About Us

Japan Disabled Golf Association(JDGA) was established in 1991 by KENJI MIZUTA(a parasports trainer and physical therapist who worked for the National Rehabilitation Center).

The first championship,”The 1st Japan Open Golf Championship” was held in 1996 at Wing Field Golf Club(Tochigi Prefecture). During this championship, wheel chair players played 18 holes for the first time in Japan.

SEIJOE SATO(president of JDGA) joined this championship to help MIZUTA and has been leading JDGA since then. Sato was an economic journalist. He had a lot of connections with business persons. They have been supporting Sato and JDGA to make the association bigger and more active.

In 2000, SATO and 3 players went to the USA to participate in the NAGA(National Amputee Golf Association) Championship.There, Sato invited 3 excellent disabled golfers from the USA to Japan. Australia.Dan Cox,Gary Hooks and Geoff Nicholas came to Japan and played in the 5th Japan Open Golf Championship for the disabled.

This was the beginning of our international activities and first time we opened the door for players from abroad.

Every year, several paragolf players from abroad have participated in the “Japan Open Golf Championship for people disabilities”.

The photograph above is in 2004 in Nikko. Bill Harding, Dan Cox,Kim Moor,Kelly Valentin(USA) and Jeroen Coumou(The Netherland) visited Nikko City Mayor Fumio Saito at the Nikko City office after the championship.

 

The 23rd Japan Open Golf Championship for people with disabilities

Basically, JDGA has about 500 disabled golfers all over Japan.Also we have about 300 supporters. We are a member of Japanese Para-Sports Association which is leading para-sports in Japan.

Japan Golf Association has been a long time supporter of JDGA.

JDGA organizes 3 official para golf championships a year, as well as monthly golf lessons and  tournaments.

The three official championships

1, Japan Open Golf Championship for people with  disabilities & Japan Grand Prix Championship for people with disabilities
2.Regional Open Golf Championship for people with disabilities
3.Japan Golf Championship for stroke survivors.

So far, many disabled golfers from abroad have played and enjoyed the Japan Open Golf Championships for people with disabilities. Their outstanding plays have been stimulating and motivating for Japanese disabled golfers and supporters.

Also we have been sending Japanese disabled golfers and committees to  International tournaments, such as NAGA Championship(USA),World Disabled Golf Championship(2016,2018 in the USA)、and some other championships in Europe.We have studied a lot of method and paragolf spirit from them.

In 2014, we organized the 1st World Disabled Golf Championship at One Way Golf Club. About 50 players from 15 countries played this championship and it was successfully finished.

Please refer to WDGA in Japan

We organized this championship cooperated with the cooperation of NAGA(USA)、CAGA(Canada)、EDGA and Australia in order to include paragolf in the Paralympic.

This WDGC Championship is passed to USA World Disabled Golf Championship in 2016 and 2018.

Our goals

1. To expand paragolf in Japan and in the world
2. To make people understand paragolf
3. To make good golf environment for all
4. To have paragolf be recognized as a sport in the Paralympic games.