JGS subscription worth it?

[tiger1873]

29 minutes ago, BloctonGolf11 said:

If you haven't seen a top D1 program sign girls who haven't played a ton of AJGA you aren't looking very hard Tiger, they are everywhere. Take a couple of minutes and look through the SEC and you will see plenty. You want this to be true because it fits your narrative but facts are stubborn things Tiger. 

 

The majority of girls who play in a Top 20 D1 program played quite a few AJGA events.  The ones that didn't are the exception not the norm.

 

If your goal is to play in a top 20 program then having some success with AJGA is something you want to happen.

 

Girls can get recruited by D1 and never play AGJA but usually those are lower ranked schools.  The might even get a better education and be ultimately happier at a lower ranked school. 

 

I hear this all the time girls parents who say their kid is going to Duke or Stanford but the kid isn't winning AJGA events.   Nice if it happens but it's not a realistic chance unless they do something to stand out. The reality is there probably going to a really good DII school and should be focusing on that instead.

[BloctonGolf11]

8 minutes ago, tiger1873 said:

 

The majority of girls who play in a Top 20 D1 program played quite a few AJGA events.  The ones that didn't are the exception not the norm.

 

If your goal is to play in a top 20 program then having some success with AJGA is something you want to happen.

 

Girls can get recruited by D1 and never play AGJA but usually those are lower ranked schools.  The might even get a better education and be ultimately happier at a lower ranked school. 

 

I hear this all the time girls parents who say their kid is going to Duke or Stanford but the kid isn't winning AJGA events.   Nice if it happens but it's not a realistic chance unless they do something to stand out. The reality is there probably going to a really good DII school and should be focusing on that instead.

Thank you for again proving my point. Tiger you have got to stop doing this on the forum. Majority does not equal all.

 

Step 1 from you: This never happens or this always happens

 

Step 2 from someone: No not all the time or not for everyone.

 

Step 3 from you: Okay but it isn't the norm.

 

You said you have to play AJGA to play D1 then backtracked because you know it is not true. You then said you can't go high level D1 as a female without playing heavy AJGA when 10 minutes of research proves that is completely false and you can. Just because many do does not mean it is a necessity Tiger. You commonly write in absolutes and then have to backtrack.

Edited January 13, 2022 by BloctonGolf11

[tiger1873]

1 hour ago, BloctonGolf11 said:

Thank you for again proving my point. Tiger you have got to stop doing this on the forum. Majority does not equal all.

 

Step 1 from you: This never happens or this always happens

 

Step 2 from someone: No not all the time or not for everyone.

 

Step 3 from you: Okay but it isn't the norm.

 

You said you have to play AJGA to play D1 then backtracked because you know it is not true. You then said you can't go high level D1 as a female without playing heavy AJGA when 10 minutes of research proves that is completely false and you can. Just because many do does not mean it is a necessity Tiger. You commonly write in absolutes and then have to backtrack.

 

I haven't changed my position at all.  I said if you want to play a top 20 D1 program you have to play AJGA.  If you don't play AJGA the odds are pretty slim of you getting a spot on those teams.

 

If you have a goal to play a top 20 D1 program you need to be playing AJGA.   Also you want to be playing their tournaments as well. and if your not winning AJGA events chances are you never going to get to play.  Lots those kids on the roster of top20 programs never play.

 

Some these programs recruit kids  as 2nd or 3rd tier lines that are backups on the team.  You don't want to be those kids they are better off in a lower program.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited January 13, 2022 by tiger1873

[BloctonGolf11]

13 minutes ago, tiger1873 said:

 

I haven't changed my position at all.  I said if you want to play a top 20 D1 program you have to play AJGA.  If you don't play AJGA the odds are pretty slim of you getting a spot on those teams.

 

If you have a goal to play a top 20 D1 program you need to be playing AJGA.   Also you want to be playing their tournaments as well. and if your not winning AJGA events chances are you never going to get to play.  Lots those kids on the roster of top20 programs never play.

