COLORADO PGA PROFESSIONALS COMMIT TO JUNIOR GOLF THROUGH THE NEW PLAYER PATHWAY AFTER JGAC DISSOLVED

At the end of 2021, the Junior Golf Alliance (JGAC) was dissolved The JGAC was a joint alliance between the Colorado PGA (COPGA) and the Colorado Golf Association (CGA) to grow the game of golf concurrently across Colorado, Wyoming, and South Dakota Both organizations are extremely proud of the work the JGAC was able to do in the youth space However, like many programs and initiatives, the JGAC hit its limit after 2021 and could not be sustainable anymore in the model created

After the dissolution of the JGAC, the 850 PGA Professionals across the Colorado PGA Section prioritized providing a new avenue for kids who want to compete both non-competitively and competitively. Also, they wanted to provide a mix of free programming and pay-to-play programming.

Through the 2022 season, due to the timing of the dissolution of the JGAC, the Colorado PGA and its team (short-handed to meet the demand at the time) were able to provide 54 competitive tournaments for juniors but, more importantly, take in feedback from juniors and parents alike Thus, in 2023, the Colorado PGA took the feedback to heart and developed a new "Player Development Pathway" for all levels of junior golfers in Colorado, Wyoming, and South Dakota The COPGA wants to ensure that juniors are given the correct avenue to succeed through non-competitive playing opportunities and various levels of tournament play While the Player Pathway can't be everything for everyone, it focuses on the American Developmental Model (ADM) that the Olympic Committee uses to create new athletes and ensure that burnout does not occur. Through the pathway (seen on the right), kids progress through levels of tours, from the Developmental Tour all the way through the Amateur Tour. Each level has a certain purpose for junior development. For example, unlike US Kids, which is a great tour to play in, the Developmental Series is made for learning. The Colorado PGA Staff teaches a "rule of the day" and etiquette, and the kids play in a co-ed fashion If they enjoy the game, they can continue to progress and someday play in the Cup Series - the highest tour level The new pathway has over 1,000 members and still has room to grow!