New Disability Rules

[mikejohnchapman]

I have been reading the new rule 25 regarding people with disabilities.

Rules 25.4 relates to people using assistive mobility devices

Purpose of Rule: Rule 25.4 allows a player who uses an assistive mobility device to be assisted by both an aide and a caddie at the same time, explains how a player may use an assistive mobility device (such as a wheelchair or other wheeled mobility device or a cane or a crutch) to help in taking a stance and making a stroke, and modifies certain relief procedures.

I wondered how this is going to be applied as we have quite a few seniors who use mobility devices in the form of personal buggies to play. We normally require a Doctor's note to approve this but due to the recent health service issues this is now approved on a trust basis. Is there a level of disability needed before this rule applies (such as blue badge holder, registered disabled, etc)?

Will the player have to say they are playing under the modifications made by the new rule to their fellow competitors?

The last thing we want is to discourage people from playing our great game for as long as they wish but we need to be fair to all players and I know we wil be asked the question.

The other disabilities covered by the new rule are a little more obvious.

 

[jim8flog]

Players who use buggies but are able to get out of them to play normally would not be considered as disabled in terms of The Rules of Golf.

The players that are considered disabled in terms of the rules are those that have to stay seated in their mobility device or need to support themselves against it.

Rule 25 modifies certain Rules for players in the following categories of disability:

• Players who are blind (which includes certain levels of vision impairment),
• Players who are amputees (which means both those with limb deficiencies and those who have lost a limb),
• Players who use assistive mobility devices, and
• Players with intellectual disabilities.

Eligibility for Rule 25 is based on the impact that a player’s impairments have on their ability to play golf rather than being a determination of whether someone is disabled.

Examples of passes that a Committee may choose to require as evidence of a category of disability or may require for players to be eligible for specific competitions are the EDGA WR4GD Player Pass and the EDGA Access Pass. These passes are administered and issued by the EDGA Eligibility Team and the application process for golfers to get an EDGA Pass is free of charge. More information can be found at: www.edgagolf.com/online/pass/pass_info.php

 

[Jigger]

Players who use buggies but are able to get out of them to play normally would not be considered as disabled in terms of The Rules of Golf.

The players that are considered disabled in terms of the rules are those that have to stay seated in their mobility device or need to support themselves against it.

Rule 25 modifies certain Rules for players in the following categories of disability:

• Players who are blind (which includes certain levels of vision impairment),
• Players who are amputees (which means both those with limb deficiencies and those who have lost a limb),
• Players who use assistive mobility devices, and
• Players with intellectual disabilities.

Eligibility for Rule 25 is based on the impact that a player’s impairments have on their ability to play golf rather than being a determination of whether someone is disabled.

Examples of passes that a Committee may choose to require as evidence of a category of disability or may require for players to be eligible for specific competitions are the EDGA WR4GD Player Pass and the EDGA Access Pass. These passes are administered and issued by the EDGA Eligibility Team and the application process for golfers to get an EDGA Pass is free of charge. More information can be found at: www.edgagolf.com/online/pass/pass_info.php

not trying to pick you apart and just interrogating the rule. If John Daley starts riding around everywhere in a mobility scooter (assistive mobility device) do that entitle him to use it in a comp?

also. The staying seated bit. Is that your comment or in the rule?

 

[Jigger]

I have been reading the new rule 25 regarding people with disabilities.

Rules 25.4 relates to people using assistive mobility devices

Purpose of Rule: Rule 25.4 allows a player who uses an assistive mobility device to be assisted by both an aide and a caddie at the same time, explains how a player may use an assistive mobility device (such as a wheelchair or other wheeled mobility device or a cane or a crutch) to help in taking a stance and making a stroke, and modifies certain relief procedures.

I wondered how this is going to be applied as we have quite a few seniors who use mobility devices in the form of personal buggies to play. We normally require a Doctor's note to approve this but due to the recent health service issues this is now approved on a trust basis. Is there a level of disability needed before this rule applies (such as blue badge holder, registered disabled, etc)?

Will the player have to say they are playing under the modifications made by the new rule to their fellow competitors?

The last thing we want is to discourage people from playing our great game for as long as they wish but we need to be fair to all players and I know we wil be asked the question.

The other disabilities covered by the new rule are a little more obvious.

