| With U.S. Women's Amateur Golf Champion Carol Semple Thompson looking on, Libby Powers, 17, of Sewickley scored the first hole-in-one at the Woodlands Foundation's "No Handicap" Golf Club this afternoon.
Ms. Powers, who has spina bifida, a physical disability that makes walking difficult, was participating in the Woodlands Mazeroski Sports Camp for youth with disabilities when the momentous event occurred. Ms. Thompson had come to the Woodlands Thursday afternoon to help conduct a golf clinic for youth with various physical and cognitive disabilities as part of the camp. Ms. Powers, who has been taking golf lessons regularly at the Woodlands since last fall, scored the hole-in-one off of Tee Number one, a par-three, 67 yard hole that is sponsored by Mitsubishi Electric Power Products, Inc.
All of the holes on the course are short, par-three holes ranging from 31 to 67 yards. That's because the unique, compact course was built to meet the needs of children and adults with disabilities, many of whom use wheelchairs, crutches and other mobility devices to get around. Ms. Powers is ambulatory, although she sometimes has difficulty walking because of her disability.
The course was designed in 2002 by Landscape Architect Dominic Palombo of Upper St. Clair and built in spring 2003. It opened for its first full season of use in 2004. The Woodlands incorporates golf into all most of the summer camp and year-round programs offered there, as well as offering private and small group golf lessons each week.
The Woodlands Foundation, whose mission is to enrich the lives of children and adults with disability and chronic illness, operates a year-round program facility in Bradford Woods with diverse resources that are fully accessible and can host summer camps, weekend retreats and other overnight activities, respite days, recreational activities, and group gatherings. Many area nonprofit organizations that serve people with disabilities use the Woodlands' facilities regularly. In addition to the golf program, the Woodlands sponsors a number of its own programs for children and adults with various disabilities, including summer sports, music, and independent living skills camps; weekend retreats; year-round aquatics; and an after-school program.
For information about the Woodlands, including how to sponsor a hole at the "No Handicap" Golf Club, contact the Woodlands at 724-935-6533 or through the website at www.woodlandsfoundation.org |
