KISSIMMEE / OSCEOLA COUNTY 

         The 2008 Florida Open Tournament For Golfers With Disabilities and/or Mobility Challenges was an inspiring success and a lot of fun for everyone involved. The third annual event was held on 7/14/2008 at Kissimmee Bay Country Club in Kissimmee, Florida.
         A diverse group of golfers showed up and participated, rallying to raise awareness for the accessibility issues concerning golfers with disabilities and/or mobility challenges. But, more importantly they came to have fun while playing golf.
         The generous folks at Kissimmee Bay CC hosted the tournament for the third consecutive year and provided range balls, 18 holes of golf including cart fees, and a wonderful barbecue buffet for the awards banquet afterwards, for only fifty dollars per player.
         Sponsored by Florida Golf Magazine and the National Alliance for Accessible Golf, the goal was to “have fun while raising awareness of accessibility issues concerning golfers that are disabled and/or mobility challenged.”
         The National Alliance for Accessible Golf (accessgolf.org) is an organization focused on the inclusion of people with disabilities into the game of golf. The Alliance is administered by a Board of Directors representing the major golf industry organizations in the United States, organizations that provide services for people with disabilities, and individuals and others who advocate for the inclusion of people with disabilities into society.
         The 2008 tournament was also supported by several other prestigious organizations including a sponsorship by Solorider, “America’s Leading Single-Rider Golfcar” (solorider.com) and OverSpin Putters (totalgolfmarketing.com).
         The 2008 tournament was also supported by several members of the AGFA, Adaptive Golf Foundation of America (agfofamerica.org), the EAGA, East Amputee Golf Association (eaga.org) and the NAGA, National Amputee Golf Association (nagagolf.org).

Jeff Roulston, a golfer from San Mateo, Florida is shown here teeing off, using a conventional golfcart.

Jeff Roulston, recieved special permission from Kissimme Bay Country Club to drive a conventional golf cart on the tees and greens, while competing in the 2008 open tournament.

         In a conscious effort to be all-inclusive, golfers without disabilities were encouraged to play in the open tournament, along with their friends with disabilities, and were eligible to compete for the Overall and Low Gross Awards. Everyone with a USGA Handicap was also eligible to compete for the Low Net Awards.
         There was quite a wide array of golfers with different disabilities and mobility challenges represented at the third annual event. There were many “amputee golfers”, many of which wore prosthetics, but make no mistake this tournament was not just for amputees. There were also many golfers participating, that were mobility challenged from the effects of such conditions as stroke and paraplegia.

Special Requests
         This year the tournament had a special request from Jeff Roulston, a mobility challenged golfer from San Mateo, Florida. Roulston called several months before the tournament and asked if Kissimmee Bay Country Club would take the roof off of one of their regular golfcarts for him to use in the tournament.
         Roulston told us that this is how he normally plays at his favorite golf course in Georgetown, Florida, Live Oak Golf & Country Club, and this was how he truly preferred playing. We told Roulston to call and ask the owner of Kissimmee Bay Country Club, and he did.
         Roulstan called us back and told us that Bill Stine, the owner of Kissimmee Bay Country Club told him that he would make sure the roof was taken off of one of their Club Cars for him the day before the tournament. He also told us that the owner said he could drive the topless Club Car on the greens to putt, the same as the Adaptive Golfcarts in the tournament were planning to do.
         The day of the tournament Roulstan was accommodated as per his request, and he played the entire 18 holes without a problem. He told us that he drove the topless Club Car everywhere except in the sand traps.
         Because the stock golf cart is quite a bit heavier than some of the specially designed adaptive carts, Roulston was concerned about the Club Car getting stuck in the sand traps, so when in the sand, he took a drop and a penalty stroke as did many of the other mobility challenged golfers in the tournament. Roulston also told us that his favorite golf course, Live Oak Golf & Country Club in Georgetown, Florida, has plenty of water and trees, but no sand traps.

