AGAINST ALL ODDS

Brandon Canesi is no stranger to adversity, but that has never stopped him. Born without hands, Canesi belongs to Category G6, the double arm impairment category, which is the rarest category in adaptive golf. Currently a 5.4 handicap, Canesi has learned to play by adapting his clubs to himself and not the other way around.

Growing up in South New Jersey, outside of Atlantic City, Canesi loved sports. He played every sport available to him, but because he was small and did not have hands, many of the coaches did not want to give him a chance

“I did have great hand-eye coordination, and I would prove them wrong if I got the opportunity,” Canesi said.

As a result, he mainly played action sports, like skating, surfing and snowboarding. Canesi even became a certified snowboard instructor. These sports took over his life for a good portion of his childhood. That is until he made his first set of golf clubs at the age of 16. From then on, golf consumed Canesi and he was not going to let anyone discourage him from playing.

Canesi first played golf when he was six years old. He would spend his summers in Hollywood, Florida with his grandfather, who lived on a golf course. Canesi would use his grandfather’s clubs, which were so large that he naturally anchored it under his arm to be able to swing. At the age of 16, when Canesi wanted to play again, the fact that there were no clubs to fit his needs did not stop him

“I was talking with my uncle and he suggested making longer clubs so that I could swing the same way I did as a kid,” Canesi said. “And so that’s exactly what we did, even though we did not have any club fitting experience.”

In the basement of his uncle’s house, they built prototypes by holding a broomstick and measuring the length from the backend to the base. They then took two full steel shafts, one inside of the other. This allowed Canesi the ability to start playing again. It was hard, at first. The clubs rattled, sounding like a broken bat when he would swing. Nevertheless, Canesi was happy to be out on the course with his family and friends.

Knowing that he could improve with better equipment, Canesi decided to try out different shafts. He and his uncle went on a new search and this time, it was for the longest graphite shafts they could find. Immediately, Canesi saw improvement and with this newfound development came the inspiration to launch his foundation, Hole High.

He started shooting videos and creating a presence on social media in an effort to inspire others and show everyone how he did not change himself to play golf, but rather adapted the golf clubs to himself. In 2017, Canesi hosted a fundraiser tournament in New Jersey for about eighty of his closest friends and family and he donated the money to Shriners Children’s Hospital, where he was a patient growing up.

“I just wanted to inspire people and be a positive light,” Canesi said.

The desire to help others was the catalyst driving Canesi forward, and he knew he could achieve more. In 2018, he enrolled in the Golf Academy of America in Myrtle Beach and two months into the program, footage of his first ever hole-in-one went viral. This was a turning point for Canesi and it escalated his social media presence. He now has almost 20,000 followers on Instagram, where he posts instructional videos. His bio reads, “World’s best no-handed golfer. Inspiring others to overcome life’s limitations while spreading awareness of adaptive golf.”

In addition to his social media fame, Canesi was also introduced to the world of adaptive tournaments; a world that he did not know existed. He quickly became an ambassador and one of the prominent faces of adaptive golf.

Canesi now works at Trump National Doral Golf Club in Miami as a caddy and an instructor at the performance center, which allows him to practice and prepare for tournaments. Shortly after starting at Trump Doral, Canesi was introduced to representatives of Cobra Puma Golf, who flew him out to the Headquarters in Carlsbad, California to perfect his original club design. Canesi then received a set of brand new custom Cobra clubs complete with a Cobra staff bag with his nickname, Nubz, embroidered on the front pocket.

Canesi proudly dons his Cobra equipment and plays as much as he possibly can, with hopes of one day playing on an adaptive golf tour. He feels encouraged by the growth that adaptive golf has made recently.

The first tournament he ever competed in was the U.S. Disabled Open in Orlando in 2018 hosted by Jason Faircloth, founder of the United States Disabled Golf Association. Since 2018, the tournament has only gained momentum with sponsors such as the PGA of America and PING signing on.

However, it the newest adaptive golf tournament that is the cream of the crop: the U.S. Adaptive Open. The U.S. Adaptive Open, established by the United States Golf Association, is a new national championship that showcases the world’s best golfers with disabilities. The inaugural event was held on Course No. 6 at Pinehurst Resort and Country Club in July 2022, where Canesi teed it up with the world’s best.

“It was so professionally run and it made us feel like the pros,” Canesi said. “To see my nameplate on the range, and the caddy bib - everything. It was beyond an honor to be a part of it.”

Around 300 world-ranked players registered for the inaugural championship, with only the best 96 players being selected. These 96 players represented the eight different categories, five men and two women for each different category. The second annual Adaptive Open will also be held on Course No. 6 at Pinehurst in July.

Adaptive golf is certainly trending in the right direction and Canesi could not be happier to be a part of the movement. The Florida State Golf Association plans to host its inaugural Adaptive Open later this year.

“I want to be an inspiration and a role model for anyone who might need it,” Canesi said. “I can’t tell you how incredible it makes me feel to receive messages and comments about how others have seen my videos.”

“Whatever the situation is, whether you are trying to bounce back from surgery or an injury or need motivation to get off the couch, just know this: you can do anything as long as you are willing to work for it and have belief in yourself.”