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State Junior Golf

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.

C

Carolinas Golf Association Junior

CGA Junior

Junior 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.

Southeast·Ages 8–18·Cost $

Operates the long-running Bobby Chapman Junior Invitational.

F

Florida State Golf Association Junior Tour

FSGA Junior / FJT

The 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.

Florida·Ages 10–18·Cost $

The Florida Junior Tour (FJT) is FSGA's primary junior pipeline.

S

South Florida PGA Junior Tour

SFPGA Junior

Junior 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.

Florida·Ages 6–18·Cost $

Runs the largest junior schedule in South Florida outside national tours.

N

North Florida PGA Junior Tour

NFPGA Junior

Junior tour operated by the North Florida PGA Section. Events from Jacksonville through Orlando and the Panhandle. Sectional rivalry with SFPGA for top Florida juniors.

Florida·Ages 6–18·Cost $
N

New York State Golf Association Junior

NYSGA Junior

Junior 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.

Northeast·Ages 10–18·Cost $
M

Metropolitan Golf Association Junior

MGA Junior

Junior 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'.

Northeast·Ages 10–18·Cost $

The historic Met Junior is one of the oldest junior events in the country.

N

New Jersey State Golf Association Junior

NJSGA Junior

Junior arm of the NJSGA. Runs the New Jersey Junior Championship, NJSGA Junior Tour, and qualifiers feeding into national events.

Northeast·Ages 10–18·Cost $
C

Connecticut State Golf Association Junior

CSGA Junior

Junior program of the CSGA. Runs the CT Junior Amateur, CT Junior PGA, and a full statewide schedule.

Northeast·Ages 10–18·Cost $
V

Virginia State Golf Association Junior

VSGA Junior

Junior arm of the VSGA. Runs the VSGA Junior Stroke Play, VSGA Father-Son, and an extensive junior tour across Virginia.

Mid-Atlantic·Ages 10–18·Cost $
M

Maryland State Golf Association Junior

MSGA-MD Junior

Maryland State Golf Association junior program. Runs the Maryland Junior Championship and a statewide schedule of events.

Mid-Atlantic·Ages 10–18·Cost $
T

Tennessee Golf Association Junior

TGA Junior

Junior arm of the Tennessee Golf Association. Runs the Tennessee State Junior, Junior Match Play, and a statewide schedule.

Southeast·Ages 10–18·Cost $
O

Ohio Golf Association Junior

OGA Junior

Junior arm of the Ohio Golf Association. Runs the Ohio Junior Amateur and a year-round junior tour across Ohio.

Midwest·Ages 10–18·Cost $
I

Illinois PGA Junior Tour

IPGA Junior

Junior tour operated by the Illinois PGA Section. Year-round schedule of events across Chicagoland and Illinois, the primary statewide junior pathway.

Midwest·Ages 8–18·Cost $
C

Colorado Golf Association Junior

CGA-CO Junior

Junior program of the Colorado Golf Association. Runs the Colorado Junior Amateur, Junior Stroke Play, and a statewide junior tour.

Mountain West·Ages 10–18·Cost $
W

Washington State Golf Association Junior

WSGA-WA Junior

Junior arm of the Washington Golf Association. Runs the Washington Junior Amateur and a statewide schedule across western and eastern Washington.

Pacific·Ages 10–18·Cost $
T

Texas Junior Golf Tour

Texas Junior

Texas-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.

Texas·Ages 10–18·Cost $$
S

Southern California Golf Association Junior

SCGA Junior

SCGA 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.

California·Ages 5–18·Cost $

12,000+ members, one of the largest junior pipelines anywhere.

A

Arizona Junior Golf Association

AZJGA

Arizona's primary junior golf body. Runs the Arizona State Junior Match Play, AJGA-affiliated qualifiers, and a year-round junior tour across the state.

Southwest·Ages 8–18·Cost $
G

Georgia State Golf Association Junior

GSGA Junior

Junior program of the Georgia State Golf Association. Runs the GSGA Junior Championship, qualifiers, and a year-round Georgia junior tour.

Southeast·Ages 10–18·Cost $
G

Golf Association of Michigan Junior

GAM Junior

Michigan'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.

Midwest·Ages 10–18·Cost $
N

Northern California Junior Golf Association

NCJGA

Northern California's junior body. Runs the NCGA Junior Tour and the NCGA Junior Championship, with strong recruiting field strength out of the Bay Area.

California·Ages 8–18·Cost $
G

Golf Association of Philadelphia Junior

GAP Junior

Junior 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.

Mid-Atlantic·Ages 10–18·Cost $

Runs the historic William Hyndman III Junior Championship.

M

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.

Northeast·Ages 8–18·Cost $

Operates the Mass Junior Amateur, one of the oldest state junior championships in the U.S.

O

Oregon Golf Association Junior

OGA Junior

Junior 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.

Pacific·Ages 10–18·Cost $
I

Indiana Golf Junior

Indiana Junior Golf

Junior 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.

Midwest·Ages 8–18·Cost $
M

Minnesota Junior Golf

MN Junior Golf

Joint 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.

Midwest·Ages 8–18·Cost $

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.