INCLUSION INFLUENCERS
AN INTERVIEW WITH ERIC HATCH, SOLORIDER CEO AND JEFF NICHOLSON, VERTACAT CHIEF MARKETING OFFICER
GOLFER IN FOCUS
JASON MOORE TAKES HIS FIRST SWING IN 18 YEARS
IN
EDMUND "EQ" SYLVESTER
IN THIS ISSUE
MAY/JUNE 2025
A Message from the Alliance
Executive Director, Dave Barton, PGA
Access + Inclusion
The Alliance is a leader in access and inclusion - increasing the participation of people with disabilities in the game of golf
Inclusion Influencers
An interview with Eric Hatch, SoloRider CEO and Jeff Nicholson, VertaCat Chief Marketing Officer
Golfer in Focus: Networking 101
Jason Moore takes his first swing in 18 years
thanks to the power of the Alliance network
National Golf Programs Are Driving Inclusion
Empowering players with disabilities
GAIN Spotlight
Reaching beyond what you thought was possible
Education Hub Spotlight
Volunteer training to elevate the experience at your events and programs
Amputee golfer Abdul Nevarez visits Farmers Insurance Open
Nevarez meets Jason Day and takes in the action from Torrey Pines Golf Course
USGA Green Section Record
Does Adaptive Golf Cart Traffic Have an Impact on Putting Green Smoothness and Trueness?
2025 PING USDGA Championship
Recap and photos from the Championship
A MESSAGE FROM THE ALLIANCE
Dave Barton, PGA Executive Director
Summer is upon us! We’re hoping April showers have led to more May hours on the golf course for you not so much “in” the flowers
This is a combined May/June issue as we bring you some info on the recently conducted USDGA Championship with the U.S. Adaptive Open on the horizon. We also share the USGA study related to adaptive golf cart traffic and putting greens and a story that shows what can happen when the adaptive golf network engages
Eric Hatch from SoloRider and VertaCat’s Jeff Nicholson join us together as our Inclusion Influencers and talk about their combined efforts and the challenges of getting more adaptive golf cars in the hands of facility operators, programs and the golfers who required these vehicles to play golf.
Finally, on behalf of the National Alliance, we wish the family of EQ Sylvester the best during this difficult time and know his amazing work will endure and prosper with the USAGA and Jonathan Snyder at the helm
Enjoy this edition and please let us know if you have a story to tell!
ACCESS + INCLUSION
Our mission is to increase the participation of people with disabilities in the game of golf.
The National Alliance for Accessible Golf (National Alliance) is the leader in inclusion working to ensure the opportunity for all individuals with disabilities to play and participate in the game of golf Formed in the summer of 2001, the National Alliance is represented by professional associations within the industries of golf, recreation and leisure, and health care providers as well as organizations that advocate for inclusion and provide services to individuals with disabilities
WHAT WE DO
Advocacy and Awareness
In addition to advocating for individuals with disabilities in print and online publications as well as social media marketing and interviews, the National Alliance engages in speaking opportunities at conferences and other public events. The Alliance also hosts GAIN, an adaptive golf community networking and engagement forum
Education
The Alliance Education Hub provides guidance to golf course owners and operators seeking ways to make their golf courses and facilities more welcoming, accessible, and inclusive to golfers with disabilities, including programs to bring new golfers into the game.
Resources
The Alliance delivers resources including ADA guidance, policy templates and more to create accessible, inclusive, and welcoming environments.
INCLUSION INFLUENCERS
AN INTERVIEW WITH ERIC HATCH + JEFF NICHOLSON
Click to listen to the entire interview.
Excerpts From Alliance Executive Director Dave Barton's Interview with Eric Hatch, SoloRider CEO and Jeff Nicholson, VertaCat Chief Marketing Officer
Changing Lives...