I rarely see a comp restricting buggies these days. Especially in opens. Didn’t this become a local thing in 2019? I can’t recall to be honest.

 

[jim8flog]

not trying to pick you apart and just interrogating the rule. If John Daley starts riding around everywhere in a mobility scooter (assistive mobility device) do that entitle him to use it in a comp?

also. The staying seated bit. Is that your comment or in the rule?

It comes from watching golf comps with disabled 'qualified' players in. Many have seats that swivel so they can hit the ball from a seated position.

RE John Daley as per several players on the Seniors tour they are allowed to use buggies to get around the course but probably not allowed to use the rules for disabilities. This is probaly in the terms of the competition which are controlled by the relevant tour officials.

 

[Jigger]

It comes from watching golf comps with disabled 'qualified' players in. Many have seats that swivel so they can hit the ball from a seated position.

RE John Daley as per several players on the Seniors tour they are allowed to use buggies to get around the course but probably not allowed to use the rules for disabilities. This is probaly in the terms of the competition which are controlled by the relevant tour officials.

Thanks. I’ve seen some highlight and they are truly inspirational.

in the pro game I could see them modifying the rules for tiger woods. I know he said he would never do it but just see what he’s achieving when not walking (and has Charlie helping)!

 

[Colin L]

..... If John Daley starts riding around everywhere in a mobility scooter (assistive mobility device) do that entitle him to use it in a comp?.....

No, is the simple answer. It is the disability the golfer has, not the means he/she use to make it possible to play that determine if they can play by the modified rules. There are plenty ageing golfers who need to use a buggy because they don't have the stamina to do 18 holes but who do not have disabilities as such.

 

[rulefan]

I think these rules are not valid because of the lack of details. Most of them might be ignored by players. How can the rule work if it's only on a trust basis? This problem might be fixed easily if someone works on it more. The health of players is in the first place and all of us know about problems with healthcare now so people who add these rules must realize all the dangers of it. And the second one, where is the fair to all players?

How can they be 'not valid'? The Rules makers have made them.
Have you read Section 5D? It is pretty comprehensive re eligibility.
How can a player ignore them? Can you give examples?
Fairness is about compensating for disadvantage. Those who are disabled are being compensated for their disadvantage in not having the ability to do what the enabled can.

 

[Colin L]

I think these rules are not valid because of the lack of details. Most of them might be ignored by players. How can the rule work if it's only on a trust basis? This problem might be fixed easily if someone works on it more. The health of players is in the first place and all of us know about problems with healthcare now so people who add these rules must realize all the dangers of it. And the second one, where is the fair to all players?

The modified rules are not new, just newly incorporated in the rule book as opposed to being in a separate publication. We are talking of golfers who need some tweaks to the Rules to make it possible to play the game fairly by the Rules. Having refereed tournaments for golfers with disabilties I can assure you there is no difference in compliance or trustworthiness. Why would there be? I’ve no idea what you are saying about dangers. There aren’t any more than there are for the rest of us and none caused by the modified rules.

As to fairness, I hope you are not suggesting that it is unfair on the able-bodied and able-minded that a blind player has a guide to line them up, that a paraplegic strapped into a mobility device is allowed to move his ball a wee bit for his stroke rather than having to manoeuvre his buggy for five minutes, that someone with learning difficulties is allowed an aide to help them…… and so on. I can tell you these men and women are awesome. Open your eyes. Find a video on YouTube. Take off the blinkers, Blinker.

I played as a guest in a group of four in a competition, the only one with four limbs. I was gubbed. ?

 

[Colin L]

Going back to an earlier part of the thread, I reckon the difference between an assistive mobility device and a buggy lies in their purpose. A buggy is used to transport you from place to place, that's all and is not used in any way to set the player up for a stroke or make it physically possible for him or her to carry out the stroke which is the job of the assistive device. The modified rules are specific to defined disabilities. For instance, the player with a prosthetic leg may be using a buggy for transport but his entitlement is only to the rules for amputees; it is the player who has to make a stroke while seated on his mobility scooter who is entitled to the rules for assistive mobility devices. That's my reasoning but by chance I sent off a request for a definition of assistive mobility devices from Scottish Golf a couple of days ago. I'l share the answer, of course.