🏆 Tournament selection: the topic that never goes away
One of the most common — and hardest — questions to tackle in junior golf is how do we select the right golf tournaments for our kids? And if there's one thing I've learned over the years as a junior golf parent, it's that not every tournament is the right
tournament.
It can be really easy to get caught up in rankings, prestige, or where everyone else seems to be playing, but the best tournament schedule for a junior golfer is one that matches where they are right now in their development.
For younger or newer players, that might mean choosing events where they can gain experience, learn tournament routines, and feel what it’s like to be “in it” coming down the stretch. For more advanced players, it may mean seeking out stronger fields and tougher golf courses that expose weaknesses and prepare them for the next level.
I also think families sometimes underestimate how draining a packed tournament calendar can become (trust me, we are quite guilty of this). Travel, practice rounds, missed family time, and the mental grind add up quickly and take more of a toll than we might realize.
This is where you may want to rely on using a mix of events as you build your schedule. This could include:
- Confidence-building tournaments
- Challenging tournaments
- Local events with less pressure
- Bigger events that create excitement and
motivation
Tournament selection can be hard to navigate, which is why I want to make sure you know about a resource available to you. Coach Michael Burcin and his team at Under Par Consulting, now offer a Junior Golf Scheduling session. You can work with him so you're not just guessing on which tournaments are a better fit — you can get personalized advice and data to back it up.
This is a service I wish we had before we put Hamilton into some questionable events or wore ourselves out with unnecessary travel!
🗞️ Junior golf news
- I love reading the U.S. Open qualifying stories, like this one from a former junior golfer in Tallahassee, FL.
- More stories on the road to qualifying for the U.S. Junior Amateur and U.S. Girls Junior in 2026.
- Get inspired with this junior golfer's story and what he's accomplishing after beating cancer.
- Another testament of what participating in junior golf competitions can do for a child's overall well-being!
