Kathleen McCarthy	- Download MP3-

Kidding about golf carts aside, golf can be a full-body sport. Hitting a golf ball calls on muscles from the feet to the face.

That’s why adapting the sport of golf for folks with disabilities turns out to be a creative but rewarding challenge, experts say.

“Golf is great for rehab,” said Bob Wilson, executive director of the National Amputee Golf Association based in Amherst, N.H. “If you are able-bodied and walk while you play 18 holes of golf, when you’re done you’ve used all the muscles in your body.”

Mr. Wilson will lead a free “First Swing” workshop for therapists at Siskin Hospital this weekend.

“We go through everything you can think of as far as a disability, loss of hand, loss of foot and how to play from a seated position,” Mr. Wilson said.

For non-professionals, an opportunity to practice adaptive golf occurs at the city’s free C.H.I.P.S. (Character, Honesty, Independence, Pride, & Sportsmanship) golf lessons and practice at its Brown Acres course in East Brainerd every Tuesday evening.

Pros and volunteers help people with cognitive or physical disabilities to learn to swing a club with one hand instead of two, or use a backhand instead of a typical forward-sweeping movement.

“Everybody’s got to discover what works better for them,” said Kathleen McCarthy, golf pro Brown Acres who works with C.H.I.P.S. golfers each week.

Golf is gradually being recognized as therapeutic for people recovering from injury or debilitating disease, Mr. Wilson said.

Golf can contribute dramatically to an individual’s emotional and physical well being, said Lindsay Wyatt, a spokesperson for Siskin Hospital.

For fans of the sport, golf motivates recovery, too.

“If a person has played golf before and wants to get back on the golf course, it’s a motivational tool in rehab,” Mr. WIlson said.

The C.H.I.P.S. program provides recreational activities, along with rehabilitation for some, each week.

“It’s fantastic,” said Charlotte Flegal, mother of Michael “Tucker” Brannon, a 16-year-old Hunter Middle School student who has Down syndrome.

“It makes him socialize. It gives him confidence, and he meets other people within his abilities. This is way to feel a part of a team like everybody else,” Ms. Flegal said.

The city recently added new equipment designed for wheelchair-bound golfers, said Lizzy Hockinson, a therapeutic recreation specialist.

A “SoloRider” cart, for example, can be operated with hand controls. The seat swivels and tips down. Riders can balance against the seat or stay seated while singing. A gripping device at the end of a pole grabs tee and ball and delivers them to the ground, so a ball can be teed up without bending over.

Some C.H.I.P.S. golfers return to practice outside class.

“That tells me they enjoy it,” said Wayne Orr, Brown Acres manager.

Several have made real progress, their family and helpers said.

When Rusty Crump, a 17-year-old East Brainerd resident, started playing golf last year, his goal was to hit the ball.

“Now he is working on where to hit the ball,” said his stepmother, Lisa Crump.

Besides exercise, Mr. Crump’s confidence increased as his enjoyment of the sport grew.

“It makes him feel good, and I’m proud of him,” Mrs. Crump said.

That sentiment was echoed by several players on a recent Tuesday evening.

“I like it,” said Michael “Tucker” Brannon, a 16-year-old Hunter Middle School student. “When I play golf, I’m doing good,”

FOR MORE INFORMATION

* Siskin Hospital and First Swing present a free Adaptive Golf Clinic for professionals on May 9-10 at Moccasin Bend Golf Club. First Swing instructs therapists and other professionals will teach people with disabilities golfing skills. Pre-registration required. Contact Lisa Morgan (423) 634-1674, Lmorgan@SiskinRehab.org, or see www.SiskinRehab.org.

* Chattanooga’s Therapeutic Recreation Department offers free C.H.I.P.S. (Character, Honesty, Independence, Pride, & Sportsmanship) golf lessons and practice at its Brown Acres course in East Brainerd at 4-5:30 p.m. (cognitive disabilities) and 5:30-7 p.m. (physical disabilities) Tuesdays. Sponsored by the United States Golf Association. Visit www.chattanooga.gov/parks&recreation or call (423) 697-1345.