Great Options for Junior Golfers

Two main organizations sponsor local tours/leagues for Junior Golfers in our area:

U.S. Kids Golf

U.S. Kids Golf tournaments are generally held on Sundays. The format is either 9 holes or 18 holes depending on age. Caddies are permitted. As a condition of entry into a U.S. Kids Golf Local Tour, it is recommended that a player has previously shot a 63 or lower on 9 holes from USKG’s recommended distances.

To play in a tournament, you must first register for a Tour. There is a $40 tour registration fee associated with each local tour. The cost to register for each event is approximately $37 for 9-hole players and $47 for 18-hole players. The price will vary slightly depending on the location and time of year.

Registration is generally open until the Tuesday night before the event date. You must register separately for each event.

Players earn points based on how they place and can earn invitations to Regional Qualifiers, Prestige Tournaments, and the U.S. Kids Golf World Championship played at the Pinehurst Resort in August.

To view upcoming tours, go to http://www.uskidsgolf.com/tournaments/local-tours/list.
For more information about U.S. Kids Golf and the Gulf Coast Local Tour, please contact Jimmy Headrick, the Gulf Coast tour director, at pga1916@aol.com.

Gulf Coast Junior Golf League

The GCJGL Model Program is typically 8-9 weeks with a mid-season league party and skills competition, culminating in a GCJGL Season Championship Weekend for the top team in each division.

Once regular season play begins, we typically will have one 6-hole competition per week, usually in the late afternoon on a Saturday or Sunday. Each competition is approximately two hours long. Many coaches will hold a late afternoon practice during the week. While we hope that most matches will be played very close to your home facility, some travel may be involved depending on the matches. No overnight stays are necessary.

Each team will host approximately two matches at their home course and play two away matches at other courses in their division. Each match will consist of 2 teams and approximately 20-24 total players.

The GCJGL is all about FUN, and we encourage all levels of ability. To help make sure our juniors have fun and get the most out of our league, we would suggest that players have been exposed to the game through a junior golf clinic or a golf lesson from a local golf professional before joining a team. We play all events in a scramble format to provide a level of competition while keeping golf FUN!

Accomplished juniors continue to enjoy playing in the league because the GCJGL offers an opportunity to play on a team with friends and be a mentor for younger golfers.