Golf at the Special Olympics is not played in just one event. There are five different events, and each one tests a different skill, such as accuracy, teamwork, or playing a full round of golf. Here is a simple look at how the competition works this week in Minnesota.

Almost 3,000 athletes with intellectual and developmental disabilities are taking part in the 2026 Special Olympics USA Games. They have come from all 50 states in the United States.

Golf is taking place at Victory Links Golf Course, located at the National Sports Center in Blaine, Minnesota.

Claire Rogers reported live from the course on X. "159 Special Olympians are teeing it up here this week with the help of almost 40 caddies, and there isn't just one leaderboard," she said. "There are five levels or categories, and it's offered as an individual or a unified sport."

Those five levels break down by skill and format.

Level 1 focuses on individual skills, with athletes scored on how close their five shots land to the hole, similar to a drive, chip, and putt competition. Levels 2 and 3 feature paired competition, where players take turns hitting the ball over nine or 18 holes, while Levels 4 and 5 are individual stroke-play events played over the same distances.

A Unified partner is someone without an intellectual disability who competes alongside the athlete. Many of those partners are parents or family members of the Special Olympians.

Golf became an official Special Olympics sport in 1995. It was first played at the World Games in New Haven, Connecticut. Today, nearly 25,000 athletes and Unified partners take part in golf training and competitions across the country every year.

The tournament numbers tell their own story

This week, 159 golfers are competing in five different events. About 40 caddies are helping the players on the golf course.

The odds put the achievement in perspective.

An average golfer has only a 1-in-12,500 chance of making a hole-in-one. That means the odds are about 0.00008% every time they take a shot.

Beyond the course, athletes have access to Special Olympics Healthy Athletes, a program offering health screenings throughout the week. Rogers said she plans to follow the golf competition over the next few days before checking out other sports at the Games.

Do you think Unified Sports should expand to more events at future Special Olympics Games? Drop your thoughts in the comments.

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Written by

Sneha Abraham

Edited by

Pulkit Prabhav