In just a few weeks, twelve of the best 17-and-under All-Star teams in the country will gather at Twin Warriors Golf Club in New Mexico for the PGA Jr. League Championship, and next month twelve 13-and-under teams will do the same at PGA Frisco in Texas. It is the biggest stage in team golf for young players and a reminder that golf is not only an individual game. At Bronze Tee Junior Golf Club, a junior golf club based in New Haven, Connecticut, we help young players learn the game, develop skills, and make friends in a supportive environment that builds confidence on and off the course, and team golf is a big part of that.
A National Championship for Team Golf
The 17U Championship runs October 22 through 25 at Twin Warriors Golf Club in Santa Ana Pueblo, New Mexico, and the 13U Championship follows November 11 through 15 at PGA Frisco in Texas. Each event brings 12 All-Star teams, roughly 96 junior golfers per division, and the matches air on the ESPN family of networks. Seeing kids their own age represent their region on national TV is inspiring, and the format feels like a celebration rather than a pressure cooker.
How Teams Get There
Teams do not just show up. Players join a local league near home, play a season of practice and friendly matches, and top squads earn All-Star status and advance through one of 12 regional championships to the national event. The path is built on showing up, improving, and playing for each other, and it is open to kids of every skill level with no prior experience required. PGA Jr. League groups players into 9U, 13U, and 17U divisions, so there is a place for everyone.
A Format Built for Fun and Confidence
Championship matches are played by two-person pairs in a 9-hole scramble, where each pair plays the best ball, with 12 points per match. Because teammates share every shot, a tough hole is never carried alone. Kids learn to encourage each other, celebrate a teammate's great putt, and handle a loss with grace, habits that build confidence on and off the course and carry over to school and friendships.
Team Golf Close to Home in Connecticut
Families do not need to travel to New Mexico or Texas to experience team golf. Connecticut has PGA Jr. League programs within easy reach of New Haven: First Tee Connecticut fields teams in Cromwell and Bridgeport, Lyman Orchards in Middlefield runs large 13U and 17U programs through every season, and Farmington Woods hosts a fall league. Families can search for open programs at PGAJrLeague.com and register online. Fees vary by club and most programs include coaching, so kids just need right-sized clubs, comfortable shoes, a hat, and water. For families exploring junior golf New Haven has to offer, a team league is a wonderful first step.
What Parents Should Know
For parents, team golf is one of the gentlest ways into the game. Coaches handle instruction, etiquette, and safety from the first session, and friendly competition replaces any pressure to be perfect. If your young player is curious about golf or already loves it and wants teammates, this is a perfect season to start. Kids golf Connecticut programs like ours meet every player right where they are, from a first swing to a first trophy.
Give your junior golfer a team to cheer for.
Reach out to Bronze Tee Junior Golf Club in New Haven, Connecticut, to learn about joining. Call (203) 936-9004 or email rob@robandvicCT.com.