Junior Resource Center

golfball-sm Rankings: How They Work

 

hs-foursomeAs I enter my twenty first season as a golf instructor, I have come to realize that one of the best parts of my job, if not the best part, is having a hand in the development of young golfers. I have been doing this long enough now that I have seen junior golfers come up through the ranks—from young beginners, to tournament players, high school competitors, college team members, and even to professional status.

As participation in my junior programs has grown, and more talented juniors have emerged, I have been pushed to become a better teaching professional. I have also realized that I am in a unique position not just to share techniques for playing golf, but to guide motivated juniors through the process of entering competition, becoming ranked, and working toward their goals, including the possibility of playing golf in college and beyond.

There is a bewildering array of junior tours, tournaments, and information available to young golfers and their parents. This is why I created the Junior Resource Center here on my website. I have sorted through as much information as I could find that is relevant to junior golfers in our region of Virginia (and the Mid-Atlantic in general) and condensed it—basically I have tried to do the homework on behalf of junior golfers and their parents.

I hope you find the Junior Resource Center to be helpful, and please check back as I will be periodically adding to the tournament list. Thanks for visiting my Junior Resource Center!

 

List/Overview of Junior Tours

 

Which Tour is for Me?

This section will help guide parents and juniors towards a good fit in terms of tours available in the Mid-Atlantic region. Some of the tours specifically serve the Shenandoah Valley and Virginia, but there are suggestions for golfers in the broader region as well.

  • If you are looking for inexpensive tournaments without much travel, the best options are the Lakeview Junior Tour and the First Citizens Junior Tour. With a little more expense and travel the Capital Area Golf Tour would be a good option with some events as close as Front Royal. Results on the CAGT are also ranked in the Junior Golf Scoreboard.
  • If you are looking for a tour where younger or less experienced juniors can gain experience, the best options are the Lakeview Junior Tour, the First Citizens Junior Tour, the U.S. Kids Golf Tour, the VSGA Junior Golf Club, and the Elite Players’ Tour. The U.S. Kids Tour conducts a Summer Tour in Northern Virginia and their world championship is in Pinehurst. The EPT requires traveling to Maryland, while the VSGA events are throughout Virginia. The Lakeview and First Citizens Tours are good local options.
  • If you are looking for mid-priced tournaments with rankings, the best options are the Capital Area Golf Tour with events in the DC Metro area, the VSGA Junior Golf Club, the Hurricane Junior Golf Tour , and the Peggy Kirk Bell Girls’ Tour .
  • If you are looking for stronger regional fields, but not necessarily worried about rankings, the best options are the MAPGA Junior Tour, the Elite Players’ Tour, and the College Prep Tour. The MAPGA and EPT hold events in Virginia and Maryland, and are in the mid-price range. The PJGT is a more costly, national tour with quite a few events within driving distance. Some of the events on these tours are ranked.
  • If you do not mind travel and expense to play elite, ranked tournaments, the PGA Junior Series and the Future Collegians World Tour are good options. The PGA Junior Series does not have a membership fee, so it might be worth checking out the one not-too-distant stop in 2010—Penn State. The FCWT has an event in Charlottesville, but would likely only be worth the membership and entry fees if you are willing to travel to other events.
  • If your priority is to prepare for college golf through elite competition and rankings, the best options are the Peggy Kirk Bell Girls’ Tour, the International Junior Golf Tour, and the American Junior Golf Association. The PKBGT offers good exposure through rankings for a moderate price (girls only). The IJGT is expensive, but has quite a few events in the Mid-Atlantic region, and offers exposure through rankings as good as any junior tour. The AJGA is the premier junior tour in the country and is the usual stepping stone for collegiate, elite amateur, and even future professional players. Another possible avenue is a collection of tours focused in the Carolinas under the umbrella of the National Junior Golf Tour.