What junior tours for Florida?

[Tugu]

Completely new to the American junior golf scene. Boys who are 14 and 17 have relocated back to Florida after years in Asia. We need some help navigating what tours or tourneys to join and play. There's seemingly alot tooting their own horn.

 

Many thanks.

Edited November 30, 2021 by Tugu

[heavy_hitter]

Depends where you are locating and level of the kids.

 

FJT is without question the best tour in Florida.

 

South Florida you have the SFPGA which is a well known good regional tour.

 

North Florida you have the North Florida Jr Golf Tour which is also a really good regional tour.

 

Central Florida their is Top 50 Jr. tour which is down the list.

 

Hurricane in Florida Orlando and north is decent if you cherry pick the events for guys.  Hurricane in South Florida is terrible.

 

Panhandle is pretty bad but can always do the SEJGT which is really good.

 

Southwest Florida is kind of week but SFPGA will host events over there.

 

Feel free to shoot me a PM.

Edited November 30, 2021 by heavy_hitter

[heavy_hitter]

Adding to this.  All have their faults.

[tiger1873]

Depends if you have boys or girls but I pretty much second what heavy has said.

 

The best  tours hands down are FJT and HJGT in Florida.  (although nothing is perfect) 

 

I'll give the parents  who have girls playing tournaments perspective.

 

HJGT-  Very good tour for girls in Orlando  some the fields can be extremely large with around 40 girls.  Also a lot elite academies are around Orlando and they send the kids to HJGT so this a big reason there good.   They also attract pretty good fields around Jacksonville.  Don't bother doing the ones in South Florida since they're not on very nice courses.

 

FJT- This is what you would expect from a state association. Overall pretty good   The big issue with FJT and girls is they tend to limit the size of the field and have a lottery.  They need to have girls only tournaments but they don't. What ends up is you have a 13-15 and 16-18 field with 20 spots or so for girls. Since it's a lottery your field varies a lot.  The 16-18 girls  exempt are the best tournaments.

 

Peggy Kirk  -  This is a great tour but they seem to have pulled out of florida. Watch their schedule because they do play in Georgia and Hilton Head.

 

For a girl everything else is not as attractive.

 

Top50 is garbage and the worst tour in florida this true for even boys. 

 

South Florida Junior PGA - Used to be one the better tours for girls. Still ok I think for boys.   For some reason the girls playing there tournaments has really taken a downturn.  Not sure why but it is most likely because after covid they have been playing too many awful courses. Some have been ok but some them were unfit to play.   Haven't seen the schedule for 2022 but it's anything like 2021,  I would avoid them especially for girls.

 

IMGtour-  Some the tournaments are ok but really can't fill a schedule with them.

 

I think  North Florida Junior PGA is good as well but you will play those kids in FJT and HJGT events.

 

 

 

 

 

Edited November 30, 2021 by tiger1873

[Tugu]

Thanks for the advice so far. Apologies, I forgot to mention I have 2 boys. Original post has now been edited.

[heavy_hitter]

1 hour ago, Tugu said:

Thanks for the advice so far. Apologies, I forgot to mention I have 2 boys. Original post has now been edited.

 

I forgot about IMG.  It is decent.  It is mostly their kids from the Academy that play in them with a few others sprinkled in.  They do a great job of hosting tournaments and honestly one of the better in the state.  They host the Junior Honda which is extremely well run.

 

I like FJT because the best players play in them.  FSGA does a good job of hosting.  Communications at times is poor.  Courses at times are WAY below average, but you do get the best bang for the buck because the fields are usually great.  FSGA setups just like USGA setups are often just stupid as well as decisions made to play the ball up and down.  FSGA has lost touch, in my opinion, on how golf should be played at the junior level.  This is where the big boys play though.

 

Hurricane's are well run tournaments.  Some of the best out there in terms of courses and generally how they are run and set up.  Unfortunately, in Florida you will find other tournaments have better players.

[kekoa]

I hear the Hurricane tour is very popular in Florida and has much larger fields than here in Cali.   A few local kids are headed out to play the championship this weekend and one of them is paired with CW.  Crazy stuff. 

[leezer99]

57 minutes ago, kekoa said:

I hear the Hurricane tour is very popular in Florida and has much larger fields than here in Cali.   A few local kids are headed out to play the championship this weekend and one of them is paired with CW.  Crazy stuff. 

 

Oh man, that's finally happening?  I feel like I've been getting invite emails for a year now.

[heavy_hitter]

11 hours ago, kekoa said:

I hear the Hurricane tour is very popular in Florida and has much larger fields than here in Cali.   A few local kids are headed out to play the championship this weekend and one of them is paired with CW.  Crazy stuff. 

