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"Addressing the needs of golfers with disabilities is more than just the right thing to do, it's good business."

            Making an investment in golfers with disabilities is a hot new trend in the business world. According to the 2002 census bureau report, one in five U.S. residents has a disability. That’s about 18% of the U.S. population or 51.2 million people. More and more people, such as inventors, designers and golf course owners, are making an effort to address the needs of golfers with disabilities. This tournament lets everyone have a lot of fun while raising awareness of those issues.
            Kissimmee Bay Country Club should be commended for being at the forefront of this type of event. Accessibility for mobility challenged golfers is considered "business as usual" at Kissimmee Bay.
            Kissimmee Bay owner, Bill Stine, said to us, "Addressing the needs of golfers with disabilities is more than just the right thing to do, it's good business."
            Ken Peck, who is an Orlando resident, is an excellent golfer and a double amputee with two prosthetic legs below the knees. He is a member of the Eastern Amputee Golf Association, and was a technical advisor during the organization of the Inaugural Florida Open Tournament For Golfers with Disabilities. His experience in holding similar tournaments with the EAGA proved invaluable, and was one of the main reasons the tournament was so successful.
            Weight distribution is a personal issue that every golfer must deal with when swinging a golf club. For instance, the risk of slipping and falling while attempting to hit from a side hill lie might be an issue for a double amputee.
            In an interesting side-note, Peck told us that some of

Leagally blind, this skilled golfer keeps his head down and lets his wife watch the ball for him. He is a VietNam Vet that suffered a head injury from enemy gunfire.

the amputee golf tournaments that he has taken part in, feature several different awards for players of different levels of disability. For instance, in some amputee tournaments, playing from a wheelchair is not considered a different award category than playing from an adaptive golf cart. But because of the effect that leverage has on weight distribution, a golfer that's an amputee “below the knee” (BK) is considered to be in a different award category than a golfer that's an amputee “above the knee” (AK).
            There was quite a wide array of golfers with different disabilities represented at the Inaugural Florida Open Tournament For Golfers with Disabilities. There were plenty of “amputee golfers” from the EAGA and the NAGA, many of which wore prosthetics. But, make no mistake; this tournament was not just for amputees. There were also golfers that were mobility challenged from the effects of such conditions as polio, stroke and paraplegia. There was one golfer that was legally blind, and could only see the ball when it was very close. He had a nice golf swing and was never tempted to prematurely raise his head to look up, because he could not see the flight of the ball. He had no problem playing golf in the tournament though, because his wife also played in the tournament and rode with him. She kept a keen eye on his ball for him and he played quite well.

            The Golf Club at Cypress Head, an Arthur Hills designed municipal course in Port Orange, Florida, should also be commended for their part in sponsoring a golfer in the Inaugural Florida Open Tournament for Golfers with Disabilities. When asked about the company check that was used to pay the tournament’s fifty-dollar entry fee, Jim Sylvester, a stroke victim and an avid golfer from Port Orange said, “The folks that run the Golf Club at Cypress Head are very conscientious of mobility issues concerning seniors and golfers with disabilities. They deserve recognition for sponsoring a player in the event.

The 2007 Florida Open for Golfers with Disabilities
            The 2nd Annual Florida Open for Golfers with Disabilities is already scheduled for June 16th, 2007, at Kissimmee Bay Country Club. So, if you are mobility challenged, or have a disability, or just want to play golf in a fun tournament with a lot of nice people, while raising awareness of accessibility issues concerning golfers who are disabled and-or mobility challenged, view the entry form at: www.floridagolfmagazine.com/open or call this editor at 863-227-2751