The AJGA is by far the premier organization in the world of junior golf. I know Steve Hamblin, the executive director of the AJGA very well; he's a good man who has the best interests of his organization, kids, and the game of golf at heart, as he sees them. He works really hard, and has done amazing things with the AJGA.
That said, the AJGA is another example of how out-of-whack youth sports have gotten in this country. Speaking as a 31-year veteran of high school coaching, looking at what we've become in the arena of youth sports is just tremendously disturbing. In the case of golf, HS players routinely miss HS matches/tournaments (or even elect not to play on the HS team) to concentrate on their "tour" schedule, whether it is the AJGA, the IJGT,, or whatever. The concept of NOT playing on a HS team to focus on individual stuff CANNOT be good, and the same scenario plays out in other sports in other ways; AAU basketball, travel baseball, select soccer, ODP volleyball, and on and on.
The money is huge, the time commitment is huge, the pressure is huge, and the returns are very, very limited. All of this is sold on the basis of the Holy Grail of the college scholarship. Well, I'm here to tell you that the number of college scholarships is vastly more limited than most imagine, and the quality of athletes that get them is vastly higher than most understand. Additionally, in everything but Div. I football and basketball, the scholarships are split so many ways that they often constitute a tiny return on the investment in the various jr. sports programs. In short, it is often a scam (intentional or not) by the jr. sports programs. The concept of playing and competing being their own reward is a dying creature.
I fear and believe that money is at the heart of it all. Those of you who have kids that play baseball, soccer, tennis, golf, etc. at the higher levels know what I mean. Parents get stuck in a spending rut to try to help their kid keep up competitively; you can't unilaterally change the system, so you go along to get along.
In the long-run, I don't think that we will find that any of this turned out to be good for the kids or the game. The elite few from the AJGA who make it in college golf or professionally will be cited as justification, just as they are in other sports. The majority of players who fund the organizations and don't see much return for their investment will be little or no better off for the experience. In fact, my observation is that more and more players in all sports are becoming disillusioned and leaving the games; too much time, too much pressure, not enough fun. They reach a point where they realize they don't need it under those terms.
I know this sounds like a "good old days" rant. I just don't see any of this as a positive trend for golf, kids, or society.