The right tournament level matches your junior's current scoring ability to a field where they can compete, learn, and finish in the middle of the pack on a typical day. Too easy and they don't develop. Too hard and they spiral. Here's how the levels map to scores, with realistic benchmarks for boys and girls. Tier 1 — Beginner / first-tournament level For juniors who shoot 55+ for 9 holes from age-appropriate yardages, or who haven't yet played a full 9 to a real score. Look for: - US Kids Golf Local Tours (9-hole events at scaled yardages) - PGA Junior League jamborees and matches (team scramble, lowest pressure in junior golf) - Local course summer junior series (often $20–40 entry, friendly atmosphere) - Section PGA junior tour development or "Prep" series The goal at this level is finishing the round, posting a score, and wanting to come back. Wins are nice but irrelevant. Tier 2 — Intermediate / regional development For juniors shooting mid-90s to mid-80s for 18 holes from age-appropriate tees. This is the largest band and where most competitive juniors live for 1–3 years. Look for: - US Kids State Invitationals and Regional Championships - Regional junior tours: Hurricane (HJGT), Future Champions (FCG), Texas Junior Golf Tour (TJGT), PKBGT, NTPGA Junior, SCPGA Junior, etc. - State golf association junior series (most states run a JGA tour with flighted divisions) - AJGA Preview Series events (the AJGA's intermediate tier) At this level, your junior should be playing 4–8 multi-day events per year and starting to track scores against the field, not just the score itself. Tier 3 — Ranked / Junior Golf Scoreboard eligible For juniors shooting mid-70s to mid-80s with an established Handicap Index. Look for: - JGS-rated events (the rating system requires 36+ holes, 5+ players in a division, and USGA-rated yardage of 4,500+) - AJGA Qualifiers and Junior All-Star Series events - Top regional tours' championship divisions - USGA U.S. Junior Amateur Qualifiers (one round to qualify, very difficult) Results here build a recruiting profile. JGS rankings, AJGA PBE stars, and state rankings all start to matter. Tier 4 — National / elite For juniors shooting par or better consistently in tournaments, with multiple ranked top-10s. Look for: - AJGA Open events (the main competitive AJGA tier) - AJGA Invitationals (the top tier — invitation only) - USGA U.S. Junior Amateur and U.S. Girls' Junior - Major national events: Polo Junior Classic, Rolex Tournament of Champions, FCG Callaway World Championship This is the recruiting tier for D1 programs. A note on yardages A "good score" varies enormously by yardage. A 78 from 6,800 yards is a different game than 78 from 5,800. If you're not sure where your junior fits, look at the *yardage* the field is playing, not just the par.
Last verified: 2026-04-27