Times have changed for junior golf!!

Great to see the junior golf community thriving.

My son played junior golf in Northern California and Arizona, growing up alongside players like Isaiah Salinda, Cameron Champ, Shintaro Ban, Austin Smotherman, and Bryson DeChambeau, Nicolo Galletti—so many talented NorCal players it’s hard to name them all. Today, you see many of them on the Korn Ferry and PGA Tours.

I had a front-row seat as they developed—and in some cases, I mentored them through my company, Course of Action Golf, which I founded in 2013. It started out of necessity. Back then, we didn’t have all the social tools and resources we do now. It was mostly email, forums, and a bit of online marketing. I spent years consulting with junior golf families on how to choose the right events, how to prepare, what truly matters, and what doesn’t. Over time, we helped over 100 players go on to play Division I college golf.

My son went on to play at Georgia Tech—a long way from home, but we knew the Southeast gave him a better shot at his pro dreams (and it did). While he was in college, I was swamped with referrals and loved every minute of it. It was emotional, fulfilling, and deeply personal. Helping families navigate junior and college golf became my calling.

Chris was one of the top-ranked juniors in Arizona and Northern California. He was an AJGA All-American, won many junior events, and was ranked in the top 45 of the World Amateur Golf Ranking when he turned pro. He’s played 3 years on the Korn Ferry Tour, finished 45th in the 2023 points race, and narrowly missed his PGA Tour card that year. In 2024, he achieved a career-low Official World Golf Ranking of No. 288 and qualified for the U.S. Open (yes, that was incredible!)—though he also lost his KFT card that same year. It’s a tough game at the highest level, and he’s lived both the highs and the heartbreaks.

When Chris turned pro, I began helping others make that transition from college to professional golf. And trust me—everyone thinks they know what that leap takes, but very few actually do. With NIL, the transfer portal, and all the new complexities in college golf, it’s easy to think the next steps will be obvious. But understanding pro golf is an entirely different world. When Chris graduated in 2018, there was no NIL money. Things have changed fast—and it can be overwhelming for parents trying to keep up. Thankfully, there are so many more resources now to help parents.

The junior classes of 2014 and 2015 were loaded with elite talent—Scottie Scheffler, Bryson DeChambeau, Sam Burns, Ben Griffin, Collin Morikawa. Just like today, people think that their year is the best class ever. It’s happened before—and many of those players are competing in the U.S. Open right now.

I’m not here to pitch anything. I’m here to be a resource. If you’ve ever wondered what X is really like, or whether Y is true, feel free to ask. I’ve spent 21 years traveling with my son to tournaments, caddied for him at Pinehurst no 2 when he reached the semifinals of the North & South Amateur, and stood on the same course again as he played in the U.S. Open. 

From motorhome adventures to the US Open, watching the joy and heartbreak of so many families—we’ve lived it all. Today, Chris is still competing while also working with players and college coaches through strokes gained analysis, elite course management, and prep strategy.

You can learn more at www.courseofactiongolf.com, or email me directly at susan@courseofactiongolf.com. I only work with families on a situational basis now or when Chris has a parent that requests some parent perspective—so I’m not here to drum up business. I’m here to help when I can.  I know this journey. And if you're in the middle of it now, one thing you may not have is the perspective that only comes after you have been through it.

Being a junior golf parent is hard. But it’s also one of the greatest adventures you’ll ever take.

Enjoy the ride.– Susan Petefish