GRAND BLANC TWP., MI — McLaren Health Care and the U.S Adaptive Golf Alliance continue to make progress in their efforts to make golf more inclusive for individuals with disabilities.

During the third annual McLaren Adaptive Golf Clinic at the Warwick Hills Golf & Country Club in Grand Blanc Township on Monday, Aug. 19, adaptive golf coaches worked with adaptive golfers from the area with a variety of disabilities on putting, chipping and full swings.

The clinic was the first event of the Ally Challenge which is an official PGA TOUR Champions golf tour event that will continue through Sunday, Aug. 25. Funds donated to the Ally Challenge are donated to charities in southeastern Michigan.

To kick off the clinic, Laurie Prochazka, vice president of community partnerships for McLaren Health Care, spoke to participants and told them the golf clinic is “one of the major highlights” of the Ally Challenge.

Related: Golfers with disabilities find their stride at adaptive golf clinic

“This year’s event is proving to be bigger and better than ever,” she said. “We have 43 participants. We have 11 certified adaptive golf coaches, and we have an extra hour of instruction on the range.”

“So, this event really does underscore the inclusive nature of golf, and we’re so delighted to have all of you here today with us as we celebrate and have a great time out here on the driving range.”

One of the coaches at the clinic was Tracy Ramin who also serves as the chairman of competition for the U.S. Adaptive Golf Alliance.

Ramin recognized McLaren Health Care and those whose donations helped make the clinic possible.

He said events like this are “creating some amazing awareness” and providing new opportunities for adaptive golfers.

“That’s always our big goal right there, to help inspire that new person,” Ramin said. “Sometimes adaptive people get written off, and that’s not acceptable.”

Ramin, like most of the coaches at the clinic, is an adaptive golfer himself.

He said he’s been an amputee for about half of his life. Ramin lost his leg after he was struck by a truck while trying to retrieve a ladder that’d fallen off his construction truck.

“He hit me doing 80 miles an hour holding a ladder, so I flew 100 yards and ripped these leg bones out, wrecked my shoulder, broke my other knee, broke my jaw,” Ramin said.

In the moments following the accident, he had just a 2% chance of surviving.

“Every day’s a good day,” Ramin said.

Ramin began playing golf since he was about 13 years old and kept with the sport for approximately 40 years. For much of this time, he has been competing as a professional.

“I played for 10 years or better before I got hurt, and then I’ve been playing very heavily for the last 26 years in adaptive,” Ramin said.

Ramin began working with others involved in adaptive golf to form the U.S. Adaptive Golf Alliance after attending a paralympic event in 2013.

He said he began to wonder why golf wasn’t included in the events.

“We were at a long-drive competition in Las Vegas, and we kind of all came together and decided we’re going to create something bigger that’s unified,” Ramin said. “We’re going to have strength in numbers, and that’s how the U.S. Adaptive Golf Alliance was formed.”

When the U.S. Adaptive Golf Alliance was first established in 2014, it only worked with about 10 different organizations, but it is now partnered with approximately 50 organizations, including several state golf associations the group has been assisting as they try to put on adaptive golf events or competitions of their own.

Ramin noted the U.S. Adaptive Golf Alliance hosts about 40 different tournaments.

“We’re all over the country,” he said.

Anyone interested in getting involved with the U.S. Adaptive Golf Alliance or making a donation to support future U.S. Adaptive Golf Alliance events can visit the group’s website at usaga.org.

“We need support for this clinic every year and sponsors,” Ramin said.

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