 

The Hurricane is not popular in Florida.  Hurricane is a developmental tour.  In South Florida the events might have 20 kids.  In central Florida it is better, but wouldn't call it popular.  Central Florida gets some of the Academy kids.  They do host some big events that will have full fields in 54 hole events and some of the better courses.  Still wouldn't call it popular.  With that said, they do a good job of running the events.

 

They host all of their national championships in Central Florida because that is where their offices are located.

[heavy_hitter]

11 hours ago, kekoa said:

I hear the Hurricane tour is very popular in Florida and has much larger fields than here in Cali.   A few local kids are headed out to play the championship this weekend and one of them is paired with CW.  Crazy stuff. 

 

BJ will wear CW out.

[MB19]

On 11/30/2021 at 2:08 PM, tiger1873 said:

Depends if you have boys or girls but I pretty much second what heavy has said.

 

The best  tours hands down are FJT and HJGT in Florida.  (although nothing is perfect) 

 

I'll give the parents  who have girls playing tournaments perspective.

 

HJGT-  Very good tour for girls in Orlando  some the fields can be extremely large with around 40 girls.  Also a lot elite academies are around Orlando and they send the kids to HJGT so this a big reason there good.   They also attract pretty good fields around Jacksonville.  Don't bother doing the ones in South Florida since they're not on very nice courses.

 

FJT- This is what you would expect from a state association. Overall pretty good   The big issue with FJT and girls is they tend to limit the size of the field and have a lottery.  They need to have girls only tournaments but they don't. What ends up is you have a 13-15 and 16-18 field with 20 spots or so for girls. Since it's a lottery your field varies a lot.  The 16-18 girls  exempt are the best tournaments.

 

Peggy Kirk  -  This is a great tour but they seem to have pulled out of florida. Watch their schedule because they do play in Georgia and Hilton Head.

 

For a girl everything else is not as attractive.

 

Top50 is garbage and the worst tour in florida this true for even boys. 

 

South Florida Junior PGA - Used to be one the better tours for girls. Still ok I think for boys.   For some reason the girls playing there tournaments has really taken a downturn.  Not sure why but it is most likely because after covid they have been playing too many awful courses. Some have been ok but some them were unfit to play.   Haven't seen the schedule for 2022 but it's anything like 2021,  I would avoid them especially for girls.

 

IMGtour-  Some the tournaments are ok but really can't fill a schedule with them.

 

I think  North Florida Junior PGA is good as well but you will play those kids in FJT and HJGT events.

 

 

 

 

 

I'd like to add Red Hills Junior Tour to this if you are in northern FL (Jacksonville/Tallahassee).  They play some nice venues and the prices are reasonable.  The fields are hit and miss, but there should be some talent for your boys to compete against at their ages.

[heavy_hitter]

1 hour ago, MB19 said:

I'd like to add Red Hills Junior Tour to this if you are in northern FL (Jacksonville/Tallahassee).  They play some nice venues and the prices are reasonable.  The fields are hit and miss, but there should be some talent for your boys to compete against at their ages.

Love you MB, but at the ages of 14 and 17 the Red Hills is no bueno at the competitive level.  It is a developmental tour at best suited for kids 13 and under.  Anyone in the area of North Florida in the 14-18 age group that is a player isn't touching this one.  Distances are too short for that age group and for the next level, coaches are passing.  Will actually hurt your JGS rankings to play in these even if you win.

 

If you are in North Florida/Panhandle area it is all about the SEJGT at a competitive level.

Edited December 2, 2021 by heavy_hitter

[MB19]

14 minutes ago, heavy_hitter said:

Love you MB, but at the ages of 14 and 17 the Red Hills is no bueno at the competitive level.  It is a developmental tour at best suited for kids 13 and under.  Anyone in the area of North Florida in the 14-18 age group that is a player isn't touching this one.  Distances are too short for that age group and for the next level, coaches are passing.  Will actually hurt your JGS rankings to play in these even if you win.

 

If you are in North Florida/Panhandle area it is all about the SEJGT at a competitive level.

I’ve seen some pretty good Tallahassee-area HS players in these, but I will default to your knowledge here.

 

OP never told us what level of competition he was looking for, nor did he tell us what part of FL he was in—just trying to cover bases for people who forget about north FL.

[BloctonGolf11]

1 hour ago, MB19 said:

I'd like to add Red Hills Junior Tour to this if you are in northern FL (Jacksonville/Tallahassee).  They play some nice venues and the prices are reasonable.  The fields are hit and miss, but there should be some talent for your boys to compete against at their ages.

We did a Red Hills in the Spring and it was extremely well run and everyone was very kind. Definitely a developmental feel to it but also extremely well run. 

[heavy_hitter]

2 minutes ago, BloctonGolf11 said:

We did a Red Hills in the Spring and it was extremely well run and everyone was very kind. Definitely a developmental feel to it but also extremely well run. 

