Featured image courtesy of the MGA.
Max Togisala stood up in his VertaCat on Saturday at Braemar Golf Course, wiped the rain from his face and braced against a cold wind. He and the rest of the golfers at the 2026 Minnesota Adaptive Open played most of the opening round that way, shot after shot in the cold rain.
"It definitely changed the way that I played just because it was cold and you couldn't feel your hands," he said.
Max came back to Edina a year after winning the inaugural event, and this time he had more company. 54 adaptive golfers from 17 states came to compete, up from 35 golfers and 13 states in 2025.
The Minnesota Golf Association (MGA) held the event September 25–27, and for many of those golfers, the weekend started a day before the first tee time, out on the driving range.
VertaCats at the Braemar Driving Range ahead of Friday's clinic.
About 25 people came out, from kids as young as seven or eight to a few players who would tee off in the tournament the next morning. Many of them had never golfed from an adaptive cart before.
Volunteers from the MGA and Courage Kenny worked their way down a row of VertaCats and other adaptive carts, methodically strapping each person in and adjusting the fit.
Getting fitted for the VertaCat.
Once golfers rose into a standing position, each of them found their own rhythm. A few seasoned players set up farther down the range and sent the ball 150 yards. Others swung for the first time and moved the ball a few feet, celebrating the achievement of making contact with the ball.
MGA staff opened the clinic by talking about growing the game and making golf inclusive for everyone. They also announced a skills competition with Braemar, and golfers aimed drives past the MGA/PGA HOPE flag line until the clinic ended.
For about 90 minutes, golfers who spend much of their day seated stood up and swung as freely as anyone else at Braemar.
"I love talking to people on the range and just getting to know a little bit more about them and their adaptive golf history," Max said.
Max Togisala helps golfers find their swing from a VertaCat.
Image courtesy of the MGA.
Max carried some history into the tournament. At the inaugural event in 2025, he became the first seated golfer to win the championship from an adaptive cart.
"Before the event, I was thinking about defending my title, and then I realized that I'm just going to go out there and have fun," he said.
He also brought a stronger game to Edina, beating his own score from last year.
"I think the biggest difference was I can hit my driver a lot further now, and my short game was better," he said.
The rainy weather and Braemar’s hills led to a soaked course and slick conditions. However, Max was able to set up for each shot in his VertaCat with ease.
"It was great playing in the VertaCat, especially with the rain that we had. It was easy to maneuver around the golf course and around the hills when the grass was wet," he said.
Max signed for a three-over 78, sitting third in the Men's Overall standings.
Higher on the leaderboard, Justin Carlock was pulling away. Playing in just his second adaptive event, Carlock built an eight-shot lead heading into Sunday.
Golfers teed off Sunday in calmer, dry weather, and Max started fast. He made birdie on five of his last six holes on the front nine, and anyone following the leaderboard watched Carlock's lead shrink to six. For a stretch of the final round, the Men's Overall title looked within reach.
Carlock answered on the back nine with an eagle on the par-5 16th and closed out the win. Max finished runner-up in the Men's Overall Division and defended his Seated Players Division title, and he left Braemar with a highlight.
"Super happy that I was able to beat my record from last year," he said.
Max doesn't have another event on his calendar for a while, and he plans to spend that time working on his game. He may enter a few local amateur tournaments around Utah that aren't specifically adaptive events, and he is already preparing for next year's U.S. Adaptive Open in Oregon.
"I'm just gonna be practicing on my game constantly," he said.
Friday's clinic showed how quickly people can stand up and swing in a VertaCat. After a short adjustment period, first-time golfers of all ages stood at the range and took full swings.
Our Try a VertaCat page lists golf courses and community programs by state where you can use one, and you can request a personal demo if none are nearby yet. If you run a golf course, the same page connects you with facilities that already offer a VertaCat to their golfers.