Tampa golfer Al Landers’ SoloRider Adaptive Golf Car has less
impact (weight per square inch) on turf than a human footprint.
Adaptive Golf Cars
         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 can be a serious concern for a mobility challenged golfer, such as a double amputee.
         Al Landers, a Tampa resident and an amputee, played the entire round using an adaptive single rider golf car. He played while riding an adaptive golf car called a SoloRider onto the greens and through the sand traps. Unlike your average golf cart, these specially designed, single person golf cars have less impact on the greens and weigh less, (per square inch) than human footprints.
         And, what is an adaptive golf car? To best understand an adaptive golf car, (or single rider golf car as they are commonly called), we need to consider the mobility impairments a golfer who has no legs or does not have the use of his or her legs [paraplegic]. Some simply cannot operate a standard golf cart.
         The adaptive or single rider golf car enables the mobility impaired golfer to operate the car. A stroke survivor may only have use of one arm and hand, so the car must have hand controls for acceleration and braking and be able to be steered by either hand. The SoloRider has those controls. This type of golf car must also have a swivel seat for ease of entry and exit. SoloRider has a unique seat that not only swivels, but also can support a golfer from seated to standing in an infinite number of positions.
         These cars, because of their design, put no more pressure on the turf than the pressure of a person standing.
         Unlike accessible restrooms and ramps, single rider golf cars could help make it possible for the golf course owners to generate revenue from many of the golfers who are mobility impaired that currently do not have access to their courses. Equally important, aging seniors who are experiencing problems with hips, knees and stamina can use the adaptive or single rider golf car as well. Anyone can use an adaptive or single rider golf car.

“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.
         Eight members of the American Veterans Adaptive Golf Program from Tampa, participating in the tournament. David Windsor, the Director of Golf for the AGFA was the keynote speaker at this year’s open tournament award banquet. In his talk, he detailed many of the programs that the AGFA offers to golfers with disabilities or mobility challenges. Afterwards, the tournament participants joined in a constructive dialogue, sharing viewpoints and advice about many of the accessibility issues that concerned them most as golfers with disabilities and mobility challenges. Everyone seemed comfortable about sharing their experiences amongst their peers.

         Keynote speaker, David Windsor, also told the group of golfers about the development of the new Adaptive Golf Academy (AGA see www.adaptivegolfacademy.com), of which he is the founder.
         The Adaptive Golf Academy provides education, awareness, training, and an instructor certification course to all therapists, health and medical professionals, PGA & LPGA Professionals and anyone interested in learning how to “make a difference” in people’s lives.
         The Adaptive Golf Academy offers Adaptive golf program consultation on every aspect of adaptive golf administration, adaptive equipment and resources essential for a successful community program with rehabilitation hospitals, local organizations and golf facilities.
         The Adaptive Golf Academy is a PGA Recognized Golf School and approved to provide CEU's (Certified Educational Units) to all members of professional organizations, (Therapists, Health and Medical Professionals, PGA/LPGA Golf Professionals) seeking to become qualified in adaptive golf instruction for safe, effective program administration. AGA provides the basic principles for developing a therapeutic, rehabilitative, recreational program to further enhance participant abilities, confidence and independence for community reentry.

The Adaptive Golf Academy can help you by hosting a training course for your organization:
• 1 & 2-day customized training courses with a golf clinic to provide invaluable "hands-on" experiences using proper adaptive techniques.
• Learn the essentials of "adaptive golf" based on the philosophies of Sonny Ackerman, Adaptive Golf Champion and Sports Hall of Famer, as taught by PGA Member David Windsor, 2007 NFPGA Section "Teacher of the Year."
• Learn how golf is used as a rehabilitative and therapeutic modality.
• Learn what clubs, equipment and steps to take for a successful program.

For more information about the Adaptive Golf Academy, call PGA Golf Professional, David Windsor at (941) 650-5750 or E-mail David@adaptivegolfacademy.com

The Golf Club at Cypress Head
sponsored a golfer in the 2008 Open Tournament
Pictured here is golfer, Jim Sylvester from Cypress Head

         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 2008 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. This is the third year in a row that they have sponsored a player in the open tournament. The Golf Club at Cypress Head deserves special recognition for sponsoring a player in the event.

(above) Tampa resident, Monroe Berkman, a polio surviver, won the 2007 Florida Open Tournament for Golfers with Disabilties, playing every shot, including sandtraps from his SoloRider Adaptive Golfcar. Berkman, had no problems hitting out of the bunkers using his stand-up seat to support him during his full golf swing.

Mike Hudson shot a 75 to win 1st place Overall in the 3rd Annual Florida Open Tournament for Golfers with Disabilities and/or Mobility Challenges held on 7/14/08. Born with only one hand, Mike Hudson is a Volunteer Golf Instructor in Pasco County.

