What do Division I college golf coaches really look for in junior golfers and what does it take to play golf at the next level?

In this episode of The Golf Sit Down, we sit down with Matt Moot, Head Men’s Golf Coach at Campbell University, to talk about his journey from junior golfer and Campbell student-athlete to becoming a Division I college golf coach. Matt shares an inside look at college golf recruiting, junior golf development, tournament golf, practice habits, parental involvement, scoring, and the skills young golfers need to develop if they want to compete at the collegiate level.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

• What college golf coaches look for when recruiting junior golfers
• How junior golfers can get on a college coach’s radar
• Why tournament experience matters in college golf recruiting
• How young golfers can develop their games over several years
• Why learning to score matters more than chasing a perfect golf swing What parents should (and shouldn’t) do during junior golf tournaments Why independence is important for future college golfers
• How Matt developed his wedge game
• Why short putting can make such a big difference in scoring
• How to balance practice, competition, development and burnout

CHAPTERS

00:00 – Meet Campbell University Head Coach Matt Moot

01:51 – How Matt Moot Got Started in Golf

03:03 – Matt’s Journey to Campbell University

07:21 – Junior Golf Development & Early Milestones

10:12 – Starting Close to the Hole & Learning to Score

12:13 – Why Who You Play Golf With Matters

14:01 – What College Golf Taught Matt About His Game

16:55 – How Matt Developed His Wedge Game

19:34 – The Putting Practice That Can Lower Your Scores

25:35 – How Junior Golfers Can Get on a College Coach’s Radar

27:28 – Choosing the Right Junior Golf Tournaments

30:00 – Developing Competitive Golfers Without Burning Them Out

31:30 – What College Coaches Notice About Golf Parents

34:02 – Helping Junior Golfers Become More Independent

38:33 – How Much Tournament Golf Should Juniors Play?

42:29 – Why Golfers Should Stop Chasing the Perfect Swing

The Golf Sit Down brings you conversations with golf coaches, industry leaders and experts who are helping golfers learn, improve and stay in the game.

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Learn more about Operation 36: https://operation36.golf/

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What does it really take to become a better golfer—not for one round or one season, but over the long term?

In this episode, Ryan Dailey, PGA and Seth Thompson, PGA sit down with Ryne Burnett, PGA, Director of Golf at Hidden Valley Golf Club, to explore the experiences, habits, and mindset that helped shape him as a player, coach, and golf professional.

Ryne shares how spending the majority of his early golf years actually playing the game helped develop his skills, why purposeful practice matters more than simply hitting balls, and how learning to manage his mind and emotions became a major turning point in his own playing career.

The conversation also dives into junior golf development and the role coaches and parents play in helping young golfers succeed. Ryne explains why alignment between the player, parent, and coach is so important, how properly fitted equipment can influence development, and why sometimes the best thing a coach can do is listen before trying to fix the problem.

In this episode:

• Why Ryne spent roughly 75% of his early golf development on the course • How the mental game changed his approach to competitive golf • Why purposeful practice beats simply hitting more golf balls • How wedge distance control helped take his game to another level • Why golfers should focus on process instead of results • The importance of parent, player, and coach alignment • What a golf coach can provide beyond swing instruction • Why junior golf equipment should be fit to the player • How coaches can help young golfers manage frustration and adversity • Why learning to handle failure is part of long-term player development

Whether you’re a golf coach, PGA Professional, parent of a junior golfer, or a player trying to improve your own game, this conversation provides a practical look at what sustainable golf development really requires.

CHAPTERS

01:17 Ryne Burnett’s Journey Into Golf 04:20 Building a Career as a PGA Professional 08:20 Playing Golf vs. Practicing Golf 12:30 What Took Ryne’s Game to the Next Level? 15:00 Building a Precise Wedge System 19:40 Process, Preparation & the Mental Game 24:50 Mistakes Parents Can Make in Junior Golf 26:30 Creating Alignment Between Player, Parent & Coach 32:20 What Does a Golf Coach Actually Help With? 33:30 Why Junior Golf Equipment Matters 36:20 How Coaches Help Players Manage Emotions 38:10 Giving Junior Golfers Space to Talk 41:50 What Coaches Can Learn From an Op 36 Round 43:20 Coaching Your Own Kids 45:00 Balancing Golf, Career & Family 48:00 Final Thoughts

Subscribe to The Golf Sit Down for conversations about long-term golf development, coaching, junior golf, player development, and helping golfers build a game they can enjoy for life.

#golfsitdown #golfcoaching #juniorgolf #pgaprofessional #golfdevelopment #golfinstruction #golf #operation36

What does it really take to develop into a great golfer, not just build a great golf swing?

In this episode of The Golf Sit Down, Ryan Dailey, PGA and Seth Thompson, PGA sit down with PGA Tour winner and longtime coach David Ogrin for a conversation about junior golf development, coaching, parenting, competition, and learning how to actually play the game.

David shares lessons from his own journey, from growing up on a golf course to winning on the PGA Tour and eventually building a career as a coach. He also explains why the best development environments often come down to opportunity, trust, and allowing players to learn through experience.

A major part of the conversation focuses on the role parents play in junior golf. David shares what he has seen work well with developing players, why parents should let coaches coach, and how to find the right instructor for a young golfer.

The discussion also moves beyond mechanics and into the parts of golf that are harder to teach on a range: awareness, decision-making, creativity, scoring, and learning how to compete.

If you’re a junior golfer, parent, coach, or anyone interested in long-term player development, this episode offers a valuable perspective on what helps golfers continue to improve.

Episode Chapters

00:00 David Ogrin’s Journey From Junior Golfer to PGA Tour Winner 04:25 The Role Parents Should Play in Junior Golf 07:31 How to Find the Right Golf Coach 13:00 Helping Players Take Ownership of Their Game 16:56 Developing the Mental Side of Golf 20:08 Lessons From Competing on the PGA Tour 28:00 Why Technology Can’t Replace Playing the Golf Course 33:25 Why Junior Golfers Need to Compete Before They Feel Ready

The Golf Sit Down explores long-term golf development and the people, ideas, and experiences that help golfers reach their goals.