Northern California Golf Association. Since 2006, more than one million rounds have been played by Youth on Course members and nearly $2 million has been awarded in college scholarships. Across North America, Youth on Course serves Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Georgia, Idaho, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Washington, Wisconsin and parts of Canada.
About Operation 36
Operation 36 is the most effective developmental program to teach beginners how to play golf. All new players begin on the course, and instead of starting on the tee box, they play from 25 yards away from the hole. Once the player shoots par (36) from 25 yards, they back up to 50 yards, and so on, until they are shooting even par (36) from the full tee box. Participants engage in weekly classes taught by golf professionals and all progress of the golfers is tracked in the Operation 36 Platform.
The Operation 36 mission is to create 1 million new golfers over the next five years, and they want to help coaches with introducing new golfers and retaining them for the long term.
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