State junior golf associations.
26 state-level junior golf associations and tours. Each runs its own schedule of state opens, championships, and qualifiers, the bedrock of every junior recruiting résumé before the national circuit.
Carolinas Golf Association Junior
CGA JuniorJunior program of the Carolinas Golf Association. Runs the Carolinas Junior Championship, Carolinas Father-Son, and a full junior tournament schedule across North and South Carolina.
Operates the long-running Bobby Chapman Junior Invitational.
Florida State Golf Association Junior Tour
FSGA Junior / FJTThe Florida Junior Tour (FJT), operated by the FSGA. Statewide schedule of one-day and multi-day events plus the Florida Open Junior Championship, the primary state-level junior pathway in Florida.
The Florida Junior Tour (FJT) is FSGA's primary junior pipeline.
South Florida PGA Junior Tour
SFPGA JuniorJunior tour operated by the South Florida PGA Section. Year-round events across Miami-Dade, Broward, Palm Beach, and the Treasure Coast. Strong development pathway for South Florida juniors targeting AJGA performance stars.
Runs the largest junior schedule in South Florida outside national tours.
North Florida PGA Junior Tour
NFPGA JuniorJunior tour operated by the North Florida PGA Section. Events from Jacksonville through Orlando and the Panhandle. Sectional rivalry with SFPGA for top Florida juniors.
New York State Golf Association Junior
NYSGA JuniorJunior arm of the NYSGA. Runs the New York State Junior Boys' and Girls' Championships, plus a year-round junior tour across upstate and central New York.
Metropolitan Golf Association Junior
MGA JuniorJunior program of the Metropolitan Golf Association, covering NY metro, Long Island, Westchester, northern NJ, and southern CT. Runs the MGA Junior Championship and the Met Boys' / Met Girls'.
The historic Met Junior is one of the oldest junior events in the country.
New Jersey State Golf Association Junior
NJSGA JuniorJunior arm of the NJSGA. Runs the New Jersey Junior Championship, NJSGA Junior Tour, and qualifiers feeding into national events.
Connecticut State Golf Association Junior
CSGA JuniorJunior program of the CSGA. Runs the CT Junior Amateur, CT Junior PGA, and a full statewide schedule.
Virginia State Golf Association Junior
VSGA JuniorJunior arm of the VSGA. Runs the VSGA Junior Stroke Play, VSGA Father-Son, and an extensive junior tour across Virginia.
Maryland State Golf Association Junior
MSGA-MD JuniorMaryland State Golf Association junior program. Runs the Maryland Junior Championship and a statewide schedule of events.
Tennessee Golf Association Junior
TGA JuniorJunior arm of the Tennessee Golf Association. Runs the Tennessee State Junior, Junior Match Play, and a statewide schedule.
Ohio Golf Association Junior
OGA JuniorJunior arm of the Ohio Golf Association. Runs the Ohio Junior Amateur and a year-round junior tour across Ohio.
Illinois PGA Junior Tour
IPGA JuniorJunior tour operated by the Illinois PGA Section. Year-round schedule of events across Chicagoland and Illinois, the primary statewide junior pathway.
Colorado Golf Association Junior
CGA-CO JuniorJunior program of the Colorado Golf Association. Runs the Colorado Junior Amateur, Junior Stroke Play, and a statewide junior tour.
Washington State Golf Association Junior
WSGA-WA JuniorJunior arm of the Washington Golf Association. Runs the Washington Junior Amateur and a statewide schedule across western and eastern Washington.
Texas Junior Golf Tour
Texas JuniorTexas-based junior tour running statewide events. Affiliated with the Texas Golf Association junior program. Strong field at the Texas Junior Open and All-American Junior.
Southern California Golf Association Junior
SCGA JuniorSCGA Junior runs one of the country's largest junior pipelines, over 12,000 members. Operates the SCGA Junior Tour, Junior Series, and the SCGA Junior Championship.
12,000+ members, one of the largest junior pipelines anywhere.
Arizona Junior Golf Association
AZJGAArizona's primary junior golf body. Runs the Arizona State Junior Match Play, AJGA-affiliated qualifiers, and a year-round junior tour across the state.
Georgia State Golf Association Junior
GSGA JuniorJunior program of the Georgia State Golf Association. Runs the GSGA Junior Championship, qualifiers, and a year-round Georgia junior tour.
