Topgolf and Special Olympics embark on groundbreaking partnership
24 Apr 2023
by Todd Mrowice of AmateurGolf.com
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You can make the argument that Topgolf has done as much (if not more) as any company to help grow the game of golf over the past decade. From creating a fun, social golf environment with its locations to making Toptracer Technology a mainstay in golf broadcasts, Topgolf has been at the forefront of introducing countless new players to the game.
Topgolf Callaway brands made, perhaps, its most meaningful move on April 19, 2023, when it announced that Topgolf would be an officially sanctioned event within the Special Olympics. It’s the first time a brand will become a medaled event and the addition creates an entirely new avenue for Special Olympics athletes.
"We have a responsibility now more than ever to invite everyone into the game of golf, and our partnership with Special Olympics will help us further unleash the power of play and bring more joy to more people," said Topgolf Chief Brand Officer Geoff Cottrill.
A unique aspect of Topgolf being added is that athletes can compete as an individual or with a team through Special Olympics Unified Sports®, which joins people with and without intellectual disabilities on the same team for training and competition. The partnership is not something in the distant future, however, it begins this year. In May, Topgolf will begin offering free practice sessions and exhibitions to Special Olympics athletes and Unified Sports® participants. And beginning on September 15th, anyone who visits a Topgolf location in the U.S. or U.K. can make a donation to Special Olympics as part of its Season of Giving which concludes on October 31st.
"A partnership with Topgolf will help Special Olympics demonstrate to the world how inclusive sport training and competition is a catalyst for inclusion for people with intellectual disabilities," said Lou Lauria, Chief of Sport and Competition at Special Olympics. "Special Olympics and Topgolf are completely aligned on the belief in the unlimited power of sport. What starts on the playing field extends into classrooms, workplaces, and communities."