Wellness and Golf
She Built It. They Came. And Four Decades Later, They Still Do.
Wellness and Golf offers a roadmap for audiences seeking achievement and longevity, showcasing Mindy Derr’s illustrious history of persistence and sustained success.
Founder | Story Teller
Mindy’s riveting journey as a Founder and Healthcare/Golf Innovator is a passionate narrative of survival, service, longevity, and legacy.
Mindy Derr didn’t set out to become a healthcare innovator–she simply saw what golf could do for her father, Guy, a proficient golfer who became ill early in his retirement. As a young golfer captivated by the camaraderie, competition, and joy of the game, she discovered her true calling: using golf as a tool for healing and hope.
In 1989, she founded Fore Hope, one of the nation’s first therapeutic golf programs. For 27 years, she led Fore Hope through unimaginable odds–navigating a male-dominated industry, raising $6 million, and impacting 10,000 lives. In 2017, her program became the first grassroots golf therapy initiative ever absorbed by a major U.S. healthcare system, proving that golf therapy isn’t just innovative–it’s essential.
Today, Fore Hope thrives in perpetuity at OhioHealth’s Neuroscience Center, sustained by the Guy Derr and Mindy Derr Fore Hope Endowment. Living with MS herself, Mindy “walks the talk,” embodying the healing power of golf therapy.
Through Wellness and Golf, Mindy now shares her story with entrepreneurs, healthcare leaders, golf professionals, and nonprofit founders–inspiring them to build with vision, stay the course, and create legacies that last.
Expertise
Wellness and Golf and Entreprenueral Experiences
Healthcare & Wellness
- Health Conditions: Parkinson’s, MS, Stroke, TBI, Cognitive Disabilities
- Recreational Therapy
- Creating Therapeutic Golf Programs
- Successful Patient Outcomes
Golf & Accessibility
- Golf Instruction & Adaptive Equipment
- Accessible Facilities & Course Design
- Player Engagement & Retention
- Growing the Game Through Inclusion
Nonprofit Leadership
- Social Entrepreneurship
- Mission & Community Alignment
- Strategic Partnerships
- Operations & Sustainability
- Resource Development
Mindy has been honored for her dedication and service of golf therapy for 37+ years.
“I was intrigued by the excitement of golf…the camaraderie, competition, sportsmanship and the joy it brought to many. Little did I realize, when I was young, that my lot in life was to utilize the game of golf as a way for healing and hope! I founded a nationally recognized program which celebrated our founding since 1989.”
In the News
Wellness & Golf: Driving the Health Message of Golf, Globally
Mindy began Fore Hope for her father, Guy, who was an avid and proficient golfer, but upon his retirement developed a disability. This created the realisation that golf is a beneficial activity that can be used to encourage wellness, backed up by data.
Golf Central Magazine profile
Mindy founded Fore Hope in 1989, a unique golf therapy grassroots program for my father, Guy. Dad was an avid and proficient golfer who became ill early in his retirement years. He became isolated and depressed.
Golf Therapy Pioneer, Mindy Derr, Celebrates 35 Years of Helping People Find Hope
Mindy Derr, Founder of the nationally recognized Fore Hope golf therapy program, celebrated 35 years of using the sport to improve the lives of individuals with disabilities, injuries, and illnesses. Fore Hope has impacted over 10,000 people.
Vicki Doe Fitness
