School students who are deaf or hard of hearing enjoyed participating in a specifically designed golf program at Cottesloe GC.
Funded by the WA Golf Foundation, the program offered the students a safe, inclusive and achievable introduction to the sport. In total, five students aged 9-14 from Mosman Park School for Deaf Children and Shenton College Deaf Education Centre completed the six-session program.
Cottesloe invited Tony Klimek ─ a World Deaf Golf Champion and a Founder Member of Australian Deaf Golf ─ to welcome the students and share his world golf tour experiences.
His presence provided an inspirational role model for the students, with Philip Parks, Principal of Shenton College Deaf Education Centre, saying: “It is a rare experience for deaf students to meet a role model like Tony and it is an experience that they will remember.”
The sessions ─ which adopted the Operation 36 Developmental Golf Program structure ─ were delivered by PGA professional Matt Heath with support from school teachers, Auslan interpreters and Cottesloe members.
Monique Smith, Principal of Mosman Park School for Deaf Children, said: “The program has been such an incredible experience for our students! They have come back to school each week full of exciting news about their golf sessions and the families are now looking into continuing with golf.”
