Welcome to this week’s junior golf tournament preview for May 25-27! We saw some amazing golf take place last weekend including Xander Schauffele taking home his first major at the PGA Championship. There will be plenty of golfers this week looking to achieve the same sort of glory that Xander got after sinking that final putt. Let’s look ahead to the seven tournaments taking place across seven unique states.
Carolinas Junior Open
We start this weekend down in North Carolina where a slate of ready competitors look to take on Greensboro National Golf Club. This course is located just 20 minutes north of downtown Greensboro and presents a heavy challenge for all those competing as it is one of the few golf courses in the area that has bent grass greens. Greensboro National Golf Club is known for providing a premier golfing experience characterized by its scenic beauty, challenging layout, and welcoming atmosphere.
Be sure to pay extra attention to the 5th hole on the course as this par four is regarded as one the toughest on the entire course. It has a long distance of 426 yards with a very narrow fairway that makes it a real challenge for any golfer looking to score well on the day. If you manage to do well on this hole you are set up for a great round of golf.
The weather this weekend will only get better as it goes on. Saturday will have a high of 81 degrees but you could see some scattered showers throughout the day. Sunday appears to be a lot more pleasant as it will have a high of 82 degrees and should remain partly cloudy throughout the day. Saturday will be challenging but you will be rewarded with a pleasant Sunday.
Connecticut Junior Open
For the next tournament, we head up north to Portland, Connecticut where some of the best junior golfers look to take on Quarry Ridge Golf Club. It is in a prime location as it is just a 20-minute drive south from Hartford, and has the breathtaking beauty that the heart of Connecticut is known for. Quarry Ridge Golf Course offers stunning views of the surrounding countryside, with lush fairways, mature trees, and scenic water features that make it such an enjoyable place to play.
Golfers should be on the lookout for the signature 12th hole as its 447-yard par four makes it a real challenge for any golfer. It has a very narrow fairway that rewards an accurate tee box shot and punishes those who are off the mark. Also, keep an eye out for the greenside bunker that you want to do your best to try to avoid.
The weather is going to be near perfect in Portland, Connecticut this weekend. Saturday will have a high of 80 degrees and will be partly cloudy throughout the day. Sunday will be much of the same as it will have a high of 72 degrees and will be partly cloudy as well. I would recommend bringing some sunscreen as the UV index will reach all the way up to an 8.
Kansas City Junior Open
Next, we head towards Kansas City where the golf this weekend should be just as good as the barbecue. Shirkey Golf Club is located in Richmond, Missouri, and is just a short drive from downtown Kansas City. The picturesque course was ranked by Golf Digest as a top public course in the Kansas City area with a 4 ½ star rating. Golfers will need to be playing with peak focus if they want to come away with a victory at Shirkey.
Do not underestimate the challenge that this course brings especially when it comes to the 7th hole. Not only do golfers have the challenge of a 454-yard par four; but they also must avoid the water that surrounds the hole if they want to score well. A strong performance on this hole positions you for an excellent round of golf.
The weather is going to be very dependent on if the scattered thunderstorms end up hitting Richmond. Saturday will have a high of 80 degrees and a chance that thunderstorms pop up during the day. Sunday will be quite similar with a high of 78 degrees and scattered thunderstorms are possible again. I would recommend packing a raincoat and an umbrella to be ready for those storms at a moment’s notice.
LPGA Junior Open
We head down south to Daytona Beach, Florida where some of the best golfers look to compete at the LPGA International Golf Club. There will be some intense competition as over 50 golfers across 6 different divisions are all looking to bring back a first-place finish. All golfers will be playing on the Rees James signature course which is a 4-Star rated course by Golf Digest and was awarded 6th in their “America’s Top 50 Courses for Women 2010” list.
The course is a traditional links style 7,088-yard design, and golfers will be able to enjoy the strategic mounding, numerous expanses of sand bunkers, natural marsh areas, beautiful lakes, and undulating greens while they play. The 5th hole often gives golfers the most trouble as it is a 545-yard par five that includes a dogleg right. It also has a large lake on the right side of the hole that encourages golfers to aim more to the left when teeing off.
The weather in Daytona Beach is going to be quite hot. Saturday has a high of 87 degrees, but the partly cloudy weather should help in keeping golfers cool. Sunday will be similar with a high of 88 degrees and will have that cloud coverage again. Even with this, golfers need to start hydrating now so they are ready to go once the weekend comes around.
Philadelphia Junior Open
A win this weekend at the Philadelphia Junior Open should have you feeling like Rocky did when he was finally able to run up those steps. The Scotland Run Golf Club located just 20 minutes outside the city will host 85 elite junior golfers. This tournament is completely booked and should make for an amazing weekend of golf.
The Scotland Run Golf Club has an interesting history as it was built in and around an old sand quarry. The most unique characteristics include expansive waste areas and an imposing display of cliffs. The 17th hole is often considered the most challenging hole on the course as the long nature of a 482-yard par four can cause difficulties. There are also two greenside bunkers and a river behind the green that make it much better to miss short than go too long on your approach shot.
The weather in Philadelphia will be perfect for golfing this weekend. Saturday has a high of 81 degrees and will be partly cloudy. Sunday will have a high of 76 degrees and will be cloudy for most of the day. With no extra challenge from the weather, golfers should be able to completely focus on their game.
College Prep Series at Kent State
Ravenna, Ohio is set host to the College Prep Series at Kent State and is the next tournament we look to preview. The scenic Windmill Lakes Golf Club will host the ready participants all looking to end next weekend in glory. The course is annually ranked as one of the best golf courses in Ohio, and awarded the 2011 Golf Course of the Year by the National Golf Course Owners Association.
The course boasts more than 50 bunkers and seven lakes. With only two par-five holes, the Windmill Lakes layout challenges golfers of all skill levels with several tough par-fours. The 5th hole is one of the toughest on the course and is a marathon of a 567-yard par five. The hole features a long open fairway that allows players to put everything into their shot off the tee box.
The weather in Ravenna this weekend is every golfer’s dream. Saturday will have a high of 78 degrees and will be partly cloudy. Sunday is almost identical with a high of 79 degrees and will also be partly cloudy.
College Prep Series at Purdue
The last tournament preview this weekend will be at Birck Boilermaker Golf Club in West Lafayette, Indiana. All players will be playing on the world-famous Kampen-Cosler course which has hosted four Big Ten Championship Tournaments. The Kampen-Cosler Course, a Pete Dye design, is an 18-hole, links-style, par-72 championship golf course featuring large bent-grass greens, fairways, and tees.
The 18th hole is generally considered the toughest as it’s a 484-yard, par four where you’re generally hitting into the wind. You have an intimidating tee shot because trees surround the box creating somewhat of a chute-shot. Down the fairway, there’s a large bunker to the left. You’re hitting to a large, elevated green, protected by bunkers and Out-of-Bounds to the left.
The weather in West Lafayette shapes up perfectly for all who are competing to shoot some very low scores. Saturday will have a high of 82 degrees and will be partly cloudy. Sunday seems to be exactly the same with a high of 82 degrees and will be partly cloudy. This should be an amazing weekend of golf.
Follow our live leaderboards on the HJGT app or on HJGT.org to keep up with all our players competing this weekend!
