In our last Editor's Note, I introduced some of the individual voices that have shaped how I think about coaching and youth development. Rick Sessinghaus, Dr. Michael Gervais, Drew Hanlen. People whose work and friendship have made me a better coach and a better thinker.

This time I want to talk about something different. Not individuals, but organizations. The local junior golf ecosystem of associations, tours, nonprofits, academies and coaches that make it possible for a kid in Southern California to pick up a golf club, fall in love with the game, and grow through it truly is a village. We spend a lot of time in this newsletter thinking about what youth development should look like at the highest level. The research, the philosophy, the big-picture principles. But the real work happens locally. It happens through the specific people and programs in your community who show up and do it every day. Here in Southern California, through a sport called golf, we are fortunate to have extraordinary groups doing exactly that.

"Think globally about what youth development can be. Then act locally with the people and programs
making it real."

I want to start with the Southern California PGA. The SCPGA is more than a professional association for golf coaches. It is one of the most active drivers of junior golf development in the country. Their Junior Tour operates across three tiers, from the Toyota Tour Cup for the most competitive young players all the way to the Junior Development Tour for kids just getting started. What I respect most about their mission is the language they use to describe it: golf as a vehicle to instill values like integrity, honor, and patience. That is not marketing copy. I see it in the way they run their events, the way they train their coaches, and the way they treat young players at every level. The 2018 SCPGA Youth Player Development Award and 2023 Coach and Teacher of the Year award I received remain honors I am deeply proud of, not so much because of what it says about me, but because of what it says about an organization that genuinely values development over results.

The Southern California Golf Association operates on a parallel track and does some of the most important equity work in junior golf. Through their Junior Golf Foundation and the Youth on Course program, kids across Southern California can access green fees and range time for as little as one to five dollars at more than 130 courses. THEY ARE THE LEADERS MAKING GOLF AFFORDABLE FOR THE MASSES. That is not a small thing. Access is the single biggest barrier to growing the game, and the SCGA is actively tearing it down. Their scholarship program awarded 54 young golfers with post-secondary education support in 2025 alone. They also help run Team California (Southern) alongside the SCPGA and the USGA, identifying and developing the top young competitive players in the region. The depth and reach of what the SCGA does for junior golfers and their families is extraordinary, and it often happens without a lot of fanfare.

I also want to recognize someone whose work represents the very best of what golf can be. David Kulla-Mader is a PGA Professional, the Director of Golf at Angel City Sports, and the founder of Los Angeles Adaptive Golf. Since 2017, David has been hosting free monthly adaptive golf clinics at Westchester Golf Course, creating a space where athletes with physical disabilities and visual impairments can learn and play the game. Angel City Sports provides year-round adaptive sports programming across more than 20 sports, and David's golf clinics are among their most impactful. When we talk about golf being for everyone, David is the person actually making it true. His work is a reminder that development is not just about competitive pathways. It is about access, inclusion, and the belief that this game can change a life regardless of ability. I have tremendous respect for what David and Angel City Sports are building.

The California Junior Golf Tour is another organization that deserves real recognition. Founded by John Ray Leary and Dan Martin, PGA, the CJGT has built something special for developing young players. With more than 40 years of combined experience in junior golf development, they have created a competitive circuit that meets young players where they are. Their programming spans nationally ranked multi-day tournaments through Junior Golf Scoreboard, single-day events for players just entering competition, and coaching programs designed to develop the whole player. Good Swings Happen will partner with CJGT in 2026 and beyond offering 9-hole tournaments for the youngest of players, standing on fun and the process of learning above anything result related. What I appreciate most about the CJGT is their philosophy. They talk openly about the process being more important than the result. That is not a throwaway line. You see it in how they run their events, how they communicate with families, and how they have helped develop hundreds of young golfers toward collegiate play and beyond. For families looking for a competitive environment that genuinely puts development first, the CJGT is one of the best in our region.

FlowCode, where I serve as Junior Golf Director, is building the most comprehensive mental game training system in youth golf, giving coaches and players the tools to develop confidence, focus, and emotional regulation alongside the physical fundamentals. That piece of the puzzle matters more than most people realize. These are the most important skills that players can not only utilize for skill mastery, but also take away from sport and apply to the rest of their lives.

Here is why I am writing all of this down. At Good Swings Happen, we do not operate in isolation. We collaborate with these organizations because we believe the development-first model works best when it is reinforced across every touchpoint in a young golfer's experience. When the SCPGA's junior tour values match what we teach in our camps. When the SCGA makes it possible for a family to actually afford access. When David Kulla-Mader opens the door for an athlete who never thought golf was for them. When the CJGT gives a competitive player a tournament environment that puts process over results. When FlowCode gives a coach the mental game curriculum to match the swing instruction. That is what it looks like to think globally and act locally. And The EDGE Playbook exists, in part, to shine a light on the people and organizations doing exactly that.

We are proud to work alongside each and every one of them. If you are a parent or coach in Southern California looking for ways to get your young golfer connected, start with any of the organizations mentioned here. They are doing the work, and they are doing an amazing job of it.

Thanks for reading. Forward this to someone in the junior golf community who would appreciate knowing about these organizations.

Josh Alpert
Founder, Good Swings Happen
Junior Golf Director, FlowCode
SCPGA Coach of the Year (2023) & Youth Player Development Award (2018)
California Golf Teaching & Coaching Hall of Fame (2024)

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