The Golf Association of Philadelphia, GAP

GAP is thrilled to announce GAP Adaptive. It’s an all-inclusive suite of programs strategically designed to motivate golfers with disabilities. Players receive instructional clinics and participate in adaptive championships. Learn more about the GAP Adaptive Championship here.

But GAP is most proud of its free “No-Limit Clinics.” Along with expert Adaptive Golf instruction, special needs participants are provided with equipment designed to fully engage them in the game of golf.

Building on the success of GAP Adaptive’s No Limit Clinics, the William Flynn Foundation is now also supporting GAP Adaptive Play Days, a new event offering, encouraging adaptive athletes to practice their on-course skills at facilities across the GAP Region. These community-building events give players private golf course access at public golf facilities. Develop your skills without navigating tee time booking and conventional pace of play requirements. 

“Adaptive Play Days offer participants a chance to take the next step in their Adaptive Golf journey at their own pace. Players who have previously attended a No Limit Clinic can continue to enjoy the game out on the course at these events.” GAP Chief Operating Officer Mario Machi said. “As GAP’s membership continues to grow, we continue to strive to create programming that engages all golfers.”

Play Days are open to all adaptive golfers. Players must create a Golf Genius account through GAP Adaptive’s registration form to sign up for an event. Registration for each event opens at 8 a.m. on select dates on a first-come, first-serve basis. One non-adaptive player is permitted to register alongside each Adaptive Golfer. Participants are welcome to engage in the playing style of their choosing (i.e. play their own ball, alternate shot, scramble, etc.). Tee times will be assigned once the field is finalized. Pairings will be created based on playing experience and field size. Pairing requests can be arranged by sending an email with the intended pairing to adaptive@gapgolf.org.

Players are responsible for providing their own golf equipment. GAP Adaptive’s SoloRiders can be reserved in advance of each event.

Interested participants can access registration using the links below.

Special Olympics Pennsylvania (SOPA)

The William Flynn Foundation is proud to support the golf programs of the Special Olympics Pennsylvania (SOPA). SOPA provides year-round golf training and competition for individuals with intellectual disabilities, featuring skill development in driving, chipping, and putting. Key events include local training beginning in March, Summer Games at Penn State University in June, and the 2026 Golf Championships in August in Fayetteville, PA.

First Tee – Savannah

First Tee is a youth development organization that enables kids to build the strength of character that empowers them through a lifetime of new challenges. By seamlessly integrating the game of golf with a life skills curriculum, they create active learning experiences that build inner strength, self-confidence, and resilience that kids can carry to everything they do. First Tee empowers kids and teens by instilling life-enhancing values through the game of golf.

The William Flynn Foundation made a donation to the First First Tee — Savannah with funds dedicated toward their Adaptive School Program. The donation provides equipment necessary to teach their adaptive golf school program, including a new supply of school program materials for The Matthew Reardon Center for Autism.

The William Flynn Foundation sponsorship money directly funds the First Tee of Savannah’s new program with esp (Extra Special People). Extra Special People, Inc. (esp), a 501(c)(3) is a non-profit serving families and their children with disabilities since 1986. esp exists to create transformative experiences for people with disabilities and their families, changing communities for the better. esp has an ongoing dream of reaching every family that has a need and a desire to help their child with a disability, spark connections and live an enriching life.

The Foundation’s support for esp services in Savannah helps 115 children between the ages of three and fifteen with intellectual, developmental, physical, or learning disabilities. This organization exists to create transformative experiences for people with disabilities. The funding will directly support the partnership with ESP, providing access to golf at both their facility and on courses, and eventually will grow this into adaptive golf tournaments for these kids and their families.

Cobbs Creek Golf Course

The Cobbs Creek Foundation is sponsoring free driving range privileges for adaptive golfers in the No Limits Clinics run by the GAP.  The Cobbs Creek Golf Course has game-changing history of opening doors for people often marginalized in society and specifically by golf.  The Lincoln Financial Driving Range Complex, opened at the end of 2025, consists of a 68-bay Toptracer driving range with 20 heated bays.  Additional amenities include a restaurant, community center, retail, and heritage center.

The Cobbs Creek Campus, when completed, will extend this legacy by making real our vision of an inclusive golf and educational campus for our neighbors in West Philadelphia and beyond.

Through unique programming, outreach, and partnerships, we are working to amplify the voices of our community and of younger generations, while inspiring many to bring about change in the world.

Platt Scholars

The J. Wood Platt Caddie Scholarship Trust was created in 1958 by the Golf Association of Philadelphia through the efforts of then President Walter A. Schmidt; Leo Fraser, President of the local section of the Professional Golfers Association of America; and Albert Keeping, Golf Professional at Gulph Mills Golf Club. It was named in honor of Philadelphia’s premier golfer of the era, J. Wood Platt. Not only was Mr. Platt an accomplished player, but he was also the Trust’s co-founder and first contributor. Scholarships are now open to caddies and golf operations staff from GAP affiliated clubs.

The United States Adaptive Golf Alliance

The William Flynn Foundation is a member of the United States Adaptive Golf Alliance  (USAGA), which is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization dedicated to bringing inclusion to individuals with disabilities through the game of golf. The USAGA delivers real-world, evidence-based, live golf training to all people with disability, regardless of current health, physical, mental, sensory, coping, and well-being status. The USAGA consists of over 50 member organizations throughout the United States, helping spread Adaptive Golf to the 40,000+ individuals annually.

The USAGA provides a transformative approach to adaptive golf that supports individuals with physical, sensory, and intellectual challenges at every stage of their health journey. Programs are designed to foster measurable improvements in physical, mental, and emotional well-being within an inclusive, diverse, and equitable environment. The USAGA guides participants from recovery and rehabilitation through personalized coaching and purposeful engagement to active, fulfilling lives.

Certified coaches and volunteers deliver a comprehensive “full golf experience,” tailored to meet the unique needs of individuals of all ages and abilities. This comprehensive approach, utilizing proven methods to ensure progress is steady and measurable, encompasses the entire lifecycle of an individual’s recuperation and personal development. It includes rehabilitative movement, on-course experiences in a social and recreational setting, and, for some, progression into competitive golf, providing reassurance and confidence to our participants.

USAGA’s reach extends nationally and internationally through a network of trained coaches and partnerships with sports, research, and medicine organizations. They ensure consistency and scalability across our programs by developing standardized training techniques and issuing progress badges and certificates. USAGA governance sets best practice standards for adaptive golf training, rules, and rankings, ensuring that our athletes receive the highest level of support as they progress.

USAGA programs are not just about progress but also about empowerment. They empower individuals to achieve their full potential, using golf as a powerful tool for healing, growth, and achievement, inspiring and motivating our participants.

CAI Neurodiverse Solutions

CAI Neurodiverse Solutions helps private and public organizations build workplaces where innovation thrives on the unique strengths of every employee, including individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). They specialize in autism employment and creating supportive environments that harness and transform their valuable skillsets into a competitive advantage for their clients. CAI Neurodiverse Solutions’ mission is to build innovative business solutions that deliver results while developing rewarding, long-lasting careers for the neurodiverse community and leading the way to an inclusive workforce environment.