Frequently asked questions

The tour

What is the PING Junior Golf Tour?

A golf tour for children aged 6 to 21, played across the UK, where every player competes in a season-long Order of Merit. There are two tours: the 18-hole Masters Tour and the 9-hole Rookies Tour. Both play on the same day at the same venue, with the 18-hole players going out first.

What is the difference between the Masters Tour and the Rookies Tour?

The Masters Tour is for juniors aged 21 and under with a WHS handicap of 28.4 or better (boys) or 36.4 or better (girls). Players compete over 18 holes for Gross and Nett prizes, with live leaderboards through the Golf Genius app and a professionally set-up first tee. The Rookies Tour is for juniors aged 6 to 12, played over 9 holes from red or forward blue tees depending on age. You can play the Rookies Tour with or without a handicap, as the divisions are set by age. Both tours compete in an Order of Merit for a place at the Grand Final at Thonock Park.

What does the maximum score rule mean?

To keep play moving, every event has a maximum score of five over par on each hole. So the most you can score is an 8 on a par 3, a 9 on a par 4 and a 10 on a par 5. Once a player reaches the maximum they pick up, write that score on the card and move on to the next tee.

Do I need to be a member of a golf club to play?

No. It does not matter whether your child has an official WHS handicap or not, because the tour has categories for both. A handicap is only needed for the Masters Tour.

Entering

What is the criteria to enter?

Rookies Tour (9 holes): aged 6 to 12 on 1 January 2027, with or without a WHS handicap. Masters Tour (18 holes): aged 21 and under on 1 January 2027, with a WHS handicap of 28.4 or below (boys) or 36.4 or below (girls). The full detail is on the event rules page.

How do I enter?

Pick an event from the events page and click Enter. You will be taken to Golf Genius, where you create a free player profile the first time. After that you can enter any event on the 2027 schedule in a couple of clicks.

I live in London – can I enter an event in the north?

Yes. You can enter any event you like, anywhere on the schedule.

Can I use the same email address for two children?

Yes. Add a plus sign and something extra to the email address to make it unique – for example thesmiths@example.com for one child and thesmiths+1@example.com for the other. Golf Genius treats everything after the plus sign as extra information, so both players can share your inbox while staying separate in the system.

Where do I find tee times and results?

Tee times are emailed to you within a week of the event, and results are emailed once the competition is closed. You can also look up tee times, results and the Order of Merit standings on the website at any time.

On the day

How does the live scoring work? Do I need to download an app?

Yes – download the Golf Genius app, which is free on the App Store for iPhone and Google Play for Android. When you arrive you will be given a unique Golf Genius identification code (GGID) for the event. Enter it in the app and you can score the round and follow the whole field on a live leaderboard.

Are caddies allowed?

Yes. But we expect children to make their own decisions, choose their own clubs and read their own putts, so caddying really means carrying the bag or pushing the trolley.

Can I walk round with my son or daughter?

Yes. We encourage family and friends to walk the course and support the group. Please let the players make their own choices on the course, and keep off the greens. Our code of conduct has the full picture.

My 6-year-old daughter has no handicap. How long will the holes be for her?

We want every course to be playable for everyone, so the tour has different divisions. A 6-year-old girl plays off the blue tees in the Girls 6–9 category, where holes are typically: par 3 up to 80–150 yards, par 4 up to 200 yards, par 5 up to 250 yards.

What happens if the weather is bad?

Events go ahead in rain. If the course is unsafe or unplayable, the Tournament Director and the club decide what happens. Our adverse weather policy explains how you will hear from us and what happens to your entry.

Order of Merit and Grand Final

How do the events work, and how do I qualify for the Grand Final?

Every player earns points at each event they play, and their best five scores of the season decide their place on the Order of Merit. On the Rookies Tour the top eight players in each division go through to the Grand Final. On the Masters Tour it is the top four in Gross and the top four in Nett across each of the Under 12, Under 15 and Under 21 divisions, boys and girls – 48 juniors in all. Players need to have played at least five events to qualify. The 2027 Grand Final is on 11 September at Thonock Park, Lincolnshire, and is free for every qualifier.

Where can I see the standings?

On the Order of Merit page, which is updated automatically from Golf Genius. The points for each finishing position are listed on the event rules page.

Membership

Do I need to be a member to play?

No. Every event is open to members and non-members. Members get priority entry, the membership pack and members-only giveaways, but you can play the whole season without joining.

How do I become a member?

Membership opens on 1 October every year and is bought through Golf Genius. Everything that comes with it is on the membership page.

How long does membership last?

For the playing season it is bought for. Membership opens on 1 October and runs until the last qualifying event of the following season, so 2027 membership covers the 2027 season and 2028 membership opens on 1 October 2027.

Still stuck? Get in touch and we will get back to you.