 

Some these programs recruit kids  as 2nd or 3rd tier lines that are backups on the team.  You don't want to be those kids they are better off in a lower program.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Tiger: You have to play AJGA to play top D1

 

Everyone: Not true examples otherwise. Not hard to find. 

 

Also Tiger: The majority of girls who play in a Top 20 D1 program played quite a few AJGA events.  The ones that didn't are the exception not the norm.

 

Also Tiger: I haven't changed my position at all. I said if you want to play a top 20 D1 program you HAVE to play AJGA.

 

Seriously, can you not comprehend your own words and how they don't make sense? 

Edited January 13, 2022 by BloctonGolf11

[leezer99]

Do D1 schools look at WD's?  What if my kid has two WD's after shooting in the mid 80's in the first round?

[Movingday]

1 hour ago, BloctonGolf11 said:

My son is 12 so we are just now hitting the point of when tournaments matter, and yeah sorry fellas but that regional win at 8 years old doesn't matter in the grand scheme of things.

 

We will keep a schedule of 8 - 10 multi day tournaments through the time he graduates High School. I don't consider one dayers you do close to your house as "tournaments" as those are just essentially tuning up and keeping yourself sharp. I am not going to spam tournaments and drive him around the country every weekend to play golf just to boost points. It is not necessary. Establish a resume that shows the level of golf you play and are capable of playing and it will take care of itself. This is partly because golf is a massive secondary to my son when it comes to college plans. His job is school, golf is second and he knows that. He has no desire at the moment to play high level college golf. He loves golf and is learning to really love competitive golf. The money you get from a solid academic scholarship will dwarf athletic scholarships anyway. However, you can find massive numbers of kids who are playing high level D1 golf who stuck to 8 - 12 ranked tournaments a year. Around here we have a wonderful tour, the SJGT. He will play 5-8 of those a year, the state junior, and a few other independent big tournaments and call it a day every year. If he wants to try to qualify for an AJGA here and there, as we have several within close distance, we will but we will not go trudging around the country chasing AJGA stars.

Thank you. That distinction between local 1 day and ranked 2 days makes sense now. Last year my oldest (13) played 8 local 1 day and 6 2 day tournaments. This year my plan was more in the 8 and 8 range. We stay within 1.5 hours with the exception of maybe twice a year. So definitely not traveling the world. I spent almost 25 years coaching HS ball, so have seen the “travel” sports world for a long time. Promised myself we would go down that rabbit hole at a young age. More than happy to start venturing out a little more as he gets into high school. My 10 year old only plays local 1 day events and that won’t change for a few years. It’s possible I could play him in some US kids because I think worlds would be a cool experience, but I’m still iffy on that as well

[BloctonGolf11]

1 minute ago, Movingday said:

Thank you. That distinction between local 1 day and ranked 2 days makes sense now. Last year my oldest (13) played 8 local 1 day and 6 2 day tournaments. This year my plan was more in the 8 and 8 range. We stay within 1.5 hours with the exception of maybe twice a year. So definitely not traveling the world. I spent almost 25 years coaching HS ball, so have seen the “travel” sports world for a long time. Promised myself we would go down that rabbit hole at a young age. More than happy to start venturing out a little more as he gets into high school. My 10 year old only plays local 1 day events and that won’t change for a few years. It’s possible I could play him in some US kids because I think worlds would be a cool experience, but I’m still iffy on that as well

My son will play a summer series here locally that are 1 dayers every year. Partially because they play amazing courses that are exclusive, including two courses one of which hosts an annual Champions Major and one that has hosted both the PGA Championship and Womens US Open, and partly because if you play on the tour for awhile you qualify for a nice little scholarship. Also, the one dayers are great to work on things. However, the one dayers are not really "tournaments" in my book by the time you get to the tournaments mattering. The people playing 15 and 20+ multi day tournaments are points chasing or doing it for the wrong reasons. You are tempting major burn out and honestly just throwing money away. Pick your tournaments wisely.

[tiger1873]

Just now, BloctonGolf11 said:

Tiger: The majority of girls who play in a Top 20 D1 program played quite a few AJGA events.  The ones that didn't are the exception not the norm.