Jeff: “It is so compelling It's just you're literally changing people's lives Oh, the smile on their face! And then they make eye contact with their spouse or loved one, and it's just like tears, and I'm in the background with tears and goose bumps all over my body. We're hooked. We're in. ”
Eric: “It doesn't take you very long and very few people to realize what a life changer this is for people. ”
Providing Options to Seated Golfers...
Eric: “I think it's safe to say there is no one vehicle that's better than the other It should be, and always should be preferred What works best for each individual? You may be working with two different individuals with the same type injury but, we all know that in golf there are no two swings alike. ”
Jeff: “I think you need to try out both of them, and whatever suits you best, is the right answer ”
What's New with SoloRider...
Eric: “As of 2024 SoloRider and myself have moved out from under the Regal Research manufacturing umbrella and we are now established as a registered 501(c)3 and hope that we can take advantage of that and help grow the game. ”
Eric Hatch and Jeff Nicholson
“We never get a customer. It's just another family member. That's all. ”
What About Course Damage ...
Eric: “You'll find nobody on the course with more course etiquette as far as turf care than a seated golfer They already know that being in a specialized cart they have a spotlight on them ”
Growing the Game ...
Jeff: “The only thing I can add is that the golf courses that have one or multiple units seem to be doing very well, they're taking reservations, and they're very happy ”
Eric: “On top of that, I have yet to ever play with a seated golfer that is not always bringing friends and family with them ”
Jeff “How do you place a value on being out with your buddies again? The answer is, you can't. ”
GOLFER IN FOCUS: NETWORKING 101
J
ASON MOORE’S STORY
By Dave Barton, PGA
In the April edition of Golf Inclusion Monthly® , we touched on the importance of golf professionals, program leaders and golf facilities ramping up their participation in the National Database of Adaptive Golf Cars, Programs and Facilities None of us know who the next call will come from and where they may need guidance and support to get themselves, or others into the game.
As an objective observation, and based on the number of calls and emails the Alliance and others receive around the country, the golf industry can do a lot better
We intend to keep the pedal down on this improvement opportunity until we see a more engaged golf industry beyond the adaptive golf community that continues to have to fight for themselves for access the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) demands
This access, per the ADA, includes barrier free environments for facility buildings and the golf course It also includes understanding facility and staff responsibilities to facilitate play for all golfers, including those who require closer access near, or onto greens with adaptive golf cars; a failure to provide which could be considered “denial of access” This is a road no public business should choose to go down
Jason Moore, a returning golfer from Huntsville, AL, provides us with a recent example of what is possible when things work on a small scale for the huge payout of getting someone back to the golf course For this to work more often in a lot more places, the BEST thing those that operate facilities and programs can do is to take five minutes to share your facility’s adaptive golf instructional programming and/or adaptive golf car assets. It must be publicly visible. Is there any other alternative that makes any business sense whatsoever?
It’s really easy to say “grow the game” but, it's evidently a bit more challenging for many to take the next step to do an easy game changer that would actually make a difference.
According to the National Golf Foundation, there were over 16,000 golf courses at 14,000 facilities in America as 2024 came to a close. Presently, the free database we have relaunched to help has just over 500 listings of facilities and or golf programs in the country that offer adaptive golf instruction and/or adaptive equipment. I am highly confident there is A LOT more going on around the country related to instructional programming and adaptive golf cars and taking advantage of a free resource to better paint a picture of what a facility or program offers to a broader audience seems like a good idea to us and many others who see the challenges with getting information that golfers with disabilities often face.
Let me show you what happens when the pieces come together. To be VERY clear, the Golf Access and Inclusion Network® (GAIN) is a private networking
The last round of golf I played was Oct 2006 and I shot (-1) under from the tips at Sunset Landing Golf Course here in Huntsville Alabama. I have not played since, but was on vacation in The Villages in Florida recently and hit golf balls in my power wheelchair at a driving range and that feeling made me really want to try to play again if there was any way possible
Whatever help any of the people on this email could provide would be extremely helpful for me to get back into the golf arena. ”
Both Ty and Anna steered Jason towards the Alliance and the national database mentioned above as a departure point for his search An easy and great place to start however, even I, as the “manager” of this database, balanced Jason’s expectations and the search for an adaptive golf car near Huntsville, AL began. Jason had already begun calling around.
