Tournaments
Junior Golf Tournament Withdrawal & Refund Policies, Explained
Every major tour uses the same basic shape for refunds, more back if you withdraw early, less or nothing if you wait, but the exact deadlines and percentages differ enough between tours that assuming one policy applies everywhere will cost you money.
Tournaments & Events · Updated July 24, 2026
The short version
- AJGA refunds 75% if you withdraw 15+ days out, 50% at 8-14 days, and nothing inside 7 days, plus a separate escalating late-withdrawal fee starting at $160 for tournaments.
- US Kids Golf's tiers are more generous the further out you go (up to 90% cash or 100% eCredit) and include a documented medical/injury exception that AJGA's policy does not.
- HJGT pays no cash refunds at all, only tour credit, on a 13-day / 7-day tiered schedule with zero credit inside 6 days.
- If the tournament itself is canceled rather than you withdrawing, the policy is different again, check the cancellation terms separately from the withdrawal terms.
Why every tour's policy looks a little different
Withdrawal and refund policies exist for a practical reason: tours build fields, order supplies, and pay courses based on confirmed entries, and a late withdrawal costs the tournament real money whether or not the golfer plays. Every major tour uses the same basic structure, an early tier with a large or full refund, a middle tier with a partial refund, and a cutoff close to the event with no refund, but the specific days and percentages are set independently by each tour and are not interchangeable. Assuming AJGA's policy applies to a US Kids Golf event, or the reverse, is the single most common way families lose money they did not have to lose.
The policies side by side
| Tour | Full/highest refund | Middle tier | Cutoff (no refund) | Cash or credit |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| AJGA | 75% at 15+ days out | 50% at 8-14 days out | 7 days or fewer | Refund, plus a separate late-WD fee ($160+ tournaments, $80+ qualifiers) |
| US Kids Golf (local tours) | 90% cash / 100% eCredit at 22+ days out | 75% cash / 85% eCredit at 5-21 days out | Fewer than 5 days | Either, eCredit rate is higher |
| US Kids Golf (championship/multi-day) | 90% cash / 100% eCredit at 45+ days out | 75%/85% at 22-44 days; 50%/60% at 8-21 days | Fewer than 8 days | Either, eCredit rate is higher |
| HJGT | Full credit at 13+ days out | 50% credit at 7-12 days out | 6 days or fewer | Tour credit only, no cash |
Two details worth reading twice: AJGA's policy applies to a withdrawal "for any reason," with no separate medical exception published, while US Kids Golf explicitly grants eCredit for a medical or injury withdrawal (minus a $15 processing fee inside 5 days) when a doctor's note is submitted within one week of the first round. And HJGT does not offer cash refunds at any point, only tour credit, which matters if a family is not planning to play another HJGT event.
AJGA's separate late-withdrawal fee
AJGA runs two policies at once that are easy to conflate. The refund tiers above cover the entry fee itself. Separately, AJGA charges an escalating late-withdrawal fee tied to an application/withdrawal deadline roughly five weeks before the event: $160 for a first late withdrawal from a tournament, rising by $160 each additional time, and $80 for a qualifier, rising by $80. Two withdrawals within a 12-month period can trigger a membership review. Online withdrawal itself closes at 11:59:59 p.m. Eastern the day before the practice round or qualifier; after that, withdrawal has to go through the Tournament Director in person.
When the tournament cancels, not you
A tournament-side cancellation, most often for weather, is a different policy than a player withdrawal. If an AJGA qualifying round cannot be completed and has to be abandoned under the Rules of Golf, AJGA refunds 50% of the qualifier fee and still awards one Performance Star to all confirmed entrants. HJGT's full-event cancellation policy pays full credit minus a $50 administrative fee. We cover how tours handle a weather-shortened round specifically, which is a related but separate question from cancellation, in our weather and rain delay guide.
The practical takeaway
- Read the specific tour's policy before you register, not after you need to withdraw. The tiers above are current as published, but tours revise these policies, confirm on the tour's own site for the event you are entering.
- If a conflict is even possible, withdraw as early as you can. Every policy above rewards early withdrawal significantly more than waiting.
- If your tour is US Kids Golf and the withdrawal is for a medical reason, get the doctor's note process started immediately, the exception has its own one-week documentation window.
- Factor the refund tiers into how far in advance you register for events in our schedule-building guide, registering too early into an uncertain schedule is exactly how families end up eating a partial refund.
Frequently asked questions
- What is AJGA's refund policy if I withdraw from a tournament?
- AJGA refunds 75% of the entry fee if you withdraw 15 or more days before the tournament practice round, 50% at 8-14 days out, and nothing inside 7 days. A separate late-withdrawal fee, starting at $160 for tournaments and $80 for qualifiers, can also apply depending on timing.
- Does US Kids Golf refund entry fees for medical withdrawals?
- Yes. US Kids Golf grants eCredit for a medical or injury withdrawal when a doctor's note is submitted within one week of the first round, minus a $15 processing fee if the withdrawal is inside 5 days of the event. This is a documented exception AJGA's published policy does not include.
- Does HJGT give cash refunds for withdrawals?
- No. HJGT pays tour credit only, never cash, on a tiered schedule: full credit at 13 or more days out, 50% credit at 7-12 days out, and no credit inside 6 days.
- What happens to my entry fee if the tournament itself is canceled?
- It depends on the tour and the reason. AJGA refunds 50% of the qualifier fee and still awards a Performance Star if a qualifying round is abandoned under the Rules of Golf. HJGT's full-event cancellation policy pays full tour credit minus a $50 administrative fee.
Keep reading
- Weather and Rain Delays at Junior Golf Tournaments: What the Rules SayA horn blows and play stops, but what happens next, whether the round is shortened, postponed, or canceled outright, and what it means for your golfer's score and entry fee, depends on rules most families never read until the storm is already overhead.
- Junior Golf Tournament Registration 101Every junior tour runs its own sign-up, and the rules for deadlines, fees, and waitlists aren’t the same twice. Here is how entry works so you don’t miss a spot your player earned.
- How Much Are Junior Golf Tournament Entry Fees?Entry fees are the one junior golf cost with an actual published price tag. Here is what local, regional, and national tours typically charge, and the membership costs that stack on top before you ever pay an entry.
- Building a Junior Tournament ScheduleA good schedule isn’t the most events you can afford. It’s the right events, at the right level, spaced so your player arrives at the ones that matter sharp instead of fried.
- When Should My Golfer Start College Golf Recruiting?The honest timeline runs on two tracks at once: the development and competition work that should start early, and the formal recruiting steps that NCAA rules do not open until later. Here is how they actually fit together.
- Free college golf assessmentSee how your golfer's scores compare to real college recruiting benchmarks. Free with a free account.