Brief History of NAOAGA
NAOAGA Founding Members (L-R) Scott Lusk, Alan Gentry, Don Fightmaster, and Bill Frey
Louisville, Kentucky: On a late autumn afternoon in October 2000, Alan Gentry, Don Fightmaster, Bill Frey, and Scott Lusk (from nearby Guston) gathered at a downtown Irish pub to discuss forming a one-armed golfers' organization. They held their first organizational meeting that day and appointed Mr. Gentry as the inaugural president. Eight months later, in June 2001, 32 one-armed golfers from across the USA came to Louisville to compete in the first NAOAGA championships. In addition to Gentry, Scott Lusk, Tom Hartnett, and Bill Frey Jr. have all served as past presidents of the organization. Daniel Aldrich is the current president of NAOAGA, having been elected in July 2017.
Since its inaugural year, the NAOAGA annual meeting and championship (AM&C) has taken place each year at a different venue across North America. The AM&C has been held in the West (Nevada twice), the Midwest (Indiana twice and Chicago), Canada (Montréal and Prince Edward Island), and the South (Kentucky and Florida three times). The 2024 event celebrated our 24th anniversary.
Over 300 one-armed golfers have joined the organization to date, and players from several US states, Canadian provinces, Columbia and Mexico, as well as players from England, Ireland, Scotland, Sweden, South Africa, Australia and the United Arab Emirates have participated in the NAOAGA Annual Meeting & Championship.
Every two years since 2012, NAOAGA has competed against the United Kingdom's Society of One-Armed Golfers for the Fightmaster Cup, the world's only international one-armed golf competition modeled after the Ryder Cup. Named after Don Fightmaster, one of NAOAGA's founders, the next event will take place in Dublin, Ireland, in 2025. North America currently holds the Cup.
NAOAGA is an IRS 501(c)(3) charitable organization that was created and is operated, "by" and "for" its membership, and the organization is strong and growing.
Since its inaugural year, the NAOAGA annual meeting and championship (AM&C) has taken place each year at a different venue across North America. The AM&C has been held in the West (Nevada twice), the Midwest (Indiana twice and Chicago), Canada (Montréal and Prince Edward Island), and the South (Kentucky and Florida three times). The 2024 event celebrated our 24th anniversary.
Over 300 one-armed golfers have joined the organization to date, and players from several US states, Canadian provinces, Columbia and Mexico, as well as players from England, Ireland, Scotland, Sweden, South Africa, Australia and the United Arab Emirates have participated in the NAOAGA Annual Meeting & Championship.
Every two years since 2012, NAOAGA has competed against the United Kingdom's Society of One-Armed Golfers for the Fightmaster Cup, the world's only international one-armed golf competition modeled after the Ryder Cup. Named after Don Fightmaster, one of NAOAGA's founders, the next event will take place in Dublin, Ireland, in 2025. North America currently holds the Cup.
NAOAGA is an IRS 501(c)(3) charitable organization that was created and is operated, "by" and "for" its membership, and the organization is strong and growing.