2013 BGA Junior Tour sign up to join the tour is NOW CLOSED, but sign up for individual events for members remains open!

The Junior Tour schedule for 2013 is complete and you can take a look at it by clicking the Schedule button above, and then clicking on Tournaments. 

Sign up to join the Junior Tour is NOW CLOSED, but sign up for individual events for members remains open.

While a number of events in all age groups have filled, there is still room in all age groups in a number of events. Please don't let events being full act as a deterrent to joining the tour. I will do my best to get you in six events. Any issues or problems, please contact me immediately (ithompson@bgagolf.org)

If you played last year, you can renew your membership by logging into your account to the left in the Player's Club and following the steps. Forgotten your ID and/or PWD? No worries, click on the Forgot your password? link beneath the Player's Club and it will be emailed to you. Once you access your account, click on Register to rejoin the tour. Make sure you check all information is still accurate and that you change your child's age group, if necessary.

If you are a new member, click the Become a Member! button to the left and go from there.

As a reminder, for your Junior Tour membership fee you get to play in UP to six regular season events, with the chance to qualify for the Junior Championship at the end of the season.

As a 2013 member, when you sign up for your events you will log into your Player's Club and it will open to your child's page. Click the check boxes of the events they want to play in, click register, click yes on the waiver, check the personal information page is correct and then click on next, and then click OK to complete registration. You will receive an email re each event from BGA/BlueGolf letting you know your status per event (in the field or on the waiting list). You will also be able to check their tournament status on your child's page any time you log in. If you are on a waiting list, you can move to an open event or stay on the waiting list and see nearer the time of the event if a spot opens up.

The events at Greystone, Vestavia and the Country Club of Birmingham are considered premium events and, as such, you may play in a maximum of up to two of these three.

Please note that we will not have events during the time of the State Amateur (June 6-9), the week of the Future Masters (June 23-29), the Girls State Junior (June 25-27), the week of July 4, and the Boys State Junior (July 30-Aug. 1).

NEW this year, we will be offering a nine-hole division for girls combined across all four age groups (10-17). This should appeal to all girls just wanting to play nine holes or if they don't feel they are not ready for or don't want to play 18 holes. Girls wanting to play 18 holes will remain in their relevant age group as they did in 2012.

So, tell all your friends about the BGA Junior Tour and we look forward to you playing with us this year.

BGA Adult-Child event

On Oct. 13 at the Short Course at Oxmoor Valley the BGA hosted our first ever Adult-Child event. It was a great success in great weather and 33 teams teed it up. We were thrilled to have so many players!

Check out the leaderboard on the tournament information page.

The top three teams in each group follow:

10-11 1st, Ben and Kathy Hartwiger - 50; 2nd, Pride and Chris Dyer - 54; 3rd, Ryan and Eric Eshleman - 55.

12-13 1st, Spencer Hollon, Johna Smith - 52; 2nd, Reed and Mark Hereford - 53; 3rd, Colin and Ian Thompson - 54.

14-15 1st, Douglas and Andrew Burke - 53; 2nd, John and Roy Roddam - 53; 3rd, William Walker III and Cole Lankford - 54.

Thanks to everyone who played and to Oxmoor Valley for hosting us.

2012 BGA Junior Tour season in the books

Thanks to the 250 members of this year's Junior Tour and to their parents, grand parents, other family members and friends for all their support this year.

The BGA Junior Championship was played July 23-24 at Old Overton Club, with 96 participants spread across the four age groups.

Hoover's Carson Culton won the overall title, as well as the 14-15 age group. This Spain Park student shot rounds of 67-71--138 to win by five from William Walker III (also 14-15 age group) of Tuscaloosa, who shot 73-70--143.

Culton will have his name added to the Elbert S. Jemison trophy as the winner of the Birmingham Golf Association's top title.

Other age group top finishers were:

10-11, Austin Coggin, Vestavia, 34-36--70; Matt Stuart, Birmingham, 40-41--81; and Ford Goldasich, Homewood, 40-42--82.

12-13, Frankie Wade Jr., Hoover, 72-72--144; Ananias Bonin, Moody, 78-70--148; and Stewart Miller, Oneonta, 74-77--151.

Trey Rose, Tuscaloosa, finished third after a scorecard playoff in the 14-15 with scores of 77-70--147.

Parker Kinzer of Trussville won on the second playoff hole in the 16-17 age group over Spencer Pack of Montevallo. Kinzer shot 72-72 and Pack 73-71, both on 144, while Chase Maze of Hoover was third on 148, also after a scorecard playoff

Season-long Points winners

The season-long points winners were also announced based on play in six events over a season that spans 21 events.

Stuart won the 10-11, followed by Coggin and Ford Goldasich.

12-13 was won by Wade, with Spencer Hollon second and Jack Goldasich and Willis Hagan tied for third.

Walker won the 14-15, followed by Patrick Martin and Sam Goldasich.

Pack and Jasper's Matt Burnett were co-champions of the inaugural Hudson Cup awarded to the 16-17's top points winner, with Alex Norman third.