 

Also Tiger: I haven't changed my position at all. I said if you want to play a top 20 D1 program you HAVE to play AJGA.

 

Seriously, can you not comprehend your own words?

 

What do you not understand don't waste your time and the college coaches time if you not playing AJGA and doing well at a top 20 program.   This not something worth arguing about.   I really don't care if someone sometime got on a top team by not playing AJGA.  

 

The top programs want to win championships they are not interested in players who need to develop.  If you fit into their machine they will love you if you don't they will not even give you the time of day.  Some these programs have a lot bitter kids.

Most of us on this board can play AJGA pretty easily.  No need to make up reason why we shouldn't be playing them.  AJGA played nationally and everyone has a few events within 500 miles of them.  If you do well in them your options opens up pretty simple.

 

The biggest thing I am learning is keep an open mind about schools and don't just look at what is popular.

 

 

[BloctonGolf11]

4 minutes ago, tiger1873 said:

 

What do you not understand don't waste your time and the college coaches time if you not playing AJGA and doing well at a top 20 program.   This not something worth arguing about.   I really don't care if someone sometime got on a top team by not playing AJGA.  

 

The top programs want to win championships they are not interested in players who need to develop.  If you fit into their machine they will love you if you don't they will not even give you the time of day.  Some these programs have a lot bitter kids.

Most of us on this board can play AJGA pretty easily.  No need to make up reason why we shouldn't be playing them.  AJGA played nationally and everyone has a few events within 500 miles of them.  If you do well in them your options opens up pretty simple.

 

The biggest thing I am learning is keep an open mind about schools and don't just look at what is popular.

 

 

No where did I say don't play AJGA, in fact I said specifically it can absolute help recruiting.

 

All I pointed out was yet again you stating erroneous information, which you strangely admitted to being erroneous, then claimed wasn't erroneous. 

 

Facts

Does AJGA help recruiting? Of course.

You do not HAVE to play AJGA to play at a D1 and even high performing D1s. (You said otherwise, 10 minutes of research shows this to be false, then backtracked then un-backtracked.)

There are other options besides being focused on AJGA stars and results. 

Full stop, that is it. 

[tiger1873]

25 minutes ago, Movingday said:

Thank you. That distinction between local 1 day and ranked 2 days makes sense now. Last year my oldest (13) played 8 local 1 day and 6 2 day tournaments. This year my plan was more in the 8 and 8 range. We stay within 1.5 hours with the exception of maybe twice a year. So definitely not traveling the world. I spent almost 25 years coaching HS ball, so have seen the “travel” sports world for a long time. Promised myself we would go down that rabbit hole at a young age. More than happy to start venturing out a little more as he gets into high school. My 10 year old only plays local 1 day events and that won’t change for a few years. It’s possible I could play him in some US kids because I think worlds would be a cool experience, but I’m still iffy on that as well

 

How serious are you about golf?   If you just want to play some high school golf and do things for recreation or maybe play with them on the weekends then what I am about to say doesn't matter.  Nothing wrong with recreation golf for kids.

 

If you want to be competitive you want them at around 12 or 13 to be playing 2 days of golf with 36 holes without a caddie on a regular basis.

 

1 day events are far different then multi day events.  It's easy to have a hot day and win 1 day but gets harder to win the more days they add.  The mental game improves a lot with 2 day events.

 

If you wait until high school other kids will be playing quite a few 3 and even some 4 day events.  You kid will have to catch up. You don't have to play every weekend but at least once a month.  Some kids can play more some that is too much. 

 

I'd also say travel a bit when there younger nothing too far but see if they like it. Seen a lot kids just not do well with travel and they went on to something else.

