In his prime, Eric Freece considered becoming a professional golfer.

Joani Buck just loves the sport of golf, and refuses to let physical limitations stop her from playing.

And Lynn Sherwood Forrest hit 3,000 practice balls last season, despite suffering four strokes and issues with his balance.

All of them are patients who are taking advantage of an OhioHealth wellness program that uses golf to help people with neurological problems, The Columbus Dispatch reported.

Born out of a daughter’s love for her father, the Fore Hope Adaptive Golf Program celebrates three decades this year, according to The Dispatch report.

Mindy Derr, whose father Guy, an avid golfer, was diagnosed with ALS (Lou Gehrig’s disease) in 1984, found that keeping him on the links was beneficial, both physically and emotionally, as he fought that disease, The Dispatch reported. So in 1989, Derr raised a few thousand dollars to try to help a dozen or so others like her father.

Today, The Dispatch reported, there are hundreds who use the program, with most referred by their doctors or after hearing about it from friends. OhioHealth took over the program about three years ago.

Swimming, rowing and other sports can all lessen complications of neurological disorders, The Dispatch reported, but golf has both physical and social benefits. Fore Hope is among the three dozen member organizations of the U.S. Adaptive Golf Alliance that offer golf as therapy. Golf has the advantage that it can be played standing or sitting, with custom golf carts available for players to swing from while partially seated.

At OhioHealth, participants have a variety of neurological disabilities, including from strokes, Parkinson’s disease or dementia, The Dispatch reported.

The program came full circle for Derr last year when she was diagnosed herself with multiple sclerosis and became depressed and isolated, The Dispatch reported. That’s when Fore Hope members came calling on her.

“When I lost hope last winter, they got me out here,” she said. “We survived. Their joy is—and has been—my joy.”

But starting isn’t always easy, Derr told The Dispatch. “Everybody’s scared,” she said. “I was scared. You’re afraid. You’ve [lost] your balance and you get nervous. But once you come, once we get them here, we’ve got them. We hook them.”

On a wintry morning in February, about a dozen participants met inside the Franklin Park Adventure Center in Columbus, Ohio, The Dispatch reported. The building, used for therapeutic recreation programs, was turned into a driving range, with a golf pro, physical therapist, doughnuts and lots of smiles.

Freece, a retired fifth-grade teacher from Clintonville, Ohio, suffered a serious stroke six years ago, losing his mobility, ability to eat and short-term memory, The Dispatch reported.

“The first time I went out to hit balls, I hit it,” he said. “And I could hardly even write my name. It made such a difference about how I felt about myself.”

Muscle memory allowed Freece to regain his championship swing. Today, at age 69, his still shoots 80.

“It allowed me to concentrate and be by myself with what I was doing. And then I could get better as I went,” Freece said. “It’s like being reindoctrinated into something I like.”

“It brightens his days [and] gives meaning to his life,” said his wife, Debbie, who accompanies him.

Success with the program isn’t measured by just a scorecard, however. “These are people who are really, really struggling, and it adds a lot to their lives,” Mark Flash, system director of philanthropy for OhioHealth’s neuroscience department, told The Dispatch.

Joani Buck, 72, of Westerville, has played golf since she was 22. Six years ago, she was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease, which was followed by a series of complications, The Dispatch reported. Aided by a physical therapist on this day, she clutched an iron with one arm—the other having little grip or range of motion—and focused on the ball. Two swings barely missed the target, but the third hit solidly, sending the ball aloft.

“I enjoy golf so much, and this program is suited to that,” she said. “I’m so fortunate that it’s available.”

A registered nurse for 43 years, Buck understands more than ever the power of staying active, The Dispatch reported. She also participates in boxing, choir and dance class to slow the progression of the disease.

And Forrest, 64, who had a series of four minor strokes two years ago and also golfs in the Westerville (Ohio) Senior League, told The Dispatch, “It’s been a godsend. This program has helped me a lot. I’ve gotten a lot better.”

All golfers look forward to warm-weather outings at Safari Golf Club, a Fore Hope sponsor, The Dispatch reported. The indoor program is $10 per visit; Safari charges $20 for its course in Powell, said Rocco Presutti, program manager.

Golf pro Brian Lawson’s goal is to instill in participants a natural rhythm and rotation focused on the ball, The Dispatch reported. That, in turn, means they improve their balance. The results are significant, he said.

“It’s amazing how much better their balance gets as the season goes on,” he said.

At Safari GC, The Dispatch reported, Lawson establishes the distance from the tee at twice that of a player’s long shot, “so you have a chance to make a par. It takes people back to before when something happened to them.”

Basic exercises might be necessary to regain strength, including core training, endurance walking and balancing on alternating legs, according to stroke-network.com. And patients are advised to consult with health-care experts before joining the program, The Dispatch reported.

For Buck, the goals are tangible, and achievable. “This is the priority,” she said. “I plan on getting better.”