Updates Made to STPGA Junior Golf's Rules & Regulations
January 11, 2019 • Blake Davis
Section 3: Policies and Procedures
- Account Credit Policy - Any account credit accrued throughout a given year will stay on your account for the following year so long as you register for membership. I.E., if you end 2018 with $35 in account credit and register for 2019 membership, the $35 will be available for use. However, if you do not become a member in 2019 and sign up in 2020, the $35 will not be available for use. (p.11)
- Age Division Placement Policy - Prestige Tour players will be placed in a division based off their age as of the second round of the tournament. (p.12)
- Distance Measuring Devices Policy – Cell phones and smartwatches are NOT permitted at any point during play. The exception to this is that a player may use a phone to take a picture of a ruling situation, should a rules official not be immediately available. First offense is a two-stroke penalty. (p.12)
- Pace of Play Penalty Structure – New penalty structure implemented on the Junior Tour. (p.15)
Section 5: Little Linksters
- Division Advancement - It is the player's responsibility to contact the STPGA once they have achieved a score of 8 over par or lower in two events in order to be moved into the 9-hole Modified Division. (p.20)
- Unique Rules of Play – (verbiage change) Penalty Area Rule - If a player hits two (2) balls into a penalty area that is designated by red or yellow stakes or freshly painted lines they may drop a ball on the opposite side of the said penalty area for no additional penalty. (p.21)
- Example: Player hits his or her first (1) shot into the penalty area designated by red or yellow stakes or freshly painted lines. Player drops and lays two (2). The player proceeds to hit his or her third (3) shot into the same penalty area. The play may then drop on the other side of the penalty area. At this point, the player will be laying four (4) and will proceed to hit his or her fifth (5) shot. Note: The player must count the two (2) strokes for hitting into the penalty area before proceeding under this rule.
- Breaking Ties - For ties for 1st place only, the winner will be decided via a scorecard playoff. It will be broken using the last six holes, last three holes, and last hole method. If the players are still tied, they will each earn 1 st place and split the points. All players who tie for a place other than first will receive a medal for that place. The following policy will only take place for 9-hole divisions. There will be no tiebreakers for 5-hole divisions. (p.22)
Section 6: Junior Links
- Awards - Medals will be given out for 1st thru 3rd place at every Junior Links event, regardless of field size. (p.25)
- Points Challenge - After each tournament, points will be awarded that will be used to decide who receives an invitation to the series championship. The championship will take place in December. (p.25)
- NOTE #1: The Points list will run for the entire calendar year. It will not be split up into separate season series’.
- NOTE #2: The Championship is an invitation-only event and the field is a direct representation of our entire program based on both the number of people in both metro area and age division.
Section 7: Junior Tour
- Awards - Medals will be given out for 1st thru 3rd place at every Junior Tour event, regardless of field size. (p.28)
- Yardage Guidelines (p.29)
Section 8: Prestige Tour
- Points Challenge - The Southern Texas PGA Srixon Prestige Tour has a year-round points challenge. Points acquired throughout the year will accumulate towards the Boys and Girls 13-14, Boys and Girls 15-18, and new Boys and Girls 13-18 overall divisions lists. After the final Srixon Prestige Tour of the year, the Southern Texas PGA will award the overall Boys and Girls 13-18 Points List winners with an exemption into the following year Invitational tournament. The STPGA reserves the right to add additional exemptions at any time. (p.31)
Section 10: STPGA Area Directors
- Austin Junior Tour Area Director – Emily Hassey – ehassey@pgahq.com
- Beaumont Area Director – Mitch Duncan – mduncan@pgahq.com
STPGA Announces 2025 Ben Hogan Cup Matches #TeamSTPGA Captain!
San Antonio, TX & Bandera, TX (June 9-10, 2025) - The Srixon Prestige Tour had the honor of hosting two prestigious events simultaneously this week in the San Antonio metro area, highlighting the depth of junior golf talent across the region. The Boys & Girls Junior PGA Championships (#1) showcased the impressive skill and competitiveness of top junior golfers in the STPGA. The boys teed it up for a 36-hole battle at the iconic Quarry Golf Course in San Antonio, TX sponsored by Frost Bank, while the girls brought the heat to Flying L Ranch Golf Club in Bandera, TX. Both events were filled with exciting play, strong sportsmanship, and memorable moments that set the tone for an action-packed summer season.
Houston, TX (June 2-3, 2025) - The Srixon Prestige Tour hosted the 2025 Space City Challenge at the Wildcat Golf Club's Highlands Course, playing alongside beautiful views of the Houston skyline. While the course provided many challenges, including wide open areas with high winds and plenty of ravines, the juniors were able to play a complete 36 hole match.
Burnet, TX (May 28-29, 2025) - As the weather heats up, so does the competition! The Srixon Prestige Tour had the privelege of hosting the 2025 Fore! Challenge at Delaware Springs Golf Club in Burnet, TX. Junior displayed impressive skill and perseverance throuhgout the 36-hole round. It was clear their hard work paid off with multiple under-par finishes amongst the field.