 

 

Edited January 13, 2022 by tiger1873

[Movingday]

@tiger1873 a lot of what I keep seeing you refer to as “kids not liking” is most likely burn out from parents getting caught up in the youth sports “arms race” at a very young age. Pre-puberty athletics means absolutely nothing when it comes to future success. That’s about parents egos. 
I am interested in what others do from about 13 years old and on, because I am new to competitive golf, also won’t get caught up in chasing the “my kid will play at a top 20 D1 dream”. If they end up being that good, then it’s pretty damn obvious and I’ll get them the exposure needed. 
I’m currently working on this years schedule. Planning about one 2 day a month during the school year and probably 2 a month in the summer (all within 2 hour drives). Then about one 1 day a week in June and July. That sounds about in line with what @BloctonGolf11was saying he does. 

[BloctonGolf11]

3 minutes ago, Movingday said:

@tiger1873 a lot of what I keep seeing you refer to as “kids not liking” is most likely burn out from parents getting caught up in the youth sports “arms race” at a very young age. Pre-puberty athletics means absolutely nothing when it comes to future success. That’s about parents egos. 
I am interested in what others do from about 13 years old and on, because I am new to competitive golf, also won’t get caught up in chasing the “my kid will play at a top 20 D1 dream”. If they end up being that good, then it’s pretty damn obvious and I’ll get them the exposure needed. 
I’m currently working on this years schedule. Planning about one 2 day a month during the school year and probably 2 a month in the summer (all within 2 hour drives). Then about one 1 day a week in June and July. That sounds about in line with what @BloctonGolf11was saying he does. 

[tiger1873]

9 minutes ago, Movingday said:

@tiger1873 a lot of what I keep seeing you refer to as “kids not liking” is most likely burn out from parents getting caught up in the youth sports “arms race” at a very young age. Pre-puberty athletics means absolutely nothing when it comes to future success. That’s about parents egos. 
I am interested in what others do from about 13 years old and on, because I am new to competitive golf, also won’t get caught up in chasing the “my kid will play at a top 20 D1 dream”. If they end up being that good, then it’s pretty damn obvious and I’ll get them the exposure needed. 
I’m currently working on this years schedule. Planning about one 2 day a month during the school year and probably 2 a month in the summer (all within 2 hour drives). Then about one 1 day a week in June and July. That sounds about in line with what @BloctonGolf11was saying he does. 

 

Some kids don't like playing the whole weekend in golf. You can tell the second day they just don't perform and they rather being doing something else.

 

When you kid is young you want to expose them to sports and if they like it encourage them.  A kid who loves something has a hard time burning out.  If I was you I would be more worried about is your kid self motivated to practice at their age or not. This where parents go wrong.  Kids doesn't like golf but they are playing every weekend. Some kids like mine get mad if they don't play every weekend.   

 

If you're playing one 2 day tournament a month then your fine. No need to play more.   You can also play 3 or 4 weeks in a row and take a few weeks off.  Sometimes that is easier to schedule.

[Nard_S]

57 minutes ago, Movingday said:

Pre-puberty athletics means absolutely nothing when it comes to future success. That’s about parents egos.

 

Pre-puberty athletics results mean absolutely nothing.

It's a tough call, to determine how much, how rigorous and how soon you ramp up. Keep it fun but keep it developmental too. If a kid decides at 13 he's gunning for varsity high school position with little prior experience, it's wishful thinking. Does not work in football or basketball at all. 

[Movingday]

57 minutes ago, Nard_S said:

 

Pre-puberty athletics results mean absolutely nothing.

It's a tough call, to determine how much, how rigorous and how soon you ramp up. Keep it fun but keep it developmental too. If a kid decides at 13 he's gunning for varsity high school position with little prior experience, it's wishful thinking. Does not work in football or basketball at all. 

Yes, results is what I meant. Of course being exposed to athletics at a young age is a good thing and skill based sports definitely need some early involvement.  Different argument,  but I would disagree on football. I’ve seen several kids start playing football in high school and end up at a major D1. Basketball I 100% agree

[heavy_hitter]

1. Is JGS considered THE ranking system? I’m assuming there are other? This will be our first year playing in tournaments that give JGS points (I guess points?) They are 2 day with JGS listed next to them. Sneds Tour TN for reference

 

There are others, but JGS is what coaches use the most.  Unless top 10% player, Rolex is useless.  I like Golf Weeks System because I think they take more into consideration than JGS.  College coaches check it out,but JGS is the big one.  WAGR is pretty much useless as well for a beginning junior.  Junior Golf Hub is trying to become a player in the game and will be unfolding a system.

