Season Tour Tips
Welcome to the Kensington Junior Golf Tour and welcome to all players from the Livingston, Washtenaw, Oakland and Wayne areas.
Please visit our TOUR INFO and FAQ Tabs for many common questions
REMINDER – You must register for Faulkwood Shores and Huron Hills, the membership will NOT automatically place you in these events. If you have already registered and don’t plan to play, please notify us so we can adjust. These will both be very full days!
PLEASE NOTE: Tee Times will be posted two days prior to each event and will be updated as needed. Please also check the night before or morning of! Your advanced notice and checking is helpful. Please note that web registrations are not instantly added to tee sheet. ALL registrations must be paid online in order to be assigned a tee time! Late registrations will be added if space is available, otherwise they will be waitlisted and a tour credit will be issued if we cannot squeeze you in due to course constraints. Thanks for understanding that we are at the mercy of our golf courses, who are very helpful to our kids, but are also managing regular paying rounds.
INTEGRITY: If you read the news over the last couple of years…you are aware that the integrity of junior golfers has recently been called into question. Personally…I find this incredibly embarrassing for junior golf. Golf is a game of integrity and honor, and is one of the only sports where there is no referee or official. The game depends on the character of the individuals who play the game. As a golfer, you have the responsibility to count each of your strokes, play the ball as you find it, and also be responsible for ensuring the scores within your group are accurate in fairness to the integrity of the entire field. Over the last several years we have heard whispers of “cheating”, “confusion” or even “collusion”. These problems are not unique to the KJGT or to Junior Golf, but we hope to do something about it both to protect our brand, and to help shape and prepare players for the high school ranks. Failure to do so will dilute the quality of HS Golf and of young people in general. In the coming days, we will send around some helpful tips to discuss with your child prior to the start of the season. We will also post these to our website. Please help by having a discussion with your child about this topic, and about what we can do to help the game’s integrity. We owe it to the GAME and to our YOUNG PEOPLE to do so.
End of Rant…..
1- We are excited to continue offering our quality tournament schedule this summer. We hope you enjoy the tournament experience on Livingston, Washtenaw, Oakland and Wayne County’s best courses. We have tried to streamline our registration process and encourage players to join us in each location if they wish.
Reminder- There will be no separate registration fee for playing in different divisions- just the daily tournament fee. Please Note- you may accrue Tour Championship Points for Any Division/Multiple Divisions.
2- A few helpful tips to make your season a good one!
- show up at least 15-20 minutes before your scheduled tee time, but arrive at the check-in area no more than 10 minutes prior to tee time. USGA rules dictate that late for tee time = disqualification
- bring plenty of water/Gatorade (or frozen water bottle)
- we will practice PACE of PLAY improvement all year- a few things that can really help are always watching your shot, taking only 1 practice swing and walking quickly to your golf ball. Players/groups who fall behind may be asked to skip holes to catch up, as is the policy with each golf course.
- Make certain to bring a great attitude each day! Golf is not a game of perfect, but we promise you will improve this year!
- Range Finders ARE ALLOWED!
- Pull Carts ARE ALLOWED!
- Caddies ARE ALLOWED (after reviewing caddie code of conduct and Covid Protocols)
3- Pre-Payment Policy- again this year (at the request of our host courses) – all events must be pre-paid online in order to reserve a tee time. Tee times will generally be posted 48 hours in advance- so payment should be in by this time to ensure space in the event. Please be mindful of the timing to assure that your child is entered. If you register after the 48 hour window, and do not see your tee time (IE late the night before, or morning of) – please check in the morning – as we will update tee times if space is available.
4- Cancellation Policy –
7+ Days advanced Notice will receive a Full Tour Credit
6 days-48 Hours – 50% refund Tour Credit
Less than 48 hours – no refund, our rounds have been set
5- We will have a season ending Tour Championship in each Division, and again this year we will open this event to all participants. The Livingston Tour Championship will be held at The Huntmore GC, The Oakland Tour Championship at Mystic Creek GC, the Washtenaw Tour Championship will be held at Lake Forrest GC and the Wayne Tour Championship will be held at Fellow’s Creek. These are four great courses- please join us!!!!
6- We are very excited to hold our season-ending RYDER CUP match play event between the top players from Livingston County, Oakland County, Washtenaw County and Wayne County. Stay tuned for more details, and play hard to qualify to represent your home turf!
7- Practice- we are pleased to have Miles of Golf and Carl’s Golfland, both on board as a supporting partners. These are both Top Ranges, Golf Retail Stores, and Instructional Facilities in the United States. Each facility has offered ½ off range balls to all of our Tour Members – what a great benefit and two great places to practice.
8- Divisions/Awards–
We offer 4 playing opportunities for junior golfers:
- 18 holes for 15-18* year old boys and girls***
- 18 holes for 12-14* year old boys and girls***
- 9 holes** for 8-11* years old
- 9 holes (Developmental) for 6-11**** years old
*These are suggestions as to where we think golfers should start playing. When you register, please pick the appropriate playing opportunity based upon the players' ability.
