
By state
Junior golf tours in New Jersey
6 state, regional, PGA Section, and local junior programs holding events in New Jersey, plus the national youth programs with New Jersey chapters.
Programs in New Jersey
6
Upcoming listed events
Start here
Where to start in New Jersey
1. Learn and play 9 holes (ages 5–11)
3 local U.S. Kids Golf tours and chapters we list in New Jersey, plus PGA Jr. League teams and First Tee chapters. Short yardages, low fees, no ranking pressure.
2. First 18-hole tournaments
NJ PGA Junior / Philly Junior Tour: one-day events with tiered divisions so new players compete against new players.
3. Championships and rankings
GAP Junior / Met Junior / NJ Golf Junior for state junior championships and USGA qualifiers, then PKBGT for ranked 36-hole events. Then the national tours.
PGA Section junior tours in New Jersey
(2)Run by the local PGA of America Section. Tiered divisions from beginner to elite, and the on-ramp to the PGA Jr. Championship.
New Jersey PGA Junior Tour
New Jersey
The NJ PGA Junior Tour is the section's competitive tour for intermediate and advanced players 11–18, with AJGA- and JGS-ranked events and a U.S. Kids local tour for younger juniors.
Philadelphia PGA Junior Tour
Delaware, New Jersey, Pennsylvania
Founded in 1979, the Philadelphia PGA Junior Tour runs 90+ events a season across eastern Pennsylvania, South Jersey and Delaware, from a 25-yard FUNdamental Tour to nationally ranked Elite Tour events.
State golf association junior programs in New Jersey
(3)Your USGA Allied Golf Association's junior tour and state junior championships. Championship-quality golf at association prices.
GAP Junior (Golf Association of Philadelphia)
Delaware, New Jersey, Pennsylvania
GAP's junior program centers on the Lawler Junior Tour for boys and girls 10–18, culminating in the Junior Tournament of Champions, alongside the Junior Boys' and Junior-Junior championships. The GAP Central Junior Series extends one-day events to central Pennsylvania.
MGA Junior Competitions (Metropolitan Golf Association)
Connecticut, New Jersey, New York
The Metropolitan Golf Association Foundation runs a small slate of prestigious junior championships for the New York metro area, headlined by the Met Junior, the nation's oldest junior championship. Team New York for the USNDP is also administered with the MGA.
NJSGA Junior Championships (New Jersey State Golf Association)
New Jersey
NJ Golf runs a compact but historic junior slate: the W.Y. Dear Junior and Boys Championships, the Junior Girls' Championship and the new Cronheim Cup junior stroke play invitational, backed by free junior handicaps, Youth on Course and Team New Jersey for the USNDP.
Regional multi-state tours in New Jersey
(1)Independent tours covering several states, usually 36-hole events ranked by Junior Golf Scoreboard. The bridge to AJGA-level golf.
Local youth golf tours and chapters in New Jersey
Local tours run by national programs. These are the easiest first events for players under 12.
National youth programs with New Jersey 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 New Jersey
Full New Jersey schedule →Northeast Regional Invitational
Hopewell Valley Golf Club
Hopewell, New Jersey
Starts in 3 days
New Jersey Fall Junior Open
Mountain View Golf Course
West Trenton, New Jersey
Starts in 10 days
Northern Jersey Junior Open
High Bridge Hills Golf Club
High Bridge, New Jersey
In 4 weeks
New Jersey Fall Junior Open
LBI National Golf and Resort
Harbor, New Jersey
In 5 weeks
Major Championship at Seaview presented by Srixon
Seaview Marriott Golf Resort - Bay
Galloway, New Jersey
In 6 weeks
Junior tours in states near New Jersey
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 New Jersey: questions families ask
- What junior golf tours are there in New Jersey?
- We list 6 junior programs holding events in New Jersey: GAP Junior (Golf Association of Philadelphia) and MGA Junior Competitions (Metropolitan Golf Association) and NJSGA Junior Championships (New Jersey State Golf Association) (state golf association); New Jersey PGA Junior Tour and Philadelphia PGA Junior Tour (PGA Section); regional tours PKBGT. National programs such as U.S. Kids Golf, PGA Jr. League, First Tee, and Drive, Chip & Putt also run in New Jersey.
- Which junior tour in New Jersey 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 New Jersey PGA Junior Tour or GAP Junior once they can finish 18 holes comfortably. Regional 36-hole tours come after scores are consistently in the 80s.
- Which New Jersey junior tours count toward rankings?
- NJ PGA Junior (JGS, AJGA PBE); Philly Junior Tour (JGS, AJGA PBE); Met Junior (JGS); NJ Golf Junior (JGS); PKBGT (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 New Jersey 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 New Jersey 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 New Jersey that is not listed?
Listings are free. Email info@amateurgolf.com or read how listings work. National tours are compared on the tours page.