The Blue Ridge Junior Golf Tour will celebrate its 25-year birthday with a slate of activities beginning in June.
Since 1999, the tour has followed its motto of “building character and sportsmanship through the game of golf.” Through the years, many junior golfers in southwest Virginia and southern West Virginia have taken advantage of the offerings of the tour and have gained skill development, etiquette competence, rules knowledge, and competitive opportunity.
Director of Tour Operations Dewayne Belcher explains, “We’ve conducted the tour with the same motto since the beginning in 1999. With that foundation, players have not only become better players, they have honored the fundamental principles of the game by playing with fairness and integrity. This has yielded many social skills helpful in producing good community citizens. To that end, we are most proud.”
Beginning in June, the tour will offer a golf academy at Fincastle in Bluefield, Va. Aspiring players will learn the fundamentals of the golf swing under the direction of professionals Vic Sorrell and Steve Lilly.
A rules clinic will also occur in June, again at Fincastle. There, participants will learn proper etiquette and basic rules by which to play the game. Seven tournaments follow the academy and rules clinic. Sites include the Pete Dye River Course of Virginia Tech, Draper Valley Golf Club, Fincastle, Wytheville Golf Club, Glade Springs Resort, Great Oaks Country Club, and Pipestem Resort State Park. Plans are also being made for a reunion tournament to gather players and memories of former BRJGT participants from the past 25 years. The tournament will be held at Fincastle in July.
Interested junior golfers up to age 18 can find all dates, events, and sites at brjgt.com. Registration also can be completed on the website. Cost to join the tour is $30 and each tournament is $20 except for the season-ending Tour Championship, which is a two-day event and costs $40.
Through the experience, the junior golfer will receive a number of BRJGT gifts including the official 2023 cap. Also, the player will become a better golfer, make many good friends, and create memories that will last a lifetime.
Age groups are divided into the following categories: 17-18, 15-16, 13-14, (play 18 holes), 10-12 and 9 and Under (play 9 holes). Also, there is an additional developmental group for those who are brand new to golf. It is for ages 13-18 and will include a coach to accompany them for 9 holes during selected tournaments.
Go to brjgt.com to sign-up.