 

2. Do rankings reset each year or is it cumulative and built up over years? 

 

I think this has been answered.  It is on a 12 month cycle.  You must have a minimum of 4 multi-day tournaments to stay ranked.  If you played a tournament last weekend it will drop off next year after the last tournament date.

3. can a poor ranking early in career make it harder to pull that ranking up? I guess the question is if a player improves a ton over a season or 2, would they have been better off not playing in ranking tournaments prior to the improvements or does it have no effect?

 

No.  The number that counts most on JGS is the scoring differential.  This is the players score minus the course rating.  JGS drops the lowest 25% of scoring differentials or keeps the best 75% however you look at it.  If you play four 36 hole tournaments, that is 8 rounds.  JGS will drop 2 rounds.  If you play 10 rounds the number is 2.5 which is still 2 rounds dropped.  They don't drop another until it hits 2.75.

 

4. I’ve seen scoring differential mentioned and that makes sense, does this effect rankings? Is strength of field a bigger factor than score? If a kid shoots a low score on a tough course but the field isn’t strong how does this translate?

 

As I mentioned before, this is the number 1 factor.  Just starting out in 11-12 year old age divisions, depending on where you are at, the strength of field isn't a concern.  Just play.  Tours also have wide gaps in how they run their age divisions.  If you want to shoot me a dm of what tour you are looking at I can expand on it for your area.

 

Second part of the question, Scores over strength of field.  Only thing the strength of field really effects is possibly getting a better course rating.

 

5. If a kid can play, puts up legit scores on a state tour like Sneds, is that enough to play in college? Or is it necessary to play in some of the more regional tour type tournaments?

 

Really depends on the level.  Sneds is a good regional tour.  My opinion is depending on the level, the kid will probably need something a little better than the Sneds.  If he wants to play at a D2-D3 or low level D1 like Middle Tennessee State than probably not.  

 

6. What age would most of this start to really matter. I’ve been involved in other sports and usually somewhere around soph/junior year in Hs is when recruiting starts to pick up, same for golf?

 

Top 1% kids are being offered at 13 years old through swing coaches.  My opinion is for a girl it is never too late.  A guy deciding he wants to play collegiality, after the 9th grade is starting the process too late for high to mid D1.  By the kids junior years the mid to high D1 offers have already been offered.  At that point they would be looking for the lat bloomer.

 

7. How in the hell do you afford junior golf! 

 

It is flipping expensive.  I would guess low end between coach, strength, membership to a club, entry fees we are talking 10K a year easy.  High End there are people spending 30K a year when you add in Trackman payments etc.

 

I know Blocton said 8-10 mulit day tournaments a year.  I agree with that for up to 8th grade.  Once they hit the 8th grade the sweet spot is 10-15 a year.  Anymore than 18 and college coaches may avoid the kid  altogether because it is a sign the parent is pushing to hard (burnout).

Edited January 13, 2022 by heavy_hitter

[Nard_S]

44 minutes ago, Movingday said:

Different argument,  but I would disagree on football. I’ve seen several kids start playing football in high school and end up at a major D1. Basketball I 100% agree

My son has two friends, one has a  D3, the other has D1 offer on football. Been playing since 7. Even won a "National Championship" at 13. Real long haul. I can see programs taking chances on speed, size & wing span. That happens in basketball too but if a kid has little AAU youth behind them, crazy odds even to make high school varsity.

 

The interesting part is how they develop. A kid needs enough immersion and challenge to fail. The kid who wins or always does well can end up at a disadvantage to the kid that was over looked or bypassed too often. There's an ebb & flow to development. A taste of fail and the resilience to rise past it is gold. Seen it first hand, on several occasions.

