The two systems
Operation 36 teaches the score. Longleaf picks the tee.
Everything else on this site — clubs, tours, drills — sits on these two ideas. Join them. Don’t reinvent them in the garage.
The practice system
Operation 36
Golf taught backwards: start next to the green, earn the right to move back.
- 01Level 1 — 25 yards from the middle of the green. 9 holes. Par is 4. Shoot 36 or better.
- 02Level 2 — 50 yards. Same deal.
- 03Level 3 — 100 yards.
- 04Level 4 — 150 yards.
- 05Level 5 — 200 yards.
- 06Level 6 — the full tee they will actually play.
There is an app, 12 skill videos per level, and 800+ sites with coaches. You are not supposed to freelance a replacement in the cul-de-sac. Enroll, then use our backyard drills as the extra 15 minutes, not the curriculum.
Referral link · Operation 36. We may earn a commission if you buy.
The tee system
Longleaf Tee System
Tees by how far they carry a drive — not by “men’s,” “ladies’,” or a birthday.
- 01On a Longleaf range, numbered poles run from RightStart (short) through 8, starting around 75 yards of carry.
- 02They hit a few drives. The pole they land by is the tee they play.
- 03As they get longer, they move back. As they get older and shorter, they move up. Same system for a 7-year-old and a 70-year-old.
- 04On the course, sets are spaced so each 18-hole option is a fair test — roughly 600 yards of total separation between tee decks in the full build.
- 05U.S. Kids events use Longleaf yardages so a 9-year-old is not asked to play 5,800 yards with a 140-yard drive.
If your home course still has one “kids tee” that is a mat in the fairway, ask the pro for a forward set that matches their carry. A kid who cannot reach in regulation learns that golf is unfair. A kid who can reach learns golf.
Referral link · Longleaf Tee System. We may earn a commission if you buy.
