
By state
Junior golf tours in North Carolina
6 state, regional, PGA Section, and local junior programs holding events in North Carolina, plus the national youth programs with North Carolina chapters.
Programs in North Carolina
6
Upcoming listed events
Start here
Where to start in North Carolina
1. Learn and play 9 holes (ages 5–11)
6 local U.S. Kids Golf tours and chapters we list in North Carolina, plus PGA Jr. League teams and First Tee chapters. Short yardages, low fees, no ranking pressure.
2. First 18-hole tournaments
Carolinas PGA Junior or Winternational: one-day events with tiered divisions so new players compete against new players.
3. Championships and rankings
CGA Junior / TYGA for state junior championships and USGA qualifiers, then Drip Golf Series / PKBGT for ranked 36-hole events. Then the national tours.
Local & metro tours in North Carolina
(1)City, county, and metro-area tours. One-day events, low entry fees, short drives. Where most players enter their first tournament.
PGA Section junior tours in North Carolina
(1)Run by the local PGA of America Section. Tiered divisions from beginner to elite, and the on-ramp to the PGA Jr. Championship.
State golf association junior programs in North Carolina
(2)Your USGA Allied Golf Association's junior tour and state junior championships. Championship-quality golf at association prices.
CGA Junior Championships (Carolinas Golf Association)
North Carolina, South Carolina
The Carolinas Golf Association conducts the region's premier junior championships for North and South Carolina and publishes boys' and girls' rankings for both states. Day-to-day tour play is delivered through its junior division TYGA (NC) and partner SCJGA (SC).
Tarheel Youth Golf Association (Carolinas Golf Association)
North Carolina
TYGA is the Carolinas Golf Association's North Carolina junior division, running TYGA Tots, One-Day and Multi-Day events for boys and girls 6–18 in separate age groups. It is the main entry point into competitive golf in North Carolina.
Regional multi-state tours in North Carolina
(2)Independent tours covering several states, usually 36-hole events ranked by Junior Golf Scoreboard. The bridge to AJGA-level golf.
DripGolf Tour
North Carolina, South Carolina
A newer Carolinas junior series listed with a half-dozen 2026 North Carolina events and a 2nd annual Grayson Murray National Championship at Mid Pines in Southern Pines (Aug 4–5, 2026).
Peggy Kirk Bell Girls' Golf Tour
Delaware, Georgia, Maryland, North Carolina +4
A girls-only tour run by the non-profit Girls Golf of America out of Greensboro, NC, the PKBGT stages more than 110 tournaments a year across nine East Coast states. Players compete in yardage-based divisions (Discovery, Futures, Prep, Bell National) rather than age brackets so they can move up as their game grows.
Local youth golf tours and chapters in North Carolina
Local tours run by national programs. These are the easiest first events for players under 12.
National youth programs with North Carolina 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 North Carolina
Full North Carolina schedule →Charlotte Fall Junior Open
Red Bridge Golf and Country Club
Locust, North Carolina
In 2 weeks
Mid-Atlantic Regional Invitational at Grandover Resort
Grandover Resort - West
Greensboro, North Carolina
In 3 weeks
Asheville Fall Junior Open
Cummings Cove Golf & Country Club
Hendersonville, North Carolina
In 5 weeks
College Prep Series at UNC Finley Golf Club
The UNC Finley Golf Club
Chapel Hill, North Carolina
In 8 weeks
Pinehurst Winter Junior Open
Pinehurst Resort & Country Club - #5
Pinehurst, North Carolina
In 3 months
Junior tours in states near North Carolina
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 North Carolina: questions families ask
- What junior golf tours are there in North Carolina?
- We list 6 junior programs holding events in North Carolina: CGA Junior Championships (Carolinas Golf Association) and Tarheel Youth Golf Association (Carolinas Golf Association) (state golf association); Carolinas PGA Junior Tournaments (PGA Section); regional tours Drip Golf Series, PKBGT; local tours Winternational. National programs such as U.S. Kids Golf, PGA Jr. League, First Tee, and Drive, Chip & Putt also run in North Carolina.
- Which junior tour in North Carolina 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 Carolinas PGA Junior Tournaments or CGA Junior once they can finish 18 holes comfortably. Regional 36-hole tours come after scores are consistently in the 80s.
- Which North Carolina junior tours count toward rankings?
- CGA 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 North Carolina 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 North Carolina 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 North Carolina that is not listed?
Listings are free. Email info@amateurgolf.com or read how listings work. National tours are compared on the tours page.