Over the last couple of years, I have also referred folks to inquire at local or regional offices of the larger national organizations that have programs around the country, such as First Tee or PGA Hope Often, even though an individual may not qualify for those programs, adaptive golf car assets may be available with these programs or at the facilities they use that could help someone get started.
Jason’s search led him to the Smyrna Golf Course in Smyrna, TN as he is kind of up in that northern Alabama area, and this was where he found a golf course, staff and adaptive vehicle for him to try and, on April 30, 2025, nearly 45 days after looking for an adaptive golf car, Jason took his first swings in over 18 years. Mind you, it was still about a 2-hour journey to get there
I spoke with him on the phone shortly afterwards and the joy he took in playing golf again was only surpassed by the feelings he had and the joy he saw in his 14 years old daughter’s face who had only seen pictures of her dad playing golf from before she was born. Inclusion is an amazing thing.
Jason’s story is, unfortunately, not unique.
First, there are golfers out there who may not know what remains possible for them Jason had admittedly believed his playing days were behind him He is on the road again towards many days back out on the golf course and I can not wait to see his daughter playing alongside him.
Secondly, even when a golfer with a disability may know what is available to them, it takes people like Ty, Anna and others to not just take the calls and listen, but to guide and to act and they did!
It is a mistake to assume people with disabilities in your city, county or state know or can easily find what you provide that may just be the start that gets them into the game of golf.
Please take a fresh look at how you are telling your story related to your support of golfers with disabilities and you will, in fact, grow the game
“ For this to work more often in a lot more places, the BEST thing those that operate facilities and programs can do is to take five minutes to share your facility’s adaptive golf instructional programming and/or adaptive golf car assets.”
NATIONAL GOLF PROGRAMS ARE DRIVING INCLUSION
EMPOWERING
PLAYERS WITH DISABILITIES
May 8, 2025, Charleston, SC: The National Alliance for Accessible Golf (the Alliance) routinely solicits participation data from programs around the country providing golf instruction to individuals with disabilities. The data snapshot reflects remarkable strides made by national golf programs in creating inclusive opportunities for individuals with disabilities over the last four years. From junior clinics to professional training, these efforts have not only expanded access to the game but also transformed lives through sports, social connection, and personal growth.
Between 2020 and 2023 (still compiling 2024), more than 100,000 participants with physical and intellectual disabilities were welcomed into golf programming by six national organizations that have chosen to share this information: PGA Jr League, Special Olympics LPGA Girls Golf, LPGA Professionals, First Tee, and the United States Adaptive Golf Alliance (USAGA) Their collective mission to grow the game inclusively is reflected in both the reach and diversity of their engagement.
First Tee leads the field with more than 26,700 participants, emphasizing both physical and intellectual inclusion. In the past year alone, First Tee chapters at 4,500 program locations reported a total of 10,344 participants between the ages of 5 to 18 years old including 8,792 participants with intellectual, cognitive or sensory impairments and 1,552 with mobility impairments Their adaptive programs and local chapters have worked tirelessly to remove barriers to participation for youth with disabilities
Similarly, Special Olympics has doubled its outreach year over year, culminating in nearly 17,000 participants in the United States over four years, a clear sign of their commitment to competitive and community-driven golf experiences for individuals with intellectual disabilities (IDD).
Photo: firsttee.org
Photo: pgajrleague.com
JOIN THE COMMUNITY. JOIN THE CONVERSATION.
GAIN is your community...a free networking forum to foster better access to adaptive golf experts across the country and resources to serve the community of golfers with disabilities and those that lead and support these efforts.
