About Our Mission
Mission:
Our Beginning:
Carolina Adaptive Golf exists to create an environment where participants in the Carolinas have access to adaptive golf therapy that promotes inclusion, builds self-confidence and enhances quality of life.
Executive director, Brandon Worley, a US Army Veteran who served in Afghanistan, knows firsthand the many challenges facing our service men and women when they return home. After being introduced to adaptive golf programming during his graduate school research, Brandon decided to start CAG. Founded as a resource to help Veterans in the Upstate, our mission has evolved across the Carolinas and focuses on people with physical, cognitive and emotional challenges including veterans.
“We know that anyone can discover their abilities (not disabilities) when provided the opportunity. UCAG exists to provide the space for that opportunity in our community.
— Brandon Worley, FOUNDER
Our vision: Raising awareness for adaptive golf, championing equal opportunities, and growing inclusion through Golf.
Core Strategies: UCAG fulfills this mission by serving as a positive champion for disability related issues, engaging individuals with applied positive psychology and golf therapy, while leveraging our collective resources to influence golf courses to become more accessible for inclusiveness.
It all started when…
Our Founder Brandon says that a life-changing moment occurred for him when he coached his very first Adaptive Golf participant:
“I was working with my first participant, who was a visually impaired eight-year-old who had never swung a golf club. I gained her trust, put her in all the right golf positions, and then within in about 10-15 minutes, she took her first swing at the ball, and it went straight down the middle of the fairway. As I looked up, I saw the girl’s mother, with tears of joy in her eyes, clapping for her daughter’s amazing performance.”
This mission has become my spiritual obligation since that day. My vision is broad, and we seek to help thousands in our community. We are working with veteran populations while inviting all others in the community with physical or cognitive difficulties to join in.
Who We Serve:
CAG serves veterans, adults, & children with unique abilities
Autism Spectrum (ASD)
Amputees and/or Traumatic Paralysis
Alzheimer’s Disease
Visual Impairments
Stroke Survivors
Spinal Cord and Brain Injuries
Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS)
Cerebral Palsy (and similarly debilitating disorders)
Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
Individuals Overcoming Life Threatening Diseases
Focus: Disabled Veterans and Special Needs Populations