You can imagine how excited I — a member of the executive committee of the National Alliance for Accessible Golf and as a lifelong Kansan who grew up on a farm 25 miles from the Sand Creek Station Golf Course in Newton, Kan. — was to attend the third annual U.S. Adaptive Open, hosted by the USGA. The event was held July 8-10 and featured the world’s best individuals with different abilities competing in a major championship.
My father attended the championship with me — a first. It was about as good as it gets in terms of walking the course with him for three days, watching him interact with the players and learning about their personal stories. During practice rounds, he walked up to a seated player hitting balls at the driving range and learned the player had been a high school athlete until being paralyzed from a skiing accident. It changed the trajectory of this player’s life. The game of golf renewed his spirit and gave him the drive to move forward.
My father also talked to a player who lived in Haiti who lost multiple limbs due to an earthquake. She was in a building when it collapsed on her. And there she was out on the course in Newton, hitting the most magnificent shots. It brought tears to our eyes.
So many players at the Open told us inspirational stories of how the game of golf saved their lives. I have advocated for GCSAA for 27 years and can’t think of a better set of stories to share with the media, public and elected officials about the value of the game.
My father and I also walked the course watching Amy Bockerstette play. Bockerstette met with members and staff of GCSAA and did a live podcast at the 2024 GCSAA Conference and Trade Show in Phoenix. She is a real go-getter, and her family is full of love and inspiration. If you have not had a chance to listen to the GCSAA podcast, please do so.
Finally, it was a real treat to introduce to my father the Sand Creek GCSAA Class A superintendent James Houchen, a 24-year association member who prepped the course for the championship. I think farmers and golf course superintendents are similar — their lives are dictated by the weather; they use precision technology and they have a deep love for the environment. The reason I continue to do what I do for the profession is because of people like Houchen spread across our great nation. He and his team did an excellent job getting the course ready for the tournament — professional land management on display.
I continue to serve joyfully on the National Alliance for Accessible Golf and want to use this column to continue to remind GCSAA members of the suite of resources available to help you navigate Americans with Disabilities Act issues at the golf course and to help you work toward making your facility as inclusive and accessible as possible. It is not likely that your facility will have an opportunity to host a major accessible event, but there are so many members in your community who are potential customers. The Alliance is represented by major golf, recreation and therapeutic organizations in the United States; organizations that provide services for people with disabilities; and others who advocate for the inclusion of people with disabilities into society.
Here are two key resources provided by the Alliance:
Golf Access and Inclusion Network — This resource was created in support of the Alliance mission “to increase the participation of people with disabilities in the game of golf.” GAIN is an adaptive golf community forum uniting golf, recreation and therapeutic facilities, health and wellness specialists, golf professionals, programs, golfers and those who want to learn. Please sign up for GAIN and get advice on how to start an accessible program and hear from experts who can provide accessibility and inclusion answers, guidance or support on a local, regional or national level. It is an ADA and golf discussion forum.
Alliance Education Hub — This resource was created to deliver easier access to prioritized education material golf facility owners and operators should know related to creating accessible and inclusive environments and, in most cases, are mandated by the ADA. Phase I material includes an onboarding training series for golf facility leadership and staff and a couple of micro learning lessons for quick answers related to cart path only and service animal scenarios. GCSAA members can now receive CEUs for completing the educational resources in the Alliance Education Hub.
GCSAA and the Alliance are here to help you welcome individuals of all abilities to the game we all love.
Chava McKeel is GCSAA’s director of government affairs.