All are welcomed on GAIN...those seeking information about adaptive golf, the ADA and more with those that can provide the answers.
GAIN SPOTLIGHT: REACHING BEYOND WHAT YOU THOUGHT WAS POSSIBLE
A platform for adaptive golfers, family members, industry experts and supporters to connect.
Most recently, the GAIN platform provided an engagement forum for a golfer who was seeking info about how to get back into the game after a disability stopped him from playing 18 years ago … or so he thought!
In this golfer’s words shared with his permission, “It was just about having the ability to be at the golf course again, being able to be included as a player and the ability to PLAY again Such a great feeling, and you really helped me by continuously promoting a positive attitude even when I had doubts about trying to play again. ”
Join GAIN today and together, we can create many more stories like Jason’s GAIN is a free platform provided by the National Alliance to help everyone reach beyond what they thought was possible.
EDUCATION HUB SPOTLIGHT: VOLUNTEER TRAINING
“Tell me and I forget, teach me and I may remember, involve me and I learn. ” —Benjamin Franklin
Is your organization hosting a tournament or program for adaptive golfers, or any golfers? What about the spectators with disabilities?
If you’ve been around golf long enough, you know golf tournaments of any scale rarely succeed without significant volunteer participation. Are your volunteers prepared to interact with individuals with disabilities in ways that ensure a positive experience is had by all?
Volunteer and Staff Training for Adaptive Golf Events was developed to help event organizers prepare themselves, staff and volunteers in all locations to better understand the basics of disability etiquette and communications. When should you touch someone else's wheelchair? What is the best way to communicate with someone who might have a sensory or intellectual impairment?
Join the growing number of leading golf associations, including the Golf Association of Philadelphia, Arizona Golf Association, and the USDGA, who are choosing to elevate the experience at their events.
VOLUNTEER TRAINING STATS
Enrolled Learners
Course Completions 211
Training Hours Completed
The Alliance Education Hub is a FREE service available to anyone in the golf industry.
pgatour com
AMPUTEE GOLFER ABDUL NEVAREZ VISITS
FARMERS INSURANCE OPEN
PGA Tour Video | January 25, 2025
Abdul Nevarez is a decorated golfer and leader in the disabled community after being involved in a hit-and-run motorcycle accident in 2022. Despite having his right leg amputated above the knee, as well as severe nerve damage in his left leg and left arm, Nevarez’s passion for golf never wavered. At the 2025 Farmers Insurance Open, Nevarez meets Jason Day and takes in the action from Torrey Pines Golf Course.
USGA GREEN SECTION RECORD: DOES ADAPTIVE GOLF CART TRAFFIC HAVE
ON PUTTING GREEN SMOOTHNESS AND TRUENESS?
By: John Petrovsky, manager, Green Section Education
Olayemi Ojeokun, Kansas State University
Wesley Stewart, data scientist, USGA Green Section
Cole Thompson, Ph.D., director, Green Section Research
Key Takeaways
Some adaptive golfers require the use of seated carts, but very little data is available about what, if any, impact these carts have on the putting green surface
Initial results from two field studies conducted during the 2024 U.S. Adaptive Open show no reduction in putting green smoothness or trueness after traffic is applied with a SoloRider seated golf cart at three volumetric water content levels
Some surface disruption was detected with a ParaMotion seated cart but it was not consistent across all test plots and any effect observed was temporary
Multiple types of seated carts driving on the same green on the same day during the championship had little to no impact on surface smoothness This initial finding is reassuring for courses hosting adaptive golf events with players using SoloRider, ParaMotion, VertaCat, or similar carts
Potential effects may not be realized in a practical setting since cart use is typically restricted for several hours after a significant rain event Impacts can also be mitigated with enhanced training of operators, specifically on how to properly maneuver a ParaMotion cart on putting greens.
