68 year old deaf golfer Karen Ellam, who now lives in Redbourn, having previously lived in St Albans for 30 years has surprised even herself by winning not only the 2026 England Deaf Golf Senior Womens Championship, but also the 2026 Womens Scratch Championship too.
Karen who has previously had a golf handicap of 5, but now plays off 10, was unaware of England Deaf Golf and all its events nationwide until 18 months ago when a County Senior Golf friend bought it to her notice. Since then she has selected Great Britain Deaf Golf at the 2025 Deaf Olympics in Tokyo, where she finished amongst other similar handicap players. She s been an active, and at the moment only female member of the local Saxon Golf Society winning the Southern Team and more recently in May this year, the England Golf Team event with them. Â
At the England Deaf Golf Championships held at Worsley Park Golf Club near Salford last weekend, a competition this year consisting of 3 medal rounds played in mixed 4 balls, Karen was expected to win the Senior Womens Championship which she did comfortably. However, in the Womens scratch event, Karen and two others carded gross 85 in the first round on a windy Friday. On the Saturday which was even windier, her and the England deaf golf number 2 ranked player, Donna Cross, a 7 handicapper and previous Champion from Yorkshire crept away from the others. However, Karen did not look at the exact scores, but she was told that it was close, as she knew she’d be playing in the same 4 ball group as Donna on the Sunday and wanted to focus as much as she could on playing her best stroke play round rather than it become too much like a matchplay.
The final round on the Sunday was played in reverse order and was not only just as windy but also wet with rain showers on and off throughout. The 18th hole being particularly wet!  It was not until the Prize Presenation that Karen realised she had won by 2 shots!  It certainly helped make the 3 hour drive back from Worsley late on sunday an easier one!
Karen attributes her success to Golf Professional Finlay Mitchell who has been her coach for the last 14 months and to Redbourn Physiotherapy Clinic who have been fantastically accommodating at providing first class treatment at all times, often at short notice.Â
Her success has resulted her being selected to represent England in the European Deaf Golf Championships again at Worsley in August 2027. But first stop is Baersbeck Golf Club in Sweden, a former Solheim Cup venue, for the World Deaf Championships which start on 9th August. England are sending 25 players to this event which last took place in 2024 in Australia. Karen is due to play in the Senior event in Sweden.Â
Karen’s also enjoyed becoming involved in helping to spread the awareness of the opportunities within deaf golf and deaf sport in general.  To compete Internationally ones needs to have a hearing loss of 55 decibles or more in ones good ear, but to compete in local or national events anyone with a hearing loss can join in. More details can be found at https://www.england-deaf-golf.com
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Karen has also enjoyed becoming involved in development groups for both Deaf Women and Children:
She s been helping run the Hertfordshire Womens’ and Girls Hub at Essendon Country Club and is now supporting the hub members as they progress further in their practicing and playing to hopefully become either Golf Club members or I Golfers. Â
These hubs are financed by UK deaf sport and more details of future hubs around England can be found by contacting development@englanddeafgolf.co.uk
More locally, she is also helping the Head Professional Rob Leonard at Harpenden Common Golf Club, who along with Hertfordshire County Golf and funding from the The Rose Foundation are running a very well attended After School and an In School golf clubs for the children at Heathlands Deaf School in St Albans.
A bit further afield, Karen has established a link with St George’s Primary School in Toddington which has a specialist Deaf Unit . The school supported the Destination Olympic Programme which ran at the same time as the Deaf Olympics in Tokyo last November. Karen has visited the Unit at the School twice since then, initially to talk about her experience and to share photos with the children when they particularly enjoyed seeing what she kept in her golf bag apart from clubs! and on the 2nd visit, they were able to try some golf for themselves. A  further session is planned for September.
She’s been totally overwhelmed by the warmth of welcome and inclusivity she has received throughout deaf sport at all levels and is hoping that her efforts to help publisize further means that other deaf people won’t have to wait until they are 67 to hear about deaf sport and the opportunites there are.
