Get ready for the upcoming fall golf season with new boys and girls junior clubs.
As we hit the middle of the summer, it’s the perfect time to get your junior into the game of golf!
Among all the great things golf can do for your young one, being outside with good friends is near the top of that list.
To get your junior started, we created a list of some of the best and most affordable junior sets on the market. Making sure that each set includes exactly what they’ll need is a great place to start.
Brands like TaylorMade, Wilson, Tour Edge and U.S. Kids Golf are all included.
So, without further ado, check out our list of junior sets below.
ASU-bound Anawin Pikulthong won the Golfweek Southwest Junior by a whopping 13 shots.
Anawin Pikulthong, 18, an Arizona State University commit from nearby Gilbert, Arizona, won the 2023 Golfweek Southwest Junior Open at Ak-Chin Southern Dunes Golf Club in Maricopa, Arizona, on Sunday.
The limited-field Southwest Junior Open, now in its 22nd year, is recognized as one of the nation’s premier junior golf tournaments.
Pikulthong enters the Golfweek record book after his dominating victory becoming the first player to four-peat. Along the way, Pikulthong took out some of Arizona’s top junior talent to claim the coveted title.
Pikulthong, who said he hasn’t been playing up to his potential lately, used his relaxed attitude and intimate knowledge of Southern Dunes to put on an exhibition. His performance was particularly impressive given the combination of heat, fast greens and tucked pins.
His victory came after a thrilling final round at Southern Dunes where he shot 9-under 63 to finish with a two-day total score of 19-under 125. He hit accurate drives, approach shots and made putts while avoiding any costly mistakes en route to his two-day combined scorecard that included 17 birdies and one eagle.
His closest competitors were Tommie Clark of Mesa and Kyle Koski of Chandler who posted 6-under 138 and 5-under 139, respectively.
Sirina Ganne, 15, of Holmdel, New Jersey, added another first-place finish to her resume.
Ganne, a rising high school sophomore, is the current New Jersey Girls State Champion, a title she won earlier this month at Raritan Valley Country Club in Bridgewater, New Jersey.
Sirina Ganne holds a trophy after winning the 2023 Golfweek Southwest Junior Open at Ak-Chin Southern Dunes Golf Club in Maricopa, Arizona. (Photo: Golfweek)
Her two-day total of 144 (70-74) earned her a three-shot win over Angela Zhikun-Chen of Chandler. Ganne finished even par; the rest of the field finished over par during the two-day event.
With her victory at the Golfweek Southwest Junior Open, Sirina will get an exemption into the Golfweek International Junior Invitational, Nov. 4-5, in Orlando.
Ganne’s older sister, Megha, just finished her freshman season at Stanford.
Unlike sports such as soccer and basketball, golf has a steep start-up cost before you even arrive at the range with equipment.
There’s constant talk about “growing the game,” a convenient catchphrase, but few factor in the price of what it takes to get kids involved in golf and allow them the opportunity to be successful.
Young players are the ones who can indeed grow the sport and while there are some programs in place to help young golfers, the golf community needs to step up and makes this reality more feasible. As someone who funded a large amount of her junior golf and learned the majority of her golf skills from YouTube, I feel strongly about this issue.
I grew up in Southern California where buckets of balls often ran in the neighborhood of $20, and there were only a handful of junior course programs in the area. I worked at a local pizza shop, with every dime going toward tournament fees, green fees, clubs, balls and appropriate apparel.
Sure, it’s important for kids to learn the value of a dollar, but the average family could never afford to get their kid into golf and obtain a college scholarship. Unlike sports such as soccer and basketball, golf has a steep start-up cost before you even arrive at the range with equipment. If junior golfers have aspirations of playing at the collegiate level, college coaches want to see tournaments outside of their high school team as well.
I asked 17-year-old Florida golfer Reese Woodbury what he guesses his family spends on his golf expenses in a single month.
“I would estimate $1,800 to $3,500 a month. That’s with practice, expenses, tournament fees, and any extras, including golf balls, tees and gloves,” Woodbury said.
Yes, there are charitable programs around the country that encourage junior golf at little to no cost such as The First Tee and others, but these can only take kids so far.
Tournament fees in Florida. (HJGT)
Once the small hurdles of paying for balls and green fees are tackled, the tournament fees are another beast. Junior two-day tournaments are averaging $250 to $400 a player. When you add gas, hotel and food on top of that (often multiple times a month) it becomes close to impossible to reach the next level for most families.
“One of my good friends struggles to play in events because of financial backing issues. He’s a great golfer, but he doesn’t come from a strong financial household to help him support his love for the game and it is not allowing him to reach the next level,” said Woodbury. “I am extremely lucky and grateful for the family that I have that allows me to chase my dream.”
I understand that these junior tours are a business and trying to make money, but there has to be some flexibility. As a former junior player who tried to balance high school life and golf, it’s becoming increasingly difficult to pull this off.
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If companies and courses are claiming to become an inclusive space for younger generations, changes are in order. Promoting twilight junior rates is one way to encourage play. Discounts on buckets of balls can help immensely and the cost for driving ranges is little to nothing. It’s important to provide a memorable place where kids can feel safe and practice.