Some adaptive golfers require the use of a single-rider seated golf cart while playing, which includes driving on the putting green. Wewanted to better understand whether this traffic has any impact on putting green smoothness and trueness Pictured is Annie Hayes,winner of the women's seated player category at the 2024 U S Adaptive Open Photo: USGA
Final Thoughts
A primary goal of establishing the U.S. Adaptive Open is to catalyze more inclusion for golfers with disabilities in the United States and around the world Our hope is that this research helps address concerns about allowing seated golf carts on putting greens and provides useful information about when impacts to the putting surface may occur and how long they are likely to last.
WRAP UP: 2025 PING USDGA CHAMPIONSHIP
By Dave Barton, PGA, Alliance Executive Director
As I walked the grounds on the Ryder Course at PGA Golf Club in Port St. Lucie, FL, during the May 4-7, 2025 PING USDGA Championship presented by the PGA of America, more than one thing caught my attention
First, you can not walk past a bush, tree or body of water in Florida without some critter or animal rustling around creating an internal level of awareness I was in their space. It was a stark reminder of why the Navy was a bit more attractive to me than the other services were back in 1982 But I digress.
The PGA Golf Club provided an outstanding venue for many of the best adaptive golfers in the world to go head to head against golfers in their respective Sports Classification, or impairment category, as well as against the field
Taking the honors this year as overall champions were Chad Pfeiffer (Men’s), Ryanne Jackson (Women’s), and Eli Villanueva (Senior’s). This is Pfeiffer’s fourth victory in five years with three in a row capped by a 69 in the final round Ryanne Jackson defended her title with a 7-shot victory and Eli Villanueva dropped a 63 in the final round to win by a Tiger or Sheffler-esque margin
As to Sports Classification winners, 18 golfers took home their divisional bragging rights.
The PGA Golf Club does not play easy for any golfer, especially when set up for a tournament of this caliber Players had to contend with some legit Florida heat, thunderstorms, plenty of challenging approach shots and green speeds that will punish a golfer if they get a bit greedy
It was my first chance to simply attend the USDGA Championship as a spectator as I have been fortunate to do at recent USGA US Adaptive Opens
USDGA Founder Jason Faircloth and Director of Operations John Bell ran an amazing event.
John Easterbrook, Chief Membership Officer and Sandy Cross, Chief People Person for the PGA of America were on hand as well as Bryan Rourke from PING Anna Kittelson from the Golf Association of Philadelphia, Colton Dean from the USGA, and
others whom I did not have a chance to meet were on site lending assistance as well. It was a first class event from the opening reception to the awards ceremony
A key takeaway for me is the esprit de corps exhibited by the competitors and everyone involved in directing or assisting at this event, including many volunteers from the local community. It’s easy to sense the feeling of community as the players, their family members and friends, and those that organize and host the event gathered for this competition.
These golfers are gracious with each other in victory and gracious when the ball may not go their way There is something in that for all of us to appreciate and aspire towards
To the USDGA and all of the competitors, congratulations and thank you for showing individuals around the world what is possible whatever their ability may be. As the President of the PGA of America recently posted, “Golf is the engine of good and good for you Medical, mental, social, and family. It's not how you play, it is who you play with. ”
CHAMPIONSHIP RESULTS
2025 USDGA Overall Champions (left to right) Eli Villanueva (Senior’s), Ryanne Jackson (Women’s), and Chad Pfeiffer (Men’s). Credit: USDGA.org
SNAPSHOTS:
PHOTOS FROM THE 2025 USDGA CHAMPIONSHIP
Jill MacDonald
The USD
GAP Adaptive’s Anna Kittelson
Amy Bockerstette
Albee Shanefelter
MGA ANNOUNCES ADAPTIVE OPEN CHAMPIONSHIP
By Warren P. Ryan
EDINA, Minn (February 21, 2025) – The Minnesota Golf Association (MGA) in collaboration with the City of Edina and the Braemar Golf Course, is pleased to announce the inaugural Minnesota Adaptive Open, Sept 26-28, 2025, at Braemar GC in Edina, Minn
“Given Braemar Golf Course’s longstanding support of adaptive golf programming through its 40-year partnership with the Sister Kenny Institute, when the Minnesota Golf Association requested the City of Edina and Braemar being their partner in hosting the first-ever Minnesota Adaptive Open this coming fall, we embraced the invitation with grand enthusiasm, ” said James Hovland, Mayor of Edina.
