The MVGA Junior Improvement System
We created a system to give both our juniors and their parents a clear path to improvement, like in martial arts. Our system is based on having our juniors focus on the parts of the game they can master at their age and strength level. All players start at level 1, which is based on scoring from 50 yards and in to the hole. This is the most critical part of the game and what juniors can master at a level far beyond their age and strength level. They are unable to hit the ball 250 yards physically, but they can play to the equivalent level in their chipping and putting. If we want our juniors to love the game, they must see improvement, have success, and be on a path to success.
The driving force behind this addition - besides having fun and giving our players the opportunity for increased competition - is to embrace the philosophy at MVGA and give each player an incentive to apply the following to their game:
·Purposeful Practice
·Practicing outside of class
·Score lower to graduate to the next set of tees
·Understanding how to score – golf is learned from the green back
·Distance does not matter
·Course and game management
Junior Testing Description
The juniors play from a specific distance based on skill level and past tournament scores. There is a progression that they will go through to designate which set of tee markers they play from. In order to graduate to the next set of tees, they must shoot the required score:
Graduation Levels
36 or lower from 50 yards
36 or lower from 100 yards
36 or lower from 150 yards
36 or lower from 200 yards
36 or lower from Junior Tees
36 or lower from Red Tees
36 or lower from White Tees
The tournaments will be held at each location, and juniors of all ages can participate. They will be paired with others playing from the same set of tee markers, with the maximum score of 8 for any given hole.
