Golf is a precision club and ball sport, in which competing players (or golfers) use many types of clubs to hit balls into a series of holes on a golf course using the fewest number of strokes. The game is played on golf courses, each with a unique design. Courses typically consist of either nine or 18 holes.
Special Olympics divides Golf into five skill levels. SOMO’s Golf Skills program is for Level 1 golfers.
Level 1 Golfers practice driving (with woods and irons), chipping, pitching, and putting. Practice occurs on a driving range and a putting green. Level 1 Golfers do not go out on the Golf Course.
Golf Skills is a new SOMO sports program for 2026. It will be a recreational program, not a competitive program. Recreational programs do not go to State Competition. Depending on our success in this inaugural season, we may shift Golf Skills to a competitive program in 2027.
We anticipate a roster cap of six athletes for this inaugural season. If interest exceeds that cap, we will favor athletes with the greatest potential to eventually advance to Level 2 and above.
At Golf Skills practice, we ask Unified Partners or Registered Volunteers to work with each athlete as they practice skills based on the coach’s instructions. We also ask that they help keep athletes safe, especially on the driving range, where inexperienced golfers too often stray too close to swings.
| Coaches | Head Coach – Trevor Davenport Sport Director – John Bogasky |
| Season Dates & Times | Practices: Qualifiers: None. Golf Skills is a recreational program in 2026. State Games: Not applicable. Golf Skills is a Recreational program in 2026. Signup Opens: Sunday, July 5, 2026 at 6 PM |
| Athlete & Volunteer Registration Expiration Date | Sport’s State Games competition date: September 27, 2026 All Forms must be up to date before the signup date. Even though Golf Skills is a recreational program, the expiration date on an Athlete’s Registration form, or a Volunteer’s certification, must be after the above State Games competition date to participate in the upcoming season. |
You can find the official Special Olympics Rules, Fact Sheet, Coaching Guide, and other resources at this link: Special Olympics Golf.
Our Montgomery Special Olympics Golf Program is a Unified Sport where an Athlete and a Unified Partner play as a team.
At Golf Skills practice, we ask Unified Partners or Registered Volunteers to work with each athlete as they practice skills based on the coach’s instructions. We also ask that they help keep athletes safe, especially on the driving range, where inexperienced golfers too often stray too close to swings.
Athletes are responsible for finding their own Unified Partner. While our local Special Olympics program would like to provide Unified Partners, we do not have the committed volunteers needed to do so. When Golf Sign-Up is open, an Athlete’s Unified Partner should sign up as a Volunteer for Golf when the Athlete signs up as a Golf Athlete.
In general, Golf Skills Athletes provide their own golf equipment. At a minimum, each player needs a Golf bag, spike-less golf shoes (optional for level 1), golf glove, and at least five clubs (e.g., a Driver, a 3 wood, a 5 iron, a wedge, and a putter). We provide balls for practice and Level 1 competitions. SOMO does have a limited supply of used Golf equipment if needed.
Appropriate golf attire is required for practice and competitions, i.e., collared shirt, no jeans or gym shorts.
Location:
Activities: At Northwest, we practice at the driving range and on the putting green.
Timing: Wednesdays from 6 to 7 PM.
Not Applicable for a recreational program
Not applicable for a recreational program
A Unified Partner/Athlete team must participate in at least eight (8) practices and compete in two qualifiers in order to qualify for the State Tournament.
Golfers can participate in other SOMO sports as long as they can maintain full practice and competition participation in all of their sports.
