RecruitPKB: Tournament Schedule Insight

I often get asked advice on which tournaments/tours and how many tournaments a junior golfer should play. I wanted to share some of my advice on why this isn’t a question that has a simple answer.

There is not a “one size fits all” plan when it comes to tournament scheduling because all players have different goals, expectations, resume, family demands, priorities, and financial means that determine what a tourney schedule should look like. A few factors that dictate variations in tournament schedules include (but are not limited to):

• A player’s goals for playing college golf and her current tournament resume will dictate the quality and quantity of playing in tournaments. This has varying ranges as the number of tournaments is likely important at one stage of your development. Then it does become a bit more about the quality of tournaments over the quantity once you hit a certain stage in your game.
• A player’s location can dictate the availability of tournaments. Some states don’t have as many tournaments as others do and players may not have access to play as often without always having to travel.
• The demands of a player’s family may prevent parents from being able to travel and take them to as many tournaments as another player
• There are many camps, activities, vacations, summer jobs, and internships that some players choose to prioritize over golf tournaments during the summer. In some cases, it is to build their academic resume, make some money, participate in another sport/hobby or enjoy time with family
• A family’s financial means will be a major determining factor in the number of golf tournaments. Some families have more financial means to travel and play events but don’t let that be an excuse if you are not one of those players.

Tournament schedule is very individual to each player and family so be sure you ask for assistance and make the choices that fit your goals, expectations, priorities, and means.