Tournament Scheduling

Get ready, because this may be the most important article the Hub has ever written.

Playing in competitive golf tournaments can be one of the most fun, challenging, and rewarding experiences of a young golfer's life. It's a chance to get the competitive juices flowing, compete against top players in your area or the country, and sharpen your skills. What's not to like? There's just one problem. Tournament scheduling can often be summed up in one word: Confusing! A frustrated dad in a New York Times article reportedly summed it up well: "It's an Information Wasteland." 

And we agree! There are thousands of events to choose from, including local, PGA section, club, regional, state, USGA, AJGA, junior tour, and national events. Never mind single-day, multi-day, open events, invitationals, events with performance-based entry, and more. All of this begs some fundamental questions, such as: Where should I start? What events are appropriate to my skill level? What events do college coaches prize? How does my tournament schedule differ as a freshman vs. sophomore vs. junior? How many events should I play in during any given summer?

Don't worry, the Hub is here to help! In our opinion, all you need are a few good rules to navigate the system, and that's precisely what we'll give you in this article.

Let's start by understanding the types of tournaments in the ecosystem. Here are a few definitions.

Local Events

We define a Local event as anything that is close to your house, 18 holes, and draws players from a given portion of your home state.

Think of local events as your "starter" events and a great chance to build your competitive chops. They are an opportunity to test your skill against local talent, learn how to properly prepare for a tournament, become better acquainted with the rules of golf, and handle the inevitable tournament jitters. You'll save money on travel, too! Local events typically include your local PGA section events, US Kids events, events at your home club, and more.

Regional Events

Regional events are multi-day, 36-hole events that draw from a diverse field of players across a given state or region.

Competing regionally is a great balance of affordability and exposure. (Mom and Dad — we're trying to help you save some dollar bills, we promise!) Many Regional events are run by regional junior golf tours, including the Southeast Junior Golf Tour, the US Challenge Cup in the Northeast, and many, many more. We also include State Golf Associations in this category, although admittedly they are a gray area, with some 18-hole events that could be classified as local.

Most coaches in the region of your choice will have their eye on the scoring and results of Regional events, and may even attend! Performing well in your prospective school's region proves that you compete well on those types of courses and weather conditions. This is important because even the top teams in the country play a handful of tournaments in-region. If you're considering attending a school within your region, then competing in Regional events is key.

National Events

We define a National event as a 36-hole event or longer that draws a significant portion of the field from players across the United States or the world.

Competing on the national level is the ultimate showcase for junior golfers. Examples of National tournaments include USGA events, National AJGA events, and standalone events like the Orange Bowl, Junior Masters, or Western Junior Amateur.

When competing at the highest level, you are in demand, and coaches will travel to see you play. National events often involve rigorous qualifiers against top fields, or include some element of performance-based entry. This is an exciting time for you! Be proud of the hard work you're putting in, and show those coaches what you're made of!

Keep in mind that these are not "perfect" or "crisp" categories. There are many gray areas in life and tournament scheduling! The goal is not to tie yourself in knots over every little intricacy, but to get the main parameters right.

Tournament Scheduling "Rules of Thumb"

Now onto the good stuff. How many of these events do you recommend a junior golfer play in during any given year? What is the recommended split between Local, Regional, and National? How does it differ as I get more experience and move up through high school? The answer will, of course, vary based on your skill level, experience, budget, and the competitiveness of the college golf programs you want to play for. Nevertheless, here are some rough "Hub Rules of Thumb" to help you navigate the landscape.

Please keep in mind that these are strictly recommendations. This outline can be modified according to the individual and their skill level.

Here are some quick guidelines and pointers to further clarify things:

1. Start early with local events, and progress from there.

Remember when you first learned to swim? Did you jump into the deep end of the pool on your first lesson? Of course not! Why do the same in golf? Freshman year of high school is a great time to "get your feet wet" and learn the basics of competitive golf. That's why we recommend you play roughly 80% of your events as Local events, along with a smattering of Regional or even National events if appropriate. Get acquainted with tournament play, assess your game against the field, identify competitive strengths and weaknesses, and learn how to prepare properly during this critical time. Throw in a few 36-hole Regional events, or even a National event, during this time if you want to assess your game and scores versus a more advanced field.

2. Play in enough tournaments.

Make sure to play in enough tournaments in any given year. Playing in just 2 or 3 events is not going to cut it! We learn by doing and acting repeatedly. Playing in enough tournaments will allow you to play against constantly changing competitors, in all types of conditions, and against all types of golf courses.

3. Fire on all cylinders your junior year.

Your junior year ends up being critical, as coaches rely on these scores when evaluating you as a prospect come senior year. If you want to play golf at a competitive program, it's important to heavily weight your schedule towards Regional and National events your junior year or earlier. We recommend 40% Regional and 50% National, but again, these are rough parameters. The point is to play in multi-day events that coaches value and against stronger fields. This will give you an edge and let the coach know you are prepared and ready to move up to the next level.

4. Play a few events in the state where your favorite program is located.

Many golf programs have a limited recruiting budget and often recruit primarily at a state or regional level. This means that coaches will largely travel to events in their home state or region. If you want to play for a school in New York, but you live in Massachusetts, for example, consider traveling to a few New York-based events and ask the coach if they'll be around to come and meet you at the event.

Are you still with us? We know it's a lot of information to wrap your head around. We do hope this helps in the all-important area of tournament scheduling.

Enjoy your Journey!