         Mike Hudson won 1st Place Overall in the 3rd Annual Florida Open Tournament for Golfers with Disabilities and/or Mobility Challenges. Hudson was born without a right hand, but that proved to be a non-issue on July 14th of 2008, as he won the open tournament by shooting the low gross score of 75 on the challenging Loyd Clifton designed Par 72, 18 holes at Kissimmee Bay Country Club.
         Nationwide, the average score for two-handed golfers is 97. Hudson, who has a beautiful golf swing, often shoots in the 70s on his home course at Seven Springs Golf & Country Club New Port Richey FL.
         Mike said that as a young boy he learned to do everything with one arm. While growing up he excelled at sports and pitched baseball for 8 or 9 years, including in high school.
         The New Port Richey resident said that he got into golf when he visited a golf course with his father, but he didn't really start playing golf until he got older, when a friend got him to play in 1970.
         "I looked around," Hudson recalled with a laugh, "and I didn't see many golfers with two arms doing much better, so I thought I'd give it a try.” He went on to say, “I'm not saying I learned to play golf overnight, but once I learned to swing within myself, I'd say, within two to three years, I was shooting in the low 80s."
         Hudson will call himself handicapped, but only by formality. "I think one of the greatest accomplishments you can have when you're disabled is for people not to consider you disabled and just accept you for what you are," Hudson said. "I don't flaunt it, that's never my intent. But if someone says, 'Mike, I forgot you're one-armed,' I say, 'Man, I've been working all my life to hear something like that.'"
         Now Mike Hudson is a Volunteer Golf Instructor in Pasco County. Hudson said he’s worked with some injured Iraq war veterans to help them learn, or relearn, the game.
         Hudson teaches a golf grip that takes the strain off the wrists for one-armed golfers.
         “I’ve actually seen tears come to a golfer’s eyes when they just hit the ball 50 yards,” he said. “I enjoy teaching that they can do this and it’s going to be something they can do for the rest of their lives.”
         "A lot of times, handicaps can be between the ears," Hudson said. "You have to tell them, 'Yes, you can do it.' Yeah, you may not be hitting like Tiger Woods, but they're steps to pursue to be able to do it. They have to want to do it, and that is usually the toughest part, getting the kids or the new amputee to realize, to want to go out."
         Mike has inspired many people as a golf instructor and mentor, and now as the champion of this tournament he has inspired even more, by helping to raise awareness for the accessibility issues concerning golfers with disabilities and mobility challenges.
         Mike Hudson’s name is now engraved on the permanent tournament trophy, beneath the names of the 2007 winner, Monroe Berkman, and the 2006 champion Virgil Price.

Orlando golfer, Ken Peck shot a 78 gross,
and won 2nd Place Overall in the open tournament

         Ken Peck came in 2nd Overall behind Mike Hudson, when he shot a 78 in the tournament, and was awarded the 1st Low Gross award. Peck, an Orlando resident, is an excellent golfer and a double amputee with two prosthetic legs below the knees. He is a board member of the National Amputee Golf Association, and was instrumental as a technical advisor during the organization of the Tournament. His experience in holding similar tournaments with the NAGA and EAGA proved invaluable, and was one of the main reasons the tournament was so successful.

The National Alliance for Accessible Golf
www.accessgolf.org

Adaptive Golf Foundation of America, Inc. (AGFA)
www.agfofamerica.org

Adaptive Golf Academy Inc.
www.adaptivegolfacademy.com

Solorider, “America’s Leading Single-Rider Golfcar”
www.solorider.com

East Amputee Golf Association (EAGA)
www.eaga.org

National Amputee Golf Association
www.nagagolf.org

         The 2009 Florida Open for Golfers with Disabilities and/or Mobility Challenges is scheduled for June 13th, 2009.
         Representatives of the, Adaptive Golf Foundation of America (AGFA), the U.S. International Council on Disabilities (USICD), Eastern Amputee Golf Association (EAGA), National Amputee Golf Association (NAGA) and the National Alliance for Accessible Golf (NAAG), are scheduled to play in The 2009 Florida Open for Golfers with Disabilities.
         So, if you would like to play golf, while helping to raise awareness for the accessibility issues concerning golfers with disabilities and/or mobility challenges, come and play in The 2009 Florida Open for Golfers with Disabilities.
         For more info you can view the entry form on-line at: www.floridagolfmagazine.com/open or call 863-227-2751.