If you and your kids are looking for junior golf options in Northeast Ohio for the 2019 summer golf season, there are plenty of choices available.
Seriously, plenty.
Classes. Camps. Tournaments. Tours. It’s just a matter of choosing the best match…
FOR KIDS JUST GETTING STARTED
If you need to find a starting point to the game of golf for your child, The First Tee is an incredible option. Run in multiple locations across Northeast Ohio, these programs get a golf club into a kid’s hands to learn the basics of the game — and some life lessons, too.
The First Tee of Cleveland
Washington Golf Center, Newburgh Heights
Briardale Greens, Euclid
Windmill Golf Center, Macedonia
Meadowood Golf Course, Westlake
The First Tee of Greater Akron
Mud Run Golf Course, Akron
Cleveland Clinic Akron General Challenge Course
The First Tee of Canton
First Tee of Canton Learning Center
JUNIOR TOURS
Kids who have mastered the basics and are ready for tournaments can easily find a Junior Tour that is fun, competitive or both:
NOPGA Junior Tour
The Northern Ohio PGA offers three different series covering all ages and levels of play: the NOPGA Junior Tour for competitive players (which also features Junior PGA Championship qualifiers); the Futures Tour for kids just starting out; and a Collegiate Preview series for older kids ages 17-22.
Director: Eileen Antenucci
Phone: (216) 765-1214
Email: eantenucci@pgahq.com
Southwest Junior Golf Tour
The Southwest Junior Golf Tour focuses on west side Cleveland-area events for players ages 12-19. Now in its 26th season, the SWJGT’s motto is “Win With Us First”, offering all players a chance win locally before venturing out to the junior golf big leagues.
Director: Dave Moskal
Phone: (440) 346-6751
Email: dmgolfpro@aol.com
North Coast Junior Golf Tour
The North Coast Junior Tour is in its 28th year of providing high caliber junior golf competition, primarily at golf courses on Cleveland’s east side. NCJT prides itself on creating tournament players out of regular junior golfers, and offers live hole-by-hole scoring and a focus on well-paced 4 hour rounds.
Director: Tony Milam
Phone: (440) 357-6258
Email: info@ncjt.org
US Kids Golf Tour
US Kids Golf Cleveland provides fun competition for younger junior golfers 5 to 14 years old. The local chapter is part of a national program, with qualifiers to state, national and even international competitions.
Director: Chris Reed
Phone: 216-496-5200
Email: uskgcleveland@yahoo.com
Lake Erie Junior Golf Tour
The Lake Erie Junior Golf Association plays 20 events over June and July on golf courses located between Sandusky and Toledo.
Director: David Morgan
Phone: 419-668-8535
Email: assistantprohack@yahoo.com
The First Tee of Canton Junior Tour
Formerly known as the Spitale Junior Tour, The First Tee of Canton assumed this tour’s operation in 2014, renaming it The First of Canton Junior Tour. They rotate events primarily among Stark County courses, giving junior golfers an opportunity to play competitive golf at a low cost.
Director: Angela Palomba
Phone: 330-452-5331
Email: apalomba@thefirstteecanton.org
Independent Junior Tournaments
Northeast Ohio is also home to some great independent Junior Tournaments, focusing on competition and fun:
– Cleveland Metroparks Golf Junior Championship
– Good Park Junior Tournament
– Record Courier Kids Portage County Am
– Record-Courier Mishler Junior Portage County Am
– Hudson Junior Invitational
National Junior Qualifiers
Locally, there are the Drive, Chip & Putt Qualifiers and the PGA Junior League team events, giving young players the chance to reach national finals for each.
New this year, the Optimist Junior Local Qualifier will be played at Mill Creek in Boardman, too.
And of course, there are the local USGA qualifiers: the USGA Junior Championship Cleveland Qualifier; and the USGA Junior Girls Championship Cleveland Qualifier.
See? Plenty of Northeast Ohio junior golf choices, all across the region, all summer long. Need to get a sense of what events run when? Check out the Junior Tournament Calendar to see this summer’s events all in one place.