Young Guns Program - Operation 36

The Operation 36 – Young Guns program is the entry point into our junior academy for boys and girls.
It is designed to develop golf skills, life skills, and athletic ability in a structured, supportive, and enjoyable environment.

Golf is a game of constant problem-solving. Every shot requires thought, focus, body control, and emotional awareness.
At this level, we intentionally use golf as a tool to support a child’s overall development, not just their swing.

🧠 Life Skills Built Into the Program

Through coaching, guided play, and supervised practice, juniors naturally develop:

Problem-solving skills
Learning how to assess situations and choose solutions.
Focus & concentration
Staying present, following routines, and completing tasks with intention.
Body awareness & spatial orientation
Understanding how their body moves in space and how movement affects outcome.
Coordination & balance
Developing athletic movement patterns that support long-term physical development.
Emotional awareness & resilience
Learning how to respond to success, mistakes, and challenges.

These principles support the most important developmental stages for boys and girls, and are carefully integrated into how we coach, practice, and structure sessions.

🏌️‍♂️ Who This Program Is For

Boys and girls at beginner to developing junior level
Juniors new to golf or in the early stages of learning
Children who benefit from structure, guidance, and routine
Families looking for sport that develops both skills and character

No competition experience is required.

🕒 Weekly Structure – Clear & Consistent

Each junior is allocated one fixed one-hour coaching group per week, with additional optional development opportunities included.

All Young Guns program players receive:

Their own CoachNow training space
Clear weekly goals and drills
Video demonstrations and feedback
Practice plans and homework
Parent access to view progress, tasks, and communication

Parents stay informed, involved, and aligned with their child’s development.

Coaching Groups (Core Attendance)

Monday

Group 1: 3:00 – 4:00
Group 2: 4:00 – 5:00

Thursday

Group 3: 3:00 – 4:00
Group 4: 4:00 – 5:00

👉 Each junior attends one specific group per week, either Monday or Thursday.

Optional Chipping & Putting Development

Monday & Thursday: 5:00 – 6:00

After coaching, juniors may stay for:

Structured chipping & putting challenges
Play on the 10-hole short course at the range
Skill-based competition
Confidence and decision-making development

🎯 A golf ball prize is awarded to the best performer of the day.

Friday – Supervised Practice & Catch-Up

3:00 – 5:00

This session is:

For juniors who missed their weekly coaching session
For additional supervised practice
Focused on learning how to practice properly

This is a supervision-based session, not formal coaching, with coaches present to guide and assist.

Saturday – Make-Up Opportunity

Saturday morning sessions are available for:

Juniors who missed sessions during the week
Families needing extra flexibility

Sunday – On-Course Experience

(Operation 36 Format)—every second Sunday

As part of the Young Guns program, players will also be introduced to on-course golf using the Operation 36 (Ops 36) format.

Young golfers begin playing from 25 metres from the green and work their way progressively further back as their skills, confidence, and scoring improve. This structured format allows juniors to experience real golf on the course in a fun, achievable, and confidence-building way, while learning how to score and problem-solve in a real playing environment.

The Ops 36 on-course sessions are scheduled to take place every second Sunday, as per the academy calendar. Please note that these sessions may occasionally vary depending on weather conditions, course availability, or other logistical factors. Parents will be informed in advance of any changes.

This on-course experience is a vital part of the Young Guns journey, helping players bridge the gap between practice and play while building a strong foundation for future development.

👨‍🏫 Coaching Team & Program Oversight

Every session includes a minimum of one coach, with two coaches present most of the time.

Coaching Team

Andre Louw – Head Coach (program delivery & structure)
Ross – Assistant Coach
Hendrik Buhrmann – Performance Coach & Development Oversight

Hendrik ensures:

Coaching quality remains consistent
Practice methods support long-term development
Juniors progress at the right pace
Homework and movement exercises are correctly applied

📈 How Juniors Develop in Young Guns

✅ Structured Learning (Operation 36 Based)

Clear goals and progression
Learning to play and score before technical overload

✅ Guided & Supervised Practice

Juniors know what to work on and why
No random or wasted practice time

✅ Homework & Movement Development

Juniors receive:

Simple skill tasks
Coordination and speed exercises
Body-awareness drills

These support confidence, responsibility, and athletic growth.

✅ Play-Based Learning

Short-game challenges
Learning through play
Developing creativity and confidence

🎯 Purpose of the Young Guns Program

The Young Guns program is designed to:

Build strong fundamentals
Develop thinking, focused golfers
Improve coordination and movement
Encourage confidence and discipline
Create a love for the game

This program forms the foundation for progression into:

Junior Academy
Elite Academy pathways

It is not just a weekly lesson —
it is a complete developmental environment.

We’ve Coached more than 150 tournament winners at BGA

“FIVE WAYS TO PICK A HIGH-QUALITY TEACHER OR COACH

Great teachers, coaches, and mentors, like any rare species, can be identiɹed by a few
characteristic traits. The following rules are designed to help you sort through the
candidates and make the best choice for yourself.

1) Avoid Someone Who Reminds You of a Courteous Waiter
2) Seek Someone Who Scares You a Little
3) Seek Someone Who Gives Short, Clear Directions
4) Seek Someone Who Loves Teaching Fundamentals
5) Other Things Being Equal, Pick the Older Person

”

— The Little Book of Talent - by Daniel Coyle --

Coaching Staff

ANDRE LOUW

Andre is heading up as head coach for the academy, Andre is a PGA of South Africa graduate with a National Certificate in Officiating and Coaching Sciences. He attended TUT Golf Academy in 2005 and 2006 and won his Zululand Colors for Golf from 2000–2002.