** Players 12 or older MAY play 9 holes if this is where they are comfortable, but will not factor in the awards, or Tour Championship Points until all players 11 and under have been accounted for. Example – an 11 year old score or 45 will beat a 12 year old score of 44. Thank you for understanding the meaning of this competition for our younger players. If your son/daughter is ready, we really encourage them to play 18 holes.
*** We will always try to pair girls players, with girls players. We will always play from a forward tee for this group. Our policy is that is 4 or more girls are in the event in the same age group, they will create a separate category for awards (girl's division). If less than 3 girls are entered, they will compete against the boys for awards and points, but will still play separate tees. Please encourage girls golfers that you know to play.....we would love to have a permanent girls division!
**** 9-Hole Developmental Division will play a shorter course, and use a max score per hole policy. This division was created to introduce younger players to the game, and we encourage a parent/caddie to be present to help with pace of play. No awards will be given for this division.
As always- we love it when our members return to play our local events during the summer. Please consider sharing information about your experience with the Livingston, Washtenaw, Oakland or Wayne Junior Tour with your friends, neighbors and classmates. Whether you are just learning to compete, or are refining your skills, we promise you an enjoyable, educational summer on the golf course- one that is certain to help keep junior golfers improving at an impressive rate.
Caddie Code of Conduct
Starting in 2017, the Kensington Junior Golf Tour allows competitors in all age divisions to have a Caddie (suggested minimum age of caddie – 12 years old). The caddie can be a parent, grand- parent, other family member, friend, coach, or anyone else that the competitor selects.
The caddie has two options regarding the competitor's golf bag
1) He/she can carry the bag for the competitor
2) He/she can use the competitor's own push
3) On a very limited basis and if age or medical condition require it, the Tour Director and Golf Course may allow a caddie to rent a golf cart and keep the competitor's bag on the golf cart. PLEASE NOTE: The competitor must walk the round, just as the rest of the competitors will.
Code of Conduct
Caddies are not to be involved in verbal or any other communications regarding advice, disputes, rulings, etc. with other competitors, their caddies, any spectators or with Tour officials, volunteers, or golf course staff. The KJGT reserves the right to remove the caddie from the golf course for that round, tournament or any future KJGT tournament, at the sole discretion of the KJGT if sportsmanship and the core values of the game of golf are not honored and observed.
Spectators
Spectators may help search for golf balls, and may give encouragement to the entire group of golfers, but only the caddie may give advice to the competitor. You may be a Spectator or Caddie – but not both. If you are not carrying clubs – you are a Spectator, and advice is not permissible.
Over-Coaching
Caddies must refrain from over-coaching their player at risk of penalty strokes to the player due to undue delay. Please be particularly mindful of this on greens, and please make certain to respect other players in your group, and those around you.
Undue Delay
It is the caddie's duty to help the competitor hit each shot within a reasonable period of time. The competitor shall play without undue delay, which is defined as taking no more than 40 seconds to play a stroke. If he/she takes more than 40 seconds, the competitor may be subject to a penalty. The 40 second rule is put into place to prevent over-coaching and slow play. Our Pace of Play Policy applies to all competitors, even those with caddies.
Sportsmanship – please remember that a caddie is an extension of the player and must exhibit respect to all other players, staff and spectators. Inability to demonstrate proper etiquette may result in loss of Caddie privileges on the KJGT. Absolutely no smoking is permitted at KJGT events.
Important USGA Caddie Related Rules
Rule 14-2b states that in "making a stroke", a player shall not allow his caddie to position himself on or close to an extension of the line of play or the line of putt behind the ball. A caddie may position himself in this manner before the player commits to beginning his swing but must move away once the player is set to begin his swing. Failure to do so will result in a two-stroke penalty.
Rule 8-2b states that when a player's ball is on the putting green, the player or his caddie may before, but not during, the stroke, point out a line for putting, but in doing so the putting green shall not be touched. No mark shall be placed anywhere to indicate a line for putting. Violation of this rule will result in a two-stroke penalty.
Rule 17-3 states that the player's ball shall not strike the flagstick or attendant when the flagstick is attended or the flagstick is in the hole, unattended, or when the ball has been played from the putting green. Should this occur, the player is assessed a two-stroke penalty, and the ball is played as it lies.
Rule 8-1 states that a caddie is one who carries or handles a player's clubs during play and otherwise assists him in accordance with the rules. A player may only have one caddie at any given time. A caddie may be replaced or eliminated at any time by the player. No other person may offer advice or help to a player other than his caddie.
Remember that a rules violation by the caddie is the same as if the player violated the rule. A caddie must be aware of the rules and assist his player in accordance with the rules.
The KJGT is taking a big “Leap of Faith” by allowing caddies. We are trusting that each caddie, and each player, will understand the honor, sportsmanship, and respect that are inherent to this great game and will refrain from any situation that may cause the experience of another competitor to be tarnished. Violations of the above Code of Conduct, or any other conduct unbecoming of a junior golfer may result in loss of caddie privileges on the KJGT.
Looking forward to seeing you on the golf course this summer!