How To Plan Your Junior Golf Season

How do you manage your tournament schedule?

January seems like a good time to plan — tons of junior golf tournament options are available, so how do you plan your schedule? How do you decide which events to play in? How do you manage entry deadlines and how to plan your junior golf season?

Before you get started, what key information do you need to consider? What are your goals for the 2020 golf season? Do you have a strict budget? How far are you willing to travel? Do you play in tournaments for fun or are you trying to build a resume for the future; are you trying to be noticed by college coaches?

Grandparents – Junior Golf Super-Fans

By failing to prepare, you are preparing to fail

There are many different ways/formats to track & manage. There are websites that allow you do it online.

That being said, I prefer a fairly simple spreadsheet – you can leverage an existing calendar template. My first step, is to research different events my boys might be interested in playing — we tend to play in VSGA, US Kids, Tarheel Tour, College Prep Tour, AJGA, USGA qualifiers and various invitationals. I get all of these dates plugged in to the sheet and start to color-code.

I try to keep the color-coding simple. Yellow = just tracking the dates of the tournament. Green = signed up and in the event. Orange = signed up currently on waitlist. Red = conflict – two events overlap and the boys need to make a decision.

For tomorrow belongs to the people who prepare today

Now, work the plan for your preparation. Once every week or two, pull up the plan and perform the following steps:

  1. Any new potential events you want to add to your schedule?
  2. Resolve “the Red” – are you ready to make a decision on conflicts? If so, update
  3. Are entry deadlines coming up ? If so, submit your entry (I also like to keep a list of upcoming entry deadlines in my sheet)
  4. Reassess your goals – has something changed in your approach/priorities for the year? Does this require some re-planning?

Junior Golf Start When They Are Young

Have a great year! go low! win some hardware!

Now the fun part – play in the tournaments you have planned – do your best – bring home some hardware – and no matter how your 2020 goes, always remember — you can compete in the game of golf for a lifetime!

mike - How To Plan Your Junior Golf Season

About the author

Mike Harris is a former college golfer and dedicated father of two talented junior golfers. With a passion for the sport that began in his own childhood, Mike now focuses on helping his children, Avery and Olivia, navigate the world of junior golf. He’s eager to share tips, advice, and insights with other families on their own golf journeys. Join Mike as he tees off into the exciting realm of junior golf, providing guidance to parents and kids alike.

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