Empower Golf is changing the lives of people all around Australia, continuing to make dreams a reality through playing the game we all love.
The organisation is at the forefront of inclusion golf around the country, with their main premise to promote a program that allows anyone with a disability to play the game of golf.
The WA Golf Foundation wholeheartedly supports the initiative and is beginning to fund several clinics around Western Australia, continuing the mentality that golf is a “game for life”.
Tom Hughson, who is the WA representative for Empower Golf, believes the funding will benefit the expansion of the program throughout the state – with ability to take the concept outside just the metropolitan areas.
“I am over the moon that Empower Golf has received the funding,” Hughson proclaimed.
“What it means is that we can continue to grow our program immensely – with many golf courses showing interest in the initiative.”
“By getting funding I can actually get out and train more people to implement the ideas- giving people living with disability the chance to play golf.”
“The exciting thing about this year’s funding is there is provision to travel to regional areas- particularly Kalgoorlie, Busselton and Geraldton. “
The program centres around working with a PGA Professional at each golf course, using adaptive equipment to give people the ability to play or learn golf.
“The ParaGolfer, which is an all-terrain wheelchair, allows people with physical disability the chance to access different parts of the golf course,” Hughson said.
“This type of equipment is often used to adapt to an incident that may have occurred, getting the participant used to playing again, with the end goal of getting them back out on the course socially.”
Raising awareness of the difference this initiative is making continues to be the goal of Empower Golf, with the backing of the foundation key to further spreading the word around WA.
“For us – the money allows us to spread the word of inclusion golf to places we may never have had the chance to contact,” he mentioned.
“It gets the participant out not just for mental health but physical well-being as well. Joining the community to play golf at times gives them a sense of belonging.”
“For the golf foundation it shows that the WA golfing community cares about all aspects of golf and continually growing the game.”
For more information on Empower Golf please CLICK HERE
