| Have you ever wondered where golf might be headed in the future? For instance, How much further can the professionals hit the golf ball? How many more courses can be built with the number of golfers remaining stagnant year to year? How many new prototype putters can be the fad product of the moment? Perhaps we are not thinking along the right lines, maybe golf is moving in another direction that many of us often overlook.
The Woodlands Foundation is located in Wexford, PA, a small northwest suburb of Pittsburgh. It has a structured camp facility that houses approximately 50 participants at once and reaches nearly 1,400 individuals per year. The unique aspect of the camp is that it is designed specifically for individuals with disabilities. Participants in the camps are generally between the age of 8 and 18 and are from approximately 20-25 general disability groups including Spina Bifida, Cerebral Palsy, Autism, Sickle Cell Anemia, and Paraplegia.  All buildings and dormitories are fully handicapped accessible and all participants are exposed to activities that will improve socialization and recreational opportunities. The purpose is to provide a program to "Break the Barriers" of participation for individuals with disabilities. To further this mission, in 2002, The Woodlands had the idea of building a golf course to use as part of the camp's recreational components. This dream came to fruition in late 2002 as the Woodlands received a construction grant from the USGA to help with their project.
The end result was the No Handicap Golf Club (NHGC), a modern day disability accessible golf course. In order to provide a true nine-hole experience, the course's three distinct holes each contain three teeing areas and three flagsticks on the putting surfaces. The course became a central piece of the camps in 2004, as approximately ten participants would attend daily one hour instructional sessions headed by Certified Recreational Therapist, Partrick Monaghan. Monaghan, also the Golf Program Coordinator, enlists the assistance of several volunteers at each session to ensure that all participants are receiving the experience they deserve. During their six-day camp or weekend retreat, all participants may also choose to return to the golf course for additional instruction and socialization. According to Monaghan, the golf component became an instant favorite among the youth.
Monaghan's leadership in 2004 was crucial in including golf as a part of The Woodlands Facility. He stressed sportsmanship, physical fitness, and social skills during all of his sessions, and knew how to convey the basic skills of the game from his eight years of experience in dealing with adaptive golfers.  As the golf program approaches its second full year, it has unlimited potential. Beginning in 2005 the NHGC will have club memberships, annual play days, and hopes to begin hosting some competitions. In addition, The Woodlands plans to bring senior citizens groups to the course during the school year at times when the course was unoccupied in 2004. Monaghan also intends to expand the Winter Adaptive Golf Program located at Island Sports Center, an indoor golf facility, and hopes to include golf as a central component of their after-school program.
The USGA has continued supporting the programming operations of the facility in 2004 and also assisted it in buying one of its four adaptive golf carts. Along with Monaghan's future plans for the program in 2005, comes the idea of the NHGC becoming a real "Club," a place where individuals can socialize and share in their enjoyment for the game. This aspiration may not be reached this year, but with improvements to the clubhouse on the way, this program is realizing the dreams very few ever believed possible. Therefore, it is not a surprise that the NHGC has become a model facility that other programs are using as they begin planning additional sites.
Where is golf headed in the future? We may have just found our answer.
For more information on The Woodlands Foundation and its golf program contact Patrick Monaghan at 724-934-5916. |
