The Palm Beach Children’s Hospital Builds New Indoor Golf Space for Patients and Families

West Palm Beach, Fla. – The Palm Beach Children’s Hospital at St. Mary’s Medical Center recently unveiled, “Little Links,” an indoor golfing area with grass vinyl flooring and wall-to-wall murals of beautiful golf courses. This new area combines the fun of an outdoor putting green with the comfort of being indoors.

 For several years, South Florida PGA golf professionals have been visiting the children’s hospital as part of the South Florida PGA Foundation’s Smiling Fore Life program. These visits help bring golf into children’s lives who may be experiencing hardship, and allows children an opportunity to forget about their challenges and enjoy a fun and new activity. To ensure safety, kids use plastic golf clubs, tennis balls and Velcro targets.

 “Aside from teaching children the game of golf, these sessions serve a much larger purpose,” said CEO Gabrielle Finley-Hazle. “Part of their healing process is to play and laugh, and activities like this help get their mind off what they’re going through. The new and improved space will hopefully create a more realistic, fun and memorable experience for our patients.”

 The Auxiliary of St. Mary’s Medical Center funded this project to help enhance the experience for the pediatric patients and their families. The Auxiliary is a not-for-profit organization run by a group of caring and dedicated volunteers who raise money to provide clothing, high school scholarship opportunities, transportation, books, toys, wheelchairs, walkers, prescription refills and other resources not readily available to patients and their families. The organization also provides emotional support through companionship, reading programs and pastoral care volunteers.