Tee It Up 4 All: Transforming Lives Through Adaptive Golf
Golf is often viewed as a leisure activity, a game of skill and focus that serves as an escape from life's challenges. For Jon Moore and the community at Tee It Up 4 All (TIU4ALL), it's much more—it's a game-changing vehicle for empowerment, physical therapy, and mental well-being.
A Personal Journey Becomes a Game-Changing Mission
Chris Schmidt's brain tumor and subsequent visual impairment was the catalyst for Jon Moore creating Tee It Up For All.
The inception of TIU4ALL was deeply personal for founder Jon Moore, who has been steeped in the golf industry for over 45 years. When his son Chris Schmidt became visually impaired due to a brain tumor that wrapped itself around his optic nerve, and after subsequent brain surgury, Jon guided him in a whole new manner on the greens. Using vivid descriptions to “paint” the course, Jon enabled Chris to "see" the landscape—hazards, green placements, and even the breaks in the greens.
"He can see shadows and mountains in the distance, and together we pick a tree or prominent land feature for him to focus his aim," Jon recounted. Jon was his son’s guide and coach for the first three years before training his daughter-in-law to take up the role. Today, Jon maintains a swing coach position, but due to physical issues he has relinquished the guide role.
This real-life experience transformed into a broader mission: to make golf accessible for people with different abilities, whether they are vision-impaired, amputees, or coping with developmental conditions like autism, Down syndrome, and other cognitive abilities.
Bridging Accessibility Gaps in Golf: The Outreach and Impact of TIU4ALL
TIU4ALL actively reaches out to various adaptive organizations, including schools for the blind and deaf and foundations focused on conditions like autism (including Els for Autism, another Dormie Network Foundation giving partner). "We want to expose everyone to the game of golf, because it's a lifetime sport that supports lifetime values. We turn nobody away," Jon emphasizes.
With funds raised from Dormie Network donated memberships and stay-and-plays impressively reaching in the mid-six figures and counting for 2023, TIU4ALL aims to subsidize participation costs for adaptive golfers, who often have to spend around $2,500-3,000 per tournament. "We're trying to make it more cost-effective for them to engage in our and other events and connect with the community at large. We assist adaptive golfers whenever and wherever we can," adds Jon.
The Case for Adaptive Golf: An Untapped Opportunity
Approximately 57 million people in the U.S. live with a disability, creating a large potential audience for adaptive sports like golf. Furthermore, strokes and military service-connected disabilities add to the urgency for providing accessible sports facilities and programs. With every 40 seconds someone in the U.S. having a stroke, and approximately 4 million Military Veterans with a service-connected disability rating, adaptive golf isn't just a sport—it's a need.
Chris Schmidt: A Triumph Against All Odds
Jon’s son Chris continues to be upbeat and has become an inspiration for many. Astonishingly, he is now a three-time B2 low net champion of the US Blind Golf Association. Chris’s wins include Nationals in 2018 in Nashville, 2019 in Las Vegas, and 2021 in Orlando. He and the other vision-impaired members of the Team Conquerors Paragolf Team are currently participating in the 2023 USBGA Nationals in St. Augustine, FL.
Why Choose Golf for Adaptive Sports? Unpacking the Unique Value
What sets golf apart as an adaptive sport is its enduring relevance and life-long engagement. According to Jon, the virtues golf instills—honesty, respect, structure—are not just game values but life values. "Golf offers a legacy component," Jon explains, emphasizing how the sport can provide therapeutic physical and mental benefits to players.
Team Conquerors and Technological Innovations: Driving Inclusive Golf Forward
TIU4ALL is powered by innovations and community. Team Conquerors, the ambassadors of adaptive golf, play a significant role in advocating and representing this unique golfing community. Technological advancements, from specialized balls to single-length clubs, are making the game more accessible than ever. "Everything we're doing is gravitating toward common sense," Jon adds.
Community Collaborations and Future Endeavors
Partnerships with organizations like the Dormie Network Foundation and Els for Autism continue to elevate the mission of TIU4ALL. Future initiatives are focused on community engagement, with plans to establish more adaptive teams across the U.S. and to create more inclusive and accessible golfing events, like the 2024 Conquerors Paragolf Championship.
Every Game is a Step Toward an Inclusive Future
TIU4ALL is not just about adaptive golf—it's a celebration of the human spirit. It's a tale of how personal challenges can inspire collective change, and how a sport like golf can transcend its traditional boundaries to become a source of empowerment and inclusion.
To learn more about TUI4ALL, visit tui4all.org or their Facebook page. You can also learn more about adaptive golf from the U.S. Adaptive Golf Alliance, U.S. Blind Golf Association, National Amputee Golf Association, or the USGA Adaptive Open.
