COLUMBIA, S.C. — Special Olympics South Carolina gave golf its own stage on Saturday, Nov. 7, as more than 100 athletes teed it up in the 2026 Palmetto Cup at Spring Valley Country Club in Columbia.
The Palmetto Cup doubles as the organization’s state golf tournament, and this year marked the first time it ran as a standalone event. In past years the golf competition was folded into the state fall games.
The tournament at 300 Spring Valley Road offered five levels of play. Level 1 tested individual skills, Level 2 paired golfers in nine-hole alternate-shot team play, and Level 3 was an 18-hole unified team event that put athletes on the course alongside non-disabled peers. Levels 4 and 5 were individual stroke play over nine and 18 holes.
Check-in for athletes and teams ran from 8:30 to 10:30 a.m., with warm-up areas opening at 8:30 and an opening ceremony at 9:30. Awards were presented as each flight finished.
Most teams spent more than eight weeks training for the event, and strong showings at the state level can open a path toward international competition. Registration for the tournament closed Oct. 23.
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