 

 

[heavy_hitter]

1 minute ago, Nard_S said:

My son has two friends, one has a  D3, the other has D1 offer on football. Been playing since 7. Even won a "National Championship" at 13. Real long haul. I can see programs taking chances on speed, size & wing span. That happens in basketball too but if a kid has little AAU youth behind them, crazy odds even to make high school varsity.

 

The interesting part is how they develop. A kid needs enough immersion and challenge to fail. The kid who wins or always does well can end up at a disadvantage to the kid that was over looked or bypassed too often. There's an ebb & flow to development. A taste of fail and the resilience to rise past it is gold. Seen it first hand, on several occasions.

 

 

 

Schools most definitely will take a kid based on intangibles.  I coached a kid in basketball that was 6'6", body of an Adonis, could jump our of the gym, could run, and wind span was that of a 7 footer.  HS coach talked him into playing football.  Kid was a terrible defensive end.  He went to University of Kentucky based on the intangibles though he was a terrible HS football player.  Got a degree from the school and played a maybe a total of 20 downs his career.

[leezer99]

If you're not in the finals at Drive Chip & Putt you should just go ahead and start looking at Juco schools.

[Movingday]

2 hours ago, leezer99 said:

If you're not in the finals at Drive Chip & Putt you should just go ahead and start looking at Juco schools.

This is the kind of stuff I was looking for right here! @leezer99bringing the heat!

[Movingday]

3 hours ago, heavy_hitter said:

1. Is JGS considered THE ranking system? I’m assuming there are other? This will be our first year playing in tournaments that give JGS points (I guess points?) They are 2 day with JGS listed next to them. Sneds Tour TN for reference

 

There are others, but JGS is what coaches use the most.  Unless top 10% player, Rolex is useless.  I like Golf Weeks System because I think they take more into consideration than JGS.  College coaches check it out,but JGS is the big one.  WAGR is pretty much useless as well for a beginning junior.  Junior Golf Hub is trying to become a player in the game and will be unfolding a system.

 

2. Do rankings reset each year or is it cumulative and built up over years? 

 

I think this has been answered.  It is on a 12 month cycle.  You must have a minimum of 4 multi-day tournaments to stay ranked.  If you played a tournament last weekend it will drop off next year after the last tournament date.

3. can a poor ranking early in career make it harder to pull that ranking up? I guess the question is if a player improves a ton over a season or 2, would they have been better off not playing in ranking tournaments prior to the improvements or does it have no effect?

 

No.  The number that counts most on JGS is the scoring differential.  This is the players score minus the course rating.  JGS drops the lowest 25% of scoring differentials or keeps the best 75% however you look at it.  If you play four 36 hole tournaments, that is 8 rounds.  JGS will drop 2 rounds.  If you play 10 rounds the number is 2.5 which is still 2 rounds dropped.  They don't drop another until it hits 2.75.

 

4. I’ve seen scoring differential mentioned and that makes sense, does this effect rankings? Is strength of field a bigger factor than score? If a kid shoots a low score on a tough course but the field isn’t strong how does this translate?

 

As I mentioned before, this is the number 1 factor.  Just starting out in 11-12 year old age divisions, depending on where you are at, the strength of field isn't a concern.  Just play.  Tours also have wide gaps in how they run their age divisions.  If you want to shoot me a dm of what tour you are looking at I can expand on it for your area.

 

Second part of the question, Scores over strength of field.  Only thing the strength of field really effects is possibly getting a better course rating.

 

5. If a kid can play, puts up legit scores on a state tour like Sneds, is that enough to play in college? Or is it necessary to play in some of the more regional tour type tournaments?

 

Really depends on the level.  Sneds is a good regional tour.  My opinion is depending on the level, the kid will probably need something a little better than the Sneds.  If he wants to play at a D2-D3 or low level D1 like Middle Tennessee State than probably not.  

 

6. What age would most of this start to really matter. I’ve been involved in other sports and usually somewhere around soph/junior year in Hs is when recruiting starts to pick up, same for golf?

