Written by: Brandon Worley, UCAG Founder/Executive Director
Brandon Worley signed up for the Army after graduating high school in 2010 from Clinton High. Brandon served active duty as an artillery mechanic from July 2010- July 2014. Worley founded Upstate-Carolina Adaptive Golf (UCAG) in October 2018 while working on his Master of Science in Positive Psychology at Life University. Worley was inspired after volunteering for a Georgia State Golf Association adaptive golf program for visually impaired children hosted by David Windsor and now operates UCAG as the Executive Director. Worley has attended 2 national adaptive golf coach workshops hosted by David Windsor and is dedicated to the mission of UCAG to serve individuals with physical and cognitive disabilities and provide opportunities for adaptive golf. UCAG serves veterans, individuals recovering from physical or mental trauma, adults and children with developmental, cognitive, and physical disabilities. Brandon hosted an adaptive golf coach training at Clemson University in April 2019 and UCAG been operating consistent adaptive golf clinics since July 2019. Brandon just recently graduated in Dec 2020 with his Masters in Positive Psychology with a concentration in coaching.
The mission of Upstate-Carolina Adaptive Golf (UCAG) is to serve individuals with physical and cognitive disabilities and provide opportunities for adaptive golf. UCAG serves veterans, individuals recovering from physical or mental trauma, adults and children with developmental, cognitive, and physical disabilities.
UCAG’s programming improves physical & mental health, overall wellness, and access to innovative therapy for adaptive athletes in our community. UCAG believes anyone can discover their abilities (not their disabilities) when given the opportunity, we exist to provide that opportunity for everyone.
UCAG’s therapeutic approach to adaptive golf coaching establishes a “no-fail” environment for those new to golf and utilizes adaptive equipment to maximize all levels of abilities. Our coaches implement mindfulness-based cognitive strategies to increase confidence, establish independence, and positively impact mental and physical health. The involvement in a community of people overcoming obstacles and pursuing common goals is therapeutic, and the opportunities to socialize and learn together that we provide are paramount. Our clinics provide benchmarks for improvements in physical health, psycho-social status, cognitive status, and recreation activity within the community to measure our impact on length and quality of life in the greater Greenville disabled Veteran and special needs communities. Galvanized by the ability to enhance lives, UCAG passionately pursues continued development and growth of our programming and capability to increase opportunities to make an impact on and provide a community for the participants we serve.
Website: www.ucagnow.org
Youtube channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCl7UDqsyaJqzYyNI8wissSA
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/upstatecarolinaadaptivegolf
Our monthly Veteran & Community Adaptive Golf Clinics:
Every 3rd Monday of the month at Topgolf 10:00 a.m. – 11:45 a.m.
Every 4th Monday of the month at Shanks driving range 4:15 p.m. – 5:45 p.m.