Braemar Golf Course opened in 1964 and has been ranked among the top 75 public golf courses in the U S The course underwent an extensive redesign by noted golf course architect Richard Mandell and reopened in 2019. The Minnesota Adaptive Open will be contested over
36 holes of stroke play on Braemar’s championship 18-hole golf course (tees range from 4,234 to 6,418 yards, par 72). It is open to males and females, professionals and amateurs, with intellectual, neurological, sensory or physical impairments, who have a WR4GD Pass as well as an authorized World Handicap System Handicap Index® The field will consist of 45 players Further eligibility requirements, field composition and additional competitive format details of the Minnesota Adaptive Open can be found here, https://www golfgenius com/pages/5234570 Registration begins March 3
“Braemar Golf Course and the City of Edina are excited to partner with the MGA to host these incredible athletes, ” says Joe Abood, general manager, Braemar GC, adding, “The goal is to make the Minnesota Adaptive Open one of the premier championships of its kind in the U S ”
MAYOR SARNO AND CITY
OFFICIALS PROVIDE
ADAPTIVE GOLF CART DEMONSTRATION –
Mayor Domenic J. Sarno joined with Health & Human Services Commissioner Helen Caulton Harris; Parks, Buildings, & Recreation Management Director Thomas Ashe; Director of Open Space Peter Krupczak, Veterans’ Services Deputy Director William St. Denis, Golf Course Managers Dave Couco and Rick Lombardi, and Senior Greens Superintendent Anthony Kowal at Veterans Golf Course, one of the city’s two public municipal courses, today to provide a demonstration on the Adaptive Golf Carts that are now available at both Franconia Golf Course and Veteran’s Memorial Golf Course in Springfield.
Over the summer, the city joined with Mike Foster, a former brave and dedicated police officer who is now severely disabled, and Springfield Lodge of Elks #61 Representatives Gary Delisle and Jeff Barbeau, to announce that the city, through the Health Department’s Commission on Disability, was able to purchase two adaptive golf carts for Springfield’s public municipal golf courses so golfers with documented physical disabilities can enjoy the game in a safe, accessible way
Today, the city proudly announced that two SoloRider adaptive golf carts have arrived in Springfield and are available for those with documented physical disabilities that may need them to enjoy the game of golf at our Springfield courses Senior Greens Superintendent Anthony Kowal provided a demonstration of how the specialty golf cart works. This initiative to bring this resource to our city was a collaborative effort from the Parks Department and the Health Department’s Commission on Disability, and was driven by advocacy from a local golfer who is now disabled, Mr Mike Foster who is also a former brave and dedicated police officer, and folks from the Springfield Lodge of Elks #61, especially Gary Delisle and Jeff Barbeau.
Mayor Sarno states, “I am so thankful to PBRM Executive Director Ashe, HHS Commissioner Caulton Harris, the Commission of Disabilities and my brother and sister Elks for their collaboration on this inclusive project for the City of Springfield’s beautiful golf courses As Mike shared when we first announced this initiative, he not only advocated for this initiative for himself to have access to the courses, but more importantly for those young and old, who can take advantage and enjoy this accessibility to the game of golf ”
Mayor Sarno states, “I believe we are the first in Western Massachusetts to do this and possibly one of the few who have done it in the state and country. Hopefully other golf courses will follow our lead We are proud of our excellent, yet affordable public golf course system and excited to continue to expand access to our courses I also saw today the progress on the indoor renovations coming to Veteran’s Clubhouse, similar renovation are taking place at Franconia. Stay tuned!”