 

Top 1% kids are being offered at 13 years old through swing coaches.  My opinion is for a girl it is never too late.  A guy deciding he wants to play collegiality, after the 9th grade is starting the process too late for high to mid D1.  By the kids junior years the mid to high D1 offers have already been offered.  At that point they would be looking for the lat bloomer.

 

7. How in the hell do you afford junior golf! 

 

It is flipping expensive.  I would guess low end between coach, strength, membership to a club, entry fees we are talking 10K a year easy.  High End there are people spending 30K a year when you add in Trackman payments etc.

 

I know Blocton said 8-10 mulit day tournaments a year.  I agree with that for up to 8th grade.  Once they hit the 8th grade the sweet spot is 10-15 a year.  Anymore than 18 and college coaches may avoid the kid  altogether because it is a sign the parent is pushing to hard (burnout).

Thank you. That’s all very helpful

[Movingday]

Top 1% kids are being offered at 13 years old through swing coaches.  My opinion is for a girl it is never too late.  A guy deciding he wants to play collegiality, after the 9th grade is starting the process too late for high to mid D1.  By the kids junior years the mid to high D1 offers have already been offered.  At that point they would be looking for the lat bloomer.

 

@heavy_hitter This is the part that amazes me. Seems to be the biggest difference from golf and the other sports I’ve been around. I’ve seen many a Bball/Football kid play their way into a D1 scholly as a senior. I’m guessing that’s a numbers thing?

Edited January 14, 2022 by Movingday

[leezer99]

I sent an email to the folks at JGS to chime in here. We can all speculate and b**** but it might be better if we actually hear from them. Whether they do or not is another story. 

[TripleBogeysrbetter]

13 hours ago, leezer99 said:

I sent an email to the folks at JGS to chime in here. We can all speculate and b**** but it might be better if we actually hear from them. Whether they do or not is another story. 

Hopefully, Shooter is on the payroll at JGS and we can get a ruling.  Miss that dude!

[rlee323]

I started using paid JGS during high school [I was late] and I think heavy_hitter is right - worth paying for it IMHO around 8th grade for boys (maybe 9th grade for girls - definite difference between boys and girls but the gap is shrinking).  At the JGS site under  Rankings&Honors, you can go to the College Signings and see the scoring differentials - this data will let you know how far away your junior is golfwise from the schools he or she is looking to play at as you you can see your junior's ranking and differential for free.  I think the $32 is worth it for the benefit of seeing how your junior's scoring differential changes for each tournament played and seeing the details of the results from the various tournaments easily - you can see what tournaments your junior's competitors are playing and it's helpful to plan your junior's schedule. We've stopped doing any tournaments that don't qualify for JGS posting. The JGS cost is small relative to your total annual junior golf budget from tournaments [entry fees, travel], equipment, practice facility usage/private club dues/public course green fees, etc.  

[mrshinsa]

Well I finally caved in and signed up.  Here are my observations:

 

The way JGS is ranked is following:

65% is scoring differential, 25% is strength of field, and 10% is wins/top5/top10.  

No matter how everyone gripes about JGS, it's clear that scoring differential does not lie.

i.e.  no player with 4.xx will be ranked higher than players with 3.xx and so on. 

 

Also interesting is the state ranking, with California, Texas and Florida on top.  

 

Another interesting point is the number of tournaments kids play.  

There are kids who are ranked high by playing only 4 tournaments.  

And then there are kids who play insane amount of tournaments, 25+!!!

Playing more does not equal higher ranking.

 

Moral of the story is go out and shoot low!  Forget about who you're playing with/against.  

Your biggest competitor is the course itself.

 

I've always heard and thought that JGS was BS, but I think my opinion may have shifted a bit.  

Edited January 24, 2022 by mrshinsa

[BloctonGolf11]

4 minutes ago, mrshinsa said:

Well I finally caved in and signed up.  Here are my observations:

 

The way JGS is ranked is following:

65% is scoring differential, 25% is strength of field, and 10% is wins/top5/top10.  

No matter how everyone gripes about JGS, it's clear that scoring differential does not lie.

i.e.  no player with 4.xx will be ranked higher than players with 3.xx and so on. 

