An original group of 12 men with amputations was the nucleus of today’s national organization. Founding Father, Dale Bourisseau, a veteran of World War II in which he received his below knee amputation, looked up comrades with similar injuries and encouraged them to try golf — as a means of recreation and rehabilitation. Dale teamed up with Possibilities Unlimited, a group of people with disabilities formed in Cleveland, Ohio. In addition to gathering players by word of mouth, Dale also traveled with golf clubs as part of his sales position. Eventually, the band of amputee golfers became regional, with friendly games developing into tournament play in various cities.

 

By 1954, the group was incorporated as the National Amputee Golf Association (NAGA) and was initially supported by the Professional Golf Association (PGA), and the United States Golf Association (USGA). NAGA currently has over 2,000 members in the Untied States and some 200 players from 17 other countries. In addition to its National Championship and National Senior Championship tournaments, the NAGA supports local and regional tournaments throughout the country.

 

Perhaps NAGA’s highest visibility occurred as a result of the highly popular First Swing Program, which teaches adaptive golf to people with physical disabilities. Currently, over 30 clinics are held across the U.S. every year. The Golf for the Physically Challenged program has enabled many to realize first hand that they can play the game and have fun in an outdoor sport. To assist a growing number of physical, occupational, and recreational therapists, who realized the adaptability of golf as a rehabilitation medium, NAGA brought its First Swing program to hospitals and rehabilitation centers throughout the U.S. Since 1989, hundreds upon hundreds of amputees and physically challenged individuals have rediscovered their sense of personal pride through their participation in these NAGA golf programs.

 

One of the goals of our Association is to provide educational assistance to an amputee member or his or her dependent(s). The primary purpose of this grant is to assist an amputee member or their dependent in the payment of tuition and fees while pursuing an undergraduate or two year vocational/technical degree at an accredited college, vocational /technical school or institution. The check will be made payable to the Award recipient. It is not the intention of NAGA to provide a recipient with more than a total of four years of undergraduate scholarship grants

Criteria for the grant and the methods for implementation is:

The amount of the grant for a four-year Bachelors degree will be $2,000.00/year (maximum), which will be awarded in increments of $1,000.00/semester. Tri-semester programs will be considered but not applicable with regards to payment interval. If an individual is selected, the grant will be disbursed each semester year (August & January) for a maximum of four (4) years or until graduation, whichever occurs first. For a two-year non-Bachelors degree or technical/associates degree, the award will be for a maximum of $1,000/year or $500.00/semester, for a maximum of two (2) years or until graduation, whichever occurs first.

 

For more information about NAGA and its programs, please visit our website: www.nagagolf.org.

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