Beginning in 2024, Dallas-based Topgolf will be an officially sanctioned event with Special Olympics.
That means Special Olympics athletes will be able to compete in Topgolf 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.
Topgolf currently has 87 venues worldwide, 78 of which are in the U.S. The other nine locations are spread across Australia, Germany, Mexico, Thailand, the UAE, U.K. and Scotland.
“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’s Chief Brand Officer Geoff Cottrill.
Local organizing committees for any Special Olympics event held across the U.S. or around the globe will have the option to include Topgolf as a medaled event beginning January 1, 2024. This option could eventually involve national and international events as well, including the Special Olympics USA Games and World Games.
Founded in 1968, Special Olympics was created as a global movement to end discrimination against people with intellectual disabilities. It delivers more than 30 Olympic-type sports and more than 100,000 games and competitions every year.
“I’ve been at Topgolf for 14 years, and this partnership will go down as one of the things I’m most proud of,” said Topgolf’s Director of Charitable Initiatives Tiffany Brush. “Topgolf is changing the traditional definition of ‘golfer,’ and to see Special Olympics athletes so enthusiastic about Topgolf is a clear example of how we’re making the game more inclusive and open for all.”
As part of the partnership, Topgolf will offer free practice sessions to Special Olympics athletes and Unified Sports participants starting in May.
In addition, this fall Topgolf will launch its “Season of Giving,” a charitable effort scheduled from Sept. 15 - Oct. 31, where players who visit a Topgolf venue throughout the U.S. and the U.K. will have the opportunity to donate to Special Olympics. Within the "Season of Giving," Topgolf will hold two "Days of Giving" on Oct. 26 and Oct. 27, where Special Olympics athletes visit Topgolf venues to interact with players on those days.
In 2024, Topgolf will host the first Unified Fore Joy fundraising tournament at five U.S. venues, bringing together Special Olympics athletes, Unified partners, professional golfers, celebrities and supporters. Topgolf is underwriting the tournament, which will raise a minimum of $500,000.