 

Also interesting is the state ranking, with California, Texas and Florida on top.  

 

Another interesting point is the number of tournaments kids play.  

There are kids who are ranked high by playing only 4 tournaments.  

And then there are kids who play insane amount of tournaments, 25+!!!

 

Moral of the story is go out and shoot low!  Forget about who you're playing with/against.  

Your biggest competitor is the course itself.

 

I've always heard and thought that JGS was BS, but I think my opinion may have shifted a bit.  

Cali Texas and Florida will always be on top based on simple math of having massive populations and the climate. 

[tiger1873]

16 hours ago, mrshinsa said:

Well I finally caved in and signed up.  Here are my observations:

 

The way JGS is ranked is following:

65% is scoring differential, 25% is strength of field, and 10% is wins/top5/top10.  

No matter how everyone gripes about JGS, it's clear that scoring differential does not lie.

i.e.  no player with 4.xx will be ranked higher than players with 3.xx and so on. 

 

Also interesting is the state ranking, with California, Texas and Florida on top.  

 

Another interesting point is the number of tournaments kids play.  

There are kids who are ranked high by playing only 4 tournaments.  

And then there are kids who play insane amount of tournaments, 25+!!!

Playing more does not equal higher ranking.

 

Moral of the story is go out and shoot low!  Forget about who you're playing with/against.  

Your biggest competitor is the course itself.

 

I've always heard and thought that JGS was BS, but I think my opinion may have shifted a bit.  

if you just signed up you just started to learn about JGS.

 

while the diff score makes sense that is until you dive a little deeper. Less tournaments rather then more works to your advantage. Some kids can move 1000 spots up with 1 good tournament if there only have 4 tournaments they played.  The flip side is they can drop too.

 

There are really using CCA as a stealth strength of tournament but it is tied to higher ranked kids.

It based on an average of field but it comes down to this.

 If you are high enough ranked it tends to adjust higher if you have a bad day.

 

what is really bad is if you improve too quickly it works against you and moves the course rating down.

 

If you do not play with the higher rabked kids expect a higher diff by 1-2 points on average.

 

This also effects girls a lot because fields can be a lot smaller so you see big swings on CCA sometimes that makes no sense at all.

 

 

Edited January 25, 2022 by tiger1873

[heavy_hitter]

On 1/24/2022 at 1:25 PM, mrshinsa said:

Well I finally caved in and signed up.  Here are my observations:

 

The way JGS is ranked is following:

65% is scoring differential, 25% is strength of field, and 10% is wins/top5/top10.  

No matter how everyone gripes about JGS, it's clear that scoring differential does not lie.

i.e.  no player with 4.xx will be ranked higher than players with 3.xx and so on. 

 

Also interesting is the state ranking, with California, Texas and Florida on top.  

 

Another interesting point is the number of tournaments kids play.  

There are kids who are ranked high by playing only 4 tournaments.  

And then there are kids who play insane amount of tournaments, 25+!!!

Playing more does not equal higher ranking.

 

Moral of the story is go out and shoot low!  Forget about who you're playing with/against.  

Your biggest competitor is the course itself.

 

I've always heard and thought that JGS was BS, but I think my opinion may have shifted a bit.  

 

Had a discussion this morning with another parent on the phone.  Other than scoring, Strength of Tournament has become one of the most important factors when signing up for tournaments because of CCA.  If your kid signs up to play in Florida in January, with 36 degree weather and 15+ winds, you better make sure the strength of field is good.  Many of the better players will just drop out because they don't need to play and parents don't want to be outside in 36 degree windy weather.  That leaves you with a weak field and no to little CCA adjustment.  Weather will be a factor in the scores, but won't matter that much when the field is weaker.

Edited January 25, 2022 by heavy_hitter

[TripleBogeysrbetter]

On 1/24/2022 at 1:31 PM, BloctonGolf11 said:

Cali Texas and Florida will always be on top based on simple math of having massive populations and the climate. 

Kelly Chinn 2021 was #1 for a while as a kid from Northern VA.