Yep.  Not knocking developmental as they are most definitely needed.  Glad to hear they are well run.  The fields in the older divisions are lacking in numbers and the talent to be competitive at the SEJGT or FJT levels.  

[kekoa]

4 hours ago, heavy_hitter said:

 

BJ will wear CW out.

Why do you say that?  Played with BJ a ton and hear CW is improving a lot.  Haven't had a chance to see his scores lately though.  Note BJ is 13 as well even though he looks 11. 

[leezer99]

3 minutes ago, kekoa said:

Why do you say that?  Played with BJ a ton and hear CW is improving a lot.  Haven't had a chance to see his scores lately though.  Note BJ is 13 as well even though he looks 11. 

I don’t think TW shows up with the Hero going on this weekend.  

[heavy_hitter]

9 minutes ago, kekoa said:

Why do you say that?  Played with BJ a ton and hear CW is improving a lot.  Haven't had a chance to see his scores lately though.  Note BJ is 13 as well even though he looks 11. 

Until he proves it on the course, CW is below average.  He is way down the list of accomplished golfers in South Florida.  Even so much so I would bet little Kekoa even taking him.  His last Hurricane was 89-84 in October.  His Hurricane Average is an 83 while BJ is at a 72.  The SFPGA events he played and won doesn't mention it was on the lowest level of their circuit.  The better players in his age group had already moved on to 2 day tournaments.  Had they printed that, then there is no story.  His upside, however, is unlimited resources.  If his dad wasn't who his dad was, no one would know about him and his golf.

Edited December 2, 2021 by heavy_hitter

[kekoa]

1 hour ago, leezer99 said:

I don’t think TW shows up with the Hero going on this weekend.  

Never know.  Hop on the private jet and he can be there pretty quick 🙂

[tiger1873]

18 minutes ago, kekoa said:

Never know.  Hop on the private jet and he can be there pretty quick 🙂

 

Tiger likes being at CW events.  You never know when tiger will pull up to the range with CW.  Also if there is a rain delay you end up sitting under cover with them. No one bothers them which is the cool thing. 

[tiger1873]

6 hours ago, heavy_hitter said:

 

The Hurricane is not popular in Florida.  Hurricane is a developmental tour.  In South Florida the events might have 20 kids.  In central Florida it is better, but wouldn't call it popular.  Central Florida gets some of the Academy kids.  They do host some big events that will have full fields in 54 hole events and some of the better courses.  Still wouldn't call it popular.  With that said, they do a good job of running the events.

 

They host all of their national championships in Central Florida because that is where their offices are located.

 

Hurricane is Very much a developmental tour for kids that want to play nationally that is why so many academies use them. 

 

My understanding is it's goal was to pretty much sit between the local pga and AJGA.   I think it does a pretty good job of having kids play nicer courses and enabling them a chance to compete with players from around the country.  

 

I think it sometimes people complain because some people try and make it more then what it is.  It isn't a replacement for State associations like FJT or AJGA.   

 

Personally I think kids between 13-16 get the most out there events.

 

 

 

 

[kekoa]

CW withdrew from the event.  :(.  

[tiger1873]

6 hours ago, kekoa said:

CW withdrew from the event.  :(.  

 

This happens a lot.  When tiger shows up there is almost always a police presence at the course.   It has to be hard to schedule everything and worry about media attention. 

 

From what I can tell tiger would be out there every week like us if he could.  

[Medson]

9 hours ago, kekoa said:

CW withdrew from the event.  :(.  

Need to put in some extra hours for PNC? 😎

[heavy_hitter]

On 11/30/2021 at 12:15 PM, Tugu said:

Completely new to the American junior golf scene. Boys who are 14 and 17 have relocated back to Florida after years in Asia. We need some help navigating what tours or tourneys to join and play. There's seemingly alot tooting their own horn.

 

Many thanks.

 

 

On 11/30/2021 at 2:39 PM, Tugu said:

Thanks for the advice so far. Apologies, I forgot to mention I have 2 boys. Original post has now been edited.

Bringing this back up because I know who your boy's are.  FJT is great, but you have to pick the venues carefully.  FJT does a HORRIBLE job of setting up El Campeon at Mission Inn.  That course CAN be scoreable playing over 6800 yds, but they don't have it set up to be scoreable.  Mission Inn, in my opinion, is becoming a dump.  Greens are OK.  The rest of the course is in horrible shape.  Poorly maintained fairways, roots growing up everywhere, trees not trimmed in appropriate spots making certain tee shots more difficult for right handers vs. left and vice versa, random cinder blocks laying laying in rough areas between trees.  This course has become overplayed by tournament golfers and it shows. When you watch players come off the course when FJT sets it up, they look beat up.  Just not a fun golf course to play.  This venue needs a complete overhaul.