Why Adaptive Golf?

Benefits

Adaptive golf provides an opportunity for anyone with a disability to get out and experience the joys of the game of golf. Adaptive Golf Iowa will offer instruction, organized events, and adaptive equipment to help make the game enjoyable for everyone.

Making the game of golf accessible to people with physical and developmental challenges provides:

A positive environment that builds confidence, self-esteem, and purpose
A path for those with disabilities to become actively engaged in the social fabric of the community
Health benefits that improve one’s quality of life

Statistics

According to the 2010 U.S. Census Bureau survey, there are approximately 57 million Americans with some form of disability. This includes 19 percent of the total U.S. population. In other words, almost 1 in 5 U.S. residents have a disability.

according to a study conducted by the national center on accessibility at Indiana University in cooperation with Clemson University:

10 percent of persons with some disability now play golf.
22 percent of those with disabilities played golf before incurring their disability but are not playing now.
35 percent of individuals with disabilities are currently not playing golf but are interested in learning.

The study identified key factors for why those 35 percent of the people with disabilities would like to, but were not playing golf, and found that:

33 percent felt uncomfortable about playing in front of others.
31 percent believed that the course staff did not know how to assist them.
36 percent said that they needed a better understanding of the fundamentals of golf.
38 percent stated a need for lessons specific to their disability.