Testimonials
“The BGA has been a wonderful experience for our family. We have two children that have participated in the BGA, a boy and girl. The BGA opened up the opportunity for them to meet other golfers their age in the Birmingham area and have some competitive fun. Our kids enjoyed getting to play on the beautiful courses in surrounding towns such as FarmLinks, Ol’ Colony and Limestone Springs. Some of their favorite courses in town included Old Overton, Hoover CC and the Country Club of Birmingham.
“The Birmingham Golf Association is run amazingly well. Signing up for the events online was very easy and there were plenty of dates for matches throughout the summer to select from, for the kids’ events. When conflicts came up, Ian Thompson was understanding and helped us resolve the conflicts with other golf matches. Detailed event information with tee times and players were sent out in plenty of time and again a lot of information about the course and what to expect that day. “At all the events, the BGA staff was much appreciated. They were professional and friendly. The golfers knew who and where the BGA staff was, when help was needed.
“There have been other opportunities for our children through the BGA. They both volunteered as standard bearers at the Regions Tradition. Both have also signed up to volunteer for the Women’s U.S. Open in 2018 at Shoal Creek.
“The Birmingham Golf Association Junior Tour will be on our to do list again for next summer.”
Emmett Parker
“I have had two children playing on the BGA Junior Golf Tour for several years now. The BGA is a great opportunity for any junior golfer. The BGA provides a fantastic combination of learning and competition on terrific venues. Ian Thompson and his staff are well organized and make each tournament a fun experience. Ian truly cares about making each golfer’s experience a positive one. I would highly recommend the BGA Junior Golf Tour to any junior golfer at any
level.”
Eric Eshleman, Director of Golf, The Country Club of Birmingham.
“Our family has had the good fortune of all three sons playing on the BGA Junior Tour. It’s been a terrific experience as it’s taught our boys many life lessons. They have loved playing the great courses around Birmingham and meeting new friends. We host annually a one-day BGA event and have done our part to host the BGA Junior Championship many times. We always look forward to these events. Ian does an incredible job with communications, scheduling and scoring these events. I highly recommend the BGA Junior Tour to all families with junior golfers.”
Eric Williamson, Director of Golf, Shoal Creek.
“The Birmingham Golf Association and Ian Thompson have set the standard on how to run a junior golf event. Their attention to young male and female junior golfers is off the charts. They run great events, have a knack for bringing fun to the game, and most importantly, know how to attract juniors to the game of golf. Having had my own kids in the program, and from having hosted a number of BGA events at Shoal Creek, I have seen myself that Ian and his BGA team are great ambassadors to the game of junior golf.”
Christine and Greg Martin, Parents of Patrick Martin
“Eleven years ago in May 2006, I contacted Kim Wilcox, junior tour director of the BGA at the time, to ask if my 9-year-old son Patrick could participate on the BGA Tour. The “rules” stated the golfer needed to be at least 10 years old. Kim asked if Patrick could shoot a score of 60 or better on nine holes to which I confirmed he could. She explained that the age limit was only to prevent kids from getting stuck on the golf course all day trying to complete their round. She allowed Patrick to start playing the next week at Heatherwood Country Club. This is where we got our start in competitive golf. Patrick was not happy with his performance that day, but immediately starting learning how to manage his golf game, manage his emotions, learn the Rules of Golf and how to interact with the other golfers in a competitive environment. These early BGA Junior Golf experiences are what helped build Patrick into the competitive golfer he is today at Vanderbilt University. Throughout the years on the BGA Junior Tour, as Patrick’s game improved, he was able win several events and compete in the season-ending championship. This final tournament is typically held at one of our best courses in the Birmingham area which makes the event all the more special for the kids. Competing on a signature golf course for the championship allows excitement to build throughout the season as the players work hard to qualify for that finale. You have done a great job of building this tour and developing relationships with the local clubs to include them in this important initiative of developing young golfers. I’m a firm believer that players of all skill levels should be able to play together allowing the newer, less experienced golfers to be able to learn from the more experienced players who learned from others in the same manner. I also believe that learning to WIN is invaluable. Attempting play competitively at the regional, or even national level, before understanding how to be able to actually win can be a mistake. The Birmingham Golf Association provides our local young golfers the stage to build their game, their character, and cultivate lifelong friendships starting at an early age. We are proud to have been a part of such a great program over the years. We wish you all the luck in the future and am confident the BGA Junior Tour will continue to build our next generation of local golfers.”
Julie Baker, University of Southern Mississippi Golfer
“After being a part of the BGA Junior Tour for a couple of years, I feel as though the BGA helped me achieve my goal of playing collegiate golf. The tour allowed me to play many different courses and I have made so many friends that I still play golf with. The BGA was a fun and competitive way to learn more about the game of golf and helped my game improve a lot. I loved getting to meet new people and also improve at the sport I love.”
Patrick Martin, Vanderbilt University Collegiate Golfer
“The BGA was really important to me growing up as a junior golfer. I was able to build relationships with many different kids from all over the state, many of whom I still keep in contact with. It exposed me to a variety of nice golf courses in the state and allowed me to compete to win. I think the biggest thing that the BGA had to offer for me was that it taught me to win. I was fortunate enough to have won many of their events and it gave me the self belief that I was capable of achieving bigger things outside the BGA. I think the people and players who have been part of this organization over the years have successfully been able to make it a crucial step as a developing golfer in the Birmingham area. To me, the BGA will always be remembered as the organization where I made a lot of new friends, where I played my first tournament in, where I learned how to win, where I first started shooting low scores (shot my first 18-hole sub-70 round of 66 at Old Overton age 12-13) in a tournament, and an organization that I can comfortably say has had an impact on what I’ve gone on to do later into high school and now into college.”
James Roberts
“I have played on the BGA junior tour for seven years, and I enjoyed working on the staff for the last summer. After this experience, I appreciate how influential the BGA has been for my love and knowledge of the game. I have seen firsthand how hard Mr. Thompson works to ensure that young golfers receive the encouragement they need to succeed. It has been great to meet junior golfers from all over Birmingham.”
Randy Roberts, Past President of the BGA
“The BGA Junior Tour has been a great experience for our family. Our two boys have played since they were 10 and enjoyed every minute of it. The opportunity to play the finest golf courses in Alabama along with learning how to play competitive golf in a relaxed atmosphere has been perfect. Ian and his team do an amazing job of keeping the events organized and fun while still teaching life-long lessons on the course. In addition to the golf, the BGA is a great way for your children to make new friends throughout Birmingham. If you are looking to introduce your kids to competitive golf, the BGA is the place for you!”
Tim and Pam Baker, Parents of Julie and Emily Baker
“We have two daughters who have participated on the BGA Junior Tour. One of them is now playing collegiate golf, and the other is currently a member of her high school golf team. Playing tournament golf with the BGA has provided valuable experience that they have taken with them as they compete on their school teams. BGA has provided opportunities for them to play many premier courses around the Birmingham area. Also, they have made life long friends through participation in BGA competitions.”