2014; The biggest ever year for disabled golf in Scotland

This year, Scottish Disability Golf is celebrating its tenth year of operation and organising golf, golf training and competition for its members.  With over nine hundred members in Scotland and other disabled golfing nations across the world, the SDGP has organised its most comprehensive fixture list of clinics and games.

Starting in April with a two day event in Edinburgh and concluding in early October with a three day competition in St Andrews, throughout the season, the charity will stage The Disabled Open Championship, plus three Team Scotland Ryder Cup's and, many single day games, and is the outlet to over thirty other international events and competitions.

Peter Osborne, the SDGP Chair and a blind golfer, said, "We have taken our time in expanding the golfing opportunities for our members.  There is no point in throwing all our efforts at one project or one fund-raising target, what we have done is built on the fantastic good will that Scottish Golf Club's and Governing Bodies have offered and introduced people gradually to the game.  Also, what is quite unique to the SDGP is that any profit or sponsorship goes directly to all players or beginners to the game and we subsidise entry fees2.

The SDGP is governed and operated by disabled people and is the only group in Scotland which actively encourages and involves anyone of any age, with a disability, who wishes to learn about or play golf and includes people with physical, sensory and/or intellectual disabilities.

Jim Gales, the SDGP Secretary said, "Our members will travel extensively during 2014 and have been invited to play in over two dozen Open and team events across Europe, the US and Asia, but one of the highlights of the 2014 season will be the Phoenix Cup event in the US.  This is a Ryder Cup format game between the Rest of the World squad taking on the North Americans.  The North American Disability Golf Partnership was created just last year, by the SDGP and is already expanding across the continent to bring together both established disabled golfers and beginners to the game".

The 2014 golfing season begins in Edinburgh with a 2-day event at the Pumpherston and Swanston Golf Clubs, on 9&10 April and will conclude after some forty days of organised golf, in October, with a 3-day event at St Andrews, with the SDGP's third Open of the year and conclusion to its Order of Merit Championship, being played on the fallowed turf at the 'Home of Golf'.

You can click here to view a full list of the SDGP's 2014 fixtures