CRESWELL – For the first time in its 75-year history, the National Amputee and Adaptive Golf Championships are coming to Lane County. The event, put on by the National Amputee Golf Association (NAGA), will be held at Emerald Valley Golf & Resort (EVGR) in Creswell from September 15-19.
Jim Curley, president of the Western Amputee Golf Association (WAGA), said his relationship with EVGR’s head golf professional Laine Wortman is partly what drew the event to the area, especially after NAGA’s initial location of the Rogue Valley Country Club in Medford fell through.
“I just started thinking, ‘Now what do we do for a venue?’ And, I don’t know, Laine just came to mind,” Curley said. “I called him up and I said, ‘Hey, look, here’s where I’m at. What do you think?’ And he said they’d love to have us, and the rest is history.”
Curley initially got started in the amputee golf world after an accident when he was 19 forced a below-the-knee leg amputation. After moving out to Klamath Falls, NAGA asked Curley to take over as president of WAGA – one of the five regional groups of NAGA.
The NAGA championships rotate each year between the regional groups, and this will be Curley’s first time putting on the championships.
“I want everybody to feel like this is as close to a first-class tournament as we can get,” Curley said. “It’s a big camaraderie thing. It’s, you know, guys coming out and seeing old friends. And it’s really good competition.”
Curley said he is looking for volunteers from the surrounding community, people who can “caddy, help with bags, move people around, drop people in carts, or just generally help out.”
Another aspect of the 75th-annual tournament is the Adaptive Golf Clinic the day before the tournament begins. Curley said that Adam Benza, vice president of the Eastern Amputee Golf Association, will likely be running the clinic for any amputees who want to try to golf.
“If everything goes as planned, I’m bringing a guy in from NAGA, but I know him well. He’s from the Eastern Region, Adam Benza out of Allentown, Pennsylvania. And he’s a certified adaptive clinic coach,” Curley said. “He’s going to do the clinic, but he’s also a competitor. We’ll have a couple of our buddies come up as well and do an exhibit. … I think it will be awesome.”
IFYOUGO:
What: 75th National Amputee Golf Association National Championships
Where: Emerald Valley Golf & Resort, 83301 Dale Kuni Rd, Creswell
When: September 15-19
More info: nagagolf.org/naga-championship.html
