A Mini-Tour Primer

The mini-tour landscape changed massively in 2012, when the PGA Tour introduced its international tours in Latin America, Canada and China (no longer operating). Those tours took players and money overseas, leaving the mini-tours in the States floundering. The two big mini-tours at the time, Egolf and Hooters, soon folded or were sold, and in their place, a lot of small tours popped up. These tours appear and often vanish just as quickly.

If you are turning pro, looking for a place to test your game or just a golf nerd like me, here are a dozen mini-tours that are operating in the United States.

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All Pro Tour

Format: 72 holes

Entry fee: $950 for members; $1,350 for non-members (A season-long membership is $1,500)

Average field size: 100-plus, with bigger events getting almost 200

Geographic area:  Central U.S. mostly

Purse size: $100,000-$175,000; the fall season features three-day events with purses averaging around $50,000

Website: APT | All Pro Tour

Fun fact: Defending Masters champion Scottie Scheffler played three events, with a best finish of T-5, in preparation for Q school in 2018.

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Dakotas Tour

Format: 54 holes

Entry fee: $840

Average field size: 60-75

Geographic area:  North and South Dakota

Purse size: $50,000-$70,000K

Website: The Dakotas Tour – Professional Golf – Professional Golf In The Midwest

Fun facts: The Dakotas Tour is largely considered the best economical option in mini-tour golf. Events often offer host housing for the players, and the pro-am format makes the purses player-friendly, meaning players collect a larger percentage of the money taken in than most other tours.

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The G Pro Tour

Format: 54 holes

Entry fee: $920-$1,165

Average field size: 80

Geographic area: North and South Carolina and Georgia

Purse size: $50,000-$75,000; one event last season offered $93,000

Website: GProTour (thegprotour.com)

Fun fact: When Brendon Todd was struggling with the full-shot yips, he played multiple events on the GPro Tour to work on his game.

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Asher Tour (former Golden State/Outlaw Tour)

Format: 54 holes

Entry fee: $750-$1,350; some are two-day/36-hole events

Average field size: 50-70; some of their bigger events have well over 100

Geographic area:  Arizona and California

Purse size: $30,000-$40,000; $100,000 for bigger events

Website: HOME (ashertour.com)

Fun fact: The Asher Tour runs one of the few events in which the winner gets an exemption into a PGA Tour event. The winner of the Reno Open, in late May, receives a spot in golf’s fifth major, the Barracuda Championship.

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Emerald Coast Tour

Format: 54 holes

Entry fee: $700-$850

Average field size: 25-40

Geographic area: Florida, Alabama and Mississippi

Purse size: $15,000-$20,000

Website: Home (emeraldcoasttour.com)

Fun fact: Doug Barron was playing on this tour prior to Monday-qualifying for, and winning, a Champions Tour event in 2019. He has since added a second victory on the senior circuit.

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Rolling Red Tour

Format: 36 holes

Entry fee: $729-$869

Average field size: 20-30

Geographic area:  Southern U.S.

Purse size: $7,000-$10,000

Website: Rolling Red Golf Tour

Fun fact: The tour also hosts an 18-hole shootout, so players have two events in which they can cash.

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Florida Pro Tour

Format: 36 holes

Entry fee: $300-$450

Average field size: 30-90

Geographic area: Florida

Purse size: $5,000-$20,000; its biggest event last season had an $85,000 purse

Website: Home – Florida Professional Golf Tour (fpgtour.com)

Fun fact: In the 2017 season, mini-tour legend Kevin Alywin started with three wins and two runner-up finishes. He won the money title that year with more than $29,000, nearly triple the total of the player in second.

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The BO Tour

Format: 36 holes

Entry fee: $200-$700

Average field size: 20-35; a few have had upwards of 60

Geographic area: Southern California

Purse size: $3K-$20K

Website: The Bo Tour Event :: 2023 Professional Points (golfgenius.com)

Fun fact: The tour was founded by Steve “Bo” Boreri. If you want to play in an event, send him a text. For a long time he accepted cash and paid players the same day.

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West Florida Tour

Format: 18 or 36 holes

Entry fee: $230-$950, the latter for 36-hole events

Average field size: 45-plus

Geographic area: West Florida

Purse size: $10,000-$20,000

Website: Welcome to WFGT (westfloridagolftour.com)

Fun fact: Christian Bartolacci has owned the West Florida Tour for 12 years and is largely a one-man operation. A PGA member, he handles registration, course setup and rules.

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Minor League Golf Tour

Format: 18 or 36 holes

Entry fee: $235-$525

Average field size: 30, but some of the bigger events approach 100

Geographic area: South Florida

Purse size:  $5,000-$20,000

Website: Professional Golf Tours – Mini Tours – Developmental Golf Tours – Women’s Golf Tours (minorleaguegolf.com)

Fun fact: Sunny Kim, who has become a cult hero among the golf nerd population, has 86 wins and has earned more than $337,000 on this tour.

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Moonlight Tour

Format: 18 or 36 holes

Entry fee: $120-$350

Average field size: 15-30

Geographic area: Florida

Website: Mobi | Hybrid Template (ogatour.org)

Fun fact: The Moonlight Tour has been around for over 20 years, and PGA Tour veteran Patrick Sheehan has racked up more than 300 victories.

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Carolina Mountain Tour

Format: 18 or 36 holes

Entry fee: $220

Average field size: 15-25

Geographic area: Carolinas

Purse size: $2,000-$5,000

Website: Carolina Mountain Professional Golf Tour (mountaingolftour.com)

Fun fact: On its website, the tour touts itself as the longest-running mini-tour in the U.S. It is beginning its 27th year in 2023.