If golf is serious about grooming its high-paying customers of the future, small discounts can certainly help to net a big return.
(Editor’s note: Averee Dovsek is a former college golfer and contributor to Golfweek.)
It’s never too early to start their love of the game.
Is there a kid in your life that wants to pick up the game but you aren’t sure where to start? Here at Golfweek, we’ve gathered everything you need to get your little one off on the right foot.
First, remember these tips when taking your newest playing partner out on the course or practice range for the first time:
– Baby steps. There’s no need to rush onto the course. Take time to develop fundamentals and good practice habits.
– Relax. Chances are you’re not sparking the career of the next Nelly Korda or Tiger Woods. There’s no need to put all that pressure on your kiddo.
– Pick a pro. Have your child pick a couple of players to watch and follow. Bonus points if you can go see them in person!
– Have fun! That’s what golf is all about, right? Fun and enjoyment should come before anything else for all golfers, but especially for juniors.
If you’re looking to knock out the rest of your holiday shopping, check out all of our Holiday Gift Guides including men’s apparel, women’s apparel and golf shoes.
The Golfweek Junior Tournament Series is now in its 23nd year. All events in the Series are nationally ranked by Golfweek/Sagarin and the Junior Golf Scoreboard. The Golfweek International Junior Invitational is the flagship event of the Series and …
The Golfweek Junior Tournament Series is now in its 23nd year. All events in the Series are nationally ranked by Golfweek/Sagarin and the Junior Golf Scoreboard. The Golfweek International Junior Invitational is the flagship event of the Series and annually attracts one of the top fields in junior golf. Entry is based solely on (1) invitation, (2) submitted and approved application, (3) finishing top 10 in qualifying Golfweek Junior Series tournament, (4) finishing in the top 5 in a state junior championship. Other potential entrants are encouraged to submit a playing resume for consideration by the tournament committee.
Details: The 2022 Golfweek West Coast Junior Open returns May 21-22, to award winning Ak-Chin Southern Dunes Golf Club in Maricopa, AZ. This is the first tournament of the 2022 Golfweek Junior Tournament Series where top finishers win automatic …
Details:
The 2022 Golfweek West Coast Junior Open returns May 21-22, to award winning Ak-Chin Southern Dunes Golf Club in Maricopa, AZ.
This is the first tournament of the 2022 Golfweek Junior Tournament Series
where top finishers win automatic exemptions into the prestigious Golfweek International Junior Invitational Nov 5-6 in Florida.
The West Coast Junior Open is open to any player age 13-19 who is not yet affiliated with a college golf team, so long as eligibility requirements are met.
The tournament will feature daily coverage on www.golfweek.com and will be ranked by the Golfweek/Sagarin Rankings and The Junior Golf Scoreboard.
Little John, son of John Daly, won a junior tournament three days after Daly revealed he had been diagnosed with bladder cancer.
Former PGA champion John Daly may not be out of the woods yet when it comes to his illness, but at least he has something to cheer about.
John Daly II, otherwise known as “Little John,” is Daly’s 16-year old son. He is also the newly-crowned winner of the International Junior Golf Tour’s Fall Kickoff event, which took place Sunday at Bishops Gate Golf Academy in Howey-in-the-Hills, Florida.
Daly II held off the charge of Filip Jakubcik, birdieing his last hole to finish 12 under. His final-round 4-under 68 kept him one shot ahead of Jakubcik for the win.
Three days prior to Little John’s victory, Daly announced in an interview with Golf Channel that he had recently undergone a procedure to deal with bladder cancer. However, doctors informed the 54-year old that there was “an 85 percent chance” of the aggressive cancer returning. Daly has resolved to change his eating habits, attempt to quit smoking and visit his doctor frequently in the wake of his diagnosis.
John Daly II (left) and his father, John Daly, at Carmel’s Crooked Stick three decades apart.
Three days prior to Little John’s victory, Daly announced in an interview with Golf Channel that he had recently undergone a procedure to deal with bladder cancer. However, doctors informed the 54-year old that there was “an 85 percent chance” of the aggressive cancer returning. Daly has resolved to change his eating habits, attempt to quit smoking and visit his doctor frequently in the wake of his diagnosis.
Displaying the heart of a champion, the five-time PGA Tour victor does not fear what the future may hold.
“Well, you know what, I always tell people I’ve lived one hell of a life. No matter what happens, I’m not scared to die or anything,” Daly said in the interview. “It would have been nice to play the last seven or eight or 13 years of my career a little more healthy. But hey, I’m still working, I’m still living life, I’m still doing the things I need to do. … I can accept the challenge. I’m not scared of that. I just want my kids to be OK and everyone else in my family.”
Daly has not seen Champions Tour action since mid-August, when he withdrew after two rounds of the Charles Schwab Series at Bass Pro Shops Big Cedar Lodge due to illness. Earlier that month, he finished T-70 at the Bridgestone Senior Players Championship.
“The doctors aren’t saying it’s too late. Unfortunately, it’s a cancer that keeps coming back. But I’m going to listen to them, and I’m going to try and quit smoking,” Daly said. “If it comes back, it comes back. Six months to a year, if it doesn’t go away, I’m going to live my life. I’m gonna have some fun.”
