This invention of paralyzed golfer changes the game rules for adaptive players

Rockville, Maryland – Anthony Netto is not a household name for golf.

But for some players, he was a groundbreaking figure with the likes of Ely Callaway and Karsten Solheim, whose aggressive spirit changed the game.

Netto is Vertacat’s father.

“I see other people suffering the way I do,” he said. “And – no puns – I won’t sit down.”

It was a sultry afternoon in the suburbs of Maryland, 40 minutes away from Maryland’s suburbs, where Netto spoke from a location on a shopping cart path at Woodmont Country Club in 2025, the U.S. Adaptive Open Practice Tournament. At close range, one of his works comes into view.

At first glance, the Vertacat looks like something you find in a car barn with wheels, seats and steering mechanisms. But this is not just a means of transportation on the road. Its users rely on it to hit the ball.

Netto first saw something similar after being injured after serving in South African troops in 1991, which left him paralyzed from his waist. He was 33 years old and a lifelong golfer, and he learned to play as a kid in Cape Town before going to mini tour competitions before becoming a certified coach. The game was in his blood and he longed to return to it. But – again, no puns – “baby footsteps”. Netto has broader goals.

In his rehabilitation ward, Netto was surrounded by other injured soldiers, many of whom were injured similarly. In their long-sitting state, they were ravaged by Bedsores. Other complications go beyond the skin.

“Think about it, you’ve been a tough guy for life, Alpha,” Netto said. “Suddenly, you’re someone who has to wipe your butt. It’s causing a heavy loss.”

Both physically and psychologically, Netto knows it is crucial to get his cohort back up again.

“If you want someone to get rid of their butt and stand, there is no better way to motivate them than putting a golf ball in front of them,” he said.

This is not easy. In Netto’s view, the right technology does not exist. He tried to play golf in a wheelchair, but there weren’t many wheelchairs on the grass. Trying to swing from a club is also a hell of hips. In those days, some golfers rely on scooters with rotating seats that can lift the rider to a semi-tilt position. That was a good start, but Netto wanted more. He dreams of something that can show the player as a complete golf pose. But, how exactly does it work?

The moment for the light bulb is coming, and Netto visits a injured friend who is lying on a bed in a mechanical hospital that may be kept at one end. Netto noticed the machinery behind him as the bed lifted his friend’s upper body.

“I think, that’s it.” “Let’s get this on the wheels.”

Netto contacted a company in Denmark, which started bedding and began communicating with engineers. After a year and a half of cooperation, a prototype was ready and manufactured by a German prosthetic company. In 2000, the first product was released.

Netto put it on a piss and called it an “all-terrain standing sports wheelchair,” though it thought of the crossover between the scooter and the modular cart, with three wheels for easy maneuvering, which is a fully tilted seat and keeps the rider low in body stable and safe.

Netto paid for his pocket by selling stocks in the military security company he founded. He gave away the top 100 Paragolfers for free. Money until it becomes a sum of money. In 2009, Netto became a victim of financial fraud (long story short, the investment company he used entrusted most of its portfolio to Bernie Madoff). A year later, Netto formed Cash, founded Stand and Play Foundation, a nonprofit dedicated to “the gift of as many people as possible.”

He maintains the organization through corporate sponsorships, private donations, charitable events and other fundraising activities. However, this support is only that far. Netto also runs a Stand Up USA company that specializes in adaptive golf therapy and accessible exercise programs in addition to standing wheelchairs.

“I did everything I could to keep this dream alive,” Netto said.

In 2023, Netto co-developed the next iteration of his adaptive cart, Vertacat, marks another milestone, which he describes as “a paratrooper on steroids.” The Vertacat is easier to adjust than its predecessor, and it is powered by a more powerful, longer-lasting battery that pushes the vehicle to push the vehicle over steep terrain and drives 18 holes in 18 holes without risking a risk. Its wheels are like paratroopers’ wheels that can roll on the green and pass through bunkers without damaging them.

Paratroopers are far from outdated. There are still about 700 use cases worldwide, as well as nearly 200 Vertacats. The latter is not cheap. They retail for $29,300, although he pitched through his foundation as much as possible.

“I don’t want them to align with people who need them,” he said.

Netto is married and has three adult children, lives in Las Vegas, but often meets veterans groups and golf organizations on the go, appearing on outings and exhibitions. He set a world record in the wheelchair category with a 350-yard drive at the 2019 World Long-distance Championship in Mesquite, Nevada.

He just made his mark from Redeye on Sunday at Woodmont Country Club and took the class straight. In the stuffy weather, he roams the motorized chairs in blue jeans and a black shirt, with a small front wheel, while his jury struggles with the jury.

A handful of players are using his adaptive trolley at this week’s U.S. Adaptive Open. As Netto approached the 9th green, one of the golfers approached on Vertacat.

Max Togisala is 21 years old and is a native of Utah. About three years ago, as a high school senior, he was six months away from junior college’s golf scholarship when a ski accident paralyzed him from the waist. Togisala’s intention was to keep playing golf so that he took the club to the hospital so he could practice Cicci from his wheelchair. Back to the route is a rough road. He tried using an adaptive golf scooter.

“But I’m not completely bound yet, I can’t get into a full position,” Togisala said. “It’s really hard. I thought I didn’t want to play golf like that.” That was 2022.

Togisala’s mom meets Netto while scrolling through social media and catches Vertacat. By early 2023, Togisala is practicing it. Less than six months later, he won the seat in the 2023 Adaptive Open at Pinehurst in the Player category, a title he defended in 2024.

“It means everything to me,” Togisala said back to the game. “Golf is my passion and my love before the accident. It’s still today.”

Togisala smiled. His practice is over and he is ready to return to the clubhouse. Netto watched him go.

“He’s an incredible kid and an incredible golfer,” Netto said. “But it’s not just champion golf. I tell people, go out and play with friends. Play nine holes. Do it for fun. Golf saves my life, and it’s one thing I’ve learned. Life goes on. But if you don’t stand up, it probably won’t last long.”