Junior Golf Tournament Packing & Parent Checklist

Pack the player’s bag

• Clubs that fit and a manageable bag. Count the clubs: 14 is the maximum under Rule 4, not a shopping target. A smaller junior set is fine.
• Marked golf balls plus spares. Pack more than your child normally loses in a comparable round; no fixed ball quantity works for every player.
• Tees, a ball marker or coin, a divot-repair tool, and two pencils. Put the small items in one easy-to-reach pocket.
• A golf towel and a dry spare. Keep a glove and spare glove if your child normally wears one; a glove is not a universal entry requirement.
• Filled water bottles and familiar snacks for the round and possible delays. Check refill locations and the facility’s outside-food policy.
• Hat or visor, sunscreen, and weather-appropriate golf clothing. Pack socks and a dry change of clothes for afterward.
• Comfortable shoes that meet the course’s rules. Avoid making tournament morning the first time your child wears new shoes.
• Rain jacket, umbrella, bag rain cover, and a waterproof pouch when weather calls for them. Keep grips and spare clothing dry.

Pack for the parent or caddie

• Your own water, snacks, sun protection, rain layer, and comfortable walking shoes. Plan for time outside even if you hope to rent a cart.
• Charged phone, charging cable or power bank, and the tournament director’s number. Silence the phone during play.
• Saved entry confirmation, course address, check-in instructions, starting hole, tee time, and schedule. Save copies you can open without reception.
• Payment method for items not included in entry, such as range balls, meals, parking, or a permitted cart. Confirm costs first.
• Any normally needed personal medication and a small first-aid pouch. Know how to contact event staff if someone needs help.
• Caddie bib, registration, or orientation confirmation only if this organizer requires it. Confirm that you may caddie for this division.

Bring only if useful and permitted

• Push cart: check host-course and event permission, then test the bag straps, brake, and folding mechanism before leaving home.
• Rangefinder or GPS: optional. Check local rules; do not use slope/elevation measurement or club-recommendation functions. A local rule can prohibit distance devices.
• Yardage book or personal distance notes you already use. Check event restrictions on green-reading materials; do not buy a gadget just for the first event.
• Cooling towel, extra umbrella, or small insulated bag if useful and allowed. These are convenience items, not universal tournament requirements.

Before paying or booking travel

• Check the specific event’s age date, division, membership, eligibility, holes, and yardage. An application or waitlist entry is not confirmed acceptance.
• Confirm player acceptance and any required forms in the organizer’s account or confirmation email. Complete required eligibility verification with the organizer.
• Write down entry and membership fees, practice-round and range charges, transport, lodging, meals, and any parent/cart cost. Decide whether the total fits.
• Save registration, withdrawal, refund, and hotel-cancellation deadlines with their time zones. Read whether reimbursement is cash, credit, or unavailable.
• For a waitlist, record the offer method and response window. Choose the latest time your family can accept without unmanageable travel or cost.
• Read the event schedule before arranging travel: mandatory registration, meetings, practice round, possible playoffs, and awards can affect arrival and departure.

The night before

• Recheck the official tee sheet, starting hole, course address, weather notices, and messages from the tournament director.
• Read the Notice to Players and local rules. Confirm scoring method, pace-of-play expectations, and any maximum-score or pickup procedure for this event.
• Confirm dress requirements for both player and caddie. Confirm spectator access, cart availability, and who may transport the player.
• Set departure time with room for parking, check-in, a restroom stop, and a familiar warm-up. The organizer’s reporting deadline controls.
• Agree on one simple goal with your child, such as following the routine or recovering after a difficult hole. Keep swing changes for another day.

At the course

• Check in where instructed, collect event materials, and locate the practice areas, starting tee, restrooms, water, and scoring area.
• Ask staff about suspension signals, evacuation instructions, and the designated shelter before play begins.
• Allow an unhurried warm-up. U.S. Kids recommends at least an hour at the course and reaching the starting tee 10 minutes before tee time.
• AJGA recommends reaching the starting tee 10 minutes early, or 15 minutes for round one. Attend required registration; use the event schedule for exact instructions.
• At the tee, confirm the correct division and tees, ball identification, and scorekeeping procedure with the starter.

During the round and before leaving

• Follow the parent role permitted by this event. Spectating does not give permission to coach, act as a caddie, or drive a player between holes.
• Let the official handle rulings. Follow the event’s scoring instructions and resolve score questions before the scorecard is returned.
• Follow staff directions for a weather suspension and evacuation. Resume only when officials authorize play.
• After the last hole, go to scoring as directed. The player should check hole scores and complete the required certification before leaving scoring.
• Check whether the player needs to stay for a playoff, awards, or another instruction. For a multi-day event, recheck the next tee time.
• Collect belongings, replenish the bag, and give your child a breather. Ask whether they want to talk about the round before offering advice.

The parent’s role depends on the tour

A parent being allowed on the course does not establish caddie or cart permission. Check the specific event notice before arriving.