A Master Class in Determination
- Dan Ruder
- Jun 25, 2025
- 5 min read
Updated: Aug 13
For every cliché, there is a kernel of truth.
Golf doesn't always build character; sometimes it reveals it.
What golf reveals in Marty Turcios is an ability and a will
that surprises those who dwell on the superficial.
—Golf Channel, June 2011
Two questions occasionally come up when I am speaking to people about Marty Turcios Therapeutic Golf: "How did you meet Marty?” and "How did you get involved with his nonprofit?” I actually appreciate those types of questions because they show their interest. My response to those questions is usually tied to what wasn't asked: “Why did you get involved?” The title of this article has to do with the answer to all three questions.
The first time I met Marty Turcios was at a driving range in 2019. I was working on my swing, which isn't bad but does have flaws, when Marty came over and offered a few suggestions. He has a speech impairment and moves differently than most people, but he did not make a big production out of helping me. He simply watched, listened, and then adjusted my grip and backswing.
I remember thinking, “Is this really happening, and why is he taking the time to help me?” A few minutes later, I was hitting the ball better than I had in a long while.
Later that day, I watched Marty take a few practice swings with his driver while a ball sat teed up in front of him. My first thought was, “There is a lot going on in that swing.” But watching someone with cerebral palsy swing a golf club that way was already remarkable.
Then he hit the ball; dead straight and pure. The entire moment was both amazing and humbling.
Over the weeks that followed, I often saw the adaptive golf clinics taking place at the range. People were laughing and enjoying themselves, and Marty was there doing what he had done for me: watching and providing hands-on instruction. I finally realized that he wasn’t just part of the group. He was the one leading it. Of course he was.
Over the years, I would occasionally catch up with Marty in the clubhouse. He has a sharp sense of humor, and although he has a speech impairment, he is actually easy to understand once you take the time to listen.
Everything shifted in 2025, when he invited me to attend one of his nonprofit’s board meetings. That’s when I finally began to see the bigger picture.
His organization is Marty Turcios Therapeutic Golf. The clinics are free for participants, but they are not free to operate. A great deal happens behind the scenes, including fundraising, grant applications, event coordination, equipment planning, and making sure each participant has what they need. His board advisors include a Certified Therapeutic Recreation Specialist and an outreach coordinator from another nonprofit, both serving as volunteers.
I offered to help with the website. I figured I could at least make it easier for people to register for events without having to send a carrier pigeon.
That is how I met Marty and became involved. As for why I stayed, the answer is not complicated. It comes down to his commitment to the work and his passion for why it matters. To me, those are two sides of the same coin. After more than three decades in the military, I have learned to recognize genuine commitment when I see it. Marty’s was impossible to miss.
As I worked on the website, I began learning more about adaptive golf beyond the headlines. Conversations with Marty were especially helpful. Some were filled with personal stories, while others moved into detailed discussions about therapeutic recreation, instruction, and the purpose behind the program.
Marty explained that adaptive golf is about much more than modifying equipment or changing a swing. The therapeutic benefits are well documented and continue to be studied. We also talked about self-directed learning, an approach that encourages people to trust their instincts, discover what works for them, and take greater ownership of their progress. That principle has long been central to the way Marty teaches.
I began looking more closely at Marty’s story and the roots of the nonprofit. I watched a Golf Channel feature about him, read letters written to him by respected figures in sports, and learned more about the people and Veterans his organization has served since 2010.
The more I learned, the more I understood why he is so passionate about the work. When Marty talks about therapeutic golf, you hear sincerity in his voice. He lived the principles of self-directed learning long before he ever used that term and SDL becoming a formal learning principle. He understands firsthand that the value of therapeutic golf goes far beyond the adaptations needed to make the sport accessible.
His motivation comes from personal experience and from a determination to use that experience to help others.
Marty’s commitment is what first drew me into the organization, but it is not the only reason I remain involved. I enjoy being around people who are fully invested in what they do, especially when that commitment is directed toward helping others. Just as important, the experience continues to challenge me and teach me something new.
The quote at the beginning of this article captures that well. Golf reveals a level of ability and determination in Marty that many people do not expect. Watching that up close is a lesson in perseverance. What surprised me most was not what Marty was capable of. It was how much of it I had failed to recognize at first.
Update August 2026:
I made the above particular realization a while ago now. What I did not expect was what would happen after. There is a common experience people describe after buying a new car: they suddenly start noticing that same car everywhere, on every street, in every parking lot. Nothing about the road changed. Only what I was paying attention to changed.
Something similar happened to me with Marty, only in reverse. Once I recognized what he actually does, and how far it goes beyond teaching a golf swing, I started noticing how many people who know him, who have met him, who have even watched him teach, have not made that same recognition.
They see a golf instructor. That is not wrong, exactly. It is just not the whole picture.
If you have met Marty and feel confident you already understand what he does and how he thinks about what he does, it might be worth asking yourself whether you actually have, or whether you simply have not noticed yet.
This article is for informational purposes only.
If you have questions, or want to learn more about MTTG, go to MTTG.ORG
