GC3 Golf Classic
Challenge Golf
Cleveland Clinic Akron General
We know how difficult it can be to recover from a major injury or illness and to regain the quality of life that was lost. That is why our Rehabilitation and Sports Therapy Institute offers a variety of programs to get patients back on track and doing the things they used to love.
One of our highlights is the Challenge Golf Course (located at 1596 Flickinger Rd. Akron) and its wide array of therapeutic and disability-centered programming for people of all ages.
About The Challenge Golf Course
Built in 1991 and opened in 1992, Challenge Golf Course was the first golfing facility in the nation designed specifically for individuals with disabilities, with special features such as wheelchair-accessible paths, handrails on tees, and slopes with inclines of eight percent or less. A handicap-friendly driving range and putting green are also located nearby. In addition to the outdoor range, there is equipment to allow for indoor training so that classes can be taught year-round. All areas are open to the public and both disabled and ablebodied golfers of all ages from the Greater Akron area.
The Therapeutic Power of Golf
The Challenge Golf Course’s programming centers around the core idea that golf has significant physical, emotional, and social value for patients undergoing rehabilitative therapy. PGA Professional Ron Tristano and other qualified staff lead personalized therapeutic sessions for individuals who are recovering from a variety of injuries and illnesses, or who are living with a chronic, mobility-limiting disease (including stroke, spinal cord injury, traumatic brain injury, amputation, and neuromuscular disorders).
The program has also expanded to include adults and children with visual impairments, the developmentally disabled, and those with less disabling impairments such as arthritis or hip/knee replacements. Often, these people have lost the ability to work or do other physical activities that once brought enjoyment and fulfillment. Ron and his team assess current functioning, help patients set goals, and empower them to play golf with or without modifications.
Patients who participate in the Challenge Golf program benefit in the following ways:
- Building physical skills such as balance, strength, gait, stamina, and flexibility;
- Receiving mental and social stimulation in an outdoor setting;
- Improving confidence and self-esteem by refocusing on their abilities; and
- Setting and achieving goals, be it learning to putt, playing all nine holes, or eventually joining the Challenge Golf league.
An Important Community Resource
In addition, Ron runs the following outreach programs at the Challenge Golf Course to benefit the Akron community:
- Special events and programs for veterans;
- A four-day youth summer camp, with scholarships for those in need;
- A clinic for First Tee of Greater Akron, a youth development organization;
- A three-week program for developmentally disabled students from Akron Public Schools;
- A clinic for children in the surrounding Lakemore community; and
- Ongoing work with local high school students who are on the Autism spectrum.
A Special Philanthropic Opportunity
Today, almost three decades since its founding, Challenge Golf has become a model for other therapeutic recreation programs nationally and internationally. To ensure that this unique resource continues to thrive in Akron for decades to come, we need support from donors like you. A philanthropic gift of any amount would help maintain the Challenge Golf Course and fund its therapeutic and community outreach programs, for the benefit of countless people.
You may support the Challenge Golf with a monetary donation, or goods and services.
Contact us to discuss opportunities.
* The above Challenge Golf overview was provided to the GC3 by the Cleveland Clinic Akron General Development Department and is for informational purposes.