
By state
Junior golf tours in Missouri
4 state, regional, PGA Section, and local junior programs holding events in Missouri, plus the national youth programs with Missouri chapters.
Programs in Missouri
4
Upcoming listed events
Start here
Where to start in Missouri
1. Learn and play 9 holes (ages 5–11)
3 local U.S. Kids Golf tours and chapters we list in Missouri, plus PGA Jr. League teams and First Tee chapters. Short yardages, low fees, no ranking pressure.
2. First 18-hole tournaments
Gateway PGA Junior / Midwest PGA Junior: one-day events with tiered divisions so new players compete against new players.
3. Championships and rankings
Central Links Junior / Stan Utley Junior Tour for state junior championships and USGA qualifiers. Then the national tours.
PGA Section junior tours in Missouri
(2)Run by the local PGA of America Section. Tiered divisions from beginner to elite, and the on-ramp to the PGA Jr. Championship.
Gateway PGA Junior Tour
Illinois, Missouri
Serving nearly 1,000 members in greater St. Louis and southern Illinois, the Gateway PGA Junior Tour runs beginner JDT events up to two-day championships that carry AJGA PBE stars and report to Junior Golf Scoreboard.
Midwest PGA Junior Tour
Kansas, Missouri
The Kansas City-based Midwest PGA Junior Tour offers professionally run, age-scaled events for players 7 and up in Missouri and Kansas for a $65 membership.
State golf association junior programs in Missouri
(2)Your USGA Allied Golf Association's junior tour and state junior championships. Championship-quality golf at association prices.
Central Links Golf Junior Tours (Kansas City metro)
Kansas, Missouri
Central Links Golf, the allied association for the Kansas City metro on both sides of the state line, runs junior tours with a Junior Tour Membership program and season-long junior points lists. Schedules are posted on its junior golf schedule page.
Stan Utley Junior Tour (Missouri Golf Association)
Missouri
The Missouri Golf Association's Missouri Junior Golf Foundation runs the Stan Utley Junior Tour for ages 8–18 plus the Junior Amateur and Junior Match Play championships, operating from the Ken Lanning Golf Center in Jefferson City. Registration runs through Golf Genius.
Local youth golf tours and chapters in Missouri
Local tours run by national programs. These are the easiest first events for players under 12.
National youth programs with Missouri chapters
Each runs local programs across the country. Use the finder on each page to locate the nearest one.
Drive, Chip & Putt
Founded in 2013 by the Masters Tournament, USGA and PGA of America, Drive, Chip & Putt is a free nationwide skills competition whose winners play the National Finals at Augusta National on Golf Channel.
First Tee
First Tee is a 501(c)(3) youth development organization that teaches golf alongside life skills through 150 chapters (plus international sites), each running programs at multiple local courses.
IMG Academy Junior World Championship
Founded in 1968 by the San Diego Junior Golf Association, the Junior World Championship draws about 1,250 players from 56 countries and 42 states each July, reached through designated qualifiers or open application.
Junior PGA Championship (Section Qualifiers)
The Junior PGA Championship is one of junior golf's majors; the way in is your PGA Section's Junior PGA Championship, held in every section each spring/summer, with all 41 section champions invited to nationals.
LPGA*USGA Girls Golf
Founded in 1989 in Phoenix, LPGA*USGA Girls Golf is the only junior program built specifically for girls 6–17, now at 700+ sites serving about 100,000 girls a year.
Operation 36
Operation 36 is a progression-based learn-to-play program used at 800+ facilities in 22 countries; juniors start 25 yards from the green and earn their way back to the full tee box, with an app tracking every round.
Optimist International Junior Golf Championships
One of the largest junior tournaments in the world, the Optimist Junior Golf Championship is reached through local Optimist district qualifiers and played in age waves at Trump National Doral (Miami), with a Tournament of Champions at Mission Resort each fall.
PGA Jr. League
PGA Jr. League is the PGA of America's team-based, no-experience-required program: kids wear numbered jerseys and play two-person scramble matches for a local team led by a PGA Coach, with an All-Star pathway to a National Championship.
U.S. Junior Amateur & U.S. Girls' Junior Qualifying
The USGA's two junior championships, the U.S. Junior Amateur and U.S. Girls' Junior, are entered through local qualifying run by allied golf associations each spring and early summer. Check the USGA championships site for current dates, sites, and handicap limits.
U.S. Kids Golf Local Tours
U.S. Kids Golf Local Tours are the most widespread entry-level tournament series in the country: age-scaled, single-day events run by local directors in more than 100 U.S. metro areas (300+ worldwide), with points that earn Priority Status for State, Regional and World Championships.
Youth on Course
Youth on Course is a nonprofit that subsidizes rounds so members 18 and under pay $5 or less at more than 2,400 courses in the U.S., Canada and Australia — the cheapest way for a junior to get course reps.
Upcoming junior tournaments in Missouri
Full Missouri schedule →Kansas City Junior Open
Clinton Country Club
Clinton, Missouri
Starts in 3 days
Kansas City Season Finale
Drumm Farm Golf Club - Championship
Independence, Missouri
In 5 weeks
St. Louis Fall Finale
Aberdeen Golf Club
Eureka, Missouri
In 6 weeks
Branson Hills Junior Open presented by Explore Branson
Branson Hills Golf Course
Branson, Missouri
In 7 weeks
Junior tours in states near Missouri
Regional tours often cross state lines, and a neighboring state's association tour may be closer than your own.
Good to know
Junior golf tours in Missouri: questions families ask
- What junior golf tours are there in Missouri?
- We list 4 junior programs holding events in Missouri: Central Links Golf Junior Tours (Kansas City metro) and Stan Utley Junior Tour (Missouri Golf Association) (state golf association); Gateway PGA Junior Tour and Midwest PGA Junior Tour (PGA Section). National programs such as U.S. Kids Golf, PGA Jr. League, First Tee, and Drive, Chip & Putt also run in Missouri.
- Which junior tour in Missouri should a beginner start with?
- Players under 12 usually start with U.S. Kids Golf local tours or PGA Jr. League, then move to the Gateway PGA Junior Tour or Central Links Junior once they can finish 18 holes comfortably. Regional 36-hole tours come after scores are consistently in the 80s.
- Which Missouri junior tours count toward rankings?
- Gateway PGA Junior (JGS, AJGA PBE). Junior Golf Scoreboard rankings and AJGA Performance Based Entry stars are what national tours and college coaches look at.
- How much do junior golf tournaments in Missouri cost?
- Local one-day events are typically $40–$120, PGA Section and state association events $60–$200, and regional two-day tours $150–$350, often plus an annual membership. Each program page shows published fees where the organizer lists them.
Guides for Missouri golf families
For Parents
How Much Does Junior Golf Really Cost? A Parent's Honest Budget Guide
Read moreFor Parents
How to Build the Right Junior Tournament Schedule (Without Burning Out Your Player or Your Budget)
Read moreGetting Started
How to Get Started in Junior Golf Tournaments: A Complete First-Timer's Guide
Read moreRun a junior tour in Missouri that is not listed?
Listings are free. Email info@amateurgolf.com or read how listings work. National tours are compared on the tours page.