Tournament registration open through April.
The beginning of the calendar year brings another opportunity for kids 8-18 to sign up for 2021 JGAA membership. In addition to special events such as rules clinics to College Golf Night, membership includes eligibility to enter golf events on the JGAA’s 2021 tournament schedule. The calendar is set through August and registration is now open for tournaments through April.
“We are all looking forward to 2021,” said Scott McNevin, executive director of the JGAA. “The tournaments, clinics and special events we offer are a great way for kids of all abilities to follow health and safety precautions while still having fun with their pals. The scores do vary quite a bit from the top of the leaderboard to the bottom, but everyone has a great time. Some will go on to play college golf, while most will move on to college and continue to play recreationally for a lifetime.”
JGAA annual membership is $90 (tournament entry fees apply), and includes Youth on Course annual membership. All about access, Youth on Course allows kids to play more than 25 Arizona golf clubs (more than 1,400 nationwide) for as low as $5 green fees.
“We also have Youth on Course ‘Only’ Memberships. This is perfect for kids who maybe don’t want to play in tournaments quite yet, but they want to get out and play golf. They can see how they like it, get course-ready, and then upgrade to a JGAA competition membership.”
The JGAA hosts more than 30, two-day tournaments year-round for both boys and girls in five age divisions: Championship (15-18), 15-18, 13-14, 11-12, and 10 and Under. Members must have an understanding of JGAA policies and procedures; attend a Rules of Golf clinic and complete rules exam; and those participating in tournament play must be tournament ready. And serving junior golfers statewide, JGAA membership also includes membership to the Southern AZ Jr Golf Association (SAJGA) and vice versa (tournament entry fees apply).
For the state’s top-ranked junior golfers, the JGAA’s PING Junior Masters Series is made up of five annual events at some of Arizona’s most prestigious venues. It gives local junior golfers an opportunity to play in strong fields near home while still earning the national-level points needed to qualify for national tournaments.
The JGAA is Arizona’s primer stepping stone to college golf. Each year it conducts college-prep seminars featuring men’s and women’s golf coaches from Arizona’s major universities and other experts who discuss the intricacies of securing college golf scholarships as well as the challenges of playing college golf as a student athlete.
Other events and services such as the annual Itty Bitty Open introduce kids 3-5 years old to the game. The JGAA awards two scholarship funds annually to high school senior JGAA members for their college education – the Tres Arnold and the John Wolfinger Memorial College Scholarships. And to help members overcome financial barriers to the game, no juniors are turned down for lack of funds.
