John Nicholas’ Accessible Golf Site

Bio

December 2006

I attended the University of Virginia, obtaining a Masters in Mechanical Engineering in 1989. I currently work at America Online as a senior manager of a systems development group. I was injured in an accidental fall while at college in 1985, resulting in a spinal cord injury at T9. That’s roughly at the navel. I currently reside in Fairfax, Virginia, with my wife of 15 years, our 6-year-old-twins, Olivia and Trevor.

After my injury I started thinking that I should play golf. All my friends were playing and I just didn’t want to miss any of the fun. So, in 1987 I started making phone calls. I made hundreds! Along the way I met Dennis Walters, who encouraged and inspiried me to stick with it. He’s become a great friend – I like to say that he’s taught me everything I know about golf, unfortunately he hasn’t taught me everything he knows about golf! I got some help from Ed Eckenhoff at NRH, who gave me a golf cart, and the folks at Fairfax County Park Authority were all behind me. So, with a lot of help from some very good friends, I modified the golf cart so that I could drive around the course and swivel around to hit balls while sitting in it. In 1990 I hit my first ball on a golf course and was hooked immediately. All the struggling paid off in a big way in 1992 as I made a hole in one at my home course. I think I released a lot of built-up energy at that moment and am certain everybody on the property knew what happend!

Since then I have just tried to get better every year, play as much golf as possible and give back to the community whenever possible. I’ve played in my company’s golf league for years, I’ve played on business travel and vacation, and competed in dozens of tournaments, sometime bringing home trophies, sometimes threatening to sell my clubs the next day. I have had a number of scores in the 80’s and generally shoot in the 90’s. I’ve held a number of golf clinics over the years to introduce golf to people with disabilities, both kids and adults. I try to tell each person what golf has done for me and help them get as much as they desire out of the game. I’ve also volunteered at the US Senior Open and US Open at Congressional Country Club, running a committe to provide acces to the course for disabled patrons. The US Open was a particularly rewarding experience and I have a number of great stories to tell. Over the years I’ve consulted with a couple of the companies that make single-rider adapted golf cars, hoping that I might help make a better cart for everyone. I’ve been working on a custom seat that works better for me. Its nearly done, and I have high expectations. Based on all the conversations with golfers that have similar injuries, I think its goig to make a big difference.

I hope to see you on the links soon. Hit ’em straight!

Some of the events along the way
1985 Spinal Cord Injury – T9
1987
Started making phone calls to learn what was possible in golf. Probably made 200 phone calls before I hit my first golf ball.

1987, 89 Engineering Degrees, University of Virginia
1990 Hit first golf ball on a golf course, Jefferson District Golf Course from a 3-wheeled EZ-Go that friends and I converted with a swivel seat. Special thanks go to Ed Eckenhoff at NRH, Dennis Walters, all my friends that helped, and the good people at Fairfax County Park Authority (FCPA).
1991
First drove golf car on green to putt. Now I was really playing golf.

Married Nicole Armstrong

1992
Joined steering committee, FCPA Combo Classic, to my knowledge this was the first 2-person team event in the U.S. that featured a disabled golfer on every team.

October 18, Hole-in-One, Jefferson District #7, 5-iron

1994 Began holding clinics to introduce golf to people with disabilities
1995 Co-chaired the Disabled Access Committee at the U.S. Senior Open at Congressional Country Club. Created accessible seating areas and provided point-to-point transportation for disabled patrons
1997
Co-chaired the Disabled Access Committee at the U.S. Open at Congressional Country Club. In addition to the services provided for the Senior Open, I worked with the USGA to provide power scooters for disabled patrons to drive around the course. This was a first at a US Open. It was a very rewarding experience.

1998 First introduced to Michael Oring at Fore All. Joined the team as a board member.
2000
Demonstrated golf techniques at Karrie Webb’s golf event for the Christopher Reeve Paralysis Foundation with team from Fore All.

Olivia and Trevor born

2001 Attended National Forum on Accessible Golf at Clemson University.
2002
Received the Dennis Walters Courage Award from the International Network of Golf

2004
Started working with Rich Thesing at Mobility Golf – http://www.mobilitygolf.com.

2005 Appeared in an episode of “Queer Eye For the Straight Guy” on BRAVO. Was the golf instructor for a Marine that was hurt in IRAQ and wanted to return to the game of golf. Episode 205, Hector D.
Still waiting for second hole-in-one

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