Golf Association of Michigan Junior
GAM JuniorMichigan's junior golf body. Runs the Michigan Junior State Amateur and a full junior schedule across the state, strong pipeline into Big Ten college programs.
Northern California Junior Golf Association
NCJGANorthern California's junior body. Runs the NCGA Junior Tour and the NCGA Junior Championship, with strong recruiting field strength out of the Bay Area.
Golf Association of Philadelphia Junior
GAP JuniorJunior program of the Golf Association of Philadelphia (GAP), the oldest amateur golf association in the U.S. (est. 1897). Runs the William Hyndman III Junior Boys', Junior Girls', and a robust GAP Junior schedule across Pennsylvania, southern New Jersey, and Delaware.
Runs the historic William Hyndman III Junior Championship.
Mass Golf Junior
Junior program of Mass Golf (formerly Massachusetts Golf Association). Runs the Massachusetts Junior Amateur, the Mass Junior Championship, the Tournament of Champions, and a year-round Youth Tour across the state.
Operates the Mass Junior Amateur, one of the oldest state junior championships in the U.S.
Oregon Golf Association Junior
OGA JuniorJunior arm of the Oregon Golf Association. Runs the OGA Junior Stroke Play, OGA Junior Match Play, and a full statewide junior schedule from Portland through southern Oregon, the primary Oregon pathway alongside the Pacific NW regional circuit.
Indiana Golf Junior
Indiana Junior GolfJunior program of the Indiana Golf Association / Indiana Golf Foundation. Runs the Indiana Junior State Amateur, the Indiana Junior PGA, and the Indiana Junior Tour: the primary pathway for Indiana juniors targeting Big Ten college programs.
Minnesota Junior Golf
MN Junior GolfJoint junior pipeline operated by the Minnesota Golf Association and Minnesota PGA Section. Runs the Minnesota Junior Amateur, the MGA Junior Stroke Play, and a statewide schedule of summer events across the Twin Cities and greater Minnesota.
Co-operated by the MGA and Minnesota PGA Section.
State association we're missing? Reach out via the homepage newsletter and we'll add it.
About state junior golf associations
Every state in the U.S. has at least one state junior golf association that runs sanctioned junior championships, state-open qualifiers, and player-development pathways. These are the cheapest, most accessible competitive reps a junior can get, and they form the foundation of a recruiting résumé before regional and AJGA play kicks in.
The major state bodies include the Carolinas Golf Association (CGA) Junior schedule (covering both Carolinas and routinely producing top AJGA Rolex-ranked juniors), the Florida State Golf Association (FSGA) Junior series, the Texas Junior Golf Tour and Northern Texas PGA Junior Tour (Texas runs the most junior events of any state), the Southern California Golf Association (SCGA) Junior and Northern California Junior Golf Association (NCJGA), and the Georgia State Golf Association (GSGA) Junior schedule out of Atlanta.
State association events typically count toward Junior Golf Scoreboard rankings and feed AJGA Performance Star eligibility. The state amateur and state junior open titles still carry meaningful weight with college coaches as character signals. Winning your state junior open is one of the best ways for a non-AJGA-traveling junior to surface on recruiting boards. From there, the path typically routes through regional multi-state tours and into national AJGA play.
If this is your junior's first season, getting started in junior tournaments and the first tournament checklist cover what to expect before you enter a state event. The real cost of junior golf explains why state association play is the cheapest way to build reps, and parent rules at junior tournaments covers what parents can and cannot do on-site once the round starts.
Frequently asked questions
What is a state junior golf association?
A state junior golf association is the governing body that runs sanctioned junior championships, state-open qualifiers, and player-development events within a single state. Every state has at least one, and most juniors play their first sanctioned tournaments through their state association before moving to regional or national tours.
Do I need to join a state association to play in its tournaments?
Most state junior golf associations require membership or a season pass to enter their sanctioned events, though policies vary by state and by event. Check the specific association's own site for its current membership and entry requirements.
Do state junior golf results count toward national rankings?
State association events typically count toward Junior Golf Scoreboard rankings and can feed AJGA Performance Star eligibility. A state junior open or state amateur title also carries weight with college coaches as a character and competitiveness signal, even without AJGA travel.