After trying a number of sports, Alistair Miles was struggling to find one that he really gelled with. That was until he picked up a golf club for the first time.

Coming through the MyGolf program at his local Mount Martha Public Golf Course, Al — as he is called by family and friends — was instantly hooked on golf, mainly due to its distinct points of difference from other sports.

No one was hunting him down with a tackle like in footy, and no one was launching a hard ball towards him like in cricket. Al could get out on the driving range and the golf course and focus on his own game, which has been transformational in managing his additional needs.

Al has an intellectual disability, as well as fine motor and gross motor deficits and ADHD, and because of his complex additional needs, mother Bec says it has been a case of trial and error with finding what helps Al, just like it was with sport.

"There was no clear process from Al’s diagnosis, as various different needs popped up," said Bec. "It's sort of like, 'okay, we're getting these things happening, where do we need to go for that?'.

"He's always been an individual, we call it 'standard Al time', it's like he does things, but in his time.

"He's got a really happy disposition and he's quite positive. He likes people and as he's getting older, he is wanting to be more independent and do more things."

Bec describes the MyGolf program as being a 'springboard' for Al, as it has opened him up to all that the game of golf has to offer.

"Golf's not fast paced. He can just line himself up, think about what he needs to do with his swing, hit the ball, and then have the benefits of the social side of turning to people and getting to know others," said Bec.

"He's thinking carefully more so about where he needs to hit the ball, how he needs to hit it, what club he needs to use, really those intricacies of the game that he wouldn't naturally pick up."

Another benefit of the MyGolf springboard has been getting Al involved in the Special Olympics events, his most recent being the Victorian Summer State Games at Ranfurlie Golf Club.

"It's been good for us as parents as well, linking in with other families who have a child with additional needs has been amazing," she said

"Al's at a mainstream school, and we don't really have a broad social network of people with children with additional needs.

"Golf has definitely broadened Al's social network, and I think that as he gets older, that'll have a bigger impact as well."

Now a member of Devilbend Golf Club with his father Dave, Al regularly gets down to practise and play on his own, Bec extremely pleased with how independent he has become through golf.

"Now we're at a point where he just wants to go down to the driving range, and so I can drop him at the driving range at Devilbend, and he'll hit some balls for an hour and then I'll go get him," she said.

"Out of all the sports, golf was the one where I didn't have to say, 'hurry up and get ready, Al'. I don't have to race him out the door, he's the one trying to race me out the door when it comes to golf."