How a golf club became a tool of diplomacy and veterans' rehabilitation

Ukrinform visited a golf course where wounded veterans recover from war injuries — and where the idea was born to present a special golf club to Donald Trump.

Golf is usually associated with elite sports and private social clubs, but today it is also becoming a tool of rehabilitation, a place of psychological recovery for war veterans, and even a diplomatic signal for peace. For Ukrainian veterans, this game is a way to regain strength, feel equal again, and find harmony after the trauma of war.

In the 21st century, matters of state importance can be influenced on a golf course — or even through a piece of sporting equipment. U.S. President Donald Trump once wrote in one of his books that he can see a person's nobility through the game of golf. On August 18, 2024, the U.S. president received a very special gift — a golf club from Ukrainian serviceman Kostiantyn Kartavtsev.

Kostiantyn Kartavtsev (left)

A CLUB FOR PEACE

Kostiantyn Kartavtsev learned to play golf despite severe wounds that resulted in the loss of his right leg. Before the full-scale Russian invasion, he worked as a sales department head at a Kherson-based food company. But when Russia launched its massive assault on Ukraine, he joined the army in the first months, serving with the 95th Air Assault Brigade.

A year later, in April 2023, while rescuing wounded comrades, Kostiantyn was wounded by an enemy mine and lost his limb. However, in December 2023, he returned to service in his native 95th Brigade, where he continues to serve despite his amputation.

It was during his post-surgery rehabilitation two years ago that Kostiantyn first tried golf.

"You can improve endlessly here because perfection has no limits. At the same time, it's a special mental reset: before every shot, you need to focus so much that all other thoughts just fade away," Kartavtsev told Ukrinform.

In August 2024, the Ukrainian veterans' team took part for the first time in the International Disabled Golf Championship. For Kostiantyn, it was also his debut at this level. Over three days, he completed 54 holes and covered about 35 kilometers on a prosthetic leg. By the end, he ranked among the top ten individual players of the tournament. He combines his training with serving in the Ukrainian Armed Forces and raising three children together with his wife.

Oleksandr Kikin

Kostiantyn now trains at the United by Golf Adaptive Sports Club in the Kyiv region, which currently holds regular training sessions for about 50 Ukrainian veterans of the Russian-Ukrainian war.

It was here that the idea was born to present President Donald Trump with a special golf club. Kostiantyn chose a putter — the club used to make the final, decisive stroke in the game. Engraved on it was the message: "Let's put peace together!"

"Today I give you my golf club. Not as an athlete, but as a warrior who dreams of peace through strength," Kostiantyn said in a video message to Trump.

Trump responded with a video message of gratitude to the Ukrainian serviceman.

Speaking with Ukrinform, Kostiantyn explained his reasoning: "Simply 'peace' actually means capitulation. That's why Ukrainian soldiers are fighting now — not for peace, but for victory. Real, lasting peace is possible only from a position of strength — when Ukraine is militarily and economically powerful. History shows us that Russia has always waged war: against Finland in 1939, against Georgia in 2008. Russia hasn't abandoned its imperial ambitions even now, unlike the civilized world. That's why the only path to peace in Europe today is to make Ukraine strong enough to counterbalance the aggressor and prevent another war from happening."

AMPUTATIONS ARE NO BARRIER TO GOLF

Training at the United by Golf adaptive club began in spring 2023, club director Nataliia Tereshchuk told Ukrinform.

Nataliia has worked for the Ukrainian Golf Federation since 2008. The federation is officially recognized as a National Sports Federation by Ukraine's Ministry of Youth and Sports, and in 2012 it became a collective member of the National Olympic Committee.

At the end of 2022, Federation President Oleh Korban proposed using golf courses as rehabilitation spaces for veterans. The initiative began in May 2023, when the first eight veterans arrived from a regional rehabilitation hospital to a golf course in the Kyiv region, Nataliia said.

"We tried to give each person individual attention. And the next time, they came back on their own. Now, we have about 45 veterans training regularly. In total, more than 800 people have come through our club since we started — some just for introductory classes, and we also hold workshops for veterans involved in other sports," Tereshchuk said.

Rehabilitation through golf is a well-established international practice. For example, the American veterans' organization PGA HOPE has decades of experience using golf to aid recovery, starting with veterans of the Vietnam War.

Golf clubs in Ukraine provide free facilities, golf carts, and equipment. Coaches volunteer their time without payment. Among them is Serhii Malimon, one of Ukraine's first golf champions and a coach with over ten years of experience, who now trains veterans entirely on a volunteer basis.

"These people are our golden asset. They're the ones who will make this country better," Malimon said in a comment to Ukrinform.

He believes golf can play a major role in rehabilitation programs because it suits veterans with amputations, traumatic brain injuries, vision impairments, and other serious war-related injuries.

Serhii recalls one story vividly: "Once, a veteran with an amputated arm came to train with us. I told him: 'Today, you're playing with us. You don't have a left arm? Then today none of us are using our left arms.' At first, the guys were stunned: 'How can we play like that?' But they agreed. And for the first time in a long time, that soldier smiled. He felt equal again."

