The Inaugural Florida Open Tournament For Golfers with Disabilities, which took place on July 17, 2006 at Kissimmee Bay Country Club, was a smashing success. This eclectic group of golfers rallied to support an effort to raise awareness for the accessibility issues of golfers with disabilities and mobility challenges. But, much more importantly, they came to have fun while playing golf.
            Virgil Price, a St Petersburg resident and Treasurer of the National Amputee Golf Association, dominated the tournament, winning 1st Place overall, scoring a gross 73 on the challenging 18 holes at Kissimmee Bay. Gary Hooks (pictured below) won 1st Place on the long drive hole.

Gary Hooks, a phenomenal athlete from New Smyrna Beach, says that he will be the man to beat in the 2007 tournament. Virgil Price from St. Petersburg, won 1st place (Low Gross) in the First Annual Florida Open for Golfers with Disabilities, held on 7/17/06.

John Barton is an EAGA member from Palm Beach Gardens.

            In a conscious effort to be all-inclusive, golfers without disabilities were encouraged to play in the tournament, along with their friends with disabilities, and were eligible to compete for the Low Gross Awards. Everyone with a USGA Handicap was eligible to compete for the Low Net Awards.
            Sponsored by Florida Golf Magazine and the National Alliance for Accessible Golf, the goal was to “have fun while raising awareness of accessibility issues concerning disabled and mobility challenged golfers."             Representatives of the U.S. International Council on Disabilities (USICD), Eastern Amputee Golf Association (EAGA), National Amputee Golf Association (NAGA), National Golf Course Owners Association (continued on next page)