The USGA inaugurated the U.S. Junior Amateur championship for players under the age of eighteen in 1948, though the age limit was raised by one year for the 2017 competition. It was also announced then that the winner would gain an exemption into the following year's U.S. Open. The first edition had 495 entries but the modern day version attracts way in excess of 3, 000 applicants so dozens of sectional qualifying events take place in advance of the actual tournament.

The format from 1948 to 1964 was match play with a field of 128 and an 18-hole final match. Between 1965 and 2004, there was 36-hole stroke play qualifying for 64 match play places with an 18-hole final match. From 2005, the final has been played over 36 holes. A medal for the best stroke play qualifying score has also been awarded since 1965. Starting in 2021, the field expands to 264 players, with two venues used for stroke play.

The first championship was contested at the University of Michigan Golf Course and it was won by Dean Lind with a 4&2 victory against future U.S. Open champion Ken Venturi. The large sterling silver trophy presented to the winner was produced by J.E. Caldwell and Co. in Philadelphia and it’s a replica of a bowl produced by noted early American silversmith Samuel Williamson which is in the permanent collection of the Philadelphia Museum of Art.

Since then, a number of prominent professional players have won the U.S. Junior Amateur in their formative golfing years. Tiger Woods captured three consecutive titles from 1991 to 1993 and Jordan Spieth won the trophy in both 2009 and 2011. These two remain the only golfers to claim multiple Junior Amateur titles. Other notable champions who went on to win significant professional honours include Gay Brewer (1964), Johnny Millar (1964), David Duval (1989) and Hunter Mahan (1999).

Four clubs have hosted the tournament on two separate occasions: Manor CC in Maryland (1957, 1971); Singing Hills, California (1973, 1989); Wilmington CC in Delaware (1965, 1978); and Yale Golf Course in Connecticut (1952, 1988).

The following courses are missing from our listings below as they're currently not listed in any of our Best in State rankings: Brookfield in New York (1985); Brookhaven in Texas (1972); Cornell University in New York (1961); Echo Lake in New Jersey (1994); Egypt Valley in Michigan (2010); Hiwan in Colorado (1976); Lochmoor Club in Michigan (1962); Manor Country Club in Maryland (1957, 1971); Moss Creek in South Carolina (1979); Pine Lake in Michigan (1980); Purdue University in Indiana (1955), Richland in Tennessee (1975); Singing Hills in California (1973, 1989); Singletree in Colorado (1987); Sunnyside in California (1981); University of Illinois (1951); University of Minnesota (1958); and Wollaston in Massachusetts (1992).