Andre has 5 years of experience in the competitive golf world and 26 year in coaching. Learn more about Andre.

Hendrik Buhrmann

Seasoned professionals, Hendrik Buhrmann, head up the performance coaching at BGA.

Hendrik has 40 years of experience in the competitive golf world and 20 year in coaching. Learn more about Hendrik.

Ross Theron

Ross Theron is a fully qualified PGA Professional with a passion for junior golf development. Known for his clear communication and positive energy, Ross creates a supportive environment where young players learn, improve, and grow in confidence.g. Learn more about Ross.

Program Content

In its broadest sense, our training program can be divided into 4 parts, Mental, Physical, Technical and Strategic aspects of the game.

At the BGA Golf Academy, you will work with coaching team for the duration of the time. Unlike other popular academy’s, the student sees little of the head instructor. At BDGA, the student actually works directly with top coach’s at the academy.

Discipline, ownership, and respect in our academic curriculum are a feature of life here, but also demonstrate a track record of academic achievement in their school work.

We follow a systematic training approach and give attention to the various elements that play into a player’s skill development. We utilize times of Teaching, Coaching and Group Training to help players develop their skills and knowledge of the game.

Golf Facilities

Eagle Canyon Golf Estate in Johannesburg, South Africa is the home of the BGA Golf Academy. It is a fantastic facility, with Championship golf course, kikuyu grass driving range with large grass teeing area, golf studio, gym, spa, luxurious club house and a big, bent grass chipping green with two greenside bunkers

Driving range has the best chipping green in Johannesburg
Pitching range with short game targets inspired by Zach Johnson
Greens on range
Targets for testing and skills assessments, driving, iron play, short game

Physical Training

We work in conjunction with Willie Van Berg.

A dedicated physical trainer implementing the Titleist Performance Institute (TPI) concept.

Individualised screening and program development for each student is outsource

Integration of fitness routines to enhance overall athletic performance, not part of the fee

WHY BGA ?

The answer is simple… No one else in the country has what we have. No one else has that we have, who can teach you how to think, how to believe in yourself, how to commit, how to PLAY the game. Can use his expertise along with our cutting-edge technology to improve your ball striking, short game, putting, etc. Old school meets new school at the BGA Golf Academy.

BGA Junior Academy

Contact Andre

andre@bdgagolf.com

or

083 273 1079

“FIVE WAYS TO PICK A HIGH-QUALITY TEACHER OR COACH

Great teachers, coaches, and mentors, like any rare species, can be identified by a few
characteristic traits. The following rules are designed to help you sort through the
candidates and make the best choice for yourself.

1) Avoid Someone Who Reminds You of a Courteous Waiter

This species of teacher/coach/mentor is increasingly abundant in our world: one who
focuses his efforts on keeping you comfortable and happy, on making things go
smoothly, with a minimum of effort. This is the kind of person who covers a lot of
material in a short time, smiles a lot, and says things like, “Don’t worry, no problem, we
can take care of that later.” This is a good person to have as your waiter in a restaurant,
but a terrible person to have as your teacher, coach, or mentor.

2) Seek Someone Who Scares You a Little

In contrast to encounters with courteous waiters, encounters with great teachers/
coaches/mentors tend to be filled with unfamiliar emotion: feelings of respect,
admiration, and, often, a shiver of fear. This is a good sign. Look for someone who:
Watches you closely: He is interested in ɹguring you out—what you want, where
you’re coming from, what motivates you.
Is action-oriented: She often won’t want to spend a lot of time chatting—instead,
she’ll want to jump into a few activities immediately, so she can get a feel for you
and vice versa.
Is honest, sometimes unnervingly so: He will tell you the truth about your
performance in clear language. This stings at ɹrst. But you’ll come to see that it’s
not personal—it’s the information you can use to get better.
It’s worth noting that the word “coach” originally came from kocsi, the Hungarian

word for “carriage.” You’re not looking for a buddy or a parent figure. You’re looking
for someone solid, someone you trust, someone with whom you take a journey.

3) Seek Someone Who Gives Short, Clear Directions

Most great teachers/coaches/mentors do not give long-winded speeches. They do not
give sermons or long lectures. Instead, they give short, unmistakably clear directions;
they guide you to a target.
John Wooden, the UCLA basketball coach who is widely considered one of the greatest
teachers of all time, was once the subject of a yearlong study that captured everything
he said to his team. Wooden didn’t give long speeches; in fact, his average utterance
lasted only four seconds. This underlines a large truth: Teaching is not an eloquence
contest; it is about creating a connection and delivering useful information.

4) Seek Someone Who Loves Teaching Fundamentals

Great teachers will often spend entire practice sessions on one seemingly small
fundamental—for example, the way you grip a golf club, or the way you pluck a single
note on a guitar. This might seem strange, but it rejects their understanding of a vital
reality: These fundamentals are the core of your skills (see Tip #10). The more advanced
you are, the more crucial they become.

5) Other Things Being Equal, Pick the Older Person

Teaching is like any other talent: It takes time to grow. This is why so many hotbeds are
led by people in their sixties and seventies. Great teachers are ɹrst and foremost
learners, who improve their skills with each passing year. That’s not to say there aren’t
any good teachers under thirty—there are. Nor is it to say that every coach with gray
hair is a genius—they’re not. But other things being equal, go with someone older.”

— The Little Book of Talent - by Daniel Coyle

Security

Eagle Canyon has a reputation for being one of the most secure estates in South Africa.
The estate maintains a high standard of security with zero tolerance for incidents
State of the art 24 hour estate security
Video monitors on perimeter walls
Electrified fencing controlled access
Security patrols
Gate controlled access within the estate itself