R&A Foundation

Paragolfer donations to grow the sport for golfers with a disability

The R&A

03 Dec 24

3 mins

Of all the sports in the world, golf is among the most inclusive. It has a global reach. The World Handicap System™ allows players of any ability to compete with each other. And it is open to everyone, including those who golf with a disability.

In recent years, The R&A has worked in partnership with the DP World Tour with the support of EDGA to establish The G4D Open, which this year brought together 80 players from 19 different countries to compete in nine sport classes across multiple disabilities. The championship at Woburn has been a huge success, but The R&A is keen to ensure that its commitment to golfers with disabilities goes beyond an annual event. It wants there to be a legacy as well. Which is why The R&A Foundation has donated a hi-tech, Paragolfer wheelchair to Woburn Golf Club in Bedfordshire, as well as one that will be arriving at Golf It! in Glasgow early in 2025. The all-terrain mobile device lifts and supports those with lower-limb disabilities so that they can play and enjoy the sport from a standing position.

R&A Foundation support

The project is one of several delivered through donations to The R&A Foundation – funded by a global philanthropy programme alongside proceeds from The Open – to provide more opportunities for individuals and communities across five key areas: accessibility, sustainability, health, heritage and talent. According to Kevin Barker, Director – Golf Development GB&I and Africa at The R&A, a Paragolfer can open up a whole new world to people who previously thought golf was only for others. It is, he says, a good example of The R&A Foundation’s transformational work. “The money really can change people’s lives,” says Barker. “There are lots of stories of people with a disability who think 'why bother?' until they are introduced to golf. Then they get that lightbulb moment. All of a sudden, there is more purpose and enjoyment. Golf gives them back their spark and maybe gives their family back the person they have been missing. “Right now, there will be lots of people with a disability who are playing golf, but there will also be many who think ‘I can’t do that, it’s not for me’. We need to try to change that narrative.”

G4D Open legacy

Barker continues, “We are delighted with how The G4D Open is developing. With new players from more countries, the quality of golf will improve and that’s great. But at the end of the day, what’s more important is how we use that platform to shine a light on the opportunities available to people with disabilities. “We’re very lucky, partly through the World Handicap System™, to have a sport that is one of the most inclusive in the world. Anyone can play with anyone, irrespective of age, background, gender, ethnicity, ability and whether or not they have a disability. So we have to raise awareness, get people involved and show golf in a good light.” Maintaining the theme, Tony Bennett, President of EDGA, said, “We want there to be a legacy from The G4D Open. It’s too easy to have a successful championship and then nothing… like a circus that comes to town, then disappears. That’s why it felt right to base a Paragolfer at Woburn and then at Golf It! in Glasgow, which is an R&A run facility. In due course, our dream would be that we have more of these, strategically placed all around the country.”

The R&A Foundation donated a Paragolfer to Woburn Golf Club, host venue of The G4D Open, to create a legacy from the Championship and enable those with lower limb disabilities to play the sport.

Making golf accessible for all

The Paragolfer at Woburn is not for players in elite competitions. The plan is to lend it to other clubs, to introduce as many people as possible to the sport’s benefits at recreational level and demonstrate more widely that those with lower-limb disabilities need not be excluded from the sport. The R&A Foundation’s funding has also supported The Golf Trust in its work with Woburn to ensure that the device’s potential is realised, and that Woburn is fully equipped with the resources and expertise to make the venue fully accessible to those with disabilities. Best practice will be followed everywhere from the bar and lounge to the locker room and practice areas. The course itself will also become more user-friendly. Barker says clubs should consider those with disabilities when undertaking such work, such as the renovation of bunkers. EDGA has already been training coaches at Woburn. Other staff will be given advice, the club’s communications strategy will raise awareness and a plan is in place to engage with surrounding communities, including Stoke Mandeville Hospital, home to the National Spinal Injuries Centre.

Engaging with the community

“Between The Golf Trust, Woburn, ourselves and EDGA, hopefully we can make this a bit of a disability hub,” notes Barker. “So it’s not just about the Paragolfer, it’s about how we use it, how we engage with the local community, with coaches and clubs nearby, to make sure more people are introduced to the sport. It’s a much more holistic approach than just the provision of a Paragolfer.” Jason O’Malley, Managing Director at Woburn, added, “Woburn Golf Club was extremely grateful and honoured when, through The R&A Foundation, it received the donation of a Paragolfer. “As a club, having hosted the inaugural G4D Open in 2023 and again in 2024, Woburn is committed to working closely with EDGA towards improving the accessibility of golf for all disabled categories. As a club we look forward to welcoming those requiring the use of a Paragolfer and our dedicated team of staff will be on hand to assist, which will include golf lessons.” Indeed, in October 2024, working in collaboration with Woburn, The Golf Trust delivered the venue’s first golf taster sessions curated for wheelchair users and people with mobility impairments. Both sessions were fully subscribed and offered attendees the transformational opportunity to stand and play golf using a Paragolfer.

What golf can offer

Attendees included wheelchair users and people with mobility impairments such as Parkinson’s, Cerebral palsy, spinal cord injury and muscular dystrophy. “Today has been full of moments of joy,” commented Co-Founder of The Golf Trust, Cae Menai-Davis. “There is nothing quite like witnessing that life changing moment as a user stands, sometimes for the very first time in years. “But, for us, this is the start of their journey. Disabled people want to be active, to connect with others, to be social and to be part of a community and that is what golf can give them.” According to the World Health Organization, an estimated one in six people experience significant disability. While there is limited reliable data, many are already playing at grassroots level and many more would join them if they were made aware of the opportunities. Barker would love to build on the pathway for golfers with a disability, add more tournaments, especially on the continent, maybe a world championship and a place for golf at the Paralympics. But it is just as important that more are encouraged to play the game for fun. “We want to see more opportunities for people with a disability to take up the game, and more provision for them at clubs,” he adds. “It’s our hope that clubs, organisations and charities around the UK might be persuaded to invest in one and we would have more around the country. “It would be lovely to get to a point where we see someone with a disability out on the course, and we don't regard it as unusual. They would be just another golfer out there playing.”

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