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 Watch and Listen
What is the AJGA?
Why should I join?
How do I join?
Who is eligible to be an AJGA Member?
What playing opportunities are available with the AJGA?
Do you have more questions?
What is the AJGA?
The American Junior Golf Association is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to the overall growth and development of young men and women who aspire to earn college golf scholarships through competitive junior golf.
Since 1978, the American Junior Golf Association has been devoted to conducting national junior golf tournaments at the highest level of junior golf. In 2013, the AJGA will conduct approximately 100 tournaments and more than 64 TaylorMade-adidas Golf and PBE Qualifiers for young players, ages 12-18. At each event, the AJGA seeks to live up to its mission statement by providing a first-class venue, professional staff and a safe environment. The AJGA requires its golfers to adhere to a Code of Conduct and the AJGA Pace of Play policy.
Why should I join?
Most junior golfers join the AJGA to play tournament golf, where they will find outstanding competition and be seen by college golf coaches, in hopes of securing a college golf scholarship. The benefits go beyond the tournaments, however.
The AJGA offers three different membership options. The standard Junior Membership is recommended for those who have not yet reached their sophomore year of high school.
The Junior Plus Membership is recommended for high school sophomores and juniors who are planning to play college golf. Younger players may wish to become Junior Plus Members in order to better prepare themselves for the recruiting process yet to come. Players who sign up for the Junior Membership may upgrade to the Junior Plus during the season.
The Future Player Membership is a non-playing membership for those who are either not old enough to compete in AJGA events or have no intention of applying to play in AJGA events. This offers an opportunity for younger players to keep abreast of AJGA events and programs.
For a complete list of membership benefits click here.
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How do I join?
Joining the AJGA can be done online at ajga.org. Click here and you will be taken to the AJGA online membership form. After submitting your membership the AJGA will send an automated e-mail confirmation which includes your AJGA Member ID # and a summary of the information entered on the membership form. Members will also be mailed a membership gift with other membership benefit items.
Prior to applying to your first tournament or qualifier, you will need to submit acceptable proof-of-age documentation to the AJGA. A notarized copy (must be notarized after the copy is made) of either a birth certificate, passport or driver’s license is acceptable documentation. This document must be mailed to the AJGA. Please click the link above for the complete policy and submission instructions.
Who is eligible to be an AJGA member?
Players may sign up for Junior or Junior Plus Membership before their 12th birthday. However, they must be at least 12 years of age to participate in an AJGA event. Future Player Membership (non-playing) is open to anyone under the age of 19.
A member who has graduated from high school may only play through August 31 of the season directly following high school graduation, regardless of age and/or a member may not play in an AJGA event if he has reached his 19th birthday, regardless of graduation date. Any member who has graduated high school and started college is not eligible to play in AJGA events.
Prior to applying to your first tournament or qualifier, you will need to submit acceptable proof-of-age documentation to the AJGA. A notarized copy (must be notarized after the copy is made) of either a birth certificate, passport or driver’s license is acceptable documentation. This document must be mailed to the AJGA. Please click the link above for the complete policy and submission instructions.
2013 AJGA Membership expires Nov. 30, 2013.
What playing opportunities are available with the AJGA?
IMG Academy Preseason Series
The IMG Academy Preseason Series is designed specifically for AJGA members who have had limited acceptances into multi-day AJGA events. This series offers members the opportunity to start building Performance Based Entry status before application deadlines arrive for summer Open and Gary Gilchrist Golf Academy Junior All-Star Series events.
For more information about the IMG Academy Preseason Series click here.
Gary Gilchrist Golf Academy Junior All-Star Series
The Gary Gilchrist Golf Academy Junior All-Star Series is a collection of events specifically designed for boys and girls age 12-15 years old. The competition provides an opportunity for younger members to develop their skills and build Performance Based Entry status to earn entry into Open tournaments. Members are limited to a maximum combination of five AJGA Open and Gary Gilchrist Golf Academy Junior All-Star Series events per season. NOTE: Members may compete in a maximum of four Gary Gilchrist Golf Academy Junior All-Star Series tournaments per season.
