Really cool to hear! Golf is awesome and something you can be involved in for a lifetime. So cool things like this are out there to get kids started and interested!

My son has played in several PGA Junior Leagues and they are a blast!!!
I don't know much about First Tee but I'm sure they have a strong program.
We are BIG Fans of YOC. Amazing program that gives kids access to courses nationwide for only $5.
https://youthoncourse.org/

Cheers,
Dr. K

I don't know anything about the PGA Junior League but I watched two kids that I know grow from pre-teen through high school not only with golf but with life lessons in the First Tee. The First Tee has 9 core values which can be applied not only to golf but in life as well.

1. Honesty
2. Integrity.
3. Sportsmanship.
4. Respect.
5. Confidence.
6. Responsibility.
7. Perseverance.
8. Courtesy.
9. Judgement

The First Tee is a great program for all kids and the two that I know not only ended up being good golfers with 1 - 4 handicaps but really outstanding young men as well.
A few years ago one of them was selected to play in the Champions Tournament At Pebble Beach. Then it was called the Nature Valley First Tee and boy what a thrill it was for him.

https://firsttee.org/

I'm very involved with The First Tee of Greater New Orleans and I appreciate everything that you've said. The transformation in the kids is remarkable.

Both of my sons played PGA Jr league and I've seen this program grow tremendously over the last few year. I've seen comparisons to baseball calling it "The little league of golf." The coaches provide practices and help with golf skills. The 2-person scramble format allows them to learn the importance of teamwork but the match play makes it slightly competitive. They even offer an "all-star" team for some of the older, more competitive players in each league. The First Tee instills core values in addition to golf skills so both programs have merit but the PGA Jr league appears to be growing in popularity and support. I just discovered YOC (appears to be more prevalent in some states than others) but my oldest son has utilized the $5 rate a couple of times.

Thank you all, reaffirming my decision to do this. 1st match is tomorrow morning and I have her 2 prov1s to use with a Titleist Visor she got from Abby’s Fore the Ladies (another amazing way to grow the game from a great person and former Titleist staff member). She is ready to go and I’m ready to watch her grow!

The PGAJL program is all about golf. I looked at their website and it looks like an excellent program for getting kids into competitive golf but still keeping it fun.

The First Tee is perhaps 50/50 life skills/healthy habits and golf. At your daughter’s age they would work with the Nine Core Values listed above and how they can be used on and off the golf course. Perseverance, for example, would be about keep going in golf even on a hot day when you are having a bad round. And then the kids would discuss how perseverance can be used at school and at home. After the first 2-3 years they are exposed to life skills like how to properly introduce yourself and how to handle frustration on and off the golf course. After 5-6 years they work on goal setting in golf and in life. Many First Tee kids go on to play college golf but the majority of kids will benefit more from the life skills than the golf part of the program.

Getting her into both programs would be the ideal as it would allow her to work hard on her golf game and also teach her life skills that will help her during a round of golf, at home and school, and someday in the work world.

First Tee is an introduction to golf along with showing how golf can mirror life in the respect that all of the things that apply in golf can apply to our daily lives. The PGA Jr. League is more of a competition based thing similar to U.S. Kids Golf.

I am not familiar with either program, however, anything that can introduce the next generation to the game is a good thing. Fond memories of being in a good junior program, group lessons with a 5 irons on a misty dewy morning, and playing 36 or more on our day on the course.