VA helps centenarian golfer get back on the course

Navy Veteran Donald Johnson was born in March 1916, two weeks before the Professional Golfer’s Association of America was founded. Perhaps that connection with the PGA is why golf became his lifelong passion, and one he still indulges every year at the National Disabled Veterans Golf Clinic.

Johnson served in the Navy in World War II, ending his service as a lieutenant aboard the USS Iowa. When he took up golf in the 1950s, it quickly became his second love, and he maintained golf as a regular part of his life into his tenth decade.

National Disabled Veterans Golf Clinic

The National Disabled Veterans Golf Clinic, hosted by VA and DAV, is a weeklong clinic held each September in Riverside, Iowa. It helps hundreds of disabled Veterans to incorporate adaptive sports into their life. Using an adaptive golf cart, Johnson attended the clinic in 2023 and 2024 and intends to return in 2025, at the age of 109.

“We focus on bringing in Veterans who require adaptation to participate in golf,” said Nick Beelner, director of the National Disabled Veteran Golf Clinic. “We provide adaptive golf carts for those who require them, adaptations to golf clubs, specialized high-visibility golf balls, different grips and wraps for Veterans with range of motion issues or grip strength issues.”

Veterans are individually assessed for the right specialized equipment for their needs, such as carts that help Veterans with mobility limitations stand up so they can take a golf swing. Each Veteran is paired with a volunteer golf buddy who assists with lining up their shot, which is crucial help for visually impaired Veterans. These adaptations make golf accessible so that Veterans can integrate it as part of a holistic approach to their health.

Adaptive sports and recreational therapy play a valuable role in helping disabled Veterans achieve a higher quality of life. Research shows that physical movement can help to manage chronic pain, as well as improve overall health and support mental health.

For Johnson, the opportunity was too good to pass up. Just two years ago, at 106, a stroke affected his balance and vision, and it looked like his golfing days were done.

“He would say ‘I wish I could golf one more time’” said Linnea Johnson-Scott, Johnson’s youngest daughter. “And then the opportunity came where there was this incredible golf clinic.”

Volunteers are needed

The National Disabled Veterans Golf Clinic depends on hundreds of volunteers who support Veterans on the course and throughout the week. Volunteers are still needed for this year’s clinic Sept. 7-12, 2025. Volunteer roles include golf buddies, transportation team, media support, assisting with recreational activities, and several other roles. Volunteer applications are due April 4 and information can be found online at the Veterans Golf Clinic, or at https://www.veteransgolfclinic.org/volunteer.