Club League USA, a new, competitive junior golf league featuring teams from across the country, is now accepting team and individual entries for its inaugural 2021 season. Teams will begin practice in March with competition opening in April. The season will culminate in a National Championship event in November in Pinehurst, North Carolina. Juniors who don’t have a team can create a player profile and submit to teams with hopes of making a team or selected for our 11th Player Scholarship.
Teams and junior golfers—boys and girls between the ages of 8 and 15–can register now at clubleaguegolf.com.
Club League USA teams is open to public, private, semi-private and resort clubs. Independent teams through ranges, instructors & academies may also register with hopes of elevating the competition and enhancing the youth golfer experience while fostering greater family involvement in their golfer’s development. Jeremy Lee, PGA, Founder and CEO of GolfCritique.com, which is sponsoring the league, believes this is a critical distinction for Club League USA and its participants.
“There is a great deal of competition today for the attention and participation of young athletes,” says Lee. “We’ve seen travel teams in a variety of sports take their toll on golf clubs and the rate of golf participation by junior players. Club League USA fills this void by reinforcing our belief that the golf club is the best place for junior players to improve their golf game through structure, high-quality facilities, and instruction. Our league will promote competition with integrity, a team approach to junior golf, and the development of life skills that will extend far beyond the golf course.”
Several features distinguish Club League USA from other youth golf programs:
• Promotes a TEAM Approach to Youth Golf: Club League will encourage and develop valuable traits such as humility, leadership, and integrity that come with team membership. Young golfers will have a chance to represent their club with pride.
• Values Competition: Club League USA believes healthy competition, fostered in an environment that values coaching and learning, is a trait that young golfers should be exposed to. Competition, as well as winning and losing, are part of life. Golf provides a healthy way for youth to be gracious in victory and defeat, have respect their competitors, and develop skills that will help them in every aspect of life.
• Provides Championship Opportunities: Club teams will participate in tournaments during the season, which runs from April through November. Teams will earn points based on their finish in each tournament, with the top teams in each region earning spots in a 36-hole playoff in October. The top 5 teams in each regional playoff will descend upon Pinehurst, North Carolina in November to compete for the Club League USA National Championship.
• Benefits All Clubs: The proliferation of youth team travel sports has had a negative impact on golf clubs, as families spend more weekends traveling to these events. Club League USA will drive families back to clubs by providing a team travel environment for young golfers based in a club setting. Families will become more involved in a variety of club activities through their child’s participation in Club League, along with the development of their young golfer. Club League USA will be a valuable outlet for youth who are participating in other club programs, such as Drive, Chip & Putt and PGA Junior League, and also help grow their participation numbers. In addition, clubs will have the opportunity to generate revenue by hosting Club League USA tournaments and controlling participation costs for their teams.
