The UK’s first pan-disability Open golf event will be staged by The Golf Trust at Hertfordshire golf club The Shire London, on Monday 29th July 2013.
Fifty volunteers from British Airways will act as caddies, scorers and marshalls at next week’s Golf Trust UK Disabled Open, which features 50 competitors drawn from Special Olympics GB, the English Deaf Golf Association, and The Disabled Golf Association.
The event is also supported by host venue The Shire London, which features the UK’s only Seve Ballesteros-designed golf course. The Shire is donating the Ballesteros Masters golf course for free for the day.
The 18-hole Stableford event is intended to show how golfers with a wide spectrum of disabilities can compete against each other. Prizes will be given in Men’s, Ladies, Juniors, Best Deaf, Best Visually Impaired and Overall categories.
Golf car giants Yamaha are also assisting by donating extra buggies for the day.
Cae Menai Davis, The Golf Trust, said: “Monday will see a lot of firsts, but most of all it is the culmination of a huge effort by many people in the golf and sports industry, to make the Golf Trust UK Disabled Open a reality. This is a significant day for golf, and it sends out a strong message about how inclusive this great sport can be.”
Tony Menai Davis, owner of The Shire London, said: “We are enormously proud to host this event, and The Shire London fully supports The Golf Trust’s initiative to bring disabled golf together in the UK.”
For the British Airways Community Investment team Carmel Barros, commented: “It is an honour for British Airways to be a part of The Golf Trust UK Disabled Open tournament, which is such an inspiring event. Volunteering is a high priority for British Airways and supporting our local communities where possible enables us to share skills, knowledge, experience, expertise and time in an effort to have a positive impact on the communities in which we operate. We pride ourselves on developing strong partnerships with community organisations such as The Golf Trust and DASH and we hope that having more meaningful relationships with in our communities will continue to offer greater impact for all involved. Thanks to The Golf Trust and DASH for offering the opportunity for us to be involved and we look to being able to support future events.”
Ben Stephens, English Deaf Golf Association added: “This event proves that golf is an unique sport which can bring all disabilities together in one place. It will help to increase understanding the different types of disabilities from all angles. The English Deaf Golf Association is happy to support the Golf Trust at the inaugural UK Disabled Open which caters for all disabilities.”
Finally, Graeme Robertson from Disabled Golf Association summed up: “It will be an amazing day. Not only do we have golfers with different disabilities and abilities playing golf together, competitors aged between 12 and 75, and golf handicaps ranging from 5 to 54, but this is also the first-ever disabled ladies competition in the UK. The disabilities represented are amputees, one arm, MS, Parkinson’s, Stroke survivors, blind/visually impaired, deaf, spinal issues, and intellectual (learning) difficulties. Members from four disabled golf organisations will be united as part of The Golf Trust. The event will showcase disabled golf and the power of the human mind to overcome adversity. Having been a former reasonable golfer, due to my MS this will be my first opportunity since diagnosis to play in such a big event at a prestigious course. But of course golf, with its handicap system, enables all to compete equally regardless of ability. Thanks should go to Cae and the Menai-Davies family for their continued support of disabled golf.”
The Shire London http://www.theshirelondon.com