The series concludes with the invitation-only Junior All-Star Invitational, which is not included in the maximum count of five tournaments. For more information about the Gary Gilchrist Golf Academy Junior All-Star Series click here.
Open Tournament Series
AJGA Open tournaments make up the largest part of the AJGA schedule. All members may submit tournament applications to Open tournaments and the tournament fields are filled based on the applicants’ Performance Based Entry status.
All AJGA Open tournaments are filled using the AJGA’s Performance Based Entry system. Each AJGA member has a status that reflects how he has performed in any of the hundreds of state, regional and national junior golf events, both AJGA and non-AJGA events. Tournament fields are filled by players who have the highest status and have properly applied to the event. Members are limited to a maximum combination of five AJGA Open and/or Gary Gilchrist Golf Academy Junior All-Star Series events. NOTE: Members may compete in a maximum of four Gary Gilchrist Golf Academy Junior All-Star Series tournaments per season.
Click here to view more information on Performance Based Entry and see a complete list of tournaments where players can build their Performance Based Entry status.
AJGA members are eligible to apply for AJGA Open tournaments, regardless of their earned status. Members who do not earn entry into an Open tournament can apply to the TaylorMade-adidas Golf Qualifier for that event. There is no requirement to apply to an Open tournament in order to apply to its corresponding TaylorMade-adidas Golf Qualifier.
Members who apply to AJGA Open events and do not gain entry are NOT automatically moved to the TaylorMade-adidas Golf Qualifier for that event. They must submit a separate TaylorMade-adidas Golf Qualifier application.
For more information about the Open Tournament Series click here.
Invitational Events
These championships require an invitation based on specific selection criteria. Eligible members for each invitational will appear on an invitation list at ajga.org. Eligible members must submit a tournament application in the AJGA Players Center. For more information and selection criteria for Invitational Events, click here.
TaylorMade-adidas Golf Qualifier Series
The TaylorMade-adidas Golf Qualifier Series is one of the main ways players get their start with the AJGA.
Typically held the day prior to AJGA Open tournaments, 18-hole TaylorMade-adidas Golf Qualifiers give players an opportunity to "play their way in" to each coinciding Open tournament and earn PBE status for a future event.
A typical TaylorMade-adidas Golf Qualifier field size is 80 boys and 20 girls. Typically, 10% of boys in a TaylorMade-adidas Golf Qualifier and 10% of girls in a TaylorMade-adidas Golf Qualifier will move on to play in the corresponding Open tournament. The exact number of spots will be posted at TaylorMade-adidas Golf Qualifier registration. In 2012, the average score to qualify was: Boys – 74.8 Girls – 79.1. The average score to finish in the top 50% of the TaylorMade-adidas Golf Qualifier field and earn a Performance Star was: Boys – 78.2 Girls – 81.
PBE Qualifiers
PBE Qualifiers are 18- or 36-hole events which provide an opportunity for AJGA members who have had limited AJGA playing opportunities to compete and continue building Performance Based Entry status. Playing in PBE Qualifiers will help AJGA members transition to Gary Gilchrist Golf Academy Junior All-Star Series and AJGA Open tournaments.
Proof-of-Age Documentation
Prior to applying to your first tournament or qualifier, you will need to submit acceptable proof-of-age documentation to the AJGA. A notarized copy (must be notarized after the copy is made) of either a birth certificate, passport or driver’s license is acceptable documentation. This document must be mailed to the AJGA. Please click the link above for the complete policy and submission instructions.
Do you have more questions?
More answers to questions involving AJGA tournaments and policies are available in the Membership FAQ. Also, the AJGA's Player Services Department is ready to answer your questions. Call the AJGA toll-free at (877)373-2542 or (770)868-4200 or contact Player Services via e-mail at ajga@ajga.org.
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