Most junior golfers originally become involved in the game via the influence of a parent, or grandparent. Many young golfers have seen professionals, like Tiger Woods, succeed at the highest levels and are motivated to practice and compete. Whatever reason draws kids to the game the golf industry has done an excellent job of creating multiple outlets for young people. It would be impossible to list every opportunity for juniors in golf, but the following list includes several of the more popular programs for juniors.
To keep the game viable in the future, serious golfers understand the need to create avenues and opportunities for younger people to learn the game the right way. Several programs are available to juniors to do just that.
The First Tee
The First Tee was the vision of former PGA Tour Commissioner, Tim Finchem. It was founded in 1997 as a joint effort by golf’s leading bodies, Augusta National Golf Club, the LPGA Tour, the PGA of America, the PGA TOUR and the USGA.
The curriculum of the First Tee program stresses the development of character and is built around nine core values found within the game of golf.
The First Tee has grown to a network of 150 chapters with programs delivered at 1,400 golf courses, 10,000 schools and 1,700 youth centers in all 50 states and select international locations.
Youth on Course
Youth on Course (YOC) is a relatively new organization that assures every child, no matter their economic status, has access to golf. Local golf courses join with YOC to allow junior golfers to play golf for $5.00 at their courses.
They began in Northern California in 2006 and quickly spread to now include more than 140,000 members in all 50 U.S. states and Canada. They provide access to nearly 2,000 courses across both the United States and Canada.
High School seniors can also apply for college scholarships through YOC. Since the inception of the YOC Scholarship Program in 2008, they have awarded over $2.6 million to over 300 outstanding high school seniors to support their pursuit of higher education, many of which have become the first in their family to attend college.
AJGA
The American Junior Golf Association (AJGA) provides a venue for the top junior golfers to compete at the highest level against the top talent in the country. College golf coaches can follow each player’s progress and they ultimately recruit AJGA members for their golf teams.
AJGA understands the expense and financial burden for a family to allow their child to travel and compete in AJGA events. For this reason and with the help of their generous sponsors, the AJGA’s ACE Grant provides financial assistance to young men and women who aspire to earn a college golf scholarship through competitive junior golf tournaments.
Many of the professional golfers you see today on the PGA and LPGA Tours competed in and won AJGA events. It is the premier junior golf program in the country and has provided a venue for thousands of junior golfers to impress college coaches and earn a college scholarship.
Local Junior Golf Programs
Over the years junior golf programs have sprung up in every city and town across the country. Local golf professionals organize a series of clinics and tournaments for junior golfers looking to enjoy competition and learn more about the game.
For more information about any junior golf programs in your area, touch base with your local golf club, or course for their schedule of events.
PGA Jr. Golf League
The PGA of America through their 40,000 golf teaching professionals organized the PGA Junior Golf League. They provide fun team competitions for young players under the age of 17.
All PGA Jr. League games are played with a two-person scramble format, which allows all players to hit shots and contribute to the team. PGA Jr. League utilizes match play scoring, which focuses on performance versus a score-to-par as is traditional with golf.
Within a PGA Jr. League game, the two-man teams play in a head-to-head, 9-hole match with each match broken into three flags. Each flag is three holes in a row, and each team has the opportunity to earn points at the end of each flag.
PGA Jr. League provides a low stress program for young golfers to compete and continue to enjoy golf.
Drive, Chip & Putt
Drive, Chip & Putt (DCP) holds a number of local and regional qualifiers around the country to identify the best young golfers, which are invited to compete in the DCP National Finals at Augusta National Golf Club on Sunday prior to the Masters Tournament.
In the Drive segment, junior golfers’ three attempts are rated both in length and accuracy. Participants get three tries to Chip a ball closet to the pin, plus the Putting competition involves putting from three various distances. The points from all three segments are totaled and a winner is recognized.
The Finals are held on CBS. Watching these kids compete on Sunday morning, prior to the Masters, is always one of my favorite television shows.
LPGA & USGA Girls Golf
LPGA & USGA Girls Golf is the only national junior golf program that specializes in providing a friendly environment for girls to learn the game of golf. They make the game fun and teach much more than just stance and swing. The young women also learn valuable life skills like confidence and perseverance that will help them all through their lives.
With over 500 Girls Golf sites around the country, they help prepare girls, ages 6 – 17, for a lifetime of enjoyment of the game while also inspiring them to gain confidence and build positive self-esteem. The Five E’s of Girls Golf: Empower, Enrich, Engage, Energize and Exercise prepare these young women to live active and healthy lives.
High School Golf Team
Nearly every high school has both a men’s and women’s golf team that compete against other golf teams in their league, region and for state titles.
While local junior golf programs hold tournaments in the summer months, players that will be competing for their high school team in the Fall, or Spring use those programs to hone their games for the high school golf season.
Playing golf for your school is a rewarding experience for any young golfer. Friendships are developed that last a lifetime. These young athletes are encouraged to always exhibit proper golf etiquette, which help them become successful adults.
Evans Scholars
Chick Evans was a very successful amateur golfer, who won the 2016 U.S. Open. He also won the U.S. Amateur in the same year and was sought out for golf instruction and appearances. As an amateur, he was not able to accept prize money, appearance fees, or any other income earned from golf. His mother suggested a charitable foundation be formed that could accept the money.
Evans spent many years as a caddy in the suburbs of Northern Chicago. Due to a lack of funds, he was forced to drop out of college. He took his mother’s suggestion, and those charitable efforts became the Evans Scholarship Foundation, which gives full-ride college scholarships to former caddies at clubs across the country.
Since the Evans Scholarship Foundation officially began in 1930, they have granted 11,815 college scholarships to deserving young men and women caddies. Currently there are over 1,100 students enrolled at 22 universities.
To view a list of Michigan caddies that were awarded college scholarships in 2023 visit, https://wgaesf.org/the-latest-news/2165-twenty-five-michigan-caddies-earn-evans-scholarships
The Evans Scholarship program is one of the most successful and worthy charitable foundations in the world. To learn more about how you could become involved visit their website: https://wgaesf.org.
Play Golf With Your Kids & Grandkids
There is a truly nothing better than playing a round of golf with your children, or grandchildren. The game teaches young people respect for others, plus helps them grow into successful adults.
As you can see there are numerous programs available for young people to learn more about golf from people who know the game and will help your child learn the game the right way. Do your kids a favor and get them involved in golf this year.
If you have any questions, please contact me at: Fred@Back9MediaGroup.com and I will help direct you to someone in your area that can help your child get started in golf.
