FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Creswell, OR – The National Amputee Golf Association (NAGA) is hosting the 75th National Amputee and Adaptive Golf Association Championship and the 34th Senior National Amputee Golf Open Championship at the Emerald Valley Golf Club & Resort September 15-19. The community is invited to watch all of the action and NAGA is excited to host a special opportunity for paragolfers on Sunday, September 15. The tournament schedule includes practice rounds on September 16 and both tournaments tee it up at 8 a.m. on September 17.
Travel Lane County staff have partnered with NAGA and the Creswell community to provide opportunities to explore our region. This includes a winery tour, providing itineraries for the Cottage Grove Covered Bridges tour and more. "Travel Lane County is excited to host the NAGA Championships in the Eugene, Cascades & Coast region," said JB Carney, Senior Director, Sports. "Our strategic plan emphasizes accessibility, aiming to make this area a premier destination for people with disabilities. Whether visitors are attending a thrilling events like NAGA, enjoying a performance at one of our arts venues, exploring a museum, or dining out, our region offers something for everyone."
A free paragolfer clinic is scheduled for September 15 at 1 p.m. at the Emerald Valley Golf and Resort practice area. This event is open to the public and is especially geared towards amputees who have not yet had the chance to experience golf. Sponsored by David's Chair, an organization that has collaborated with Travel Lane County to provide track chairs in Florence and at Mount Pisgah, the clinic will be led by experienced paragolfers. Additionally, NAGA is excited to offer guests the opportunity to try out the VertaCat, a specialized mobility device designed to fully lift and support users in sports like golf.
“It's just nice to have a tournament that's just amputee,” said Chad Pfeifer, three-time National Amputee Champion and amputee golf public figure. “They've done some tournaments in the past where they let all disabilities play, and they have an associates division. It's just a fantastic community. You get around all these other golfers. We all have similar stories, but in different ways. We all love golf, and we're all amputees, so it's just a great community to be a part of, and it's a great tournament.”
“At the end of the day, I think it's what needs to be done to get that word out,” said Jim Curley, president of the Western Amputee Golf Association (WAGA). “We're all adaptive golfers. We [amputee golfers] just want to have our own championship.” Because of this issue, the organization has decided to allow both adaptive and amputee golfers to compete in this year’s championships, but only amputee athletes will have the opportunity to compete for the title of NAGA Champion.
Contact NAGA
Jim Curley, President, Western Amputee Golf Association, Tournament Director, 75th NAGA Amputee and Adaptive Championships
610-405-1597 cell
About NAGA
Dale Bourisseau came home from World War II with a below knee amputation and a burning desire to return to his beloved golf hobby. Bourisseau found a job in sales, and despite the change in his body, started playing golf again. He traveled with his golf clubs, ever looking for golfing opportunities, particularly with amputees. Bourisseau greatly enjoyed the recreation golf gave him. He also liked to show his ability to others, perhaps giving them encouragement, a sense of pride, and self-confidence to try something new. Soon, he began trying to find other veterans who had injuries like his and started talking to them about playing golf as a hobby. By 1954, Bourisseau had a nucleus of 12 men who would be the founding members of the National Amputee Golf Association. NAGA was supported by the Professional Golf Association (PGA) and the United States Golf Association (USGA).
Today, NAGA has more than 2,000 members in the US and 200 members from 17 other countries across the globe. In addition to the annual National Amputee Golf Tournament and National Amputee Senior Championship, NAGA sponsors many local and regional tournaments throughout the country. Perhaps NAGA’s highest visibility occurs because of the First Swing Program, which teaches adaptive golf to people with physical disabilities. Currently, more than 30 clinics are held across the country every year. Additionally, to assist a growing number of physical, occupational and recreational therapists who realized the adaptability of golf as a component of rehabilitation, NAGA brought its First Swing program to hospitals and rehabilitation centers throughout the U.S. in 1989.
Thousands of amputees and physically challenged individuals have rediscovered their sense of personal pride through their participation in these NAGA programs.