Thanks so much to the Hudson family for their ongoing support of the BGA. The presentation of the Hudson Cup was facilitated by Pam and Karen Hudson, with Steve Hudson at Old Overton for the conclusion of the following day's final round.

Each age group winner also won an Ogio golf bag, donated by Mark Dillard of Mark Dillard & Associates. Thanks so much to Mark, who also represents Under Armour, and was the reason we were able to get every BGA Junior Tour member an Under Armour golf shirt this year.

Click Here for a link to photos from the 2012 BGA Junior Championship Winner

Click Here for a link to photos from the 2012 BGA Junior Tour Awards

Feel free to contact BGA Executive Director Ian Thompson with any questions via email:

ithompson@bgagolf.org

 Sponsors:

Playoffs needed to decide both age divisions of the Metro Amateur Championship!

The Birmingham Golf Association's Metro Amateur Championship was contested April 20-21 at Hoover Country Club, with playoffs needed to decide the titles in both divisions.

BGA Hall of Fame 2013 inductees

The Birmingham Golf Association inducted Steve Hudson and Dr. Ben Dowdey into their Hall of Fame on April 20 at a dinner held at Hoover Country Club.

They are the 64th and 65th inductees into the BGA's Hall of Fame in its 48-year history and are both most deserving candidates.

Hudson, who grew up in Jasper at Musgrove Country Club under the watchful eye of his late father long-time club professional at the club Travis Hudson, joins his older brother Travis "Tab" Hudson II, who was inducted in 2011.

Steve Hudson has had, and continues to have, a storied amateur career.

He has three times been named the Alabama Golf Association's Player of the Year (2004, 2009 and 2010). (Will Swift is the only other three-time winner.)

It took Hudson a long time to win a State title, but once he got a taste of a statewide victory, there has been no stopping him. 

He captured the State Mid-Amateur Championship at Wynlakes Golf & Country Club in Montgom­ery in 2010. This was something he had been trying to do  for almost 40 years as he first played in an AGA championship as a 12-year-old in the State Junior.

In 2010 he also qualified for, and made the cut in, the U.S. Senior Open.

In 2011 he turned right back around and won the State Senior Amateur, as well as again qualifying for the U.S. Senior Open.

And last year he won the State Mid-Amateur again.

Dr. Ben Dowdey was equally deserving of this honor.

Very active in the game, both playing and administratively with the Alabama Golf Association and the United States Golf Association in the 1980's and 90's, Dowdey, 65, plays the game socially, but not competitively anymore.

He won the State Four Ball Championship four times with Joe Frank Terrell in the 1980's and they were also the runners-up one time.

He was Alabama Amateur of the Year in 1987.

He played in four U.S. Amateurs, four British Amateurs, three U.S. Mid-Amateurs and a U.S. Senior Open.

He played a key role administratively on the AGA's Board of Directors from 1980 to 2001, including being on their Executive Committee for eight years, and remains a Director Emeritus to this day. And he was president of the AGA in 1993-1994. (Hudson is also on the AGA's Board of Directors).

He was involved with the AGA and the USGA during the same time frame, being on the initial USGA Mid-Amateur committee for 18 years. During that time he served as a Rules Official at numerous U.S. Opens, U.S. Amateurs, and U.S. Mid-Amateurs.

He helped found the State Four Ball and State Mid-Amateur championships, and had many other key roles within the AGA for 20-plus years.

He is a true student of the game and is a member of the Royal and Ancient Golf Club of St. Andrews and Royal Dornoch Golf Club, also in Scotland.

Click here to view the program from the 2013 Hall of Fame.

BGA awarded Community Services Grant

Birmingham Golf Association Executive Director Ian Thompson and State Senator, Senate District 15, Slade Blackwell hold a check for $5000 awarded to the BGA by the State of Alabama as a Community Services Grant.

2012 Hall of Fame Inductees announced

We are thrilled to announce that Mary Isbell and Gene Hallman were inducted into our Hall of Fame on March 31 at a dinner to be held at Hoover CC in conjunction with the Metro Amateur.

BGA Hall of Famers gathered March 31 at Hoover CC for this year's dinner and induction ceremony

2012 BGA Hall of Fame inductee Gene Hallman

2012 BGA Hall of Fame inductee Mary Isbell

The Birmingham Golf Association Hall of Fame has a long and storied history dating to 1965.

 CLICK HERE to read more about this year's inductees:

Woodie Eubanks and Will Swift win the 2012 Metro Amateur Championship

Congratulations to Woodie Eubanks and Will Swift who shot rounds of 63-62--125 to win the Mid-Amateur Division of the Metro Amateur Championship at Hoover Country Club. This HCC team beat another HCC team (Andy McRae and Max McClain) by six shots. The runners-up shot 65-66--131.

BGA Metro Amateur Mid-Amateur champions Will Swift (center) and Woodie Eubanks (right), with BGA Executive Director Ian Thompson (left)

The Senior Division was won by Pine Tree members Mike McFarland and Alan Seigel who beat Steve Hudson and Jimmy Tom Goosetree and Rick Clay and Don Manuel in a multi-hole playoff after all three teams finished on four-under-par 140.

BGA Metro Amateur Senior Amateur champions Mike McFarland and Alan Seigel