One of those veterans is 36-year-old Vitalii Matiushyn from the Vinnytsia region. In spring 2023, he joined the Ukrainian Marines as a stormtrooper and combat medic. Later, he also learned to operate UAVs and carried out reconnaissance and attacks on enemy positions.

In December 2024, during a mission near Kurakhove in the Donetsk region, a Russian FPV drone struck him, costing him his left arm. Since then, he has undergone 27 surgeries and is awaiting another in October — an osseointegration procedure that will implant a titanium rod directly into his upper arm bone.

Vitalii Matiushyn (right)

"I only have about seven centimeters of upper arm left. For such high amputations, this is the only prosthetic option," Vitalii said.

The surgery is scheduled for October, and he plans to spend September on the golf course. He discovered the sport only two months ago, but since then has been trying to train regularly — at least twice a week for five hours each session. For him, however, golf is not just a sport or a part of rehabilitation — above all, it is a way to socialize and a place to connect with his fellow veterans.

"Here we can talk with the guys, share advice, or just chat. Plus, we're constantly spending time outdoors. It's calm and quiet here. I think I came to love golf partly because I love nature," Matiushyn told Ukrinform.

GOLF TEACHES BALANCE

Another veteran, 35-year-old Volodymyr Tovkis from the Kirovohrad region, joined the National Guard in 2017. In September 2019, during fighting against Russian forces and pro-Kremlin separatists on the Svitlodarsk Bulge, he was shot by a sniper. The bullet pierced his cheek just five millimeters under his right eye. Volodymyr spent 11 days in a coma and woke up with paralysis on his left side.

"It felt like having a stroke. I spent three months bedridden. About six months later, they implanted a titanium plate to cover the damaged part of my skull," he said.

"My physical rehab is ongoing. The more we challenge ourselves with difficult tasks and positions, the better the body and mind adapt. After a trauma, you get tired very quickly — sometimes you just don't want to do anything. But you have to push yourself and keep going," Tovkis said.

In 2023, Volodymyr competed in the Invictus Games, where Team Ukraine won 34 medals. He earned three golds and one bronze in indoor rowing, discus throwing, and archery — shooting a bow using his teeth due to his injury. Despite this, he has repeatedly won prizes in this discipline since then. After his gold at the Invictus Games, Tovkis has been regularly competing in archery tournaments. On August 22, he won the silver medal at the All-Ukrainian Veterans' Archery Competition — the Warriors' Cup 2025.

Golf has been part of his life for over a year now. "It's fresh air and time spent with fellow veterans and friends. Overall, it's therapy for me — training my balance and coordination. To hit the ball with a one-meter club, you need a strong swing, and through that process, the body learns to maintain balance and find harmony in movement," Volodymyr told Ukrinform.

Another veteran, Oleksandr Kikin from Cherkasy, went to fight as a volunteer in 2014, joining the defense of Sloviansk during the early days of the Russian-backed insurgency. Near Sloviansk, he suffered a mine-blast injury and shrapnel wounds that led to the amputation of his left leg.

However, as the veteran told Ukrinform, it was difficult for him to stand even on his intact right leg. Kikin believes that playing golf, which he began learning in 2017, helped him strengthen his joints.

"I'm missing part of my knee on the right leg, and the fibula used to dislocate very often. A fragment essentially sliced off the upper part of the joint and damaged some tendons. At first, my leg was only about 25% functional, and I couldn't stand at all — the knee couldn't bear my weight, and I kept falling. Even standing for five minutes was hard. But gradually, I got into the game, and now I can even walk without a cane," the veteran said..

Oleksandr is registered with the European Disabled Golf Association and regularly competes against able-bodied golfers. In August 2024, he finished 11th at the Ukrainian Golf Cup.

"Golf has helped me not just physically, but also mentally. It makes you focus on the game and detach from your problems. It's great therapy for PTSD and concussions," Kikin said.

Photo provided by the United by Golf Adaptive Sports Club

MEETING MICHAEL DOUGLAS

In September 2024, Ukrainian veterans from United by Golf met Michael Douglas, the American actor and UN Messenger of Peace, during his visit to Ukraine.

Douglas, an avid golfer, received a framed collage of tournament photos and a wood as a gift from the adaptive golf club.

Currently, the biggest challenge for the club is the lack of trained instructors. Tereshchuk is seeking sponsors to support the work of the coaches.

"We could accept as many veterans as needed and organize them into groups, but we don't have enough coaches. Some of our veterans who've already gained solid skills plan to become coaches themselves in the future," she said.

Despite severe injuries, the veterans refuse to let anything hold them back.

As coach Serhii Malimon put it: "In our adaptive club, guys train who are missing limbs, have arm amputations, or have other serious injuries. But once they start training, they find the strength to keep going and continue doing the good deeds they used to do in the army. I can see that they are capable of great achievements. The key is to listen to the coach, work hard, and gradually overcome physical challenges, all while taking individual differences into account to avoid new injuries."

The veterans also compete in numerous tournaments, and several are now preparing for the European Championship for Golfers with Disability in Portugal.

Anna Kostiuchenko, Kyiv region

Photo credit: Danylo Antoniuk