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The 2025 Peggy Kirk Bell Tour: Schedule, Divisions, And How This Girls' Golf Powerhouse Is Shaping The LPGA's Future

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The Peggy Kirk Bell Girls' Golf Tour (PKBGT), the nation’s largest all-girls golf circuit, continues its mission into the 2025 season as a crucial pipeline for collegiate and professional talent. With a fresh lineup of events across the East Coast, the tour, an initiative of the non-profit Girls Golf of America, is actively shaping the next generation of female golf stars, offering competitive 9, 18, 36, and even 54-hole tournaments designed for junior golfers aged 9 to 18. As of the current date, December 23, 2025, the PKBGT has solidified its status as a vital stepping stone, with its alumnae making significant strides on the Epson Tour and securing spots on top collegiate teams across the country. This article dives into the tour's structure, the legendary woman behind the name, and the must-know events defining the competitive landscape for 2025.

The Enduring Legacy of Peggy Kirk Bell: A Golf Pioneer’s Biography

The tour is named in honor of one of golf's most influential figures, Margaret Anne "Peggy" Kirk Bell, a champion, instructor, and tireless advocate for women's golf. Her life and career provide the foundation for the tour's mission to empower young women through sport.

  • Full Name: Margaret Anne "Peggy" Kirk Bell
  • Born: October 28, 1921, in Findlay, Ohio
  • Died: November 23, 2016
  • Start in Golf: Began playing at the age of 17
  • Amateur Career Highlights: Won three Ohio Women's Amateur championships in the 1940s.
  • Professional Career: Was a founding member of the Ladies Professional Golf Association (LPGA) in 1950.
  • Notable Achievement: Scored a hole-in-one during the third round of the 1965 LPGA Championship, winning the first $1,000 Janet Olsen Hole-in-One award.
  • Pine Needles Connection: Moved to North Carolina in 1953 with her husband, Warren, where they developed the renowned Pine Needles Lodge & Golf Club in Southern Pines.
  • Instructor Role: Bell was widely regarded as a premier golf instructor, known for her "Golfari" schools, which combined golf instruction with a safari-like vacation experience.
  • Tour Role: Became the honorary chairwoman of the PKBGT when the "PKBGT era" officially kicked off in 2008.

Peggy Kirk Bell's philosophy centered on making golf accessible and enjoyable, a spirit that the PKBGT carries forward by providing a challenging yet supportive environment for junior girls.

The 2025 PKBGT National Series: Key Tournaments and Locations

The 2025 Peggy Kirk Bell Girls' Golf Tour schedule is packed with high-level competition, featuring over 48 National Series events that span Classics, Traditions, and Championship-level tournaments. These events are strategically located across the East Coast, including key states like North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, and New Jersey.

The tour's structure is designed to offer a clear collegiate golf pathway, allowing players to earn performance-based entry (PBE) status into higher-level American Junior Golf Association (AJGA) events and gain exposure to college coaches. The 2025 schedule includes several marquee events that every aspiring collegiate golfer targets:

Must-Watch 2025 PKBGT Championship Events

The Championship events are the pinnacle of the tour, often attracting the strongest fields and providing the most significant PBE opportunities. These tournaments are critical for players looking to finalize their college commitments.

  • The 17th Peggy Kirk Bell Junior: This is arguably the most prestigious event, held annually at the historic Pine Needles Lodge & Golf Club in Southern Pines, North Carolina. The 2025 edition is scheduled for December 28–29. Playing on the same course that has hosted multiple U.S. Women's Open championships is a highlight for any junior golfer.
  • PKBGT Tournament of Champions: A major regional championship that brings together the season's top performers. The 2025 event is set for November 22–23 at the Palmetto Dunes Resort in Hilton Head Island, South Carolina. This event serves as a major benchmark for the fall season.
  • Savannah Girls Classic: A key National Series event held late in the year, scheduled for December 20–21 at The Club at Savannah Harbor in Savannah, Georgia. This event provides an excellent opportunity for players to finish the calendar year strong.

Other important events within the National Series include the Emma Talley Girls Tradition and the Piedmont Girls Classic, which help fill out the competitive calendar and allow players to accumulate points toward the Order of Merit standings.

Understanding the PKBGT Progression Series and Divisions of Play

A core strength of the Peggy Kirk Bell Girls' Golf Tour is its unique structure, known as the PKBGT Progression Series. This system ensures that girls of all skill levels, from beginners to elite prospects, have a competitive environment tailored to their game. The overall schedule features tournaments with varying hole counts and yardages, allowing players to move up as their skills develop.

The Competitive Divisions

The PKBGT typically features three main divisions of play, each designed to provide an appropriate competitive challenge:

  • The Bell Division: This is the premier, most challenging division, reserved for the tour's top players. Entry into the Bell Division often requires a player to submit a tournament resume to prove a consistent ability to score 80 or better from the Red tees, ensuring a high level of competition. These players are often actively being recruited by Division I college programs.
  • The Futures Division: Designed for competitive players who are still developing their tournament game or are younger in age. This division uses slightly shorter yardages and provides a perfect stepping stone to the Bell Division.
  • The Discovery Division: This division typically focuses on shorter-hole events (often 9 or 18 holes) and is ideal for younger players (ages 9-12) or those new to competitive stroke-play tournaments. It emphasizes learning the rules, etiquette, and pace of play in a structured environment.

This multi-tiered system ensures that the tour remains an affordable venue for girls to develop their skills, aligning perfectly with the tour's founding mission.

The PKBGT's Lasting Impact: From Junior Golf to the LPGA

The true measure of the Peggy Kirk Bell Tour's success is its formidable track record in preparing young women for the next level. The RecruitPKB Player Platform is a testament to the tour's commitment to the collegiate pathway, helping hundreds of alumnae secure spots on college golf teams across all NCAA divisions.

The success stories are not limited to the collegiate ranks. Within the 2025 season alone, PKBGT alumnae have made national headlines with their professional achievements. In a recent five-month span, four alumnae collectively secured seven wins on the Epson Tour, which is the official qualifying tour of the LPGA. Critically, two of these former PKBGT competitors successfully secured their LPGA Tour cards, highlighting the tour's direct influence on the highest level of women's professional golf.

The dedication of the PKBGT staff, a collection of golf professionals who have often navigated the collegiate experience themselves, further reinforces the tour's authority in junior golf development. By focusing on both competition and personal growth, the Peggy Kirk Bell Girls' Golf Tour continues to honor its namesake's legacy, ensuring a bright future for women’s golf by consistently producing top-tier talent.

peggy kirk bell tour
peggy kirk bell tour

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