AJGA Entry
How to Qualify for AJGA Events
AJGA uses Performance Based Entry to prioritize applications. This guide separates membership Stars from earned status, explains qualifier allocations, and shows the published 2026 fees families should budget.
Tournaments & Events · Updated August 28, 2026
The short version
- AJGA uses Performance Based Entry to prioritize tournament applications.
- Membership Stars expire at year end. Earned Performance Stars and Fully Exempt status apply in the earned year and through the following calendar year.
- A qualifier is normally 18 holes. AJGA says approximately 10 percent of each division advances, with the exact number posted onsite; the top 50 percent earns at least one Performance Star.
- Published 2026 fees vary by series: Preview $195, Junior All-Star $285, Open, Showcase and Invitational $295, and qualifiers $95. A qualified-in balance depends on the series.
Step one: membership and proof of age
AJGA membership is the first step, and the organizer has to accept a player's proof of age before that player can apply to a tournament or a qualifier. Complete both on the AJGA's current membership pages.
Membership makes a player eligible to use the application system. It does not by itself guarantee acceptance into an event.
Source: AJGA, Getting Started.
How Performance Based Entry works
AJGA tournaments are not first come, first served. When more players apply than a field can hold, Performance Based Entry decides the order. The part families most often get wrong is that not every Star behaves the same way.
| Status | How long it applies |
|---|---|
| Membership Stars | Expire at year end. |
| Earned Performance Stars and Fully Exempt status | Apply in the earned year and through the following calendar year. |
Source: AJGA, Frequently Asked Questions, on how long earned PBE lasts and how it differs from membership Stars.
The event types you can apply to
AJGA publishes different series and event eligibility. Check the current event page before applying because status, age, application and fee rules can differ.
Source: AJGA, Getting Started, and the current event pages.
Qualifiers: playing your way in
A qualifier is normally 18 holes, typically the day before its tournament. AJGA says approximately 10 percent of each division advances, and the exact number is posted onsite, so treat 10 percent as an estimate rather than a fixed quota.
A qualifier is worth entering even when a player does not advance. A top 50 percent finish earns at least one Performance Star.
Source: AJGA, Getting Started, Qualifiers; AJGA, Frequently Asked Questions.
Highest priority is not guaranteed entry
Fully Exempt status receives AJGA's highest application priority, but it does not guarantee acceptance into every event.
Source: AJGA, Frequently Asked Questions, on whether Fully Exempt status guarantees entry.
A family checklist before applying
- Verify the event eligibility for the player you are entering.
- Check the player's current status.
- Read the application and the qualifier allocation.
- Confirm the published fee and the qualified-in balance for that series.
- Price travel and lodging separately from the entry fee.
- Wait for official acceptance before treating entry as confirmed.
| Series | Published 2026 entry fee |
|---|---|
| Preview | $195 |
| Junior All-Star | $285 |
| Open, Showcase and Invitational | $295 |
| Qualifier | $95 |
Source: AJGA, 2026 Entry Fee & Reimbursement Amounts; AJGA, Tournament Fees & Benefits. A qualified-in balance depends on the series, so read the current fee page before budgeting.
Your next move
Read AJGA's current entry guide
Confirm current status, qualifier allocation, event eligibility, and fees on the organizer's site before applying.
Read AJGA's current entry guide(Official source), opens in a new tabFrequently asked questions
- Do AJGA Performance Stars reset every year?
- Not all of them. Membership Stars expire at year end, but earned Performance Stars and Fully Exempt status apply in the earned year and through the following calendar year. Source: AJGA Frequently Asked Questions.
- How does an AJGA qualifier work?
- A qualifier is normally 18 holes, typically the day before the tournament it feeds. AJGA says approximately 10 percent of each division advances and the exact number is posted onsite, so it is an estimate rather than a fixed quota. A top 50 percent finish earns at least one Performance Star. Source: AJGA Getting Started and Frequently Asked Questions.
- Does Fully Exempt status guarantee entry into a tournament?
- No. Fully Exempt status receives AJGA's highest application priority, but it does not guarantee acceptance into every event. Source: AJGA Frequently Asked Questions.
- How much does an AJGA tournament cost to enter?
- There is no single fee. The published 2026 schedule lists Preview at $195, Junior All-Star at $285, Open, Showcase and Invitational at $295, and qualifiers at $95, and a qualified-in balance depends on the series. Recheck the current fee page before budgeting, and price travel and lodging separately. Source: AJGA 2026 Entry Fee & Reimbursement Amounts and Tournament Fees & Benefits.
- How old do you have to be to play an AJGA event?
- Age rules are set by series and by event rather than by one universal number. Read the current series and event eligibility on AJGA's own pages before applying, because age, status, application and fee rules can differ between events.
Keep reading
Sources and review
- What it covers
- AJGA Performance Based Entry, qualifier allocation, entry priority, and the published 2026 fee schedule, checked August 28, 2026.
- Checked
Primary sources
- AJGA: Frequently Asked Questions (Official source), opens in a new tab · retrieved
- AJGA: Getting Started (Official source), opens in a new tab · retrieved
- AJGA: 2026 Entry Fee & Reimbursement Amounts (Official source), opens in a new tab · retrieved
- AJGA: Tournament Fees & Benefits (Official source), opens in a new tab · retrieved
What this page cannot tell you
- AJGA can change status, allocation, eligibility, and fees. Recheck the current event and season pages before applying.
- Application priority is not guaranteed acceptance into a particular field.
- Published entry fees do not include a family's travel, lodging, meals, or time away from school.
Verify this season. These terms are reissued on a cycle. Confirm the current version with the governing body above before you rely on it for a deadline or a decision.